FATED

CHAPTER 2: The Only Way Out

After meeting up with Brent, Brianna had met her boyfriend. They had asked the permission of Kevin's Aunt Divina that they may still be allowed inside the premises of their residence. And so Brianna and Kevin had talked inside the latter car at the garage of his aunt's family residence.

Brianna told her boyfriend, "Dad had already mad up his mind. My engagement to Brent will be announced next Friday night. Brent had told me that I still have a way out. But how? What must we do?"

Kevin asked, "Did Brent not decline your father?"

Brianna said, "He told me that he cannot just blatantly declined Dad. Hence, he told Dad he will just reconsider the deal if one of her daughters will agree to marry him."

Kevin responded, "You are not agreeing so that leaves you younger sister to agree or not."

Brianna replied, "With me still around, Queenie will be off limits. She is Lola's favorite. She is practically raised by Lola because Mom had been very busy on the schooling of Kuya Arthur and Kuya Archie, and accompanying Dad with his business and political functions.  I was also taken care by Lola but then I was then three years old when Queenie was born so more focus had been on her because she was the baby of the family. My sister is also still very young to get married. She just finished college."

Kevin then voiced out, "In order for you to be out of that deal then you must disappear, babe. You said it yourself, with you still around, Queenie will be off limits. But if you are not around then they have no other choice but to have Queenie as their bargaining chip. Queenie is close to my aunt's family because of her close friendship with my cousin, Bernadette. She also had no boyfriend so, she might agree on the deal just to save your family."

Briana agreed, "Yeah, that is very much possible," but she had second thoughts, "But I cannot do such to my sister. Even if she agrees, Lola will definitely give it a fight."

Kevin expressed, "This is the most plausible solution, babe. I will go to Missi in advance to contact my friend in college who has a judge father. Then you can run away before the formal announcement of  the engagement.  I will wait for you in Missi. Let you parents believed that we had already broken up and that you had fully accepted the deal. That way, they will not suspect of our planned elopement."

Brianna said, "I really hope that this plan will work."

Kevin stated, "Brent is right. Even if he declined your father, your Dad will just marry off you to some other guy."

Brianna still expressed her second thoughts, "But I will really feel sorry for Queenie."

Kevin had suggested, "Just wrote her a letter of apology. She will definitely understand you. Anyway she still has you Lola as her way out of the deal."

Brianna then had fully agreed, "You are right. Lola will protect Queenie."

Brent was able to hear  everything that Kevin and Brianna had talked about because he had put an audio bugging device on Kevin's car. The device is not conspicuous because it is just like a sticker of the size of a button cell. In his mind – My plan seems to be working. These two lovebirds had finally figured a way out. The last obstacle will just be the San Carlos Matriarch. But with their family business on the line, she will have no other choice but to agree on it. Governor San Carlos wants the wedding within this June so I can already start managing his company by July. His sons didn't even know that I will be the new CEO of the company as per agreement.  The Governor will just sell me his 50 % LLC interest because the remaining 50 % still belongs to his mother. Once the company is already stable and I already have my investments returned then I need to return the 40 % LLC interest and just maintain the 10 % LLC interest. What they did not know is that I will transfer the ownership of that 10 % LLC interest on Queenie's name when she is already my wife. She deserves such for the sacrifice that she will be doing for her family. 

On the days leading to the formal announcement of Brent's wedding engagement to a San Carlos daughter, Brianna had behaved so well. The event would just not be mainly regarding their wedding engagement for it would also be the 30th wedding anniversary of Ilid Governor and First Lady Arman and Brenda San Carlos.

Bernadette then once asked her brother just a few days after the formal announcement of his wedding engagement to a San Carlos daughter, "Will you really be marrying Ate Brianna, Kuya? For all we know, she is not a virgin anymore. Will it just be fine with you to have the leftovers of Kuya Kevin?"

Brent told his sister, "I have a feeling that Kevin and Brianna will not allow the deal to push through. Anyway, the invitation for this coming Friday night's event is about the wedding anniversary of Governor San Carlos and his wife. Let us just wait and see how this story will unfold."

Bernadette had asked further, "What can they possibly do to stop Tito Arman in announcing your wedding engagement to his daughter?"

Brent played innocently, "I also have no idea but Kevin and Brianna had both confronted me. They really love each other. And as our parents believe, love will find its way if it is really fated to be."

Bernadette then posted another question, "What will then happen if Kuya Kevin and Ate Brianna really had found a way out? What will happen to you? What will happen to the San Carlos Electric Company?"

Brent told his sister another possibility, "Then my wedding engagement with Brianna will not be announced. Governor San Carlos will have to think of another solution to save their family business?"

Bernadette then inquired, "Will it be possible for Tito Arman and Tita Brenda to ask Queenie to replace Ate Brianna."

He just casually replied, "That is a possibility but I do not think that their grandmother will allow Queenie to be her father's bargaining chip. I had been told that she is the favorite of the San Carlos Matriarch."

Bernadette then requested him, "Should there be a possibility for Queenie to be the replacement of Ate Brianna, please agree with the deal. I will rather see her married to you than any replacement that his parents will choose if you decline."

Brent told his sister, "It will still depend on Queenie's decision, Bern. Should she be put as her parents' bargaining chip, then I will ask her the same thing I had asked Brianna."

His sister had queried him, "What did you ask Ate Brianna?"

Brent shared, "I will also ask Queenie if she is really willing to marry me. If her answer is no then just like I did with Brianna, I will advise to think of a way out. You see, I cannot blatantly declined their father because I don't want our family to have problems with him. After all, he is still the most powerful man here in the State of Ilid. But I can only promise you one thing. If Queenie agrees then I will treat very well. After all, she is your best friend. Your very close friendship with her is one of the reasons why I had agreed on a business meeting with Governor San Carlos when his wife suggested to Mama regarding an arranged married between our families."

Bernadette had made a sigh of relief, "Thank you very much, Kuya. At least, I know that should the worst case scenario happens, then Queenie will be married to you and not any other man. She will be my sister-in-law. She will definitely enjoy much more freedom with us than with her family."

Brent then asked his sister out of curiosity, "Does she feel somehow imprisoned with her family, Bern?"

Bernadette had answered, "Sort of.  After all, she is the youngest in the family, so they were all very protective of her especially Lola Rosario. Back in Maunni City, she had her nanny and her bodyguard closely looking after her. She is not even allowed to go on a date or talked to a guy unless it about school matters. Good thing, she did not like any of those guys who wanted to pursue during our college days."

Brent had voiced out his point of view, "The bodyguard is definitely for her protection. After all, she is a daughter of a Governor. We are both aware that her father is not a very honest public servant. He has many enemies so she need to be protected. As for the nanny, she was born with a silver spoon unlike the two of us.  Papa and Mama opted to be away from the control of Mama's family for us to have much more freedom, to be what we really want to be. Papa and Mama had really treated us their own flesh and blood."

His sister had agreed, " You are right, Kuya. Mama has opted to be a fulltime wife and mother just for our family to maintain its happiness. She devoted all her time to Papa, you, and me.  Even if Papa had cheated on her in the past, she had still given him another chance. And now that you have made yourself a very rich man, all the people who had turned their backs on her are now approaching us."

He then changed the topic, "Anyway, are you still declining my graduation gift?"

His sister had answered, "I really want to have my own car. But I want to buy one on my own."

So he told his sister, "Then ask me another thing. You will already start with your first job by July. Do you need something that I can buy for you."

Bernadette answered, "I already have your condominium penthouse in Vienburg City as my residence,. Then I also get to enjoy the services of your stay-in housekeeper and driver. So what else could I ask for."

He then asked her, "What about shopping money? Buy new clothes, bags, and shoes."

Bernadette told her, "You had already fully supported all my needs and wants when I was having my studies in Athenaeum. Those are more than enough, Kuya. I still got to have free house and food, so I will be able to save much of my salary."

He then suggested, "Then perhaps allow me to pay for your driving lessons. Choose the best driving school in Vienburg. I will have no time anymore to personally teach you how to drive. That way by the time you buy your own car, you already know how to drive."

Bernadette had finally agreed on such, "Okay, I will accept such as my graduation gift then."

When Queenie visited Bernadette the following day at their family residence, they had talked about the impending announcement of the wedding engagement of their siblings.

Queenie asked her best friend, "Is your brother really marrying Ate Brianna, Bern?"

Bernadette had answered, "Kuya still thinks that Kuya Kevin and Ate Brianna will be able to find a way out so they can be together. He really did not want to marry your sister but he just cannot blatantly declined your father. His words were like he will only reconsider the deal if one of you will agree on it. Your sister definitely didn't agree on it when he asked her so he advised to find her own way out."

Queenie said, "Then there is a possibility that  Dad and Mom will ask me to marry the person who can solve the problem in our family's business."

Bernadette assured her best friend, "Kuya said that you did not have to worry about it because Lola Rosario will definitely have your back. But should you be the replacement in your sister's place then he will also ask you if you will be willing to be his bride. If you said no then he will just advise you to find your way out. But should you agree, he also promised me that he will treat you very well."

Queenie expressed, "Your parents and your brother have always treated me very well."

Bernadette then asked her best friend, "If it happens that you really have to replace your sister, what will you do? Will you agree on the arranged marriage or not?"

Queenie's answer was, "I really don't know what to do, Bern. Perhaps I will just cross the bridge when I get there. My major concern now is how I can have a job. Lola did not want me to work. Dad and Man will not dare to oppose Lola unless it calls for desperate measures."

Bernadette suggested, "Then perhaps just opt for an online job where you can just work from home. You may try being a content marketer. Or you can just go on with your blogs. You have been earning from them anyway without even revealing your true identity to your readers. Yes you have social media accounts, but you are not even allowed to post any of your personal photos or any of your opinions. Isn't it ironic that your grandparents and parents had allowed you to take up journalism and yet  they are also the ones suppressing your freedom of speech."

Queenie said, "That is the price I have to pay for being part of a political family."

Bernadette had another idea, "You have a collection of so many beautiful poems. What about looking  for a publisher to have your own poetry books get published?"

Queenie responded, "Yeah, I may try it. But then Lola will not allow me to go to Missi anymore."

Bernadette then had a wishing thinking, "Well if you become Kuya's wife they you will definitely have some freedom. We had talked about you last night. And somehow I had divulged that you felt some sort of imprisoned by your own family. We have both been raised by our parents to enjoy our freedom in making our own decisions in life. For as long as we are on the right path and we are not hurting other people then they are just cool with all our decisions. Kuya will definitely exercise such as well if he already has a family of his own."

Then Queenie suddenly expressed, "I will definitely miss you once you already went back to Missi to work."

Bernadette teased her best friend, "Marry my brother, then we can spend more time together."

Queenie said, "Even if it happens, he will be stuck here in Ilid most of the time because of all his business endeavors. He is managing his actuarial firm and the import/export business of your family. I also heard from Kuya Arthur that he is already a shareholder of Fortich and Associates Shipping Line. And should he really be married to our family, then he must also devote some of his time to our electric company to save it."

Bernadette replied, "Yeah, I am aware of such. Yet he has always managed to find quality time to spend with our family. He also goes to Missi frequently because the main headquarters of his firm is there. He also travels abroad for business trips. You can always go with him when you are already his wife. You will also enjoy some sort of freedom."

Queenie responded, "As I said, I will just cross the bridge when I get there. Nothing is still certain up to this point except for that fact that a marriage to a San Carlos daughter will be used as a bargaining chip to save San Carlos Electric Company. Lola is not even saying anything about this matter because Ate Brianna had told Dad that she will try her best not to disappoint him. There is also no signs that she is disagreeing on the deal. She has already broken up with Kuya Kevin just as our parents had asked her to do."

Bernadette expressed, "Well, all we have to do is just to wait and see on what will happen tomorrow evening."

Queenie affirmed, "That is true. Let us just hope and pray for the best. Because I heard from Kuya Archie that Dad and Mom will plan on the wedding this June just a few weeks after the announcement of the wedding engagement. I also heard that your brother is willing to spare no expense for the wedding if the deal will be closed."

Bernadette had recalled, "I remember that you have a crush on Kuya when we were still in high school," and then asked her best friend, "Do you still have a crush on him?"

Queenie answered, "We are not high school students anymore, Bern. But I do admire and respect your brother for everything that he has accomplished in life. He is just so hardworking that he was able to reach all of his career goals. Did he even spare some time for his love life?"

Bernadette responded to her best friend's question, "He had never done any serious romantic relationship with a lady. But he has so many lady friends who flirted with him. A lot had actually tried visiting him at his penthouse. I believed that he might have engaged in some casual hookups but none of them happened in his condominium penthouse. He had been so focus with his work  as well as taking up his MBA when he was still working for that  multinational insurance company."

Queenie had asked, "How sure are you that your brother is not a gay?"

Bernadette answered confidently, "Well, I caught him making out with a lady."