FATED

CHAPTER 3: Grandmother's Love

June15, 2018. Friday. It was early in the morning when the entire San Carlos Compound had been disturbed by the sudden disappearance of Brianna.

Queenie had been awakened by the noise. Then she saw a white envelope wit her name on it by her bedside table. She reached for the envelope and opened it. There was a letter for her written by her older sister – 

Queenie,

By the time you read this, I am already far away. I really cannot marry Brent because he is not the man I love. So I want to express my apology if Dad and Mom will have to turn on you to be the bargaining chip in this arranged marriage just to save our family business. You will definitely have Lola to protect you while I have no one to protect me form the loveless arranged marriage that Dad and Mom had planned for me. Kevin definitely does not have the capacity to help our family out because their own company is also in some financial crisis. They had also swallowed their pride and approached Brent for his business expertise and financial assistance. With Lola around, you have a way out, while all I can do is run away.

I will not tell you anymore where I will go and what will I do next. It is much better that you don't know anything about my whereabouts. You may show this letter to our family. Let them know that I will just return once I am already sure that I will not be married off as a bargaining chip to the savior of our family business. I believe that Kuya Arthur and Kuya Archie should be the ones to solve this problem. Such financial crisis in the company just happened anyway under their supervision. When Lolo was still alive, our company is in a very stable condition. When Dad was the one managing it, it was also in a very stable condition. But under our brothers, the company has faced this financial set back. I didn't mean to point fingers but that is the sad truth. Why should  you or me be used as a bargaining chip to save the family business? We didn't cause the problem anyway.

There is no way you can find me unless I showed up. I had turned off my smartphone. So please tell Dad and Mom not to search for me anymore. They did not want any scandal  involving the family anyway, that is why they are covering up for our brothers'  shortcomings.

Til we meet again,

Ate Brianna

Just as Queenie finished reading the letter, their parents had opened her bedroom door. She handed the letter of her sister to their mother then said, "Ate Brianna had run away. She did not want to marry Brent Crisostomo."

Their parents decided to leave her bedroom room and went back to their bedroom to talk privately.

Brenda had asked her husband, "What shall we do now, mahal? Our daughter had clearly stated the entire truth on her letter. Your mother will definitely not allow Queenie to be used as our bargaining chip. How our we going to cover up for our sons' shortcomings? I really did not expect that Brianna will abandon us."

Arman told his wife, "We should talk to Mama and Queenie. We can still prevent the scandal from coming out if they will just agree on our original plan. Queenie will have to take Brianna's place."

Everyone was silent during the family breakfast.

It was Daddy Arman who broke the deafening silence when his mother was already done eating. "Mama,  Brianna had run away. How can we solve the financial crisis at the company?"

The San Carlos Matriarch  had spoken out, "I know coz I am the one who helped her escape. She might be probably married to Kevin Fortich already. I had been very silent with the plan that the two of you had devised just to cover up for the shortcomings of Archie and Arthur. You are supposed to punish them and yet you had forced Brianna to enter in an arranged marriage with Brent Crisostomo. That  young man definitely knows how to decline you without you even knowing it. His words were he will just reconsider the deal when one of your daughters agrees to marry him. He knows that Brianna will not agree.  And he also knows that I will not let Queenie to be used as your bargaining chip. Brent Crisostomo is a shrewd businessman. But he also has a heart.  He will not allow this marriage to push through unless Brianna or Queenie had really made up her mind into marrying him. Brianna had clearly made up her mind declining the deal. Kevin had even confronted Brent regarding this. His words to  Kevin was  to find a way out of the deal if he really loves Brianna and his words to Brianna was to think of a way out because she is the only person who should decide for her fate. Julian and Divina Crisostomo have raised both their son and their daughter that way. They have given them the freedom to decide for their own lives after equipping them with all the lessons in life so that they will not go astray or hurt other people in the process. So I will now give Queenie the freedom to decide on her own fate."

Daddy Arman then told her, "Dear, your sister had clearly eloped with her boyfriend. Tonight is supposed to be the announcement of her engagement to Brent Crisostomo. So instead of your sister, you should marry Brent."

Queenie answered, "I understand the situation, Dad. But he might not agree with it. He knows that he will be marrying Ate anyway."

Mommy Brenda told her, "I already called up Divina. His parents already know the situation. Brent had already said that he will only push through with the marriage with you as his bride if you will agree."

Kuya Arthur said, "But she is just 22 while Brent is 30, Dad, Mom."

Kuya Archie agreed, "That is true.  Queenie just also finished college, Mom, Dad. She is still very young to get married."

"Then the two of you should have not stolen from the company!" Daddy Arman said, "We have no other choice but to push through with the marriage. It is the only way to save our business." 

Lola Rosario then told her granddaughter, "I will support you in whatever decision you made, cookie."

Queenie had spoken out, "I will have to talk to Kuya Brent first before I can make a decision."

Mommy Brenda then said, "I will then call Divina. Brent is probably still there. His beach house is under renovation so he is staying most of the time in their family residence."

Everyone had already gone to their respective room. 

After sometime, Mommy Brenda had knocked and entered Queenie's bedroom again and told her, "Dear, Brent has already relayed his message. He will fetch you here at around 9 AM so the two of you can talk privately. Please be ready then."

She responded, "Yes, Mom."

Mommy Brenda told her, "Please decide on what is best for our family, dear. I know that your brothers are at fault and it was wrong for us to use you or your sister as a bargaining chip. But we have to avoid the scandal."

Her reply was just, "I will take  everything in consideration before I made my decision, Mom."

Mommy Brenda said, "Okay. I will leave you now."

When Brent arrived a few minutes before 9 AM, he was with Bernadette. 

Brent had paid his respects to her elders first before they left.

Bernadette had already instructed her best friend to sit down by the driver's seat. As Brent sat down on the driver's seat, closed the door, and steered the wheel, Queenie's bodyguard also followed them aboard a car.

Queenie had asked, "So where are we going?"

Brent had answered, "We will talk at my beach house."

Bernadette had talked about a different topic to diffuse the tension. She had engaged her best friend with a light hearted chat.

On the other hand, Kevin and Brianna had already tied the knot.

Brianna had already told her grandmother about it in a video conversation.

Her grandmother's response upon receiving her call was, "Yes, Brianna. Are you and Kevin already married?"

Brianna said, "Yes, Lola. We will now head back to the mansion so that we can attend the 30th wedding anniversary of Dad and Mom. Are they angry?"

Her grandmother said, "How can they be angry when I was the one who helped you out to snuck out?"

Brianna expressed her utmost gratitude to her grandmother, "Thank you very much, Lola," and then asked about her sister, "What about Queenie? What will happen to her?"

Lola Rosario told her granddaughter, "It will all be up to Brent. I had already personally talked to Brent and we reached an agreement. Should your sister agreed on the wedding engagement then I will want the two of you to have a double wedding in the Ilid Cathedral. Seeing the two of you married is my utmost wish before I die. I am already at ease that you are with the one you truly love while I am also sure that your sister will be in good hands should she agree to marry Brent. Brent has promised me to treat her very well. I have a feeling that he genuinely likes your sister."

Brianna said, "Well, they have known each other since Bern and Queenie were in kindergarten. Brent is a righteous man despite his blatant honesty."

Her grandmother affirmed, "Yes, I agree with such."

Unbeknownst to everyone, Lola Rosario had talked to her older granddaughter heart to heart  that Thursday evening before she helped Brianna to snuck out. There conversation went like this –

Lola Rosario: Tell me what is in you heart, Brianna. Do you really want to marry Brent Crisostomo?

Brianna: Brent already knew that I honestly don't agree on marrying him. So he advised me to find a way out of it because he cannot blatantly declined Dad. When Kevin confronted Brent, Brent also advised him to find a way out for me.

Lola Rosario: Have you already thought of a way out?"

Brianna: Yes, Lola. Kevin had already went to Missi in advanced to arrange for a judge to marry us. The only problem, I have is how to snuck out of the mansion without the guards knowing."

Lola Rosario: Then get ready and pack up some of your stuff. Marry Kevin Fortich and then return in time for the party tomorrow night. You have to secretly hide at the back seat of my SUV. My driver will help you out. I have a secret meeting with Brent tonight so I will go out.  I know that your sister had a crush on Brent when she was in high school. Up to now, she still admires and respects him for all of his accomplishments. She might agree on marrying him once you ran away but I need to be sure of Brent's feelings for your sister first. So I requested him to meet me. 

Brianna: (Hugging her grandmother tightly) Thank you very much, Lola.  

When Lola Rosario had met with Brent, their conversation went like this – 

Lola Rosario: Brianna is already on her way now to meet her boyfriend. They will get married and be back tomorrow in time for the wedding anniversary of my son and  my daughter-in-law.

Brent: I am aware of the plan that Kevin and Brianna had come up with, Doña Rosario. I had advised both of them to think of a way for Brianna to be out of the deal if they really love each other. They are the only ones who can decide for their own lives anyway so that they will not have any regrets. They had talked in our family residence after Brianna talked to me. And I had heard their plans without them knowing.

Lola Rosario: My son and his wife will definitely asked Queenie to take Brianna's place. So what is your next plan??

Brent: In as much as I like Queenie very much and I intend to pursue her now that she already graduated, I cannot decide for her. If she disagrees to marry me then I will respect her decision. Anyway, I have known from my sister that you will always have her back and support her with any decision she will arrive at. So I am not worried at all.

Lola Rosario: Your sister is very right about it. But should Queenie agree to marry you, I need an assurance that you will treat her well. That is the only thing  I need to know so I can entrust my younger granddaughter to you.

Brent: I will definitely treat her very well,  Doña Rosario. You do not even have to ask me about it. If she will agree to marry me then I will just have to court her while we are already married. 

Lola Rosario: Then I will be at east if she decided to save our family business by marrying you. Anyway, what agreement had you and my son come up with to save our company?

Brent: Governor San Carlos is willing to sell his 50 % LLC interest on me temporarily then I will take over as the CEO of San Carlos Electric Company to clean up all the mess that your two grandsons had made. Your son had already agreed on the punishment that I had thought of.

Lola Rosario: How will you punish them?

Brent: I will fire them and all their culprits.

Lola Rosario: I like that idea very much. But then you said that the buyout will just be temporary, how is that?"

Brent: Once the company is already stable  and all my investments had already been returned plus the interests then I will retain the 10 % LLC interest and then Governor will have the 40 % back.

Lola Rosario: I intend to leave my 50 % LLC interest equally between Brianna and Queenie when I die. But knowing that our family business will only continue with your capable hands then will you agree to buy my 50 % LLC interest?

Brent: Are you sure about this, Doña Rosario?

Lola Rosario: Yes. I am very sure of it. So you have to convince Queenie to marry you. I know my two granddaughters very well because I practically raised them when their mother had been busy minding about the schooling of the twins and accompanying my son in all of his business, social and political meetings. Queenie will not decide rashly should her parents asked her to take Brianna's place. She might request to talk to you. So if you really like her then make her agree to marry you in any way you can. Once she agrees then we can finalize the buy out a day or two before your wedding. Nobody in my family should know about it except Queenie should you decide to tell her.

Brent: I understand, Doña Rosario.

Lola Rosario: You might as well start addressing me as Lola.

Brent:  Okay, Lola.

Lola Rosario: Queenie is not my son's biological daughter but she is my daughter's biological daughter. Queenie and her siblings didn't know. The twins were just five  years old while Brianna was two years old when Queenie was born. My daughter had her out of wedlock. Her mother Regina was quite liberated and so she got pregnant. She didn't even know Queenie's biological father. In order to protect our family's reputation as well as my daughter and Queenie, my husband and I decided to hide Regina, my daughter, while she was pregnant. Except for family, everyone knew that she was in Australia when the fact was she was in our rest house in Branei Island with Brenda and my three grandchildren. We asked Brenda to wear fake baby bump if she had to go out. My daughter died of pregnancy complication a few hours after giving birth to Queenie. Thus, Queenie had never known any parents but Arman and Brenda. I had been very strict with both Brianna and Queenie on entertaining suitors while they were still studying because I do not want them to be like my daughter. Queenie's biological mother was just eighteen years when she got pregnant. Now that Brianna had found her match and Queenie will be safe with you then I will already have some peace of mind. I also had a heart to heart talk to Kevin when he was still courting Brianna. I know that his intentions on her are serious and so I had prevented my son and his wife to succeed with their plan. As for Queenie, it is a different matter. For the very first time. I will let her decide for her own fate. Let us just hope that she will decide on your favor.

Brent: Do you intend to tell Queenie about her real mother, Lola?

Lola Rosario: I think it will still be the best if she didn't know about  her true parents. It might just hurt her. knowing the truth.

Brent: I do respect your decision, Lola. Rest assured that this secret will be safe with me.

Lola Rosario: But should there come a time when I am already dead and there is a need for her to know the truth then you might as well tell her about it. Please also try to protect her from my daughter-in-law and my twin grandsons. They're capable of doing some bad things that might harm Brianna and Queenie. The arranged marriage was actually Brenda's idea. She did not even mind that her very own daughter might get hurt with her plan just to cover up for the twins.