THE SASSY LADY & THE NOT SO GENTLEMAN

CHAPTER 3: The Runaway Fiancé

October 6, 2017. Friday. It was supposed to be the engagement meeting of Neil Monteverde in the evening to the lady that her parents had chosen for him to marry. He was just 28 years old. Simon Monteverde, his father, worked as an investment banking executive in London. On the other hand, his mother, Natasha Astley, had aristocratic blood in her lineage and a member of the upper class society of London. They had decided to arrange his marriage to one of the daughters of their family friend who also belonged to the upper class society of London.

Neil was not in favor of such engagement. He vehemently disagreed to his parents with regards to the engagement to a lady he barely knew. Thus, he connived with his younger sister, Neve, so he could runaway without the knowledge of their parents. Neve usually went to her work early in the morning to receive the deliveries of her very own coffee and pastry shop in London. So he rode her car secretly that morning. He boarded a flight going to his father's home country, Filipinas, as soon as his sister had safely driven him out of their residence. He only had a backpack with his laptop, passport, a few change of clothes, and a personal bank card. The bank card contained all of his personal saving working as an investment banker under the investment banking company own by his father and his mother's family. He immediately bought an economy class plane ticket going to Mellin City, the capital of the State of Zaramala.

In his mind - This is the only way I can think of to escape that arranged marriage with the lady I barely knew. She might be very rich and pretty but I don't feel any spark towards her. I wanted to be married for love. At least in Filipinas, I can reestablish my self. I have enough saving to buy my own small place and start a business. No one can control my life but myself. I will only get married once I am already a self-made billionaire. I have already earned millions from my own personal investments in London along with my salary as an investment banker. I will use my money to start anew.

October 7, 2017. Saturday. It was around 4 AM when the plane landed on Mellin International Airport. Neil immediately boarded a taxi going to Monteverde Hotel, he checked in and choose a standard single room for his few days stay at the hotel. In his mind - Dad will definitely soon find out that I am here in Zaramala and he will inform Lolo and Lola about it. A few days will be enough time for me to find my own place to live in.

The front desk personnel knew him as the eldest grandson of the Chairman of Monteverde Corporation. He requested the front desk personnel who already seemed to be in her late 30s, "I want my whereabouts to be kept from Lolo as much as possible. I will just be here for a few days as a paying hotel guest and not as the grandson of the Chairman."

The front desk personnel confirmed, "I will not say a word, sir. Here is your key card. Enjoy your stay."

But then the night manager saw him and immediately informed his Uncle Jun regarding his stay at the hotel.

Sixto Monteverde II answered the call - Why are you calling so early in the evening, Manager Santos? You should better have something important to report.

The night manager responded - I saw your nephew, Neil Monteverde, just checked in at the hotel, sir. He even told the front desk personnel who processed his check in not to tell your father about his whereabouts.

He then responded - Thank you very much for your information, Manager Santos. Do as he says. Do not leak his whereabouts to my father. Good bye.

But in his mind - What are you doing here in Filipinas, Neil. You are supposed to be in London. Simon was even bragging just a few days ago that you will soon be married to lady from a very prominent upper class family in London. With you around, Third's promotion as the new CEO will be endangered as I retire from that post at the end of this year and just remain as one of the members of the Board of Directors. I hope that you will not be staying long, Neil. I do not want you ruining my plans for my son. You might be the eldest grandson, but I am Papa's eldest son and Third is my only son. Simon had already sold back his shares in the corporation to Papa.

Nonetheless, Neil's grandfather, Sixto Monteverde, had known when Neil arrived at the airport and checked in at their hotel. He was already expecting that his eldest grandson might hide in Zaramala to escape his engagement with the lady that his son Simon and his son's wife Natasha had chosen for him. Simon had called him up the previous evening as soon as he found out that Neil had runaway from home. It was then morning time at London the previous day. After his conversation with Simon, he asked one of his personal secretaries to secretly wait on his eldest grandson at the airport and covertly followed where he would go as well.

Sixto could still recall his conversation with his youngest son the previous night.

His reaction was, "What will you expect from Neil? Of course he will runaway to prevent that engagement the same way you did years ago when your Mama tried to match you with Kristina Montelibano. Like father like son."

Simon's answer was, "Well, if that match had succeeded, I might have been a widower already. I got nothing against her, Papa. It just happened that I am not romantically interested with her."

His response was, "And do you think that Neil is romantically interested with that lady you and Natasha had chosen for him. He did not even agree with the match and yet you had already agreed with the parents of the lady for an engagement meeting. Just let your son be. He is already old enough to decide for himself. He seems to be as hard headed as you are. I will convince him to join the family corporation if he will really come here."

Simon's banter was, "Good luck on such, Papa. As you said, he is as hard headed as I am so I doubt if you will be able to convince him to join the Monteverde Corporation. Kuya Jun will not allow such. I bet that he has long been grooming Third to be the next CEO of corporation as he vacates such post towards the end of the year and just remains as one of the members of the Board of Directors."

He told his youngest son, "I can sell your old shares to your son. I am aware that he earned well from his personal investments. He also saved most of his salary as an investment banker in your investment banking company."

Simon replied, "We shall see then, Dad. But I will do everything to make him return here in London. Natasha and I had already agreed that she will follow Neil their along with the lady that we have chosen for him and give them enough time to get to know each other before formally announcing their wedding engagement. They will be there after New Year's Day.

At exactly 12 NN that day, Don Sixto Monteverde had entered the hotel room of his eldest grandson and asked his personal secretary, Darius Rosas to wake Neil up.

Darius had pulled off the curtain to the sides of the window exposing Neil to the bright day light from outside.

Neil growled waking up, "Who pulled off the curtain?" And as he sat down of the bed, he saw his grandfather sitting down on the couch opposite the foot of of the bed.

Don Sixto greeted him, "Welcome back, my stubborn grandson. Wash up already and join me at the restaurant downstairs for lunch. Your Dad had called me up last night so I somehow knew the possibility of you hiding here in Zaramala," then he warned his grandson, "Your Mom and your intended will be following you here by January, " and he also offered him a way out, "So if you want to avoid that arranged marriage then you have to work for me."

Neil vehemently declared, "I will not join Monteverde Corporation, Lolo. I came here to start anew. I want a clean slate and establish my own business. Just let Third be the next CEO. Uncle Jun has been grooming him for such anyway."

Don Sixto then told his personal secretary ,"Darius, just order a room service and leave us for a while to personally check on the food."

As Don Sixto's personal secretary left, Neil asked his grandfather, "Are you sure that Uncle Jun is involved in the financial anomaly that you uncovered a few months ago, Lolo?"

Don Sixto answered, "The covert investigation is still ongoing. So you have to buy me sometime. I am aware that you do not want to join Monteverde Corporation and that you want to establish your own business and I will allow you to do so. But I am asking you as a grandson to help me out in resolving this matter in a way that it will not affect the corporation that I had built majority of my life. I might die anytime soon. I want you to guide your Lola Leonor in making sound decisions for the corporation once I already passed away."

Neil told her grandfather, "You will still have a long life to live, Lolo. Why not just sell your majority shares and enjoy your retirement with Lola? I can help you evaluate prospective buyers."

Don Sixto told him, "I have already thought of all your suggestions including selling my shares. But I am not yet ready to let go of my shares to an outsider. So please reconsider buying back your Dad's shares from me. I will leave my shares to your Lola when I die. We already agreed that you will be her business advisor. And when she passed away as well, the shares will all be equally divided among our two sons and three daughters."

Neil could not refuse his grandfather. He was aware that buying back his father's shares would automatically give him a seat at the Board of Directors. His grandfather currently own 60 percent shares of the Monteverde Corporation. His uncle and three aunts each owned 10 percent shares. If he bought back the 10 percent shares of his Dad, his grandfather's shares would just be 50 percent.

His grandfather had handpicked him fro a reason. Lolo Sixto was aware that he would be rational in all of his business decisions because he was not afraid to go against his own father and his own uncles from his mother side when it comes to business. He was a superb financial analyst. He earned a degree in a bachelor's degree in economics and management as well as a master's degree in financial economics from Oxford University. As he joined the investment banking company established by his father and his maternal uncles, its revenues had increased tremendously.

Investing in Monteverde Corporation was not at all a bad idea. With his seat at the Board of Directors, he could provide sound business decisions and ideas for the corporation that would make him earn money based on his shares. But he disliked getting involved with the top management of the family business. It was also the reason why, he just opted to become an employee in the company established by his father and his maternal uncles. His grandfather had long been convincing him to join Monteverde Corporation but he had always declined.

He then told his grandfather his decision, "Just assign me as a private secret financial and business consultant, Lolo. I will do it for free be it for you or for Lola. I will help with the best of my business knowledge and abilities. I would not need any compensation. I just don't want getting personally involved on the top management of the family business. I want to be in control with my own life. I already left my resignation letter at Dad's office as I ran away to escape my engagement. I want to start anew here at Filipinas and establish my own business. As for buying back Dad's shares, I am still undecided about it, Lolo. It will not be a bad idea financial wise but my motto in life is to live my life the way I want it. So investing in Monteverde Corporation is not in my vocabulary. I don't like to be at business war with your offspring, Lolo."

After the lunch, his grandfather was able to convince him to go home at the Monteverde Ancestral Mansion. Lolo Sixto had accepted his offer of financial and business consultancy. In return, he had asked him for Darius Rosas to help him in personal matters like finding a his own not so big private residence, and guiding him around the city as he purchase personal stuffs for himself. His grandfather had agreed because the soonest he found his own private residence, then the soonest he can secretly work on the ongoing investigation with regards to the financial anomaly in the corporation which possibly involved his Uncle Jun.

October 8, 2017. Sunday. In the morning, Keren had to deliver the scented candles to the mansion of the Monteverdes. On her way to the private estate of the Monteverdes, another car kept on honking from behind. It was the first time she saw the man. She just ignored the man and let him overtake her car.

As she arrived at the mansion, Doña Leonor introduced him to that arrogant man as Neil Monteverde, his eldest grandson, who just came from UK. After the introductions, the man just left after looking at her from head to toe.

Doña Leonor told Keren, "Just pardon his rash behavior, Keren. His parents had been doing matchmaking on him back in London. He opted to come home here to avoid a possible engagement and establish his own business here in the country. My husband wants him to join our family business which is being run my my eldest son but he declined. He is very independent."

Keren responded, "I really don't mind, Lola." Afterwards, she already left.

When she already left, Neil asked her grandmother several questions.

His first question was, "Is she the daughter of the Montelibano that you once matched with Dad, Lola?"

His grandmother affirmed, "Yes, " and then asked him back, "Why are you asking?"

He explained, "Well, I am just curious as to why her surname is Montelibano? Does she not have a father? And why is she delivering you scented candles. She is a Montelibano so she is supposed to be very rich."

Lola Leonor satiated his curiosity, "When her mother died and her father decided to legitimize his son and daughter form a previous relationship, she decided to use her mother's surname. I think that it had been pre-arranged by Claudio Montelibano before he died knowing about the other offspring of his son-in-law. After such, Keren opted to live an low key life away from the upper class society events and just focused on her studies and continuing the charity works of her mother. The scented candles are part of the fund raising campaign of the haven she established for the elderlies, battered woman, and homeless children. She converted the ancestral mansion of the Montelibanos as a safe haven for all those underprivileged people."

But then the unexpected suddenly happened. Simon Monteverde arrived at the ancestral home that morning , decided to buy back his shares from his father and assigned Neil as his business representative.

Neil complained, "You cannot do this to me, Dad!"

Simon firmly declared, "I can because you are my son. You already agreed to help your Lolo with the family business. This will be another way of helping him. You can still go on with your plans of starting anew here. But Margaret is still willing to follow you here so that you can get to know each other. If it does not work out between the tow of you then she will not insist."

Neil responded, "Just tell her not to waste her time anymore, Dad. I already decided to stay here for good. I will get married at my own terms. You win! I will represent you in Monteverde Corporation. But I will just be doing this out of filial piety. And please let this be the last time that you will decide for my life, Dad. Coz the next time you do, I will run away again to a place where any Monteverde or any Astley will not find me. I am not kidding, Dad. Let me decide for my own life. I am not a child anymore. I don't want fighting with you so please just let me be."

His father agreed, "Okay, you win! But look after your Lolo and Lola for me. Help them in every possible way you can. I will not meddle with your personal life anymore. But then I won't be able to stop Margaret from following you here if she still so decide to do so. She is head over heals in love with you. She is very much convinced that she can win your love over. So I suggest that you already find yourself a wife here in Zaramala. You are not getting any younger, son. You will already turn 29 next year. Give your grandparents here and in London the joy of seeing a great grandchild from you before they die."

He told his father, "I will only get married if the right lady comes along, Dad."

His father then informed him, "Anyway, I will be returning to London tomorrow. I will leave after the special meeting of the Board of Directors tomorrow morning where in Papa will announce my decision of buying back my shares and having you as my representative in the Board of Directors. And please do keep in touch with your Mom regularly."