The Loyal Servant

Chapter 20: Unveiling the Past (part 2)

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, events and incidents in this story are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

“You know my Parents?” Fernand asked.

His forehead curled. He looked at Kier who’s standing beside the door, “you know?” he mouthed. But Kier only shrugged his shoulders. How his parents possibly know someone who has such power. He kept thinking if his sister mentioned about his parents having connections with these people, but he coulndt remember anything.

“Ofcourse, your Father is my business partner.” Gergorio smirks at him.

“Excuse me?” Fernand confusedly asked, “Partner?how?”

Gregorio looks at his assistant and gives a signal. “Jeremy, give him the document.” he commanded.

The assistant didn't hesitate and handed over a brown envelope he was holding to Fernand.

“What is this?” Fernand asked while receiving the envelope.

“Your parents' business history,” gregorio said and puffed his tobacco, “ before they died, they entrusted you and your sister to me.” Gregori threw his tobacco on the floor and crushed it with his foot.

“Wait, my parents entrusted us to you?” Fernand eyebrows knitted.

Gregorio nods. “Yes, and that document includes the land you will be inheriting.”

“A land? An Inheritance from my parents?” Fernand tilted his head with his eyebrows furrowed. He was amused and confused at the same time. Does Lisa know this? How come I didn't know.?. He thought.

“It was the land in Bataan that your parents left for you. I think your sister already knows it.” Gregorio informed him. He crossed his arms,“ I was about to tell you the day I learned that you were part of sampaguita.” he paused and tapped his feet on the ground, “but it’s too late.”

Fernand paused and thought for a moment. He gripped the folder in his hand, “Why didn't you tell us earlier?” he said and looked at jeremy and gregorio.

“I told you, young boy. It’s too late.” Gregorio calmly said.

“Too late for what?” Fernand scowled,

“She’s already under Calixtro that day,”

Fernand eye’s eyes squinted as he tried to hold his anger. “That’s not a reason, this is the only fcking thing my parents left us. How could you hide such a thing. Do you know how important-” His words are cut by Gregorio’s loud voice.

“STOP IT BOY, WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!”

Fernand was stung by the sudden rise of gregorio’s voice, the fear he felt earlier suddenly crawled back to him. He zipped his mouth and took a breath.

“Listen, once Calixtro knows about your parents, you and your sister will never survive.” Gregorio explains. “ haven't you still realised that your parents were not just ordinary people?”

“What do you mean?” Fernand asked.

But Gregorio just sighs in disappointment.

Fernand was a bit annoyed with Gregorio's reaction, but he had no choice but to sighed and frowned, his mind confused and flooded by questions but he didn't ask more. He opened the envelope and was surprised to see an old newspaper inside of it and some pictures; that he didn't pay too much attention. He grabbed the newspaper and read the title page, “Couple dead in car crash? “ His eyebrow raised in confusion, what?. He confusedly asked himself. He continued to read the newspaper and realised that it was his parent’s accident report. “So? What about this?” he asked Gregorio with his eyes still focused on the newspaper. He read the report and was shocked to find out that there’s another car in the accident. He continued to read while waiting for an answer.

“I never knew that,” Fernand said after finishing reading the whole news, he looked up and was stunned to see Gregorio looking at him.

Gregorio gulped down his saliva, his eyebrows curling while he licked his lips. . “Jeremy, I told you to bring the documents of his parents but not that.” he told his assistant and tapped the floor with his cane once again. , “Hurry up and put that away.” he anxiously shouted to his assistant.

Fernand wasn’t sure if Gregorio was really worried as his eyes caught Gregorio smirk at Jeremy. Maybe , I was just seeing things. He thought and shook his head.

“Yes, sir” Jeremy immediately went to Fernand to take the envelope. His hands are shivering while reaching Fernand.

At the time, Fernand sensed something suspicious but he let it pass and focused on what Jeremy was trying to do.

What the hell?. Fernand scowled.When Jeremy took the envelope away, he purposely dropped it and scattered on the floor.”Sorry,” he said and bent down to reach for it, he smirked as he felt a hand helping him. He looked at his side and found Fernand also bent down to help him. His smiles immediately faded and raised his head, “Oh, no sir. It’s okay let me,” Jeremy said and immediately took the files away from Fernand. But as he took the files, a photo fell from his hand. He first made sure that Fernand had a glimpse of the picture before he picked it up.

“Wait!” Fernand stopped Jeremy's hand. He furrowed and carefully looked at the young man in the picture who had his shirt covered in blood beside a smashed car. His eyes widened as he realised that the young man was somehow familiar to him. He thought, The hair might be different but it looks like him. He carefully analysed the picture and asked, “Why is that boy beside my parent’s car?”

Gregorio answered him in a low voice, “ He killed your parents.”

Killed? Who? My parents?. Fernmand was trying to absorb every word Gregorio just said, yet his mind was being flooded by questions that made him confused. “What did you just say?” Fernand grip tightly on the picture. “Are you crazy? They died in a car crash.” he squinted his eyes, making him look pissed and annoyed.

Gregorio didn't answer him, and bowed his head.

“Impossible!” Fernand laughed in disbelief, “if it’s true then who killed them?”

“He,” Gregorio then pointed at the picture Fernand was holding.

Kier on the side also observing the whole situation. He looked closely to Gregorio and Jeremy, he knew that since the time they went to visit Fernand, they already had a plan. He chuckled and shook his head when he saw how Jeremy purposely showed Fernand the pictures, and how Gregorio used Fernand’s emotions to his own gain. “ Poor Fernand.” he whispered to himself and turned his head sideways. Even if he wants to help the one he likes, it’s still impossible for him to fight Gregorio. The only true cunning here is that old man. He thought to himself.

Fernand was unsatisfied with the answer given to him, he repeated his question, “Who killed my parents?, “

Jeremy suddenly stood up and put his disappointed face on, “Didn't you hear? That boy killed your parents.” and pointed his fingers to the picture. “Clean your ear for god’s sake!” he mumbled

“Jeremy!” Gregorio stopped him.

“Sorry sir,” Jersey bowed his head and got back to Gregorio’s side.

Fernand brows knitted.“What do you mean? Didn't my parents die in a car crash?”

Gregorio sighs, “They didn't” he paused and looked down. “The car crash report was just a front. Your parents didn't die in a car crash..”

Fernand looked at the picture once again. The boy was looking at his parents with a gun in his hand. It’s unclear yet the tears in the boy's cheeks are noticeable. Why would he cry if he killed them?. He thinks carefully of the boy’s face. Though he wants to believe it was someone else, he can't escape the fact that the boy looks exactly like the one he knew. He gazed at Gregorio who whispered something to Jeremy. His forehead curled when Jeremy smirked at him. Are they planning something?. He thought.

“Fernand?” Gregorio called him.

He realised that he gazed at them for a long time. He shook his head and raised the picture.

“Is this…?” Fernand paused and looked at Gregorio, “Is this Jamie Calixtro?” He pointed to the boy in the picture. He felt the tension from Gregorio and Jeremy, though it was clearly Jamie, he still prayed that Gregorio would say no.

“Fernand,” Gregorio clenched his fist and acted worried with Fernand. “ I know that you probably have a special connection with him since you’ve been staying with Calixtro for a while but-” Gregorio paused and sigh, “ what you are seeing right now is the truth- the evidence that Calixtro was not someone you trust.” he said, emphasising the word trust.

Fernand scowled as he clenched his fist. Before he learns about this, he wants to believe that Calixtro is the worst thing that could happen to his life, but now, he was looking at the worst man he ever met. What an actor.

Gregorio held his cane and stood up, Jeremy immediately went to help his boss. “You have to calm down first, Fernand.” He reminds Fernand. He walked towards Fernand and grabbed the picture from his hand. “It was the young Calixtro,” He said without hesitation. “ when this happened, he probably didn't have a clue of what’s right and wrong.”

Kier smirked as he heard those words from Gregorio. Just a seconds ago, he was trying to make Calixtro’s a bad guy, now he was siding him. He can’t help but be amused by how Gregorio confused Fernand’s mind. What a cunning old man.

“Fck it. “ Fernand burst out. He went back to his bed trying not to laugh. He keeps his annoyed face to make sure that Gregorio won’t have suspicion about him.

“How? I mean he never told me,” Fernand shook his head in his stupid question. Of course how would Calixtro tell him about such things. Stupid self.

“Does Lisa know?” He lowered his voice but he made sure that people around him would hear him. His sister has been with Calixtro for years, serving and protecting him. Lisa even owed him their lives, It’s impossible that CAlixtro would keep her alive if he really killed their parents.. “Damn,” he said angrily, making it look like he was siding with Gregorio's words.

“Maybe she wasn't aware, “ Kier finally spoke up. He walked towards Fernand and sat beside him. He knew that Fernand was not that easy, Gregorio needed his help to make Fernand believe in him. He wink at Gregorio before continuing his words. “If she knew it all along she might not have served Calixtro right?” He then reached for Fernand’s hand and held it gently.

Fernand does not answer.

“Calixtro is a cunning man, he might already know that your parents have kids. He surely made your sister his underling to stop both of you from taking revenge on him.” Gregorio then turned his gaze to Jeremy. He signals him with a nod which Jeremy immediately understands. “Here,” he said as Jeremy walked towards Fernand and gave him the documents in a folder. “I’ll give you these documents for you to know your parents more.” he giggled and said, “This time, i know that Jeremy wont make the same mistake, right?”

Jeremy nodded as an answer.

Fernand instantly removes kier hands from his and receives the folder. He opens it and acts shocked to see how his parents are connected with these people.”They were just like Calixtro,” he whispered. Gregorio was so busy smiling at his success that he didn’t notice how Fernand slightly smiled.

“What an easy boy,” Gregorio whispered under his breath.

Fernand clenched his fist trying to act like he never heard a thing from Gregorio and continued to turn pages. It’s too funny how Fernand tried to calm himself not because he learned something about his parents but because he already knew everything. He already sensed something wrong from the beginning when Jeremy purposely let him look at the picture earlier. He looked up at Gregorio and clenched his fist even more as he saw the smile Gregorio suddenly hid. “My father was your cousin?” Fernand asked when a page of documents caught his attention.

Gregorio looks straight at him and nods.

“If that’s the case, you are related to us”

“Of course, we are blood related to be exact.” Gregorio explained.

Fernand frowned. Do I look stupid to you? He smirked. “Interesting,” Fernand said and looked at Gregorio, “I never knew that,” he tried to sound not sarcastic. He can’t buy the fact that they were related, looking at the situation, if ever Gregorio’s words are true, he would immediately take him and his sister under his protection after his parents died. But why didn't he?.

He stood up and crossed his arms. “You need something in return, am I right?” he guessed. And he was right. Gregorio smiled at him and tapped his shoulder. “You are a smart boy.” he chuckled.

“Tell me, what is it?”

“I want you to work with me.” Gregorio straightly said to Fernand.

Fernand furrowed as he heard Gregoro’s request, “Are you sure, but I’m already working for you. Am I?” he asked. He surely knew that he was working at sampaguita. Right?. He asked himself.

“You are working with him,”Gergorio then pointed at Kier. “Now, I want you to work with the head.” Gerorio asked and pointed to himself. “Work with me.”

Fernand was stunned by Gregorio’s request, but he still chooses to know what Gregorio will offer. “What do you want me to do?” he asked.

“Easy,” Gregorio came closer to him.“You take this, then bring me Calixtro.” he smirked. “Plus you can make sure your sister will be safe.”

It was not new for Fernand to hear Sampaguita use his sister as an assurance, but with Gregorio it felt different. He feels like those words are sharp knives that were pointed at him. He gulped down trying to remain as calm as he could. Fear should not be seen, he thought.

“Bring you Calixtro?” Ferrnand asked. “What will you do to kill him?”

Gregorio sensed the hesitation from Fernand’s words. “Putting him in jail is not easy, Fernand.” Gregorio shook his head. “Calixtro is a big man.” He paused and smiled. “Killing him is the only way for us to get revenge.”

Fernand suddenly felt his chest tightened. He never wanted him dead.