Heartless Mafia Heir

4- “Resemblance.”

Three years later...

(Fabio's POV)

"Do I have another appointment that I should attend today other than the dinner meeting with Mr. Alvarez?” I asked my secretary while I massaged my temple.

I was in my office and bombarded with work. There were a lot of papers to read that needed either approval or rejection if necessary, so I felt tired, but I didn’t mind at all. Working hard has always been a cup of tea for me.

I peeked at the window and saw that it was almost dawn. Looking at my wristwatch, the time was quarter to 6 PM.

Ian shook his head after checking my schedule in his notes. "Nothing else, Congressman. Only the meeting with the CEO and founder of VistaCecilia Homes."

I nodded. "All right. Thank you. I'm going to get ready.”

He went out. I stopped reading the documents on my desk.

I leaned on the backrest of the swivel chair and placed my arms behind my head. I closed my eyes. I'll just nap to rest before the meeting with a VIP.

Eusebeo Alvarez is the owner and founder of VistaCecilia Homes, Inc. It is a well-known and reputable local real estate developer with years of experience. They provide spacious, environmentally sustainable, and aesthetic homes nationwide in various locales and price ranges. Their portfolio features diverse housing projects, including townhouses, rental spaces, and buildings in master-planned or mixed-use environments.

VistaCecilia is renowned for its high-quality, professionally designed homes. They offer a variety of solutions to accommodate different economic levels and tastes. Their reputation as a leading real estate developer is based on their dedication to building and maintaining residential niches that suit the needs and dreams of local families.

I have to talk to and persuade Mr. Alvarez about the sponsorship from VistaCecilia. As a matter of fact, during the campaign, we spoke, and he had a positive impression of me right away. He added that if I win, I may reach him at any time if I need help with anything, as long as it is for serving the masses.

For those who believed in me and supported me, I promised to provide housing projects and even small homes for the homeless and poor neighbors. In the initial weeks following my declaration as the congressman winner, Mr. Alvarez personally came to congratulate me, and I made a lighthearted remark about my idea.

He told me that he is open to any discussion and that if I formulate a concrete plan, he will help sponsor land and high-quality materials to make my dream first project for my beloved constituents a reality.

But I also know he will expect something in return if I get his real estate sponsorship. That's precisely how things work. Nothing comes for free these days. I won't believe this is purely from his generous heart. That's why he's doing this. It's nothing like that. Everything has a price, especially if he gives excessively on occasion.

I arrived at the exclusive restaurant where we were going to meet. The staff greeted me and guided me to the VIP table. It only took a few minutes before he also arrived.

I welcomed him warmly.

"Mr. Alvarez!”

He smiled and nodded. “Congressman Carlos!”

He gave me a friendly and fatherly hug and tapped my back.

"How are you, son?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Alvarez. I'll admit I'm a bit tired from working for a whole day, but I can manage. How are you?"

"Still living healthy and happy, feeling young at heart even after reaching senior age," he joked.

I chuckled and nodded. “As you should.”

I could remember that a few months back, he celebrated his 61st birthday.

His face was relaxed, so even though he was already sixty-one, he still looked like he was only in his forties. Wealth and money most likely played a significant part; he didn't need to be as stressed or overworked because he had a lot of money.

I invited him to sit, which he followed. The servers came in and served the food to our table.

“By the way, is it okay to wait a while before we start? My daughter would love to join us. As I’ve once mentioned, my only child is a daddy's girl, so when she comes home, she always wants to follow where I go. We bond because she only comes home once in a blue moon and is busy with her modeling career abroad."

I was a bit surprised. "She's home?"

"Yes. She arrived yesterday. We didn’t come together today because she had other things to do, but she promised to come. I hope you don't mind."

I smiled and shook my head. "I don't. It's alright. I also want to meet your princess, Mr. Alvarez.”

He nodded gratefully.

A few moments later, a highly sophisticated woman walked our way. A staff member led her.

"Oh, there she is! Monique Elizabeth!” Mr. Alvarez dearly called her.

She smiled and waved her hand to her father. "Dad!"

She went to him, and they hugged while I almost froze in my seat. Larra!

I could never be wrong! This woman looked exactly like my ex-fiancée!

Although her straight brown hair is short and shoulder-length, and Larra used to have long black, slightly wavy hair, their facial features are almost identical!

How did this happen? How the heck did she become the daughter of one of the country’s richest businessmen?

"Am I late? I'm sorry. There was a bit of traffic,” she apologetically stated.

"Not at all, dear. You came on time. Right, Congressman?”

"Huh? Yeah.” I nodded and acted cool, but deep inside, there were questions in my mind.

Mr. Alvarez smiled and introduced us. "Anyway, dear, this is Congressman Fabio Carlos.”

The woman looked at me with a surprised expression on her face. "He's the congressman you're having a meeting with, dad? Wow, I'm surprised! So young!”

Her father agreed. "It's because he's only twenty-nine, dear.”

“Oh.” The woman nodded.

"Congressman, meet my lovely daughter—Monique Elizabeth Alvarez.”

I couldn't help but stare at her. She looks precisely like Larra. However, there were also apparent differences between them. Larra was simple and shy, while Monique seemed highly intelligent with oozing confidence.

She gave me her hand for a shake. "Hello, Congressman. Nice to meet you.”

I looked at her hand, and my eyes lingered on her beautiful face.

Blonded, salon-styled hair, long eyelashes, thick and well-maintained eyebrows, dark lids, and brandy wine lipstick. Her tassel earrings were armed with white gold stones.

To simply put it, the woman in front of me is miles away from the woman I was once with. Larra was simple and didn’t have that much luxury and privilege.

Even their skin types said it all. They are both fair, yes, but my ex-fiancée's paleness looked as if she lacked nutrients, while Monique is high-maintenance and seems to be very well taken care of at expensive skin clinics.

"Dad, you did not mention to me that Congressman Fabio was actually unfriendly." The woman intentionally said it in front of me to let me know that her hand was still hanging and waiting for me to accept it.

Mr. Alvarez initiated a fake cough, subtly telling me that he would not like me to insult his beloved daughter.

I stopped in my thoughts and formally reached Monique's hand. I had no plans to ignore it. I was just lost in my thoughts, so I forgot for a moment that her hand was waiting for me.

I held her soft hand without leaving her eyes.

"I'm sorry if you got the wrong impression about me, Miss Alvarez. I'm not unfriendly. Honestly, I just momentarily lost track of the fact that your hand was waiting for a shake because I couldn't help but be enamored by your beauty. My bad.”

She smiled at what I said. I also noticed from my peripheral vision that her father was happy to hear me praise the woman.

"I hope it's not yet too late to change your mind about me, Monique," I added.

She only tilted her head in a graceful way. "Let's see about that."

We sat down and started eating the delicious food waiting for us.

Mr. Alvarez began to discuss the sponsorship, but I was distracted by the charmer seated in front of me.

She seemed composed, elegant, and expensive, even in how she ate her food. Her every movement was refined and modest but alluring at the same time.

"I have a lot of confidence in you, Congressman Carlos, because you won the election with a landslide vote. You are clearly a crowd favorite. You have a magnetic pull on the masses. I hope that as VistaCecilia Homes and the name Alvarez are associated with the Carloses, people will gradually open their hearts to Alvarez, too. Well, to be frank, I am eyeing a position in the next election, even initially in a small standing, until I can gradually climb to a higher office. I've wanted to provide public services, and I think I'll start now while I still have enough time. You know, I'm not getting any younger."

I was listening, but my eyes were still focused on Monique Elizabeth. Anyway, it wasn’t so surprising to hear from Mr. Alvarez himself that he also had political ambitions. As I've said earlier, I knew he was up for something in return for sponsorship. I already saw this coming.

"On the business side, maybe after we grant housing to our beloved citizens, we can also provide them with a livelihood. Perhaps we can grant them some mini wet-market stalls and products, and let's just say we will only take a sixty-percent cut of their daily income."

His ideas were great. Aside from houses, there was an offer of business. But I don't seem to agree with the 60% income reduction because what else might folks have? Sixty percent is too much and not fair to those who do the actual hard work of putting money into businesses.

"Give me time to think about the business idea, Mr. Alvarez. You only mentioned it now, so I'll think thoroughly about it before signing anything." I glanced at him, but my eyes always ended up looking at his daughter.

He nodded, agreeing. "Alright. Just let me know about your decision. Think carefully about it. Anyway, your dad may also put some of his small businesses there, but of course, I will still ask for percentage shares."

I don't think it’s a good idea to involve my father and his minor businesses here…

Dad's small businesses involve illegal gamblings; therefore, if such things are placed in residential areas, people living there would suffer much more; they would be buried in debt because of their gambling addiction, and poverty would become more widespread. I don't want that to happen.

"You might want to share this with him, and I'll gladly discuss it. Also, it's been a long time since your dad and I last talked. How is he doing, by the way?"

Observing Monique closely, she seemed to have noticed that I was staring at her all this time, so when she caught my gaze, she smiled at me. I remained thoughtfully staring at her face, eyes, and the hint of a grin on the edges of her luscious lips.

"Congressman?”

I came back to my senses when Mr. Alvarez called me. I was too invested in the beautiful face before my eyes, so I got lost all of a sudden!

"I'm sorry. Come again, Mr. Alvarez?”

"I said, how is your dad doing these days?" he repeated.

"He's fine, Mr. Alvarez.”

He continued to speak, but as time went on, I couldn't understand anything anymore because I was so engrossed in the woman who looked like the person I once thought of marrying.

They're very much identical... Is it really just a coincidence?

“I noticed you seemed so distracted," Mr. Alvarez commented without an offending tone. He was only being honest based on his observation.

I was a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry.”

"Monique Elizabeth.” He turned to his daughter. "Why don't you play the piano for us?"

Monique was a bit surprised, and then she chuckled. "Dad!"

"Come on, my dear. Show us your brilliant talent. Come on, hija. Don’t be shy."

Mr. Alvarez raised his hand and called a staff member to assist Monique.

The latter guided her towards the mini stage in front, where the piano was placed. Many people from the other tables turned their heads to her as she walked past them.

I couldn't blame them. She was definitely a head-turner without trying. She had this powerful magnetic pull that seemed to get anybody's attention simply by her presence and reflecting confidence, even though she didn’t have to do anything.

She sat in front and positioned herself. When she started playing the instrument, that's when she got the attention of almost all the people inside the restaurant. Bewitched and amazed, we watched and listened to her as she masterfully hit the keys with a perfect slow beat and tempo. She was doing it like she wasn't exerting much effort because she had mastered every bit of it.

Her eyes found mine, and we locked gazes. There was a gentle smile on her lips while she played. She was captivating. Modest but truly fascinating…

Every beat of her expert fingers on the pieces of piano keys was like small bits striking directly into my heart. It was hard to explain, but there was something in her eyes, in her sweet smile, and in her excellent playing that seemed to take back me somewhere in some time…

I suddenly remembered Larra and how she hated the piano back in the days when I once taught her to play it.

"This is so hard! I don't like it!”

"Hey, a little more patience, and you'll learn!" I chuckled and motivated her.

I was sitting next to her and held her hands to guide her fingers.

But she remained impatient and uninterested to learn it. "Playing the piano is not really for me!”

I smiled and shook my head, didn’t force her anymore.

"Isn't she wonderful?"

My mind returned to the present when Mr. Alvarez, standing beside me, spoke.

He was smiling, and he seemed so proud of his unica hija. As he should. Monique Elizabeth is undeniably talented.

I nodded. "She's excellent, Mr. Alvarez.”

If Larra is Monique, then how come Monique turns out to be so passionate about the thing that Larra never liked for a second? Maybe it's just really a coincidence...

After ending her performance, she received loud applause from the crowd. Everybody was impressed with what she showed us.

She went down the stage and gracefully walked back to our table. She was still wearing that charming smile on her lips while not breaking her soft gaze towards me.

I stepped forward, and when I was about to come to her, she walked past me like I was an air she didn’t notice, something that stunned me at that very moment!

I wasn’t immediately able to move because of shock. She just passed by me when I thought…

Turning around and watching her, she stopped in front of a man who was standing near the door and had just arrived. He gave her a bouquet of flowers.

"Lemuel!" she uttered with fondness and excitement in her voice.

"Monique, you really never fail to amaze everyone," he complimented her while clapping his hand for her.

She chuckled like a teenager and gave him a big, comfortable hug.

My jaw tightened. I felt something bitter in my chest. I must admit, I got embarrassed…

I thought it was me…