The Secret Guardian

Prologue

Can genuine love heal terrible scars from the past?

Fabio sat in his room, mulling over the topic for what felt like the hundredth time.

The September rain has ceased outside. Previously, the skies poured forth everything they could. It's the first rain of the year, and it appears that the weather has joined his emotions at this time. Raindrops can be seen through the window, and all was calm except for the gentle pouring of rain on the roof.

As he gazed out the window, he imagined himself laying alongside her in his king bed, the rain creating a chilly ambiance in the lonely chamber, if only she were still alive.

He reflected on the past and the road that had brought them together once more.

Who was he back then? And who exactly is he now? As a result, on the surface, such questions appear to be simple to answer.

Fabio Alonzo - Dera is his name. He is the youngest son of Sebastian and Alessandra Dera, and he is 39 years old. He is the CEO of The Mahogany Company, making him one of the province's most renowned and influential figures. When asked about himself, he generally says these things. Though they were genuine, he occasionally wonders if he should reveal more about himself.

He was on the verge of marrying fifteen years ago. He fell in love with his college roommate Caroline, a natural charmer and the year level's number one. He fell in love with her not once but twice, for Caroline was also his middle school classmate. Then he took the opportunity to pursue her till he had the chance to win her heart. They were engaged in such a short period of time. He believed he was the luckiest guy alive, but he was mistaken.

Caroline passed away tragically. She was discovered dead in her palatial room, with thirteen knife wounds in various places of her body. Later on, Fabio grew distant. He shifted. He never cracked a smile. Most of the individuals around him never spoke to him. He is still unable to move on. And it was fifteen years ago.

Can he ever tell that the beauty of the past is mixed with grief and that he is now even debating in his mind which memory of the past he should endure?

He just cannot. Because, even though it's been a decade and a half, he can still feel Caroline with him all the time.

Caroline's hugs were most commonly felt during the darkest hours of the night. When he's attempting to remember the last time they made love and the last time he planted his lips on hers, he'll always murmur her name. He then understood, alone in the darkest night, that Caroline meant everything to him and that she can never be replaced in his heart forever.

He sobbed for the tenth time. Every night in his chamber, he calls her name. He even attempted suicide but failed. He has every chance to do it, but something makes him hopeful that one day, someone would say, "It's over."

He returned his gaze to the large king bed where he usually sleeps alone at night. He began to sketch Caroline's form in the chilly blanket before whispering her name once again.

"Caroline...my love," he said in his lowest voice.

He gulped painfully and attempted to control himself as tears welled up in his weary eyes.

He then laid near Caroline's usual spot and closed his eyes, longing to feel her again, but this time it was different. It's chilly and uninteresting. He was perplexed, so he opened his eyes and looked about the room.

He noticed three storage boxes alongside the built-in cabinet and can't recall when he put all three inside the room.

He stood there stunned, then began to open the boxes. Nothing is within any of the three.

"Who put these here?" he said as if someone would respond.

When he looked around, he noticed Caroline's comb on the bedside table. He drew his brow and moved up to the bedside table. He took the comb and examined it closely.

He is sure that he has never seen something like this before. He looked around again, hoping to locate a trace of someone who had entered the room before he arrived.

He opened the cupboard and examined Caroline's little possessions in his room out of curiosity. They're all repaired now. There has been no change.

Then he focused his attention on the storage bins next to the built-in cabinet. As a result, realizations occurred to him.

Again, he pondered the identical question that had occurred to him for the hundredth time.

Can genuine love heal terrible scars from the past?

Then, all of a sudden, a ray of sunlight streamed into the room through the glass window. It's weird because, after the hard rain, the sun's rays penetrate the room and appear to answer his query.

He grinned and then had the thought. Caroline wished for him to progress. He ought to be doing something right now. And, to move on, he should pack and keep all of Caroline's possessions and photographs. Keeping her belongings and every sign of her in this home may help him forget about Caroline.

As he rummaged through his belongings, he reflected on the past. He recalls every recollection that each object might have given him about their past.

He felt a range of emotions while packing and storing things. Most of the time, he grinned, laughed, and then sobbed.

He put the storage boxes in a secure place within his room after packing them so no one could ever open them.

He looked at his watch and realized he hadn't eaten anything yet. He's hungry, so he goes down to his nanny, Rowena, and asks for food.

While eating, he remembered a woman with whom he had a few talks a few days before. Cassandra is the featured dancer at Nancy's gentlemen's club.

He discovered that she is 20 years old and working and doing everything she can to support herself. He was drawn to her because she spoke as if she had known him for a long time.

He can't deny it; he chuckled and grinned the first time he saw her up close when they had a private discussion because there are restrictions for dancers at Nancy's. No touching, no stripping naked in front of customers, and never come closer than three feet to anyone.

He knew then that he wanted to hold her in his arms. Despite the fact that he never stopped loving Caroline, this may be the solution to his query.

When he saw her, he understood there was something about her that he couldn't forget. Her innocence and boldness when she speaks prompted him the want to return and invite her to remain with him at his home.

So he hurried through his lunch and prepared to travel to Tuguegarao City. It's Friday, and Nancy's office is open from Thursday to Sunday.

He then told Tonio to get the chopper ready for a much easier and faster trip from Sanchez Mira to the city.

He's already inside the chopper not long after. The September breeze sprang up once again outside. He couldn't see anything beyond the hazy blackness. And once more, when he closed his eyes, he attempted to push the memories of the past away. But because he can't take it anymore, he lets them in. He was always willing to allow them in.

This he remembered, is what happened next.