MEANT FOR EACH OTHER

CHAPTER 5: Her Safety

As more men appeared to shoot at them, the police force of Ivoire City had finally arrived and apprehended their attackers. They had also heard the helicopter already and additional security personnel had immediately come down it using a climbing rope ladder. They were immediately secured by Bry's men.

Gener had notified the authorities immediately after the bombing. But it had taken time for the police officers to arrive because the road to the mansion had been spiked with nails and broken glass.

Gener knew they would be outnumbered. That was why he had radioed their pilot to have the helicopter at the mansion right away with additional security personnel.

The local press had responded to the attack on the mansion as well. Bry and Iya did not give any statements. After their talk to the authorities, they boarded the helicopter and went to Angeles Manor.

In another flash news, the incidents that happened to the Monreals have all been reported –

One blow after another after another. This morning, the vehicle of Former First Lady of Nidiria, Dr. Aurora Navarro-Monreal had been showered with bullets and later was bumped and fell into a ravine. The Former Nidiria First Lady is already out of danger as well as her driver/bodyguard. After the ambush, El Coco farm was then on fire in an arson aimed to burn the farm mansion as well as the new seedlings in the nursery. The farm employees had acted swiftly as well as the firefighters. The kitchen of the farmhouse had been burned down, but not the nursery. The culprit, who is a cousin to Lavinia Tecson, the ex-mistress of late Governor Eleazar Monreal whom he had a son and a daughter with, was apprehended. Lastly, Monreal Mansion was bombed and attacked by armed men who were hired to kill the one and only legal Monreal Heiress, Dr. Airia Elisse Monreal. But her godbrother, Mr. Bryan Angeles was there for her rescue. The attackers had already been apprehended. The question now is – Is this a family feud between the two families of the late governor? Is the governor’s other family behind all these horrendous incidents that happened to the late governor’s legal family? This is not confirmed yet but the brother of Miss Lavinia Tecson, Leandro Tecson, seems to be behind all of these attacks on the legal family of the late governor. The supporters of the Monreals as well as the citizens of the State of Nidiria are now criticizing the current governor for letting the likes of Leandro Tecson enter the premises of our beloved state whom the late Governor Eleazar Monreal had strongly fought against to keep our state as crime free as possible.

When Dr. Aurora Navarro-Monreal heard the news, she could not help but think – I do not wonder anymore why my husband had entrusted our daughter to you, Bry. You are indeed dependable. I can also sense that you are genuinely attracted to my daughter. I just hope that you have indeed ended your philandering ways and you and Iya will learn to fall in love with one another just like the way my husband and I did. And you, Lavinia, I know that you are behind everything. There is no way that you can taint my husband's name. He is well-loved by the majority of the citizens of this state because of his good governance. He made this state progressive and peaceful. That is one thing that you cannot understand. Eleazar is a very principled man. He might have had a failure as a man by impregnating you while the two you were not yet married , but he has always been true to me as well as in his duties and responsibilities to the State of Nidiria as its Governor. Even if your brother and other relatives covered up for you, I know that you are the mastermind of all of these attacks on us. You are not tainting Eleazar's reputation but, more so, that of your son and daughter's reputation by having a vindictive mother. They might be Monreals in name, but will they be able to live up with an upstanding name? Do they have what it takes to be a righteous Monreal?

Such news had also reached the knowledge of Zar and Leanna. They went home to their mother to ask about her involvement.

Zar asked their mother, “Are you behind all those attacks on Papa’s family, Mama?"

Lavinia denied such things. She did not want her son and daughter to be involved in her revenge. “I have no idea of what you are talking about, Zar! How could you accuse me of such?”

Leanna then asked, “So how would you explain Uncle Ben and his son’s involvement in the arson at the farm?”

Ben, her first cousin, along with his son, had really acted on their own. Ben had long been furious with Eleazar because he was not promoted as the farm manager. She was the one who recommended Ben to Eleazar.

Lavinia answered, “Then you should ask your Uncle Ben?”

Her brother assured her that there would be no proof to connect her name to the attack of Eleazar’s wife and daughter.

Leandro, her brother, was also angry at Eleazar because all his illegal operations never reached the province of Nidiria. Eleazar was a righteous public servant. He had strict directives to all the police force of the entire province never to allow illegal drugs or gambling to enter the province. Plus add the fact that Eleazar married the doctor betrothed he was betrothed to instead of his sister, Lavinia.

Bry visited Iya’s mother again at the hospital so as to assure her.

“Ninang, Iya’s is safe. She would have to stay at the Angeles Manor for the meantime,” he told Iya’s mother.

“Thanks for keeping her safe, Bry,” Dr. Aurora Navarro-Monreal was so thankful.

“I will not let any harm come your way or hers from now on, Ninang. And I promise you, I will not do anything to dishonor Iya. I will still convince her to become my girlfriend. I really want to marry her,” he confided.

“I know. But Iya might consider the merger,” Iya’s mother informed her.

“True, Ninang. She had already agreed. But this will not stop me from winning her heart. I will try to have more patience when it comes to our personal relationship. For now, helping her out at ECC and looking after your safety and hers are of the utmost importance. I already informed your brother, Mayor Anselmo Navarro, that I will help him out in assuring the safety of the two of you, this hospital and your other properties.,” he informed the very kind mother of Iya.

Iya’s mother commented, even tearfully, “Eleazar was right about entrusting our daughter to you. Rest assured that you will have my support when it comes to your personal relationship with her. Just promise me to never get involved with any other woman ever.”

He promised, “I am way past that stage of my life, Ninang. So I promise it will only just be Iya from this day forward until the day that I die.”

“Thank you very much for looking after our safety, Bry,” Iya’s mother said, sensing his sincerity.

“You and Iya are now my responsibility, Ninang,” he said, “I have already talked to my FEBC brother, Callix Valderama, to expedite the installation of CMOS and CSS at the mansion, at the farm, at the company and here at the hospital. I have already talked to the head of security here at the hospital and at the farm. I have already told them to be very strict. I have also ordered some of my men to guard your door. Iya and I will sign the merger tomorrow, so I can already manage ECC on her behalf after that. I will have the same directives to the chief of security at ECC. The authorities are already investigating these unfaithful happenings.”

Iya’s mother then said, “Lavinia could be behind all of these. She hated me so much. It is possible that she sought her brother’s assistance. Her brother is a crime lord, who hated Eleazar so much. His illegal operations had never ever entered the State of Nidiria because of his strict directives against all forms of crimes. By coming out now in the open and doing all these horrendous acts, Lavinia had actually just tainted the reputation of her son and daughter and not much of Eleazar.”

Bry acknowledged it, “Yeah, Ninang. I just found out about that crime lord-brother from a private investigator, Atty. Mallari hired to dig deeper into Ninong’s other family. He had visited his sister a couple of times lately as soon as Ninong passed away.”

Dr. Monreal recounted, “Lavinia’s family hated us. They did not approve that Lavinia would just be a mistress because Eleazar chose to marry me instead of her. Her family had been torn apart. They disapproved of her continuing with a relationship with Eleazar. But Lavinia chose to continue on with their affair because of their children as well as all the luxuries provided for her by my husband. Eleazar’s relationship with her had just gone sour already when he discovered her materialism earlier in their relationship. Plus, she also tolerates and somehow enables all of her brother's illegal and unlawful activities. He lost all his affection for her when he found out that she was helping her brother with his illegal businesses financially and taking income from them.”

Bry asked, “How about their son and daughter? Do you think they are also capable of plotting against you and Iya?”

Dr. Monreal said, “Eleazar loved them. He had provided for them and spent quality time with them even if his relationship with their mother went wayward. But I am not sure how they feel for their father. They contested his last will and testament immediately after it was read. They might love their father, but it seems to me that they did not like how Eleazar favored us more than them. We are Eleazar's legitimate family and they were not because of us. I believe that is what Lavinia had instilled in their minds. Now that Eleazar is gone, they are already free to hurt us. ”

Bry assured his future mother-in-law, “Worry no more, Ninang. I am here. Ninong asked me to look after Iya and you, whenever we talked before he died, as if he was already bidding farewell in advance. I will try my best to keep you and Iya safe. That is the promise I made to him.”

Dr. Monreal said, “I am now more concerned about my daughter’s safety, Bry. She is my only daughter. I do not know what I would do anymore if I lost her. She is still young. She still deserves to experience marriage, children, family life and a lot more. I am ready to die anytime, but she is still young to die.”

Bry stated with conviction, “You and her will not die on my watch, Ninang. Just focus now on your recovery. Iya will definitely be at a loss if you also die. So let us all keep on fighting. ”

Meanwhile, Lavinia was so disappointed that the group her brother commissioned did not succeed in killing Eleazar’s wife and daughter.

She called up her brother when her son and daughter had already left.

After the pleasantries, she asked – What shall we do next, Kuya?

Leandro answered – We need to reevaluate the situation. The doctor had been well protected by her driver/bodyguard so they didn’t die. As for Eleazar’s heiress, Bryan Angeles was there at the mansion when my men attacked to kill her. He used his personal security team to protect her. Do you know the billionaire’s relationship to the heiress?

Lavinia said – They are godsiblings. Eleazar was the billionaire’s baptismal godfather.

Leandro informed his sister – The billionaire had used all his resources to secure Eleazar’s wife and daughter. He is a member of FEBC. He has all the right connections to the authorities. His personal security team is also par excellence, just like any member of FEBC. That group has been continually supporting the modernization of the armed forces, police forces, and penitentiaries all over the country. A lot of crime syndicates have already been caught because of such assistance they provided. The prison break had also been very difficult.

Lavinia inquired then – What do you suggest now? Do you just want me to forget about my revenge?

Leonardo said – We do not need to rush on this matter, Lavinia. We can attack again when they least expect it. Just have more patience. For now, we need to slow down and then just attack again when they least expect it.

Lavinia also opened up – Zar and Leanna came there to ask about my connection with what was happening to their father’s legal family. I denied it. They don’t need to be involved in this revenge. When they ask you, you also have to deny your involvement.

Leandro assured his sister – They won’t know anything. It is also unlikely that they will approach and ask me. Their father had turned them against me.

Lavinia acknowledged it – Yeah, they don’t like that you’re involved in illegal activities. But we are one on our hatred for Eleazar’s legal family. They want to handle things legally but I don’t. So we’ll just let them be.

Leandro told his sister – We need to stay low for now. Just have more patience, Lavinia. I promise you, we’ll get even with them.

After talking to the head of security of the hospital, the mansion, ECC, and the farm, Bry went back to Angeles Manor.

Iya was still in so much stress when he arrived. She was in one of the guestrooms adjacent to his bedroom. She was hanging around on the veranda area by her bedroom when he came out of the veranda area by his bedroom as well, which were connected.

He initiated the conversation by informing her, “Atty. Mallari and Attty. Cortez is already drafting the legal documents for the merger.”

She responded, “That is nice to know.”

He informed her further, “Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes.”

She did not acknowledge it, instead she asked him, “How is Mom?”

“She and Manong Herman were already awake when I visited them. Your Mom and Manong Herman are both convinced that Lavinia Tecson could be behind the assassination attempts. Manong Herman had already talked to his deputy to coordinate with my security team as well as the security team at the farm, at the hospital, and at ECC,” he said.

All of a sudden, she had another melt down, “Why are all these things happening to us, Bry? Dad just died. His other family came out in the open. Mom got ambushed. The farm went on fire because of an attempted arson. I got attacked in my own home. I am a doctor who saves lives but a while ago I just shot at some of those men who were out to kill me.”

He approached and hugged her to give her comfort. She sobbed on his chest. She smelled so good. She just had a shower.

He diverted back his attention on comforting her so he said, “Do not get yourself so worked up on all of these matetrs, Iya. These problems were all just due to Lavinia Tecson and her family. You need to be tought andstrong to weather all the punches they would throw at you, Iya. The war has just begun. And always remember that I am on your corner.”

She lifted her head, looked at him and said, “You are right. I need to be tough. I should not just allow them to ruin my life. But please do not let me hold a gun ever again.”

“It was for your safety, Iya,” he reminded her. “It is just a matter of time before they attack again. Killing you and your Mom is their main goal. I was told by your Dad as well as Manong Herman all of your self-defense skills. You need to apply them when the need arises. You do not have to kill anyone by defending yourself, Iya. You perfectly know what I mean.”

“Yeah,” she got his point. “Dad had forced those self-defense lessons on me so I won’t just be dependent on someone else in making myself safe. He told me that I should know how to protect myself coz in his attempts to make Nidiria a crime-free state or with the lowest crime rate in the country, he had acquired lots of enemies.”

“True, but he also provided you Manong Herman, who is his most trusted bodyguard. Manong Herman will resume his position as your close bodyguard as soon as he fully recovers. I, Manong Herman and your Mom all agreed to tighten your security because we cannot just keep you indoors all the time. Gener will be your close bodyguard for the time being,” he said.

Her reaction was, “And what about you? Who would be your close bodyguard?”

“Jorge, his brother and deputy, has always been my close bodyguard. He will return tomorrow from his vacation leave,” he told her. “We are ready for them now, so lessen your worries.”

She knew he was right and, somehow, she already felt a little better, knowing he would always be in her corner.