SLAVE BY THE MAFIA

Chapter 3

"P-Philip Lorenzo? You are Philip Olivarez?" Those words barely came out of Cassey's mouth. Wasn't she just being deceived by her own eyes? How did the poor Philip Lorenzo become the wealthy Philip Olivarez? She thought Mister Olivarez was a rich old man, but he was not.

"Why are you so shocked, Cassey? Didn't you expect that the poor as a rat Philip Lorenzo and the billionaire Philip Olivarez standing in front of you are the same person? Have you forgotten that Olivarez is my mother's maiden name?" Philip's voice teased her but there was sharpness in his tone.

He approached Cassey and stopped just a few inches away from her.

"I'm glad to see you again, Philip," Cassey forced herself to steady her voice so as not to stutter again. Even though it was Philip, someone she knew before, who was now in front of her, he seemed like a different person. Even his cheerful expression had changed and was replaced by a seemingly serious look. And his gaze makes her feel nervous.

"Are you sure that you are glad to see me again, Cassey? Well, I'm sure you will not feel glad to see me again later," Philip bluntly replied to Cassey's statement. Her face turned red with embarrassment, but she quickly hid it by slightly bowing her head.

Cassey took a deep breath. She expected that it wouldn't be a good meeting if she saw him again because their last meeting wasn't good either. Philip is the son of their former maid six years ago. They became close to each other and eventually became a couple. But their relationship was kept secret because her parents would surely oppose them. Her parents would not allow her to be in a relationship with the son of a poor maid.

Philip was already twenty-one years old back then, and he was a working student. They would secretly meet after their classes because she was afraid of what her father might do. But there's a saying that no secret remains hidden. Because her father found out about her secret relationship with Philip.

"Philip," Cassey weakly uttered his name. She couldn't believe that after six years, she would see the person she had wronged so deeply. She couldn't stop the painful memories from flooding back, the memories she had tried so hard to forget...

"Ambitious! You're only after my daughter's money, that's why you got into a relationship with her!" Cassey's father angrily shouted at Philip after he gave him two punches to his face. Philip fell to the ground, blood flowing from his nose.

"That's not true, Sir Felix. I love Cassey and it's not her money that I'm after," Philip defended his feelings for Cassey. But instead of being impressed, Don Felix became even angrier with his response.

"You still know how to answer, huh?" Don Felix approached Philip and kicked him on the side.

Philip writhed in pain but couldn't fight back against the father of the woman he loved.

Meanwhile, Cassey couldn't bear to just watch as her father hurt her boyfriend. She broke free from her mother's tight grip and ran towards Philip while crying.

"Stop it, Daddy! Have mercy on him!" Cassey pleaded to her dad. She blocked her body just as her father was about to kick Philip again.

Because of Cassey's father's anger, she received a strong slap on the cheek from her father. "You are a disobedient daughter, Cassey! I did not raise and educate you just to have a relationship with that poor bastard!!!"

"You should teach that man a lesson to wake him up and stop dreaming to be with our daughter!" Donya Conchita firmly exclained, Cassey's mother. If her eyes could kill, Philip would have been lifeless by now, judging by the way she glared at him.

"Capture that man and do not let him escape!" ordered Don Felix to the two policemen who stood by and just watched as Cassey's father beat Philip. Don Felix wielded power and had the local police under his control so they hesitated not to follow his commands.

The two policemen approached Philip, handcuffed his hands, and then ruthlessly dragged him out of the Aguilar family's large house. No matter how Cassey pleads with her parents, they seem deaf to her.

"If you don't stop begging for that man, I promise you that he won't reach prison alive! Do you want that, Cassey?" Cassey's father asked her, his face turning red from the intense question.

Cassey could only shake her head and cry. She felt sorry for Philip, but she couldn't do anything to defend him. She knew her father well. If she didn't stop begging him not to imprison Philip, she was certain that her father would carry out his threat.

Just as Philip was being escorted out of Cassey's house by two police officers, his mother suddenly arrived. She was sick and resting in their small house, so she didn't go to their house to work.

Philip's mother could only cry and kneel in front of Don Felix and Donya Conchita. But it seemed like the couple had hearts of stone. They chased Philip's mother out of their house, even though the rain was pouring heavily.

But Don Felix is not yet finished with Philip. Because he also filed a case of rape and child abuse against him. And he even forced Cassey to give testimony that she was indeed raped by Philip and just being forced to have a relationship with him.

"Yes. He raped me," Cassey lied in front of the judge. Every word almost didn't come out of her throat as she sat inside the courtroom where Philip's case was being held.

Cassey was reluctant to give testimony that would incriminate Philip in a crime he didn't commit, but her father threatened her that he would kill Philip inside the prison if she didn't comply with his commands. She knew that her father had beaten Philip inside the prison among other inmates, so it was not far-fetched that he would actually kill the man she loved.

"Why, Cassey?" Philip whispered softly while looking at Cassey.

Cassey clearly saw the pain and bitterness on Philip's face as he looked at her. She couldn't bear to look at him so she simply averted her gaze and quietly cried.

"Hey! Are you lost in thought there, Cassey? Why? Did you suddenly remember how you betrayed me six years ago?"

Philip's voice suddenly interrupted the flow of painful memories from the past inside her mind.

She felt the mockery in Philip's voice but she chose to ignore it. It was her fault that he ended up in jail, so he had every right to be angry with her.

"When did you get released? And how did you sudden—"

"How did I suddenly become rich? It's simple. I met a mafia leader in prison. He ordered me to kill his enemy who was also imprisoned together with us in exchange for my freedom. The mafia leader I met had money, so he was able to bribe the judge who sentenced me. After I killed that person's enemy, he let me come with him. I worked for him until he fully trusted me and when he passed away, I inherited all of his wealth, including his position as the leader of the mafia in the country," Philip answered in a long response to her short question.

Cassey couldn't believe what she heard from Philip's story. It was as if he had just killed a fly with his words. She saw no remorse on his face for having killed someone in exchange for his freedom.

After hearing the judge's verdict on Philip, she suddenly fainted in her seat. When she woke up, she was already inside an airplane heading to America. She lived in another country for three years before her parents decided to bring her back to the Philippines. She had no news about Philip for three years.

Upon her return to the country, she immediately visited Phulip in prison but failed to see and talk to him because she found out that he had been transferred to another prison. No matter how hard she tried to convince the prison guards, they did not tell her where Philip had been transferred to. They said that it was her father's strict instruction not to disclose to her Philip's whereabouts.

"You are the leader of the mafia?" Cassey wanted to cry at that moment. She knew that Philip only resorted to desperate measures to free himself because he was imprisoned without any guilt.

"Yes, Cassey. I am a leader of the mafia in our country. Not just any leader, but a feared leader of the mafia. Because I kill anyone who has wronged me." As Philip uttered those words, Cassey could see the burning anger in his eyes. And she felt that anger was directed towards her.

She wanted to ask for forgiveness and explain to Philip what happened before, but she couldn't bring herself to speak about what she had done. She could see the intense anger in his eyes and she was afraid of what he might do to her. For the first time since she knew him, she felt scared of him.

Philip is no longer the old Philip she used to know. Maybe if she mentions what she did before, the anger in his eyes will flare up even more and he might hurt her. And besides, he definitely won't believe her if she tells him the truth right now because his mind is clouded with hatred.

"I'm glad you're free now." She was happy because she found out that he wasn't imprisoned for ten years even though he only got out through illegal means. But that doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that she found out that he was free. Somehow, the guilt she has been harboring in her heart for so long has lessened until now. "By the way, how is your mother? I'm sure she is very happy to know that you're free now."

Philip suddenly grabbed Cassey's arms tightly and shook her forcefully. "You have no right to ask anything about my mother, Cassey. Do you understand?!"

"I-I'm sorry," she said in a choked voice. Even though it was too late for her to apologize, she still wanted to say it to him.

"Sorry? Can your sorry bring back everything that happened, Cassey? No, right? So don't apologize and don't show that you're crying and sad because it only increases the anger in my heart toward you and your family!" Philip shouted, gritting his teeth.

Cassey prevented herself from bursting into tears. With every word that came out of Philip's mouth, she felt his intense pain and anger towards her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen, Philip. I was forced—"

"Cut your nonsense, Cassey. No matter what you say, I won't believe you." Philip let go of her and distanced himself a few steps away. "Let's stop that topic, Cassey. That's not why you came here, remember?"

Cassey remembered her purpose for going to Philip's house just now. If he hadn't mentioned it, she would have completely forgotten about it because of what she learned. That's right. She didn't come here for that matter. She shouldn't forget her purpose because Archie and her future depended on it.

She wiped away the tears that she failed to stop from streaming down her cheeks and looked directly into Philip's eyes. "You're right. I came here because I have something to talk about with you. I came here to ask you to sell me the land where my restaurant stands. That's what Mr. Ocampo promised me the last time we spoke."

Instead of answering her immediately, Philip stared at her for a long time before speaking. "I can do that. I promise not to touch your restaurant and I will also give you the title of the land instead of selling it to you, but there is one condition..." Philip paused in his speech, deliberately leaving her hanging for what he was about to say.

"What condition do you want, Philip? Tell me. I will do anything as long as I can do it." She was desperate, so she would agree to any condition he wanted for the sake of her restaurant.

"Really?" Philip raised an eyebrow, his eyes slightly narrowing as he looked at her.

"Yes," she answered shortly and without hesitation.

Philip's eyes narrowed even more upon hearing Cassey's straightforward response. He raised his hand and gently caressed her cheek, lowering it towards her slightly parted lips. "Then be my s*x maid, oh, I mean, be my slave and I will grant your request, Cassey," he offered in a most indecent and offensive tone.