Chapter 5

Chapter 5

            What the hell.

            I stared at the crumpled envelope in my hand. Still stunned in disbelief, my brain can’t formulate my thoughts. Then, as if someone drops a bomb in my brain and everything scattered and I don’t know where to start.

            Why? The way she acted as if im the biggest jerk she ever met. I’m not the one who cheated. All that I did was give everything to her and make sure she was taken care of?

            I glanced around at the messy apartment. Everything was so plain, no refrigerator, the two hanging cabinet doors were barely hanging.

            “Oh, god forbid. How come Cameron survived in this place?” I said. With a frown, I harshly open the cabinet, and I mentally curse again. It was empty.

            “Is she eating or what?”

            My question was answered when I see a strange thing I ever saw in my thirty years of existence, and it was on the top of the table. And the peculiar food has a weird long round shape covered with banana leaves?

            “Damn!” I hastily rummaged through the rest of the kitchen, growing more furious when I found nothing more. “How was she surviving? And why was she living like this?”

            Since her living room is two steps away from the kitchen, I stand in the middle of the living room, and like her kitchen nothing else to see here. No television as if she forbid to entertain herself, where in fact she works in Tv station before. She’s perfect in front of the camera.

            I glanced back down at the check and shook my head. I stared at the eight-figured numbers. It is enough amount for her to live good, modest life for years to come. The ink had run in several places, and it was smudged with fingerprints. But she never tried to cash it. Why?

            There were so many questions running around in my head that I couldn’t process them all.

            The door swung open. I looked at it, hoping that it was Cameron, I had so much to ask, and only she could answer. But, to my dismay, it was Damian.

            “Your Highness, Senorita is in the house of her friend Lena. Do you want me to guard her?” Damian said.

            “Ask someone to guard her. You’ll come with me.” I said firmly. And as I continue to instruct Damian, Matias walks inside the apartment, and we are big and proud young fellas. The apartment looked tiny, and it’s suffocating.

            “Are we done here?” Matias boredly asks.

            “No, we're not yet done. What happened to your face?” I ask when I noticed his swallowed face, especially on his left cheek. Whoever punches him, he or she must be good.

            “Lady Lena, punched him, Your Highness,” Damian said, and he contained his smile. “…and it was epic.”  

            “I already like her. She’s one brave soul.” And I can’t help myself to laugh as if Matias found his match.

            “You should really see his face,” Damian added. “Do you want me to do a background check, Sir Matias? It seems you’ll need it sooner or later.”

Matias fake a laugh. “Ha! Do I look like I’m attracted to that a****n woman? Hell no! I just found my freedom, and I hate a woman who loves wedding dresses, and she’s one of those, I could tell. So, what’s that?” and then he snatched the crumpled envelop that I’m holding, and there he saw that Cameron never touched the money. Do I need to tell him that Cameron threw that piece of paper straight to my face? Nah…maybe not.

            “Did she feel guilty over what she had done? And she was ashamed to take the money from you after her betrayal act? Or she realized that she doesn’t need someone like you? And you’re just wasting your time coming here? Cause’ she’s pregnant, and you’re not the father?” Matias said with a bit of remorse on his last remark.

            “Solid burn, Matias, solid burn,” I said, shaking my head. “Whatever the reason is.  I won't stop until I get the answer.”

            “Yeah, typical, Alejandro. Suit yourself. I’m just here eating popcorn while waiting for your downfall.”

            I just shrugged my shoulder. I had so much on my plate right now, no place for Matia’s inside joke that no one buys. “Enjoy the show.”

            One thing was bugging my mind. Clearly, Cameron wasn’t taking good care of herself. Living in a run-down apartment with a job that obviously didn’t net her enough money to feed herself, much less live a comfortable life. I had always taken care of her in the past, and I would do it again. Whether she liked it or not. And now with the baby on the line. What in the world was she going to do when the baby came? Whether it was his baby or not, I Couldn’t allow myself to walk away. Not when she had meant so much to me.

            “Damian, ready, the car we’re going somewhere.”

            “Yes, your highness.” Damian slightly bowed his head and walked outside the apartment.

            “Damn! Make sure it’s a clean place, Alejandro, or I’ll leave you here, and you’re stuck in this country.” Matias said, shaking his head while tailing Damian.

            “Have you already forgotten that I own half of Spain and also a private plane? Or do I need to remind you that I—”

            “Fuck! I hate you already.” Matias raises his middle finger in my direction and disappears.

            “Crazy.”

            For the last time, I looked at Cameron’s apartment and walked outside the door, and close it.

***

            “Damn! Should I be happy, right? We’re inside the mall but fuck you, Alejandro. Who gives you an authority to make me…” Matias said, panting and his about to lose his patience, “make me carry these paper bag full of maternity dresses.”

            “What? You said you’d come with me and I need a hand. Damian can’t carry two bags and many more.”

            “Fuck! From today on, I Matias Roman renounce my brotherhood to Alejandro fucking Sancho.”

            “Okay,” I said. My attention was on the cute infant bodysuit clothes, it has raffles on the belly part, and it has a print saying ‘Daddy’s Girl’ and a gold crown. I was so drawn in the clothes and forgot Matias's sentiment. So I grab the pink and the black clothes, and I hold them with a smile on my face. I showed it to Damian and Matias.

            “Damn! Alejandro, what’s the use of your ‘other’ bodyguard? This is one of the reasons why I hate marriage—”

            I cut him off. “What do you think?” I said pertaining to the baby dress, “Cute, right?”

            “Yeah,” Matias agreed.

            “Now, I don’t know what color to choose. I love black, but the baby will be looked pretty if she wore this pink one.” I ask with a frown.

            “Choose the black one. She’s a badass baby.”

            “But, I like the pink one.”

            “No, the baby loves black, remember dark colors? They love that.” Matias said, nodding his head.

            “Your High—”

            “Stop right there, Damian.” Then, signaling Damian to shut his mouth, my attention was still on Matias. “What do you mean the baby loves the dark colors? Where did you get that information?”

            “Remember? When the baby cries at night, which is, by the way, it’s a fact. Your world will become dark. So, yeah, babies love dark colors, and they will paint your life dark—”

            “Oh, god forbid. Will the both of you stop it. Your Highness, Why not brought all the colors the rainbow has.” Damian said.

            “Yeah, that’s a great idea.”

            “Oh, lord.” I heard the tiredness in Damian's  voice.

            When I look at them, I mentally facepalm. I think I just brought the whole maternity section on this boutique we're at, and now I’m invading the infant section. Maybe, I should stop right here. I looked at the petite attendant lady with chinky eyes and a perfect bun.

            “I’ll get all the color available on this specific infant dress only. I don’t like the other one.”

            I see how her facelift up. “T-thank you so much, Sir.” And she rushed to get the item that I want.

            “Miss, leave all the light colors, just give us the dark colors,” Matias said at the lady.

            “No, get all the colors available,” I said, and I use my authoritative voice, which I usually use if I want them to follow my command. “Get over with the dark color, Matias.”

            “What? I’m just telling the truth.” He said, shrugging his shoulder.

            “Whatever.”

            “Your highness.” One of my bodyguards came to me rushing.

            “Oh, good lord, you’re finally here. Now, take these.” Matias barged in and gave all the paper bags he was holding. The bodyguard looks at me, confused. I signal him to follow Matias. “Great. Im out in here. Chiao amigo.” And just like that his already gone.

            “Now, what are you saying?”

            “Your brother, Sir. He is also here in the Philippines.” He said while having trouble carrying the bags that Matias gives him.

            “What?”

            I don’t want to be mad, but Alexander gives me a headache, and now another question is added to my list. Is he here because he also knows where Cameron is? Or does he already know?

            “Damn! Damian, guard Cameron and report to me everything.” And I looked at the bodyguard who delivered the news. “And you, I want you to keep an eye on my brother and tell me his whereabouts.”

            “Yes, Your highness.” And they both said in unison.

            Damn you, Alexander. I mentally cursed my insolent brother.