Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“An invitation arrived at my office this morning.” Bungad ni Sky Kristos ng makapasok ito sa meeting room.

Nakalutang ang isipan ni Eleanor simula ng makarating sya sa Scarletti. They’re about to discuss the information Cloud had found about the party that Syleria’s boss invited her to. Pero ayaw tumuon ng atensyon ni Eleanor sa topikong iyon.

“What invitation?” walang ekspresyong tanong ni Cloud sa kakambal habang abala sa kanyang laptop. 

“The same gold invitation that our Empress received.” Sagot nito, “I almost planned to gatecrash at their party you know?” nguso niya pa habang tinatapik-tapik ang invitation sa sariling palad. 

Tuloy-tuloy ang pag-uusap ng dalawa. Habang nanatiling nakatitig si Eleanor sa mga dokumentong nasa harapan nya. While she’s completely thinking of a different issue.

“Let me see that.” Sky followed and handed the invitation to his twin brother.

Where could she possibly misplaced her family picture?

Ang natitirang souvenir sa pinakamasayang araw nya kasama ang kaniyang mga magulang ay ngayo’y hindi nya mahanap. She even searched her room here in Scarletti to make sure. Kahit ni minsan ay hindi nya iyon nadala doon.

Wala na syang ibang maisip na pwede nyang malagyan niyon. It’s too valuable for her to lose. And she’s getting impatient because she can’t find it anywhere.

She has two assumptions. It’s either she misplaced it or someone stole it. At pagkatapos nang masuri nyang paghahanap ay nasisigurado nyang hindi niya ito naiwakli sa kung saan. It made her think of the latter. 

Ngunit sino naman ang kumuha nito? Lalo na sa loob ng condo unit niya?

Her unit’s in perfect condition as she left it before watching a movie with Fourth Ycarius. She found no signs of intrusion. 

And if it was really stolen, why? Why would someone steal that picture anyway? Para sa anong rason?  

“Empress!” Cloud called, “Pardon me for shouting, but are you ok?”

“You looked bothered,” Ani Sky, “May problem ba?”  

Parehong nakatitig ang mga ito at nagtataka sa pananahimik nya. Buo ang atensyon ng dalawang lalaking nakatingin sakanya habang naghihintay sa kanyang sagot.

She let out a heavy sigh before answering, “My family photo is gone.” She answered, displeased with that situation.

“The photo you always place in your bedside table?” Cloud and Sky remarked in unison. Nagkatinginan ang mga ito.

“Yes, that photo.” She emphasized. 

“Did someone stole it? Sa loob ng condo mo?” Muling tanong ni Sky.

“I’ll look into it right away.” Ani Cloud at mabilis na tumipa sa kanyang laptop.

“You’re not the type to misplace things.” Pahayag ni Sky, “Especially with that photo you always kept safe since you’ve arrived at Scarletti.” Dagdag nya.

“Finally!” Cloud exclaimed, “The time has come for me to open the footages of that hidden camera.” He added.

 “Which hidden camera?” takhang tanong ni Eleanor.

Umangat ang tingin ni Cloud papunta sakanya habang abala parin sa pagtipa sakanyang laptop. 

“The camera you ordered me to install in your hallway in case things like these would happen?” he answered, trying to make her remember.

Her lips formed an ‘oh’ as that memory of her first day at her condo unit popped in her mind. 

"When was the last time you saw it?" Tanong ni Cloud

"Two or three days ago?" sagot nya, "I put it inside the drawer of my bedside table. And I don't remember taking it out." 

"Three and two…." Cloud murmured clicked. "There, I got them." he announced.

"Do you want me to open it now? Or I'll just check it for you later?" Dagdag nito, ipinapaalala ang kasalukuyang rason ng pagpupulong nila. 

"Let's continue with the party meeting thing later." Suhestyon ni Sky, "Unahin muna natin yan." 

"No, let's proceed to our original matter and put that aside for later." She decided, "Just check it for me later Cl-" natigil sya ng may maalala.

All the personal events that happened on that hallway jogged in her memory. She almost forgot! Cloud can't see those!

"Then I will just-" 

"Don't," putol nya sa sasabihin nito, "Send those to me later and I'll check them myself."

"O..k?" simple nitong sagot

"Now let's proceed to our prior agenda." matabang na aniya. 

"Did you find something suspicious?" baling nya kay Cloud na kasalukuyang tutok sa mga hawak na invitation.

"What's wrong with those invitation cards, brother?" kyuryosong tanong ni Sky.

"Wait." Hudyat nito. He kept looking at the invitations thoroughly. 

Pabalik-balik ang tingin nya sa dalawang imbitasyon na tila may sinusuri sa mga ito. At kung ano man iyon ay hindi nila Sky at Eleanor matukoy kung ano. 

"I knew it." He muttered, "It’s fake." tukoy niya sa imbitasyong ibinigay ni Syleria. “Every invitations for the Delgarde’s party contains either the specific names or family names for those who are invited.”

“And?” tanong ni Sky.

“They don’t allow plus ones.” He stated, na nagdagdag lang sa kaguluhan ng nais na malaman ng dalawa.

Eleanor and Sky looked at each other before looking at Cloud Kristos with confused expressions.

 “We don’t get it, brother.” Madiing wika ni Sky.

Cloud rolled his eyes in frustration before explaining, “The party is exclusive only to the Delgarde’s family relatives and business partners. And this is the only plus one invitation for the party.” Aniya, itinaas ang tinutukoy na invitation. “Which was never given by the organizers.”

Eleanor read all the names written in the guest list. All of the names are familiar. At lahat ng mga ito’y kilala nya mula sa business world.

If the party is exclusive only for these people, why would Syleria’s boss give her a plus one invitation, kung alam naman nyang hindi ito tatanggapin sa party? Unless, she wants Eleanor to be a great crasher and he’s…

“An uninvited guest.” Lahad nya. “Their boss is not in this guest list.” She concluded.

“Correct. I made sure to check all there is to check with this people. And none of them are connected or have interacted with the group.”

“Then who is this boss?” tanong naman ni Sky Kristos, “Can you track him?” aniya sa kakambal.

“Hiindi na kailangan.” Pigil ni Eleanor, “I will accept his invitation. At kung magkaproblema man sa imbitatasyon, seguradong may plano na sya don.”

But of course, she is not putting her trust to that boss. Kung magkakaroon man problema sa pagpunta nya sa party ay kailangan na niya itong bigyan ng solusyon ngayon. And make sure that she can get something useful from that party. Nais nya ring malaman kung anong meron sa okasyong iyon na eksklusibo lamang sa piling mga tao. 

“What are the other details for this party?” Pagpapatuloy nya ng kanilang pagpupulong. 

Ipagpapaliban niya muna ang personal na problema. That family photo is important, but so as her mission to bring justice to her parents death. Ang misyong kahit kailan ay hindi makakalimutan ng pagkatao nya. 

And she just hope, that whatever the mysterious boss will give her is connected to that. Because she never seeked anything for so long, other that the mastermind of what happened sixteen years ago.

That day she lost the chance to finally be with her family.

“Your dress will arrive tomorrow, Empress.” Sky announced after their meeting. “I picked the one suited for taste.” He winked.

He exited the room after bidding his goodbyes to them. Tumahimik ang buong silid ni Cloud ng makaalis ito. Which made Eleanor remember what she needs to do next. 

Total ay tapos na ang kanilang pagpupulong tungkol sa dadaluhang okasyon, at nakahanda na rin ang mga plano nila sa kung ano mang posibleng mangyaring mali sa araw na iyon. Nais muna nyang atupagin ang pag-alam kung anong nangyari sa kanyang kina-ingatang litrato. 

“I already sent the footages, Empress.” Pagpapaalam sakanya ni Cloud.

“I’ll watch them in my room.” Aniya.

“In Scarletti?” mabilis na tanong nito.

 Napataas ang kilay ni Eleanor, “Yes, why?” she asked back. 

“Your husband asked.” Pormal nyang sagot at bumalik sa pagtipa.

Nagulat sya sa sagot ni Cloud. Maybe he understood her conflict, kaya hindi ito direktang nagtanong sakanya. Bigla nyang naalala ang malakas nyang pagkatulok kay Fourth Ycarius. They’re indeed married, but the kind of intimacy he gave freaked her out. Sa una’y nadadala sya ng bugso ng damdamin nya. But his last kiss was too much for her beginner mind to handle.

Iwinaksi nya ang mga naalala at napagdesisyonan ng pumunta sakanyang sariling silid. 

Ang pagbukas ng mga camera footage na ipinadala si Cloud ang una nyang ginawa ng makarating doon. She opened them with great determination of finding something useful. But to her surprise, the videos were completely black. Lahat ng mga ito, simula sa dulo hanggang sa huling segundo ay purong itim. 

Ilang beses nyang inulit ang mga ito para makaseguro. But the videos were the same as she first watched them. Black. It raised both her suspicion and frustration.

Kaagad nyang tinawagan si Cloud, “Can you check the other footages?” bungad nya.

“All of them?” he replied, “May problem ba?”

“The footages you sent me has nothing. Maybe it got corrupted.”

“I’ve checked the footages this week. They’re black.” Anito, “I’ll fix them and send it to you.”

He tried and she waited. 

They didn’t expect, even Cloud himself that he failed to retrieve them in a day or two. Lumipas ang araw habang naghihintay si Eleanor para dito.

And she almost forgot, that she has a party to attend to. Saturday arrived and she found herself fully dolled up, in front of a large venue at the Delgarde’s mansion.

“Excuse me Ma’am, can I see your invitation?” anang receptionist.

She looked around and hesitated to hand the fake invitation. Where is he? Where is the boss that Syleria Roan talked about?

“Here.” She smiled, handing the invitation. 

The invitation almost reached the receptionist’s hand when it was grabbed by a slender hand. Sinundan ng mga mata ni Eleanor ang kamay nitong may mapupulang kulurete sa kanyang mga matutulis na kuko. She slid the fake invitation to her small purse and handed a different invitation.

“She’s with me.” 

Her golden gown shimmered like it’s meant to blind every person that will see it. Sinalubong ni Eleanor ang mga mata ng babaeng may perpektong ngiti. 

“Let’s go?” baling nya kay Eleanor.

The boss being a beautiful woman was the last thing she expected. Sya nga ba ang boss na tinutukoy ni Syleria Roan? The invitation she handed earlier has no name in it. Pero tinanggap parin ito ng nagbabantay. Who exactly is this woman? Na sa Simpleng ngiti lamang ng kanyang mga labi ay tila nahuhulog ang bawat taong nadadaanan nya sa kaniyang panlilinlang? 

“You don’t have to worry. Piling mga media lamang ang imbitado sa party na ‘to. And they’re busy with the host.” Turo nya sa pinuno ng mga Delgarde.

“Who are you?” tanong nya.

She just smiled at her and didn’t answer. Pinangunahan sya nitong maglakad sa isang bakanteng mesa malapit sa malaking Kristal na bintana. 

“Have a seat first.” Turo nito sa upuang nasa tabi niya, “It’s not the time for my introduction yet, Princess.” And again, she plastered her deceiving smile.

She doesn’t want to play this game with her. Pero mahaba ang pasensya ni Eleanor. Seseguraduhin nyang aalis sya sa party na ito ng may dalang kapaki-pakinabang na impormasyon. 

And just like what she said, Elenor took her seat beside the lady. Marahan syang umupo doon at tinanaw ang mga taong abala sa pikikipaghalubilo sa isa’t-isa. 

“I just want to remind you, that I’m not here to socialize.” Matabang na aniya, “I’m here for the information you promised in exchange for your people in myy captive.” Aniya.

Iginala nya ang paningin hanggang sa tuluyan nyang nakita si Sky Kristos na sumusulyap din sa kanilang direksyon. 

Narinig nya ang mahinang pagtawa ng babae sa mga itinuran nya. She took a breath in before facing her. Malapad parin ang ngiti nitong malapit ng maka-irita sakanya. Eleanor returned a smile. 

“I didn’t promise you any information, Princess.” Ngiti nito, “Guess I created a misunderstanding on that part.” Dagdag nya at mahina pang tumawa.

Itinago ni Eleanor ang pagkairitang nararamdaman sa kaniyang ngiti. 

“Come and you’ll find what you’ve seeked for so long.” The woman said, “What do you seek, Princess?”  nawala ang ngiti nito.

Madiing tumingin si Eleanor sa mga mata nito. She leaned and said, “Something that is none of your business.” Matabang na sagot niya, “And stop calling me Princess.”

“Of course, you’re an Empress.” She said and took a sip of her wine.

“Then I guess, your minions will remain in Scarletti’s cell.” Balik nya.

“I do not worry about them.” She declared with confidence, “You can make them useful.” 

Eleanor would prefer this to be a trap she can get something from than this useless conversation. “Just make sure to bring back the crown you stole from Scarletti.” Kalmado nyang saad.

“Inaayos pa, prinsesa.” Muling sagot nito na nagpagulo sa isipan nya, “I’ll make sure to bring it back to you at the right time.”

“What are you talking about?” she whispered, “Where is it? And who are you?” sunod-sunod nyang tanong.

But she answered none, and just gave her another smile. “Your husband is here.” Wika nito.

Natigilan si Eleanor. “W-what?” she stuttered.

Sinundan nito ang direksyong itinuro ng labi ng babae. And at the center of the large hall, her eyes found Fourth Ycarius, standing completely still. Or to make it specific, he’s standing in surprise while looking at her. 

He saw her. 

Akma itong maglalakad papunta sakanya ng dumugin ito ng mga kapwa nya mangangalakal. Eleanor felt relieved. Kung hindi ito napigilan ng mga tao ay segurado mabilis itong pupunta sakanya. 

She took one last look at him before turning back to the woman beside her. 

“How did you know?” tanong niya.

Itinaas nito ang daliri papunta sa labi, “The party’s starting.” Pigil niya.

Eleanor looked at the Delgarde’s who stepped up the stage. Lumapit si Christopher Delgarde sa mikropono ng may malapat na ngiti sa kaniyang mga labi.

“A very pleasant evening everyone.” Panimula nito, “I am very thankful for everyone here who contributed to Delgarde’s success. Ten years have passed, and we’ve been through so many celebrations, and of course, failures.” Madamdamin nitong salaysay, “And the Delgardes wouldn’t survive this long without everyone’s support.”

“Especially to Delgarde’s partner,” lumingon ito sa lalaking nakatayo kasama ang kaniyang pamilya. Sinenyasan niya itong lumapit sakanyang tabi.

Maiging tiningnan n Eleanor ang mukha ng lalaki. And she never saw him before.

“Everyone,” hudyat niya, “Meet my dear friend and business partner, Roldan Scarletti.”