Chapter 2

Chapter 2

They looked at the elderly woman who had just arrived, Señora Rosario.

Since the death of old Lazaro, it was their grandmother, Señora Rosario, who controlled everything. All the decisions of the family, especially regarding the business, had to pass through her first. Many wanted the old woman gone, but like a stubborn weed, she was still strong and keenly aware of everything happening around her, so many feared opposing her. No one had succeeded in toppling her because they knew that if they went against her, it would only bring harm to themselves.

“Lola…” greeted her grandchildren, lined up along with their families.

“Lola, it’s Frederick. He’s likely going to give you another fake designer bag,” Hadrianna said with nervousness in her voice. She glanced at Frederick as he held her hand.

The old woman furrowed her brow, confused by what her granddaughter Hadrianna had just said.

“Lola, don’t believe them. You know I would never give you cheap things,” Frederick quickly said, trying to hide his growing fear. If his grandmother discovered that what Desmond and Hadrianna were saying was true, she would surely be furious.

“Who said that?” the old woman asked.

Several people pointed to Desmond, who was calmly looking at her. He was confident that he was right and that the old woman would side with him. He also believed this would be the reason for the family to finally accept him. The same went for Hadrianna, who hoped that if what her husband said was true and her grandmother believed him, they would finally accept Desmond.

Even though they had been married on paper and living together for three years, she still cared for her husband, even if she didn’t show it.

“Is it true?” the old woman asked seriously, looking at Desmond, who slowly nodded. “Let me see,” the old woman said as she took the bag.

Frederick grew more anxious as his grandmother furrowed her brow while closely examining the gift he had brought. Hadrianna silently prayed that what Desmond said was true. She looked at her husband, who showed no signs of fear, which puzzled Hadrianna.

‘Does he really know something?’ she wondered to herself.

“What are you talking about? This is real.” The room fell silent, with only the sound of a collective gasp from the crowd. Desmond was surprised by what the old woman had said. “Are you trying to tarnish my grandson’s name? What right do you have to do that! You’re nothing but an outsider in this family…”

“L-lola, please look again. I’m sure it’s not genuine—”

“Are you saying that I am too old? I’m not blind to not know the difference between a real item and an imitation.”

“B-but…”

“You are utterly useless!” The old woman turned to Hadrianna as she shouted. “I thought you had potential, even in small things, but you’ve only managed to embarrass me and my cousin!” Hadrianna slapped Desmond, and he silently endured the pain.

Frederick smirked privately at what had happened, but he was also puzzled by why his grandmother had said the bag was genuine. Were her eyes failing, or had she just saved him from humiliation?

“Apologize to Frederick. You have no right to embarrass anyone in my family because you’re just an outsider here,” the old woman commanded.

Desmond wasn’t hurt by her words, as he was used to them, but he felt a sting when he saw tears fall from his wife Hadrianna’s eyes. “Y-you’re a disgrace…” He wanted to comfort her, but she pulled away.

“I-I’m sorry… I made a mistake.” Hadrianna shook her head when Desmond approached her.

“Apologize to Frederick,” Hadrianna firmly demanded.

Even though it was difficult for Desmond, he turned to Frederick, who was now grinning at him. He glanced at the old woman, who looked at him with no emotion. He knew she was lying. Whether it was due to her age or failing eyesight, he understood, but if she did it to protect her grandson, then maybe he shouldn’t try so hard to be accepted by Hadrianna’s family.

Slowly, he approached Frederick.

“Do you think my grandmother will take your side? Don’t get your hopes up; you’re just an outsider here who should be thrown out,” Frederick whispered to him.

“You’re lucky your grandmother loves you.” Frederick was startled by Desmond’s whisper. “Because if not, you’d probably be outside being feasted on by flies and mosquitoes.”

Frederick swallowed hard. He didn’t expect Desmond, someone he considered an outsider, to say such a thing. His resentment towards Desmond grew, and so did his desire to expel him from the family.

“I’m sorry, Frederick. It won’t happen again,” Desmond said seriously.

He returned to where Hadrianna stood. “Slap me if you want,” he said to his wife.

“Don’t expect my family to ever like you, Desmond. In their eyes and mine, you’re nothing but an outsider who needs to be cleaned out one day. Don’t worry; we won’t last much longer since our marriage will soon be annulled,” Hadrianna said bitterly.

“Hadrianna…” Desmond called out, and Hadrianna stopped, “you know you’re the only one I have. You’re the only one who can change me,” he added.

Hadrianna avoided his gaze, forcing herself not to cry at her husband’s words.

Ever since, her grandfather and father had told her not to underestimate Desmond, that she alone could change him, though she didn’t know how. She had married a man she barely knew. As much as she wanted to divorce him, she couldn’t, as it was her grandfather’s final wish.

“Señora! A package has arrived!” a man called out, breathlessly, catching everyone’s attention except for Desmond, who remained quietly seated at the table.

“Who sent it?”

“It’s from Montecillo,” the man said, his face showing confusion, as did many others upon hearing the name. They couldn’t understand why the Montecillos would send a gift when they weren’t even business partners.

Hadrianna turned to Desmond, who showed no reaction upon hearing the name Montecillo. She recalled what her grandfather had told her. Desmond had connections with the Montecillos, but why hadn’t he mentioned it? Only Hadrianna knew about this.

“Montecillo.” Desmond froze and slowly looked up to check if he had heard his wife correctly. “Do you know the Montecillos?” she asked.

Desmond felt a surge of anxiety at his wife’s sudden question but hid it. “I’ve only heard the name in passing, but I don’t know them. Why?”

Hadrianna shook her head in disbelief.

‘Liar,’ she thought to herself.

As the room buzzed with murmurs about the unexpected arrival from the Montecillos, Desmond’s heart raced beneath his calm exterior. He could feel the weight of Hadrianna’s gaze on him, filled with suspicion and doubt. He knew she didn’t believe his answer, but he wasn’t ready to reveal the full truth — not yet.

The man handed the elegantly wrapped package to Señora Rosario, who inspected it carefully. The old woman’s sharp eyes, still betraying no signs of weakness despite her age, scanned the name on the card attached to the gift. The room remained tense, all eyes fixed on her, waiting for her reaction.

Señora Rosario slowly read aloud, “To the esteemed Señora Rosario and her family, with the highest regards, from the Montecillos.”

The room grew even quieter, the name carrying weight and mystery. Everyone wondered why would the Montecillos, who had no known business ties with the family, send such a gift? What did it mean?

Hadrianna’s thoughts raced. She remembered her grandfather’s warning, “Don’t underestimate Desmond; he’s tied to things far beyond what you can imagine.” But how deeply was he connected to the Montecillos? And why had he kept this hidden from her and the family?

Señora Rosario continued unwrapping the package. Inside was a beautiful, intricately designed antique vase, glistening under the lights. It was clearly an object of great value, both in craftsmanship and history.

“What is the meaning of this?” Señora Rosario asked, her voice betraying nothing, but everyone knew she was trying to make sense of the gesture.

Frederick, seeing an opportunity to turn the attention away from his earlier embarrassment, chimed in, “Perhaps they want to establish a partnership with us, Lola. After all, our family business is expanding rapidly.”

Hadrianna, still observing Desmond’s stoic face, couldn’t help but feel that something deeper was at play. The Montecillos wouldn’t just send a gift like this without a reason. She needed to find out the truth, and Desmond was the key.

Señora Rosario nodded, her fingers tapping lightly on the table as she considered the implications. “Perhaps. But we will not be so easily swayed by mere gifts. We will investigate their intentions before making any moves.”

As the attention began to shift back to the ongoing celebration, Hadrianna leaned closer to Desmond, her voice barely above a whisper. "What are you hiding from me, Desmond?"

Desmond's jaw clenched. He knew this moment would come, but he wasn't prepared to answer. "I'm not hiding anything, Hadrianna," he said, avoiding her gaze.

"Don't lie to me. You know the Montecillos, don't you? You've been keeping secrets from me, from my family. I deserve to know," Hadrianna pressed, her eyes filled with frustration.

Desmond remained silent for a moment, his mind racing. He couldn't tell her everything, not now. "It's not what you think," he finally said, his voice low and serious. "But trust me when I say, everything I've done has been to protect you."

Hadrianna's heart ached with confusion and anger. Protect her? From what? She couldn't understand why Desmond was still holding back. But deep down, a part of her wanted to believe him. The same part that had kept her from leaving him all these years, despite their strained relationship.

Before she could respond, another voice interrupted their tense conversation.

"Hadrianna, Desmond, join us," Señora Rosario called, her tone commanding as always. "Let's not dwell on mysterious gifts. We have more important matters to discuss."

Reluctantly, Hadrianna pulled away from Desmond, but not before giving him one last hard look, a silent promise that this conversation was far from over. Desmond nodded slightly, acknowledging that he owed her the truth — eventually.

The rest of the evening continued with the usual formalities, but the air was thick with unresolved tension. Desmond remained quiet, his mind troubled by Montecillos' sudden involvement. He knew that this was only the beginning, and soon, the truth he had been trying so hard to keep hidden would come to light. And when it did, he wasn't sure if Hadrianna or her family would ever forgive him.