4.2

Chapter 4.2

Alexa couldn’t hear anything inside the house. Not even the clatter of the tin roofs outside reached her ears. The generator was completely silent, thanks to its silencer.

As noisy as the roofs were outside, with the pouring rain and howling wind, the quiet inside her room was deafening.

Thanks to the power of technology, the mansion’s lighting was now brighter and more efficient compared before. The Escobar estate had indeed undergone significant changes under Aslan's management. That thought occupied her mind as she stood by the window of her room, staring at a brightly lit building in a certain distance.

Because the mansion stood on elevated ground, she had a clear view of the entire Hacienda Escobar. This estate had belonged to her father’s family for generations, yet it puzzled her why, according to her late mother’s last will, everything now belonged to Aslan.

Her chest tightened. She felt a pang in her heart. Jealousy began to creep into her system once more. Why? Why did it seem like Aslan had outshined her father? None of her father’s relatives had ever made the estate more productive the way Aslan had.

She was well aware that the annual net income had doubled since her father’s time. It hurt to think that she was no longer the rightful heir, and it felt as though her father’s achievements were being overshadowed by her adopted brother.

Will she call him that way? No. He is not even an Escobar, not even in papers.

What she saw from her vantage point was the evacuation center for the farmers. Apparently, that was one of Aslan’s first projects as the estate’s caretaker. The expenses for that project reportedly reached millions. Three hectares of land were used, but the investment was recouped by the third harvest once Aslan mastered the proper management of the land.

That information came from Mang Kiko. The old man had been telling her stories earlier while she was sipping a cup of hot, natural chocolate.

That was the new product being proudly promoted by Lexa Enterprises—chocolates exclusively made in Escobar. She didn’t know that their adopted sibling was now manufacturing chocolate bars and powdered chocolate.

From the butler’s story, Alexa could feel how proud he was of Aslan.

She was stunned when she heard about Lexa Enterprises. Whenever she saw it in commercials before, she thought it was just a coincidence that it shared her name. She had no idea her actual name was being used for the business and its products.

Lexa chocolate products—that’s what Mang Kiko said the business was called. Her so-called big brother was already aiming to export these Filipino-made, imported-quality chocolates to other countries.

She turned abruptly when she heard a loud thud. Her brows furrowed as she looked around.

The room was soundproof. How could she hear such a noise? It felt as if it were just in her imagination.

Suddenly, fear crept into her as she recalled Aslan’s warning that someone might hear her.

“Aslan?!” she called out, shouting his name, but then she remembered he wasn’t there.

Perhaps he had arrived.

Alexa mustered her courage and walked toward the door to check if Aslan was there, but the lights suddenly went out.

“Ihhh! Aslaaaaan!” she screamed, disoriented and unsure of where to run in the pitch-black darkness.

“Mang Kikooo!” she cried at the top of her lungs.

She shut her eyes tightly, afraid she might see a white lady floating in the air.

Dear God. Was Aslan playing tricks on her?

“Mahang!” Mang Kiko’s voice called out, making her snap her eyes open.

“The generator ran out of fuel. Dionisio is refilling it,” he explained.

He was carrying an emergency light as he approached her. Thankfully, she hadn’t locked the door. She didn’t even have a smartphone with a flashlight feature, as her phone wouldn’t charge due to detected moisture.

“Thank you, Mang Kiko,” she said, feeling relieved.

"This won't take long. Come downstairs so you can have dinner."

He nodded and followed her out of the room. She's afraid to look back. It's annoying because she wasn’t afraid of the dead during Medical school, but she's scared of ghosts. She'd go into the morgue surrounded by corpses, but Aslan scared her earlier, and she got terrified.

That guy is such a nuisance, as always.

"The storm is really strong. It’s a good thing we’re safe, along with the workers. The hacienda suffered quite a lot of damage, but luckily, we haven’t started planting yet," Kiko said to her.

"Is the evacuation area enough for all the workers, Mang Kiko?"

"Oh, yes. It’s huge. During times like this, the food there includes soup, porridge, boiled bananas, and vegetables. They’re like ants stockpiling supplies there whenever a landfall is predicted to hit us. Sometimes, even those not from here take shelter. One time, someone got stranded because the bridge flooded, and they couldn’t cross. Do you know who it was? Dr. Anne. She’s the veterinarian for the animals now."

Dr. Anne.

Why does that name sound different to her? Is she another one of Aslan’s women? That shameless womanizer.

He may seem quiet, but ever since she hit puberty, she’s seen him with all sorts of women riding on his motorcycle. In town, Aslan is well-known. When they were together while her mom was hospitalized, he was treated like a celebrity.

His pickup truck would pass by a group of college girls, and they'd scream like crazy.

Whenever there was an acquaintance party at school, he was her designated driver. The problem was he’d loiter nearby, scaring away the guys who wanted to ask her to dance. Then he’d disappear, only for her to find him later making out with some girl in their car.

"So, she studied Veterinary Medicine, Mang Kiko?" she asked, changing the topic as they descended the stairs.

"Yes, but during her first experience assisting with a birth, the horse your father gave her died. She took it really hard. Since then, she hasn’t taken on any animal-related duties here. Now, because the bridge is flooded, she couldn’t fetch Dr. Anne. Aslan had no choice but to go to the ranch to assist Marishka with her delivery."

So that’s Marishka. She thought they were talking about a person earlier when they picked her up, but it turns out they were talking about a horse.

"Marishka is her horse’s offspring."

"Doesn't Anne live in Malapacsiao, Mang Kiko?" she asked, looking up when the lights around the house suddenly came on. How many generators were they using to light up the entire place?

She noticed the changes to the ceiling as they reached the bottom of the stairs. The lighting fixtures were modern, even LED. Her room had star-like designs on the ceiling, which weren’t there before. She had to admit, Aslan didn’t neglect her room during the renovations. It didn’t feel outdated at all.

"She lives in Balate, Mahang."

She nodded. That made sense; crossing the bridge would be impossible for her.

"She also has her own animal hospital here, in Salvacion. Dr. Anne is there, and Aslan used to spend a lot of time there too, but he lost interest after what happened with Terisla."

"So Anne and Aslan worked together at the animal clinic," she remarked indifferently.

When they arrived at the dining area, Aida pulled out a chair for her.

"He braved the storm to go to the ranch?" she asked, disbelief evident in her tone.

"He’d do anything for the animals. It doesn’t surprise me, child. I just told him to be careful. He’s driving the off-road vehicle, the one for mountainous terrain," Mang Kiko replied.

Alexa privately shook her head. An off-road vehicle worth millions, no doubt.

"H-How about Lucas, Manang? How’s he doing?" she asked, changing the topic as the housemaids began serving food.

"Lucas, your old boyfriend?" Mang Kiko teased, glancing at her with a grin.

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Come on, Mang Kiko. I was just a kid back then."

"Well, Lucas is still around. I heard he’s supposedly getting married, but who knows? His mother’s been announcing it for ages, but he hasn’t married any of the three women he’s lived with. And you, how about you? Do you have a boyfriend?"

Alexa blinked, observing the people serving her. They still treated her like royalty. It had been years since she last reached out to any of them.

Her conscience tugged at her. She had deliberately distanced herself from these people for years because of Aslan, yet their kindness was unwavering, as if she had never left.

"I had one," she admitted.

"Had? So it’s over, señorita," Sharon chimed in, prompting Alexa to nod.

"I broke up with him," she said, watching as Kiko placed food on her plate.

"Is that the reason you came home?" Kiko pressed further.

She shrugged in response. "Sort of, I guess, Mang Kiks. I wanted him to see what he lost."

"That's right. Never chase after or lower yourself for a man. They should be the ones chasing after you. You're beautiful, educated, and wealthy. Try visiting the nearby towns or even just the twelve barangays here in Escobar. I doubt anyone could resist courting you," Mang Kiko said with confidence, making her smile.

"Agreed, señorita. Señorito might grow old again trying to fend off your suitors, just like before. He was even stricter than Señor Geron!" Dina added with a laugh.

"I'm not fifteen anymore," she countered, determined not to let Aslan meddle in her life this time.

Besides, she wouldn't be staying long. Her vacation was only for two months, and after that, she'd return to continue her studies.

But before that, she needed to claim the share that was rightfully hers—land cultivated by her ancestors.