Semua Bab Twisted Ties: Bab 41 - Bab 50

Inside the Domingo mansion, the air was cold. The old Domingo’s study was filled with antique furniture, heavy curtains, and the scent of aged tobacco. At the center of the room sat the patriarch — Don Ernesto Domingo — gripping his cane, staring at his grandson Julio, who stood with his head bowed, unable to meet his grandfather’s eyes.“Do you realize what you’ve done?” Don Ernesto bellowed, his voice deep and heavy. “You lost Isla Verde. You lost the biggest project of the year!”Julio tried to speak. “Grandpa, I—” “Shut up!” the old man roared, slamming his cane on the desk. “You think excuses will save you? You think your pathetic explanations will bring back what we lost?”Don Ernesto stood, slow but deliberate in every step. He walked toward Julio, eyes sharp and piercing.“You’re inadequate,” he hissed, his tone venomous. “Stupid. Weak. I raised you to be a leader, but you’re nothing but a disappointment. Just like your mother — useless! If only your father had married the wo

The ambulance arrived at the emergency entrance of the hospital in Batangas. The sound of the siren stopped, but the pounding in Ainara and Celia’s chests only grew stronger.The medics quickly got out, bringing Andres on a stretcher. His face was pale, blood on his forehead, and his body barely moved.“Patient, male, early to mid-thirties, car accident, head trauma, weak pulse!” shouted the medic as they pushed the stretcher inside.“I’m going with him!” Ainara cried, breathless, trying to follow the stretcher.A nurse blocked her path. “Ma’am, please, you can’t go inside the ER. We’ll update you.”“No! He’s my—” She couldn’t finish the sentence. Tears poured down her face, her voice breaking.Celia rushed forward, holding Ainara’s shoulder. “Let them do their job. We’ll wait here.”They were led to the waiting area—cold, stark white, and filled with anxious people. Ainara sat trembling, clutching her phone. Celia sat beside her in silence, holding her daughter’s hand.After thirty m

Saturday morning, the investigator went out again to follow the trail of the woman seen on the CCTV. There were leads from the security guards who said a woman wearing a cap passed through the parking area, but when they tried to find her, she was gone.He went to nearby stores, asked around, checked additional footage from other cameras. But with every step, the shadow grew fainter. The woman was like a ghost—seen, but never caught.The investigator tried, but the woman was hiding well, and clearly did not want to be found.Jaime clenched his jaw, frustrated. “She’s the witness. She knows. And yet she hides. What if she’s an accomplice and changed her mind at the last minute? Maybe she got scared.”Celia sighed. “It is possible. Anything is possible at this point.”** While they were talking, an email arrived at the company’s HR department. A resignation letter.“Effective immediately,” read the subject line.The HR officer opened it and read the words: “I want to thank you for the

The hospital room was heavy with silence after the doctor’s explanation. Andres lay weak but awake, his eyes clouded with fragments of memory. Jaime stood at the foot of the bed, his face carved with worry.“Celia,” he said quietly, his tone firm but gentle, “take Ainara home. I need time alone with my son.”Celia hesitated, glancing at Andres, then at Ainara, who stood apart, her arms folded tightly across her chest. Ainara’s eyes flickered with pain, but she gave a small nod. She knew Andres did not remember her as she wished, and her presence only deepened the confusion.Santino stepped forward, his voice low. “I’ll go see Julie. I’ll check in later.” He gave Ainara a look of sympathy before leaving the room.Celia touched Jaime’s arm briefly, then guided Ainara out of the hospital.** The house was quiet when they arrived. Celia moved with practiced calm, setting a kettle on the stove. The soft hiss of boiling water filled the silence. Ainara sat at the edge of the sofa, her post

Ainara was clearing away Andres’s breakfast—the bowl of chocolate rice porridge he barely touched, the spoon that was hardly used. She placed them carefully on the tray, trying to show tenderness and patience.The television was on in the background, tuned to CNN. The news showed footage of the airport in New York. The people, the lines, the departure gates—all familiar sights.Andres glanced at the screen, his eyes cold, but his brow twitched slightly. It was as if a memory knocked at the back of his mind.He fell silent for a moment, then spoke softly, his voice low. “When did you come back here?”Ainara’s lips parted in surprise.“Did we come back to the Philippines together for the engagement party?”Ainara froze, still holding the tray. The question struck her like lightning—a piece of the past she had longed to return.She forced a smile, her tone careful. “Yes, Andres. We came back together. We were on the same flight.”Andres frowned, as if trying to grasp the image in his min