When they already arrived to a five-star restaurant, Oneil made sure to prepare Essi’s seat. Essi only said a typical thank you. For Melissa, it was as if Essi is not impressed to Oneil’s gallantry. Essi even ordered the most expensive beef dish.“That is your favorite, right? Vintage cote de beauf?” Oneil asked with gladness and thought of requesting the same as well. “And Syrah to pair this.”“Are the two of you leaning towards expensive meals?” Melissa doesn’t like the rib steak. If she has to join them, that would make her credit card already problematic.“I miss this kind of steak since my mom often prepares this for me,” Essi said. “It’s not just about being expensive.”“Oh really?” Melissa nodded to let the blabber get by.“Show me a great deal here then that doesn’t have to be characterized by the price,” Essi challenged.Melissa knows too that the star of this restaurant is the rib-eye steak. Even if the roasted salmon is the most affordable among all dishes, she knew that it
Just like ordinary and not busy days, Essi gets to visit Oneil again to the building of Oda Infrastructures. It has always been among Essi’s routine to talk first to the higher officers before she could arrive to her intention of talking to Oneil. Although they are situated two departments apart, Essi and Oneil still glanced at each other amid their talk towards the other people. When they at last got their rendezvous, Essi hurriedly meandered towards him while holding her bag modestly. Oneil on the other hand, opens up his arms to hug her. Essi didn’t hesitate to engulf herself in this sought out embrace. They went together towards the right wing anteroom where the high ceiling could allow them to see the urban night of Bordeaux. While they were seating, Oneil took out a long velvet box and gave it to Essi. “For you,” he said casually. “You should open it.” Essi smiled upon seeing a bracelet with Akoya pearls and emeralds. “Oneil, this is so pretty.” “Do you like it?” Oneil is m
Behind the strict image of Latifa Mercator is a caring and broken person. Essi was entailed with the vividness of the scene that night. Latifa was quick to pose an figure of a delighted mother taking care of her son. Essi couldn’t help but feel bad about covering the incident of Oneil’s amnesia although such a deed had already been long forgotten.“You seem pretty too occupied today,” Victor noticed as he closes the door of Essi’s home office. “Were you worrying on how to handle our overseas schedule again?”“It’s not about that. It’s not like it should be new to me,” Essi stated and proceeded again to think deeply.“Are you in conflict with Oneil again?” Victor was trying to figure it out by himself but Essi was just too subtle on her gestures. He is never sure if she needed help. When Essi slowly looked up to him, that is when his senses start to kick against his silence when he would just let Essi and Oneil deal with each other alone. He would want to get Essi just to protect her f
It was hard to remove the idea of what can The Carolus Foundation do to Victor to help him about his desire. For many days that he thought about it, he still couldn’t make the most decisive call to Latifa. Maybe it is because he is afraid of what kind of acceptance his biological parents would give him once they saw how Victor turned out to be. But he knew that he is more dreading to a possibility that such a word acceptance was never pre-existing at all. Because if this thing is real, they should have tried to find him.“But what if they do?” Essi asked him.It was hard for Victor to not tell this to Essi because he knew that this woman had been more looking forward for this day of reunion to come. Essi is more enthusiastic than Victor. Her voice keeps on pulling about the good sides of the what ifs.“What if the search was always there but only as a parallel one?”Victor lets Essi’s word to come together in his mind while he tried to think deeply where should it be possible to meet
Oneil noticed how his mother got a little busier than before. At first, it puzzles him. But as this familiar joy begins to spark in Latifa’s eyes, he gets happy for him as well. So when she was investing her attention on typing emails inside Paulo’s library, Oneil went inside with some tea and cookies for her.“Are you busy for the foundation, ma?” he asked as he takes a seat.Latifa acknowledged his visit but she kept her eyes on the monitor. Oneil loves the set up of this scene where the dreamy morning sheds a good dispersion of sunlight through the white curtains of the office. It highlights his mother finding a good reason to be happy on her job. As if she is excited for a good result. Her pearl earrings sparkle along her smile. She grinned brightly and finally gazed upon her son.“What is it ma?” Oneil asked again because his mother’s smile is really contagious.“I’m just happy for Victor. We’re somehow getting some clues about his real family. Sooner than later, The Carolus Foun
Essi was more than relieved to find out that their source for blood donation is Oneil’s mom herself. She should be the one standing next to Oneil to give him assurance that everything will be fine. Instead, it was Essi who had heavy breathing. Oneil has to hold her hand as she tries to calm down. She never heard such a case in their locality but it was common in Bayanihan. She heard tragic stories too. Especially to young ones who cannot fight the severity of the illness by their weak body and to the parents who are in their severe regret for not noticing that what their children were experiencing is a common illness brought by mosquitoes. Other than that, she is worried for Victor as well.Oneil understood that such a kind of affection is the prize of friendship aged almost like their lifetime.“Don’t worry anymore, Essi. Victor can get through with this,” he said while gently cupping her hands in between his palms.Essi’s expression at him reveals that she has less of a worry today
What time has promised to Latifa was to wait for the result painstakingly. She is already refusing to believe that this is another hopeless case. As long as there would be someone who could match Carolus’ identity, she would take all chances. But although she already has to fight for this kind of war, the though that the Pingris Family would want to bring Victor back to the Philippines although the result is not yet out is already boiling her blood.“Why do they have to bring him home although the result is not yet out?” Because of this case, it only made Latifa to believe that this Pingris Family must have a clue that after all this time, Victor is the lost son of the Mercator Household. “They are making it obvious that Victor would leave them anytime sooner.”“It is not like it is irrational for them to bring Victor home when they can do it. They have an excuse from his boss to do this if you would in case pull out the card that Victor has to work here in Bordeaux,” Paulo stated.“A
It is another whole new day that Victor was discharged from the hospital and has already restored his health. Just the mere fact that Essi has finally known that he is Mr. X, he couldn’t help but share it to her how he is wanting to help Latifa Mercator on finding her son named Carolus.“How did you find this out?” Essi was amazed by Victor. It should have not been surprising but imagining how he must have gathered about this, she could only look at him in awe and delight.“Ma’am Latifa told me.”“What?” Essi was puzzled. It is not like the sudden answer has equated her assumptions to naught. Her surprise was due to the fact that Latifa revealed it to Victor. “Why did she tell you?” She couldn’t help it. Essi knew how secretive Latifa was, she would even pretend that she didn’t cry at all after that melancholy at the park. “How?” Amid Essi’s confusion, she is still glad at the sudden closeness that Latifa could afford to give to Victor. She had a little hint that back then that Latifa