Bride by Design

C H A P T E R 11

WHAT'S FREELY GIVEN

Karyssa

'A decade of Amante-de la Vega bond was finally severed, irrepairable, at the aftermath of forcing Ms. de la Vega off the CEO's seat and the fight between factions grew in weeks time. Henry Amante continues to assure the public and its employees that all was well regardless of the internal unrest embroiling the company. In the middle of yet another controversy, Helena de la Vega eludes the public eye and has not made any comment.'

'Dubbed as the fall of the Wicked Witch, Helena de la Vega's rule has come to an end.'

'The new head has shown a promising start as company operations remained unaffected in the course of the sudden change of hands and grew in a month.'

'The mighty has fallen.'

'Where is Helena de la Vega?'

'De la Vega heir missing.'

'Rumors of apparent sui-'

I turned off the television as breaking news erupted at every channel. Reports has gone from well to sour as numerous hands and mouths continued to season the truth. Death hoaxes surrounded Helena's disappearance and although it was not my place, I couldn't help but worry about her. I had deleted her number but my fingers remembered; I just stopped myself short from pressing 'call' each time.

"Wow, your people really did a number on her," Lauren muttered as she got off the couch and walked past Rey and into her room, leaving us alone to talk.

"The misfortune of sharing a name, honey. I did nothing. It wasn't me," Rey called after her. "Your friend's not so friendly."

"She just mistook you for Henry," I said.

The night at the club was the last we saw Helena and maybe it hurt her chances of hitting it big, quite possible that she didn't make it. Lauren's been going out most days and back in two. When she walked home to the sight of my cousin-it was a relief a quarrel was avoided.

"How could she mistake this handsome face for a toad? She is in need of an optometrist," his indignance showing. Rey's first visit wasn't good as he and Lauren started off on the wrong foot. "Your fire-breathing friend aside, how are you?"

In front of the media, Henry and my uncle put up a brave front but in reality, they have been swamped by complaints of dissatisfaction and was constantly under threat of Helena showing up and giving them all the ass whooping they deserved. The ones who were once with them has grown disappointed and were just one other contract-dissolution short of deserting their alliance. Helena's silence scared them to the point of sending my mom over and asking me to talk to my ex to lessen whatever action she was putting together to punish them.

"I'm in no position to speak to Helena on their behalf," I reached for the necklace, the parting gift she gave the night she left in a hurry and instructed Nico to see me and Lauren home.

Inside the box was note: 'Nesting Robin'. I had pestered her into choosing a name. Blurting out from my list, she'd stop me and wrestle the name book off to hide it. I was very persistent that even as we lay in bed and about to drift to sleep, I'd say a few more but she would cut me off with a kiss; a kiss that long and sweet, fuddling my brain.

She gave her a name.

I couldn't not wear it.

"They duped her into signing over some of her shares. Emphasis on 'they', it was them, not you. You took no part in their deception, Karyssa."