Only If

chapter 14 ( the updates)

ARIS's POV

Ellie and Ella's untimely leaving affects Arra emotionally. After more than a month, Arra is still lonely... She seldom goes out of her room or stays in the guestroom and she hugs the shawl left by her MyMy and the small doll from Ella.

I am worried about her. She is always looking outside our gate... as if waiting for someone.

Two months had passed... 

One afternoon I have guests in my office, the Tres Clementes Intelligence and Detective Services owners - Zandro, Zyrus, and Zach Clemente.

"Good afternoon Governor," the Tres Clementes

"Good afternoon Tres Clementes... It's an honor for the three of you to be here,"

"We want to visit you, anyway are already here in the Philippines, we are visiting our sister in General Santos City," Zach Clemente speaking

"I see," I replied

"Since we have an update for the Investigation you want us to do we decided to have it delivered personally," Zandro Clemente

"Oh... you have any updates? then what is it all about?" I said with high hopes that it would be positive.

I decided to know where is  Ellie now... the information sent to me by the Torres Investigation and Detective Services I hired to look for Ellie Ella, and Ivan in Belgium was negative... They informed me that the family is no longer in Belgium...

I hired Tres Clemente's Intelligence Detective Services to make another search.

After 2 months, here they are ... 

"We have included Harold,  the man you saw kissing Ellie during your wedding party in the investigation... We found that the man named Harold now living with his wife and son in a remote barangay of Columbio, Sultan Kudarat. He has a palay and corn buy-and-sell business there. Rice milling and corn shelling too.  We visited him to present to him a ten-wheeler truck we are selling... we offered him a good price and a good amortization plan. He accommodated us well...Upon some chitchats over a drinking spree, he happened to tell us that his business capital was earned from a fee, the amount left after his son's medication...  He said that a long time ago someone offered an indecent proposal, but due to the dire need of his son's medication, he grabbed the offer. The mother of the groom asked him to kiss the bride on their wedding day, who happened to be his high school ex-girlfriend in exchange for a large amount of money," Zyruz

"So he did it," Zach

"That bride was your wife. It's your mother who orchestrated that kissing scenario," Zandro

"After he received the payment and his son recovered, he and his family relocated to a remote town. It's there in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat where they live permanently. He said, your wife had no idea about what happened. Your mother plans to make you angry and hate your wife. Your wife was innocent. He shared this to lighten his guilt. He heard some gossip that your wife is living miserably in your house, and guilt is killing him," Zyruz.

"His tears were falling while telling us how sorry he was when he heard gossip that her high school love and childhood friend was always beaten,"

"About Ellie, Ella, and Ivan no traces of where they are  so far," Zach

"But the most interesting result is this: Dr. Ivan Stallin is not Ellienore Aturdido's husband... They have been together for more than six years, but they have no relationship. The doctor feels pity for Ellienore who was at that time pregnant with your daughter, Ella Toni Aturdido-Del Fierro, when they meet in Bali, Indonesia,"

"Look at this," Zyrus is handing me a record from the National Statistics Office.

I saw the entries -
Name of the child: Ella Toni Del Fierro Y Aturdido
Father: Ariston Del Fierro
Mother: Ellienore Aturdido

My world turned upside down after reading the NSO birth Certificate of Ella... Big sweats formed on my forehead.

Internalizing the reports, my world collapsed.

"But if it is the case, that even how keen we investigate, we can't find them...it's obvious she knows... They know you're having an investigation for them... They are in hiding," Zandro

"Ellie was correct, only if I gave her the chance to explain," I said full of regrets and shame.

"They know we are having an investigation and they are in hiding and a big personality is hiding them," Zach

"You're correct, there's a strong force protecting them," Zyrus

"The Torres Intelligence and Security Services is one of the strongest in the field, our counterpart and of the Comrades... Does your wife have any affiliations with them? To be frank, my brother-in-law owns TIDS ... and I remember you saying that after the Belgium Investigation, they withdrew their services?" Zandro

"If any of them is at the back of your wife, you cannot find her... They have so many hiding places, safe houses... No one can go near their strongholds...and they will never trade loyalty to their friend with money... For them, they have a lot of money, but only 13 of them are best of friends," Zach

"I have a piece of advice if you want back your wife and you regret what you have done... and want to ask forgiveness... Ask any of them, any of Lost Commands,  I know it will reach Nickolai Torres," Zandro

"We cannot ask our sister, out of delicadeza, aside that she don't meddle in his husband's work," Zyrus

"Zarina can help you if it concerns Nickolai... she cannot refuse his wife as long as no one will risk their life," Zach

"Beg... they are all family-oriented, they want their family intact... so they will help you,"

"Try to think of an incident that they happen to know each other," Zandro

"When she was hospitalized, my butler brought her to Mondragon Medical Center,"

"Ohhhh... Dr. Raphael Mondragon and Nickolai Torres are brothers at heart, inseparable," Zach

"And Atty. Alyza Montes-Mondragon, Dr. Raphael Mondragon's wife is a human rights advocate and women's rights advocate," Zyrus

"If you cannot get near the husbands, try the wives...this is the only thing we can do for you,"

"Yes, we cannot mess with the Torres Intelligence and Detective Services, the owner is our brother-in-law and our sister's most beloved husband,"

"Thank you... In some ways, Dr. Mondragon and I are familiar with each other... I am a member of Regions 11 and 12 Medical Doctor's Association which Dr. Mondragon is the president. I am also a member of the Medical Surgeons Association and Dr. Mondragon is one of the Board of Directors... I am specialized in Internal Medicine and he is in Neuro-Surgery," I said.

"But if we are wrong, then it can be the Comrades is at their back, still you cannot find them...The owner-founder Bella Adelaide Montesclaros de Asis also known as Adelaide Beethoven-Eltagonde is also a women's rights advocate. Her husband Xandrex Eltagonde is the best friend of  of Dr. Ivan Beethoven Stalin, who happened to be Adelaide or Bella's cousin,"

As I listened to the Tres Clementes, I made a firm decision.
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