Aurora's Gambit: Defying Destiny

Chapter 9

Headlock

Two weeks have passed since I bought the rights to govern Rasmon. My trusted people are the ones dealing with the transfer process and other stuff that requires some paperworks. Ipinagkatiwala ko na sa kanila ang lahat. I know where their loyalty lies. Besides, I need to stay hidden. Hindi pa ito ang panahon para ibunyag kung sino ako. Not now na hindi ko pa napapabagsak ang ibang mga kalaban.

Anyway, I am now calmly drinking my frappe here in my newly-found favorite cafe. And hulaan nyo kung anong pangalan?

Buckstars!

Oh 'di ba? Hindi man lang nag effort ang author ng story na to na mag-isip ng matinong pangalan ng coffee shop. Tsk tsk tsk.

If you're wondering why I'm out... It's because hindi pa nakauwi ang pekeng pamilya ko mula sa ginawa kong atake. I expected them to fix it in just a week pero it seems like I overestimated them.

It's been more than two weeks pero wala pa rin. But I heard from my spies na they're getting close to figuring out who is behind the attack. There's nothing to worry, though. Kasi hindi naman ako ang ituturo na salarin kapag nalaman na nila kung sino.

Lihim akong napangisi. Nagsisimula pa lang ako sa mga plano ko pero naaaliw na ako. Paano pa kaya pag nakita ko silang magdusa sa harapan ko mismo? That would be really entertaining for me.

Don't worry, Kinara. I'll avenge you.

Matapos kong ubusin ang kape ay tumayo na ako para ipagpatuloy ang mga gagawin ko ngayon araw.

I'm on my way to find a decent place where I want to establish the business ideas I have in mind.

Sa dami ko ba namang ideas na galing pa sa ibang mundo, at sa dami ko ring pera, it is just right to invest sa iba't ibang negosyo para mas lalo pang dumami ang pera ko. I need to gather as much money as I can para kung mapagpasyahan kong lumayas dito sa Spuador ay mabubuhay at mabuhuhay pa rin ako pati na rin ang grupong muli kong binuhay.

Naglakad lakad ako sa sentro ng Stifmont Square, at hindi ko namalayan, umabot na pala ako sa parte ng sentro na hindi masyadong matao. Inilibot ko ang paningin ko at napagtanto kung bakit tila iwas ang mga tao na dumaan dito.

This looks like a ghost town. Lumang mga building na sira sira na ang mga bubong at dingding. Puno na rin ng vandals ang mga pader. Sayang. The place is big pa naman sana. Kasing laki ng isang subdivision block.

Naglakad lakad ako at sinuri ang paligid. Tiningala ko ang pinakamatayog na gusali. May nakalagay na pangalan sa pinakatuktok ng gusali.

The Psama Fort, that is the name of the building. Hmm. That's weird. If you switch the first two words, that would be Kinara's second name, Psamathe.

Kinuha ko ang phone na nasa bag at napagpasiyahang tawagan ang taong makakasagot ng katanungan na nasa isip ko ngayon.

"What can I do for you, Miss Ara?" Felipe said as he answered the phone.

Felipe Estevez, or should I say Philip Valdez, was my parents' most trusted man. He was the son of Kinara's maternal grandfather's trusted butler kaya he grew up with my mother. He's Kinara's— my mother's protector and also her best friend.

He was overseas for a mission when my parents met their demise that's why he had so much regrets when he came home.

He had to fake his own death and change his name because Phoebe managed to track all of my parents' connection on both sides.

Just like the rest of my parents' few supporters, he chose to hide in the dark and secretly gather loyal people for the remaining de Fidellis— which is Kinara. Felipe knew I existed and that I survived, but he chose to wait for me to discover things on my own as he secretly strengthens the remaining ruins of my family. And now that I knew about their existence, he swore his loyalty to me, and to his dead friends, my parents, along with his accumulated loyal subordinates during his years of hiding.