THE HILARIOUS HUSBAND (LEE BROTHERS #2)

Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

MEETING

❥ ELISSE GARCIA ❥

"No! Hindi ko ibabalik si Edward d'yan sa bahay. Dito siya sa 'kin!" I said firmly, gripping my phone tightly as I stood in the middle of the living room. "Kapag pinilit mo 'ko na pauwiin siya d'yan, mapipilitan din akong magsumbong sa mga pulis tungkol sa ginawa mo sa kaniya," matapang kong sabi.

Ramdam ko ang bilis ng pintig ng puso ko habang nagsasalita, pero hindi ako nagpatinag. I wasn't going to let Dad intimidate me this time. He had called me the moment we got back to the house I shared with Hope, probably after one of the maids told him I had taken Edward with me. Of course, they would've told him—especially since he'd left strict orders not to let Edward leave the house.

Bago pa man siya makapagsalita muli ay ini-end ko na ang call para matapos na ang diskusyon. I let out a shaky breath, my hand trembling as I tossed my phone aside. 'Tsaka ako pabagsak na naupo sa couch dahil narito ako sa salas mag-isa.

The living room felt quiet, almost suffocatingly so. Hope was in the kitchen, thankfully out of earshot. Siya ang naggagayak ng binili naming dinner kanina on the way home. Si Edward naman ay nasa guestroom, inihatid ko siya roon kanina pagdating namin para makapagpahinga siya. Paninindigan ko ang sinabi ko kay Dad na dito muna sa 'kin si Edward. He had gone through enough, and I wasn't about to hand him back over. Not after seeing what Dad had done.

"Oy, Elsa."

I turned my head toward Hope, startled by his voice. He was standing in the doorway of the dining area, casually leaning against the frame. "Tawagin mo na kapatid mo. Kakain na tayo," mahinahon niyang sabi, as if everything was perfectly normal.

Bahagya akong tumango, tila nakahinga nang maluwag. It was a good thing Hope didn't seem to mind that Edward was staying with us. He hadn't even asked why I'd brought him along when he saw me helping Edward into the backseat of his car earlier. Basta ang sabi ko lang ay pansamantala muna itong mananatili sa poder ko or namin. 

Hope didn't press for details. He just accepted it, no questions asked. Pero kahit gaano pa siya kabait, hindi ko pa rin ma-imagine ang sarili ko na makikisama sa kaniya sa loob ng isang taon.

Sinulyapan ko siya bago ako tumungo sa elevator para puntahan si Edward. He was the kind of man most women would probably be lucky to have, but that wasn't enough for me. Our marriage had never been about love or even compatibility; it was a business arrangement, a deal to save Garcinema and ensure my family's future. And once I got what I needed—once Dad transferred the shares to my name and I secured my place as CEO of Garcinema—there would be no reason to stay.

I would leave.

I wasn't about to spend the rest of my life tied to someone I didn't love. The moment I had control of the company, I'd make my move. Makikipaghiwalay na ako sa kaniya.

⫘⫘⫘

Three weeks later...

Sh*t. Mahina akong napamura sa isip ko habang nasa conference room kami kasama ang mga board members at ilan pang may matataas na posisyon sa kompanya. Ngayon kasi ang meeting ukol sa pagpili ng panibagong CEO.

Ang magaling kong ama—na ngayon ay natahimik na nakaupo sa bandang harapan ay bahagyang nakayuko. Mukhang naisahan niya ako, dahil ngayon ko lang nalaman na hindi pala p'wedeng manatili ang dalawang CEO—sa Garcinema at Lee Entertainment—once na mag-merged na ito. Instead, they generally appoint one CEO to lead the newly merged entity. The decision on who becomes the CEO could depend on the terms of the merger, the structure of the combined company, or a mutual agreement between the companies.