Arrange Marriage: Destined?

33: Kiss

(Third Party)

"Ted, have you heard anything from your daughter?" Mr. Richards ask Mr. Mendoza.

"It's been a year, Rickson, I think it's about time we put an end to this arrangement." Mr. Mendoza felt defeated.

"It's been my long time wish for us to stop this nonsense arrangement, I hope it's not too late for us to ask for forgiveness from our children, compadre. I have never seen Aldemar like this before. I miss my son, compadre. Don't you miss Maisie?" He ask. Both of their eyes expresses sadness and regret.

"The private investigator I paid lost sight of them. The known address was in Sum-ag. Let's find a way to find them, compadre. I miss my daughter. She never did something like this before and if something happens to her, I may not be able to forgive myself." Mr. Mendoza replied.

"Where did you say they were? Sum-ag? Ted, my son used to own a house there. Don't you think..." Mr. Richards said. Why does he felt like there is more to Ted's statements. Why does he felt like Alden didn't really sell that house? If his gut was true, that only shows that his son is smarter than him. He smiled big, in a way, he's proud of him. This is enough, he call off the arrangement. It's done. Alden is free.

"Rickson, let's meet." And he hung up.

At the same moment, at an italian restaurant somewhere in Manila, two dignified middle aged ladies are sitting across each other.

"Ann, do you have any idea where the kids may be?" Mrs. Richards asked holding Mrs. Mendoza's hand.

"I had them in one place already and I lost them again." Mrs. Mendoza replied.

"What really happened? I thought Nikko will take care of it? Do you want me to ask Alric to help out? I can have him come here in no time."  Said Mrs. Richards. These fine ladies are in deep with so much anxiousness.

"Nikko went to visit and see how Maine is doing and when he got there, your son, Alden was there. He said that Alden proposed to her." She said but in deep thought. She was wondering what prompted Alden to propose all of a sudden.  "Does Alden know about the arrangement?" She asked.

"I don't think so, I didn't have the chance to tell him that Maine and the girl he's arranged with are one and the same. Don't you think that he is really in love with her, that he doesn't want to lose her over the arranged marriage? Or he's doing this to get out of the arrangement?" They looked at each other, different thoughts are swimming in their minds.

Ann held her cup to her mouth and took a sip looking far, well, more like staring into space facing the door, when a familiar figure appears in her view.  She almost spat out the tea from her mouth. Rosie saw what just happened.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" She asked. Ann didn't answer her so she followed the direction of her stare, and there he is...  "Oh my. What are going to do, Ann." She asked in panic.

"Nothing, Rosie. We are going to do nothing. We are going to sit here until they see us." Ann said. She's sometimes stubborn and defiant.

"As you wish." Rosie replied. Another stubborn and defiant lady, sat there quietly, as told.

We all know what's going to happen when both husband discovers that both their wives are meeting secretly. I don't see any problem here, do you?  They continue with their conversation, of course, as of the moment the topic had changed. Allyn became the topic of their conversation.  Her advertising and modeling agency. Her being single, and still wanting to go home to Laguna everyday.

"Where is her office? I hope to see the list of her clients. I bet we can use one of them for... you know." Ann stop talking as her husband finally saw her after how long? Right. Whatever him and Mr. Richards were discussing, it consume all his attention to that. But of course, this is her husband, she knows how his brain work without being there by his side.