Back To You [Completed]

Chapter 16

Alyssa woke up to the most uncomfortable feeling. She felt her hands numb and so are her legs. When she opened her eyes, she found herself inside a house, an unknown one. Her legs were tied together and so are her arms. Then, the ropes were secured on the headboard of the bed above her. So she couldn't move her arms down and reach her legs. Her mouth is covered with what seems like electric tape.

She started to feel suffocated and in danger. The room was beautiful but unfamiliar. She doesn't know where she was and she thinks she was kidnapped. She looked outside but the windows were all closed and curtains drawn. She couldn't make out the time of day.

It was so stupid of her to go out alone. She knew Anton would be so worried now. It's all her fault.

The door suddenly opened and in came a man probably in his late forties. He was tall and dark with a bit of Spanish features. He looked quite familiar but she couldn't remember.

"The Olivares princess is awake," he said and moved near her to the edge of the bed.

She groaned in fear and moved back to the headboard.

"There, there, I won't hurt you... for now." He stood up to fix the vase on the table across the bed. They were lilies. The same ones na makikita sa pond ng hacienda.

"It's a shame your father is already dead. I could have been making fun of him now, rather than your boyfriend."

She moaned at the mention of his father. This man is pure evil, she could sense.

"Hindi mo ba ako naaalala, hija?" he asked.

She didn't answer nor even shook her head 'no'. Is he someone she should know about?

"Nakatatandang kapatid ako ng Papa mo. Ako si Alejandro." He grinned from ear to ear. Wala siyang alam na may kapatid ang Papa niya. "Ngunit anak ako sa labas ng Papa. Kaya si Geronimo lang ang kinikilala niyang anak. At sa kanya napamana ang Hacienda Olivares. Sa kanya lang." Doon niya nakita ang poot sa mga mata ng matandang kaharap niya ngayon.

"Your father is a greedy man. He took away the hacienda. Pinalampas ko 'yon. Pero ang hindi ko matatanggap ay nang ilayo niya rin sa akin si Sarah!" sigaw nito.

She flinched a little when she heard the name of her mother's sister, her Aunt Sarah.

"I've vowed vengeance for a long time, you know. Ngayon nga lang ako nagkaroon ng pagkakataon. Your security guards ever since your were a child were all so efficient. Your fiancé was just so stupid to let his guard down this time just to follow your whim." At tumawa ito ng malakas.

May kumatok sa pinto at pumasok doon ang isang binata. May dala-dala itong tray ng pagkain.

Jeremy! She recognized him from the strawberry farm kanina.

"Pakainin mo muna 'to, bago natin patayin. Baka hindi ibigay ni Anton ang hinihingi ko kapag nakita niyang nangayayat ang mahal niyang prinsesa."

The man left her with Jeremy. And she looked at him with hatred. Tinanggal ng binata ang tape na nakatakip sa bibig niya.

"Huwag mo ng subukang sumigaw. Isolated ang bahay na ito at walang ibang tao sa lugar na ito. Mapapaos ka lang," babala nito.

"Why are you doing this? Why did you betray Anton? Isa ka sa mga katiwala niya sa farm."

Umiling ito. "Bagong empleyado lang ako ni Mang Elias." Naglagay ito ng pagkain sa kutsara at aktong isusubo iyon sa kanya ng umiling si Alyssa.

"Papatayin 'nyo rin lang ako di ba? So bakit kailangan ko pang kumain?"

"Para ibigay ni Anton ang hinihingi namin."

"Wala kaming kasalanan sa inyo!" sigaw niya.

"Tumahimik ka. Sa amin dapat ang hacienda dahil Olivares pa rin ang dugong nananalaytay sa amin. At ang ama ko ang panganay na anak ni Lolo. Magpinsan siguro tayo pero hindi ibig sabihin noon ay itratrato kita ng maayos, kaya kumain ka kung ayaw mong masaktan."

Wala siyang nagawa kundi isubo ang pagkaing inaalok nito.

"Anton will be giving up the hacienda to the government today. And he will deliver us 100 million tomorrow morning. Or else papatayin ka namin," wika nito. "Unknown to him is the fact na papatayin ka naman talaga namin." At ngumiti ito sa kanya.

"Ano bang nagawa ko sa inyo?" she asked, now in tears because of fear.

"Wala kang nagawa. Pero napakalaki ng utang ng Papa mo. Pinalayas niya kami sa hacienda ng ama ko noong bata pa lang ako. Hindi ka pa napapanganak noon. Nang mamatay si Lolo at minana ni Geronimo ang hacienda, he was quick to dispose us off. Siguro ay dahil takot siyang maagawan ng trono because he knew it inside himself that my father is the rightful owner of Hacienda Olivares. So right now, kung hindi mapapasamin ang hacienda, then no one from the family deserves to have it!"

"Nababaliw ka na.... kayong mag-ama. That land is a legacy of my father. Kahit anong sabihin ninyo!"

Humalakhak ito bigla. "Hindi mo siguro alam ang totoong pagkatao ng ama mo, no?"

She remained stoic, but tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Hindi mo rin siguro alam na ipinagbili ka niya kay Anton Olivares?"

Her eyebrows furrowed sa sinabi nito. "W-what?"

"Dahil sa katangahan ng ama mo, nalugi ang hacienda five years ago. Hindi mo ba alam? Oh, nagpapakasarap ka nga pala sa US."

Umiling siya sa narinig. It cannot be.

"Your father needed help. Financial help. At ang nilapitan niya ay ang anak ng malayo naming kamag-anak, si Anton. He gave your father millions to revive the dying hacienda. In fact, he was helping your father for five years already in running that land. Na kung kami siguro ang nangasiwa ay napalago at hindi napabayaan. In return, nangako si Geronimo na ipapakasal ka kay Anton. That man is dying to have you, Alyssa, that he gave up millions for free just to get you."

More tears spilled from her eyes. Naiintindihan na niya ngayon ang sinasabi ni Mang Jose. Kaya pala alam na alam ni Anton ang buong layout ng hacienda at ang lahat ng mga plantasyon na nasa loob ng lupain nila.  Anton knew that he'll eventually inherit the hacienda because of blood and the money he has invested on it.

"Oh, looks like hindi mo alam na binili ka lang ng fiancé mo. Ooops, I'm really sorry my dear cousin. Alam mo rin bang siya ang nagpaaral sayo sa US? Because your poor father just simply can't handle a big expense during the hacienda's financial crisis."

"Lies..." she whispered. At naalala niya ng alukin siya ni Anton na pangasiwaan ang buong hacienda dahil daw may business degree siya sa US. Hindi niya ito nabanggit sa binata ngunit alam nito.

"I'm afraid I'm telling you the truth, my dear cousin. You are under Anton's care for five years now without you knowing. Alam mo bang may security ka for the past five years, always protecting you wherever you are. You are under Anton's surveillance 24/7, my dear cousin. Your father has given you off... like a puppy. That is the real Geronimo Olivares, Alyssa. Now, you know."

She was shaken by all these revelations. So that's why Anton seemed like he was hiding something. He knew about her a long time ago. And this whole engagement is his plan and her father's. This is all a sick joke, she kept on repeating to herself but it was, indeed, the truth.

***

Sometimes, we think we know the people we're with. But not everything is what it seems. LOL ✨

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