“What do you mean she isn’t there? You were supposed to watch her!” Rafael barked into his phone, feeling a bout of headache hit him at the information passed to him.
“I am sorry sir! She outsmarted us and got away. We are scouring the area in search of her-”
“You mean a young and hospitalized girl managed to outsmart two full-grown men?” He asked incredulously. “Don’t bother! Go to the head office and get compensation for your work so far! You are fired. Both of you!”
Rafael dropped the call before they could say a word to him. He didn’t need to hear them yap about anything. Things had been hot in his home with his son’s refusal to eat or do anything since he denied him access to seeing June Rivera.
The enigmatic woman that managed to occupy his mind and that of his son’s. When he received the files on June Rivera, one glance at it and it was clear that she had led quite an interesting life.
“What happened to Auntie?” The voice of his son made him turn around in mild surprise.
“When did you get here?” Rafael asked his son who walked into his home office without knocking.
Luis was in a terrible mood. “I need to go see Auntie! I promised to see her every day and she will be angry.”
Rafael tutted. “I already told you, son. You will not be seeing her until you have learned your lessons from the accident.”
“I have learned my lesson.” Luis was at a breaking point. “Just let me see Auntie already!”
“Eat dinner with me and we can discuss the terms of seeing her.” He said like a business person, while little Luis looked like he was a second away from blowing a fuse.
“Why would I want to negotiate with you when you are not a man of your word?” Luis said, his anger evident from his tone.
A smirk found its way to Rafael’s face. “You don’t have to. I apologize if I ever made you think we were still at a time when we made negotiations. That changed when you decided to run away from your nanny the last time son. Now, you are under a dictatorship.”
“You have no choice but to obey my every word.” He said, watching his son intently.
Luis took his time crafting his next words. “That is a trample on my human rights.”
“Then sue me.” Rafael shrugged and then sported a knowing look. “Oh yeah, you can’t.”
“Not until I am Eighteen years old.”
“You are five. That is a long way to go.” His father replied in an assertive tone. “I suggest you start acting your age and save your old father the hassle of tending to your fits when I could be closing billion-dollar deals.”
“You are not that old!” Luis said in a childish tone, “If you are so tired of my fits then let me see Auntie. Make her my nanny and you wouldn’t have to lift a finger.”
At this point, Rafael was banking on that call. The idea of making June his son’s nanny, as much as it seemed like the best option at the time it was conceived, after looking through her profile, he lost every confidence in her calling in for the job.
Besides the fact that she was the wife of one of the millionaires in town, she was also the eldest daughter of a reputable family. Not quite up to his standard, but decent enough that the generations following would live a good life.
That is if they managed the business better.
Rafael shook himself from the thoughts of June Rivera. Or rather, June Lontoc. He needed to handle his son’s fits before it escalated to something more.
“Eat your food and we can discuss that.” He said to his son who shot daggers at him.
Little Luis left his father after giving him a hard glare when he found that his father had no intent on giving in to him. He went to the dining area where his dinner had been served and started scarfing down the food without a moment’s thought.
At the close of his meal, his father joined him on the table with a glass of water and a triumphal look on his face. He had won this round. Little Luis had plans to even the score. Just after he got what he wanted.
“Take me to see Auntie.” he demanded as soon as he was done eating.
“If you remain in good character, then maybe I will slate you in for a meeting tomorrow.”
“I want to see her now!” Luis said, unable to hold back.
“One more word and-”
“Tomorrow it is!” Luis interrupted his father, got up from his seat, and ran off towards his room.
Rafael looked towards his son with a fond look on his face before he sipped his water. Since the accident three days ago, he decided to work from home and personally supervise his child.
Although Luis barely got any wounds from the incident, his fatherly side refused to let him out of his sight for the time being.
He pulled out his phone which was going off with messages, none of which appeared to be the one he was looking forward to. Having promised to have June and his son meet the next day, he decided to go about making it happen.
All attempts to get a hold of June failed woefully, and the next day, he was facing his son who was less than happy to hear that they wouldn’t be making a trip to see his auntie.
“You promised!” He said, anger rolling off him in bouts.
“Your new nanny has been employed. Tomorrow you will return to school.” Rafael said in an authoritative tone.
Shaking with anger, Luis walked out of the room with a cold demeanour. He was done playing nice with his father. If his father planned to hog his auntie to himself, he would have him to contend with.
The next day, Little Luis locked himself inside his room, throwing a fit so big that the servants who tried to wake him were left shaking at his fury.
His father sat in the living room with a newspaper in his hands, ignoring the situation but sending threatening messages to the ones he placed in charge of finding the enigmatic woman.
He knew there was no use reasoning with his son at this point so he took the only approach he knew would yield quick results. Finding the darned woman who had his son wrapped around her fingertips.