“Then, may I ask, what issue was Mr. Roize talking about?”
“Oh.” He gulped his tea before glancing at me. After we had a misunderstanding in my office, when I ran after you in the lobby and grabbed your hand, many employees thought I was harassing you because I was into young ladies. Why do you have such a baby face? You appear like a minor. They thought I was doing something wrong to you.”
Pfft. Was it the true issue? I couldn’t stop laughing at him. “First of all, why would you grab me that way? I was astonished as well.”
“Why wouldn’t I? I was panicked. You were quite angry at me. I thought we had addressed our misunderstanding on the night of your birthday, but it appears you were so intoxicated that you overlooked it.”
“Why are you talking to a drunk in the first place?” I laughed at him, but he appeared offended by my laughter, so he stole a kiss from me. I’m not sure why I was thrilled, even though he ate foods I disliked. I don’t think I’ll get sick from eating sushi and sashimi like this. “Let us go immediately. Aren’t we going to your house?”
I smiled and chose to disregard Mr. Roize’s earlier actions toward me and Ismael. I feel like there’s a problem, but I can’t figure out what it is.
I attempted to remove myself, especially when we got down to the lobby. There are many scattered employees, and they can clearly see their CEO as well as the former candidate, who is now a marketing associate in another company with which LMC collaborates. I know they’ll think it’s silly and unbelievable. Insulting eyes were nothing new to me; I had experienced them while attending Marcus University. I know they will immediately talk bad things about him when his back is turned.
Perhaps I should not pay as much attention to them. After all, Ismael isn’t concerned about them either. I can’t stop thinking, but that doesn’t matter. Ismael is with me. I have nothing else to worry about.
I got in Ismael’s expensive car. Lost in contemplation, he noticed that I was not wearing my seatbelt, so he came over and did it himself. “Are you okay?” he inquired, his eyes filled with concern.
I nodded. “Of course.”
“You, sure?”
When I look at him, I can’t help but recall how we began. The teacher I used to despise is now by my side, caring for me. I caressed his face and kissed him. He was caught off guard. “I’m just nervous for some unknown reason.”
My feelings were never wrong. When we arrived at my house, my breath became heavy. I quickly went to the room to look under the cabinet for the promise ring that Ismael had given me along with his promises.
When I couldn’t see anything, I slumped to the floor. My tears roll down my cheeks.
“Why? What happened?”
I looked at Ismael, and I did nothing but cry. “The ring is missing.” My voice broke as a great regret gnawed at my chest.
Ismael sat in front of me before caressing my hair that was stuck to my cheek. He looked at me closely before hugging me. I’m like a child who can’t live because of a heavy heart.
“Are you sure that you put it there, my love?” Ismael asked me calmly, but I could feel from his caressing my back that he was affected. Of course, he will. It was the ring from his ancestors, and I just lost it. I wish I hadn’t taken it off. I wish I hadn’t taken it out of my hands if I had known it would happen.
I shake my head. “No, Ismael. I’m sure I hid it there. I’m sorry,” I said to him, full of sobs. I feel so much shame for him. I feel like I didn’t take good care of the ring he gave me, where he promised to marry me. It’s like I didn’t appreciate them because I took them off; now they’re gone.
“Shush. It’s okay. Stop crying.”
I keep shaking my head, even now that he has removed me from his wrap. “It’s not okay, Ismael. It will never be okay. I lost your ring, and not just any ring. How am I supposed to get over it?” I winced. I felt his soft touches on my cheeks while he was wiping my tears. “Get mad at me, Ismael. It’s okay to be mad. I made a terrible mistake. How can you be so calm even up to this thing? That ring is precious!”
He chuckled. “How can I be mad at you? You are more precious than that ring, Jothea. I don’t even understand why you are crying over that.”
I cried even more because of what he said. I hit him on the chest. “This is no time for joking, Ismael,” I muttered. “Besides Mael, you gave me that ring as a gift. I wish I hadn’t taken it off.” My voice broke again, and at the same time, my tears fell.
“Why did you take it off? Now it’s lost because of what you did.”
My crying got louder.
“Oh, see? That’s why I don’t want to be mad. You’ll just cry even more. I don’t want to see you cry even more, my baby.” He pinched my cheeks. He seems to be enjoying seeing me in this state. I can really feel miserable because of what happened, and then he just laughs at me.
“The next time I give you a ring, never ever take it off, okay?” he advised as we departed from my residence. I calmed down and stopped crying. I may have been preoccupied with my pet cat to the point where I was unable to do anything else because Mael was clinging to me.
“Not anymore. I promised,” I answered him, with a soft sob that caused him to laugh again. Ismael cupped my face as he kissed both of my cheeks. “Good girl.” He even wiped the corner of my eyes. “You always cry this way, like a baby. How am I supposed to get mad at you?”
“I’m so sorry, Ismael. I’m so sorry.”
“Alright, alright.” He smiled before holding my hand while I got to his car again. When he sat in the driver’s seat, for a moment I could see the seriousness in him, as if he were thinking deeply. Silence enveloped us both. He still didn’t start the car, so I had a chance to catch my breath and think. I seem to know what’s going on in his mind.
“Someone probably stole your ring, so it is not your fault,” he said before turning to me. I knew it. This is what he thinks.
I noticed his sigh, as if he were worried. “There are two possibilities, Jothea: a burglar might accidentally see your ring when he went to your home to steal your riches, or someone close to you who saw that you’re not wearing it went to your home to steal it.”
My chest tightened as he gave me his assumptions. “Is there anyone who knew about your ring?”
I bit my lip. “I mean, I always wear it when you give it to me,” I said.
“But is there anyone who saw it closely? Someone might get interested and plan to steal it.”
I tried to think. “Apart from your parents, Savannah is the only one who knows it’s from you. Besides, it’s impossible for Savannah because she’s in another country, and why would she take the ring you gave me? She’s already so rich.” And knowing her, she wouldn’t do that. I know we had a lot of misunderstandings before. She’s my mortal enemy, but when I get to know her, I can trust my whole being that she will never betray me. She even helped me get a job with Safira when she heard LMC reject me. She was always there for me when Ismael left me.
“Did I hear it right? My parents saw the ring,” he inquired.
I nodded. “When?”
“Ahh… when Isa brought me to your residence.”
“S-she brought you to where?” There was a trace of surprise on his face, as if he didn’t expect me to step into his house again without him knowing or without him.
“To your house. I mean, to your family,” I answered. “They were so worried about you and your sudden disappearance. That’s when they saw the ring. They also expressed its immense value, which further fueled my ire at myself for having misplaced it. Considering that it came from your great-grandfather, I don’t know. That’s what I heard.”
He remained speechless while staring at me; that’s why I grabbed his hand that was resting on his thigh. “That was also when I heard about your clan, about your family that is now in danger, and also about the guy named Danjer, who can be the next president if you will not accept what should be yours. I mean, not to offend Mr. Danjer.”
I heard him sigh before preparing himself and the car to take off, but I spoke again. “Don’t you want me to know about that, Ismael? Is that why you chose not to tell me?”
He glanced at me again. “My life is more complicated than you understand, Jothea. It’s too much to handle.”
“So you’re just going to run away? Forgetting? Are you ashamed of your family because of the decision they made before? If not, then why? You’re not alone here. I am here if things are too much to handle for you. I know, I’m useless, but tell me how I can help; I will help you,” I stated. “I know you’re not after your family’s wealth. Because you have many businesses, I know you can support yourself and your future family. And if your clan expects you to be in charge of everything, why not? What are you afraid of? Why don’t you want to do it?”
“I already told you, right? I explained everything. I want to break our family’s tradition and how it rules each of our families.”
“Then accept their offer. Be the president, so you can break the rule.”
A moment of silence enveloped us. Ismael was just staring at me, like he couldn’t believe what I said. Didn’t he expect that from me? It’s like he never knew me like this.
The ring of his phone interrupted us. Someone is calling him from abroad. I saw who it was, and I never imagined I would witness their conversation.
Ismael answered the phone.
“Brother Mael.” A man’s voice was heard across the car we were in. My hair immediately stood on end.
“Yes, Vanne?” It was Danjer Vanne, Ismael’s half brother.
“What’s happening in the family? Why is it that, all of a sudden, mom’s telling me that I should be president? What’s happening with you?”
I swallowed. Ismael and I glanced at each other. It seems like he had a hard time answering his brother’s question after question.
“Where are you? Are you still in the place where I think you are?” Ismael asked, making me frown. What place are they referring to?
“Of course, unless you become president, I would have the chance to go back to the Philippines.”
“Why don’t you want to be the president of our clan?”
I heard the man on the other line exhale. “Because I want to be in line with my profession, not with what I am forced to be.”
Ismael exhaled as if he had no choice but to release it. “Let’s talk about this here. Go back to the Philippines.”
In that case, Ismael’s brother is in another country.
“No, meet me here. I won’t go back unless you accept your destiny.”
Ismael was not able to answer again when his brother’s call ended. A thorn was pulled out of my chest. I thought they couldn’t get along because they had different mothers, but the truth is that they talk to each other like real brothers. A different class. They even beat my brother; even though he’s blood-related, he doesn’t care about me.
He turned to me and gave me a forced smile. I put my hands on his nape and caress it to ease some stress he is having. We just found out about the loss of my ring, and now his brother called about being the president of their clan. Honestly, if I were in his situation, I wouldn’t know what to do first.
“I guess we have no choice but to go to him.”
“We? What do you mean by us, Ismael? With me?” I inquired in confusion.
“Why? Do you want to be separated from me again?”
I stared into his eyes. “Certainly not. Why? Will you be there long? Where is he?”
“Europe.”
My jaw dropped when I heard it. His brother is on the other side of the world.
“Will you allow us to be in both worlds for a few days?” he asked teasingly. “I doubt it. I remember you getting mad when I left you.”
He took my hand that was playing around his neck and kissed it. “Let’s go to Europe together, Jothea.”
I lost my breath not because of the place he mentioned but because he called me by my name again. He’s getting used to calling me that, and I don’t know why I like him calling me by my name more than anything else he calls me. I love the way he calls me by name. It immediately tickles my heart to look up to him.