Chapter 5

THE scheduled meeting of the two families came. What Lyvette’s family would like was for everything to be done at home as usual. But the Dela Vega’s were insistent. This time, they said, let their side to do everything. In the end, the Castillos agreed.

The venue where the pre-wedding tradition will begin was at Casa dela Nobleza, one of the luxury hotels in the list of luxurious establishments owned by Dela Vegas. It was seated on a man-made island located not far from the Metro.

Moments later, a Rolls Royce arrived accompanying them through the highly-guarded entrance. Lyv and Tri looked at each other while observing the area. Lyvette was amazed at the beauty of the surroundings. They could go to high-end places but they were not that fancy.

Finally, they reached the entrance of the hotel. At its front, there was a fountain that caught Lyv’s attention. At the center of it was a big statue of a golden lion. The synchronized combination of lights and water adorned it. She enjoyed watching the dancing of water and light.

When they got out of the fancy car, they were immediately greeted by a man. Looking at him, he was probably 60 years old but still elegant. He was wearing an elegant suit too.

“Welcome to Casa dela Nobleza. My name is Georgie and I am Madam Anastacia Dela Vega’s secretary. Follow me this way please.”

They silently followed the man who introduced himself as Sandro’s grandmother’s secretary. They still continued to glance and observe the surroundings.

Its ceiling was adorned with swarovski crystals. It looks like bright stars. The walls and pillars were made of gold! Or perhaps some gold leaves to make it look like it. The girl then remembered a famous hotel in Dubai. Casa dela Nobleza was sure to be in line with the list of top luxury hotels around the world.

After a while, they arrived at the restaurant where everything was being held. Lyv saw an old woman raising her hand to get their attention. She even wore white gloves and robes like a modern nobleman. In the girl’s mind, this is probably the Madam Anastacia that her older brother was referring to, Sandro’s grandmother. But what caught the woman’s attention was the man standing next to her. She would never forget that man’s face!

He was dressed very simply—a white long sleeves with two buttons open, worn with black tailored trousers. His brown shoes and same colored belt completed the look. The color of his eyes was further enhanced. In Lyv’s eyes now, he was like a star in a Mexicanovela that was her mommy’s favorite pastime when she was young. With those looks and body, it wouldn’t be hard to secure a job as a model or actor.

When she got close, her brother shook Madam Anastacia’s hand. Then, the old woman immediately reached for her and caressed her stomach. Although surprised by what the lady did, the girl remained calm. She saw a sweet smile emerged from her lips before saying, “You must be, Lyvette. You are very beautiful, hija. I’m sure my grandson will be good looking and could pass as an actor.”

“Thank you,” she shyly commented.

Then the old woman Dela Vega introduced her very handsome grandson. “This is Alessandro Francisco Simeon Fernando Rodriguez Dela Vega, my grandson. Sandro, these are the Castillos . . . Atty. Dimitri Castillo and his sister Lyvette.”

Sandro shook hands with Tri. And then, his gaze moved towards the lady.

Dub-dub!

She felt a sudden change in the beating of her heart. The sound was quite familiar. This was how she feels when she sees and spends time with Aylo. The only difference was, the feeling was more intense. It felt like something inside of her was longing to see his presence. And when she finally did, a sense of satisfaction enveloped her being. She felt her night was complete.

It must be the baby. That’s right. The child must be sensing his father was around.

Can it?

“Hi, Lyvette. Good to see you,” he said in a formal manner while offering his hand for a shake.

“Hello, Sandro. Good to see you too,” she said weakly while reaching for his hand.

When his hand touched hers, the images of that night came flooding. Only this time, she could only see the two of them making love. The electricity he made her feel returned as their bodies joined. The girl felt her ears warm. She immediately let go of her hand and bowed slightly.

‘Come on, Lyvette! You really thought of that here! Have a shame!’ she scolded herself.

“Let’s cut the formalities and eat. I’m starving,” said the old lady. With another wave of her hand, the servers entered one after the other. Each of them were carrying different serving trays. They served the food one by one. There was a man standing at the end of the table saying what the names of the dishes were.

“I made sure not to include food with strong odors for you, hija. I heard that your nose is very sensitive now,” Madam Anastasia said.

“You don’t need to bother, madam. It’s not necessary anymore. I’m fine,” Lyv replied shyly.

“No, my dear! The welfare of you and my great grandson must be ensured. It is only right that we adjust to your needs.”

“Thank you very much, madam—”

“Mamita. Call me Mamita from now on,” the old lady interrupted what she was about to say. The girl noticed the slight tension in Sandro’s jaw but he did not show it.

‘Didn’t he want her to call Madam Anastacia, Mamita?’

After a while, they finished eating. 

After they gave compliments to an awesome menu, Tri broke the silence and proceeded to business.  “So, Madam Dela Vega, when do you plan to schedule the date of their wedding?”

 Sandro drank his wine upon hearing this. It didn’t go beyond the girl’s sight, causing her to slightly frown.

‘Does he also hate the idea of this marriage? Does he have a girlfriend?’ the girl asked one after the other in her mind.

 “The sooner, the better, Atty. Castillo. I am excited to be with your sister under the same roof,” said Madam Anastacia.

 The girl felt a little sad. But that’s really part of marriage. She has to train herself not to be with her brother in the house again. That’s where everyone goes.

 As if she could do something to stop this happening.

 “In that case, I’ll leave you to that. I just wish that it won’t be grandiose. I don’t want my sister to be stressed by the crowd. You know what just happened. I just don’t want anything that could trigger her trauma. I hope you understand, madam,” Tri begged the old lady.

“I understand, Atty. Castillo. You can count on me to do everything to ensure the safety of your sister and the child she is carrying,” she assured. She looked at Lyv a little and smiled sweetly.

Madam Anastacia will do absolutely anything for their heir. She was really serious about ensuring the welfare of Lyv and her child. This realization calmed the girl down. The thought that the old Dela Vega welcomed her entry into their family made her heart overwhelmed.

“Thank you, madam. Since everything seems fixed now, I think it is time for us to let the two of them know each other a bit. Would you mind joining me at another table and let Sandro and Lyv have time of their own?”

“Of course, Atty. Castillo. The pleasure is mine,” replied the old lady sweetly.

She gave Sandro a meaningful look. He just nodded slightly in response. Lyv returned a smile when her brother held her hand as a brief farewell.

A few moments later, the two left the table. They were both silent and emotional. 

Sandro broke the silence between the two of them. “Can I ask you a certain question, Lyv?”

“Of course,” she answered. “What is it?”

Sandro looked tense. But after heaving a sigh, he spilled it out. “Do you harbor any romantic feelings towards me?”

Dub-dub!

There goes her heart again! Truth is, she no longer knew where that irregular heartbeat was coming from. All she knew was that Sandro was the only one who could give him such a feeling. She wanted to believe that pregnancy hormones were the only reason why her heart was racing. Nothing else could be the reason, right?

The girl didn’t know how to react. She was definitely caught off guard with that question. She started to play with her fingers. She looked down slightly because of shame.

How should she respond? Maybe there was a connection between their lives through the child in her womb but was that enough to say that she should give space in her heart for the young man? Is that enough reason to completely forget Aylo? The young man she promised her heart to?

“Ahmm… I was also surprised by the haste of events. This marriage is still not sinking in with me,” the girl admitted. “I don’t know where this conversation will lead to, but the truth is, I don’t know what I should feel for you either. And one more thing… ahmmm… I already have a loved one.”

Sandro’s eyes twinkled. Lyvette didn’t know what that glow was for. The man continued speaking, “So that means you’re half-hearted about this marriage, right?”

She nodded slightly. The girl still doesn’t fully accept this set-up. Like everyone involved, she was still adjusting.

Seeing the sincerity in what the girl was saying, the young man smiled. “Phew, that’s a relief,” he uttered.

“Huh?”

“I mean you’re not harboring any feelings for me. I was kinda relieved knowing that.”

“What do you mean, Sandro?” the girl asked confused. 

‘What is he saying?’

“You see, I was forced into this by Mamita as well. In fact, I already have a girlfriend of 10 years and she is the only one I want to be with until I grow old. I am also doing this for the sake of our child. But I also can’t stay in a marriage without love.”

The girl only responded with a look and a nod. To his point, he was right. It’s really hard to stay in a relationship without looking at each other. You were like a bird deprived of its freedom to fly.

“Given the case, Lyv, I have a proposal for you. I assure you that this would be the key to get out of this situation and get back our freedom that was stolen from us by that demon.”

Freedom. That last word got Lyv’s attention. “What is it?”

“A contract marriage,” answered the young man without hesitation. “Let’s get married then separate a year later.”

“You mean after I gave birth to the child?” asked the girl. She was starting to understand what the other person was trying to convey.

“Yes. After the child is born and baptized, we will arrange an annulment. That way, we would not be jailed in this loveless marriage and will be free to marry the persons we truly love.”

The girl stopped. After all, Sandro’s suggestion was in favor of both of them. By the time their son was baptized, he will be solidly a Dela Vega. Even if they divorce, their child will not be illegitimate. That’s all that Madam Anastacia was after—to make sure their family will continue. She could give the old woman what she wants without sacrificing her lifelong happiness.

She will be able to return to the route she wanted to take in life. She will also be with Aylo with no guilt in her heart.

“So, what do you think?” 

The girl didn’t realize that her thoughts had lingered. When she regained consciousness, she saw the deep concern on Sandro’s face. It seems that he was afraid to know her answer based on his movements and the tone of his speech.

“I agree,” the girl answered without hesitation. “Let’s get married and—”

The girl’s words were interrupted by the noise coming from the young man’s cellphone. Seeing who was calling, his expression changed. The concern and hesitation to answer this was obvious on his face.

“Can you excuse me for a second? I need to take this very important call,” said Sandro. Since the call seemed urgent, Lyv nodded in agreement. He thanked her before walking away from the table. This was followed by the latter’s gaze.

He took a couple of steps away from the table. A few seconds passed and Sandro’s mood changed. The girl couldn’t hear what they were talking about but she could see how the expression on his face changed. He looked agitated. His eyes were filled with worry and fear. He was also holding his head. He looked serious enough to sense that something was definitely wrong.

After a while, Sandro hung up the phone and rushed back to the table. The girl looked away. She does not want the man to think that she was gossiping about his private life. It’s too early for that. It seems that Madam Dela Vega and Atty. Castillo also saw the young man’s action, causing the old woman to return to their table.

“Is everything okay, Sandro?” the old Dela Vega asked.

“There’s an emergency that I need to attend to. Are we done for tonight, Mamita? If so, I need to go.” Seriousness was written all over his face. Indeed, an urgent matter was really happening.

“Yes, grandson. I think we are done with our discussions. Can you tell me what’s going on?” she asked. She was also worried about what was happening.

“I’ll call you later to discuss the situation. I’ll ask Georgie to take you home.” He even kissed his grandmother before turning to the siblings. “I am sorry for this but I really have to go.”

That was it and he rushed out of the restaurant. The old Dela Vega was full of worry. Later, the Castillo siblings also said goodbye to the matriarch. She agreed and promised to stay in touch with them to arrange some other things about the wedding. That’s how their night ended.

On the way home, Lyvette couldn’t help but think of Sandro. 

‘What happened to him?’