The Agent’s Dilemma 14

With the operation down, Castro’s cohorts started to panic and began to request for asylum in exchange for information. They agreed and used these men as assets and with their help Richard had manage to slam the door on the Castro’s. Realizing that their friends had abandoned them Don Mario had made one last attempt to bribe Richard but he was too furious with Maya’s former in-laws to listen to any of his pleas so in the end Don Mario decided to take his life. His wife was so devastated that she had finally snap and the government decided to put her in a mental institution. Maya realized then that her nightmare was over even though the money was not yet returned to her.

But she knew she was already satisfied with the results as her former in-laws could no longer torture her and the man she loved was at her side. She glanced at her boyfriend now and smiles at him. He saw it and kissed her. Maya felt shivers in her spine then as she knew she could start a new life with Richard and Luke now. Richard seems to read her thought as he immediately asked her if she could marry him. Maya was stunned and Richard realized that he had not given her lady-love a romantic setting before he proposed. He looked at her sheepishly and Maya realized that her boyfriend was embarrassed with his outburst so she asked “Are you serious?”. She saw Richard nod and it was then that she literally jumped for joy as she embraced him. Richard knew then that she had accepted his proposal but he decided to formalize it the following week when he invited her for a candle-lit dinner for two at one of the luxury hotels in Manila. He had even hired a musician to serenade her and had asked the whole family to be part of his proposal. Maya was happy that night as she takes a glimpse at her new ring and new fiancee but the happiest person in the room was Luke as his parents was soon to be married.

However when the supplication arrived, the event turned out to be more of a reunion for both families rather than the formal “asking of the hand.” Their parents had decided to forego the tradition since this was Richard’s second proposal of marriage to Maya. She even teased him that he might get “cold feet” again but when she saw the hurt in his eyes she decided to back off and apologize. She realized that it was still a sore topic for her fiance and it was only during their seminar that she learned that Richard had wanted her back the minute he turned his back on her. She cajoles her fiance then and tells him to forget the past and just concentrate on the memories that they would make in the future.

Richard smiled then and Maya had made sure that his fiance would not have any more doubts after that day. They talked about their secrets…their dreams and aspirations as well as their expectations with each other. Realizing that they needed to keep an open communication with each other, they made a pact among themselves that they would not hide anything from one another even if it hurts and that promised had been their motto throughout their married life.

Maya was now expecting their second child soon and she was already having a hard time moving around. Luckily Richard was always around to help her except today. He had to go to work today because they have a general meeting with a new client at L.A.S. and if it pushes through they would have another client in their hands. Maya was patting her stomach when she felt the initial pain of labor. She immediately summons the maids and as expected the household panics but they had managed to bring her to the hospital before she had given birth to Nikki Grace.

Richard arrived soon after and saw his wife sleeping with his son and new baby. She opened her eyes then and she smiled. He apologized for being late but she shuss him as he tells him to enjoy the presence of their new daughter. Richard decided to carry Nikki Grace in his arms and couldn’t help but shed a tear not realizing that his wife was watching him. She teased him and they enjoy bantering with each other until their friends arrived and told them to stop. They laughed then and enjoyed some time with their friends.

A week later Maya was discharge from the hospital and after two weeks she was already planning their baby’s baptism. Richard couldn’t believe that this was the same woman he had met a few months ago. She was now recharge and was almost back to the Maya he had known before. He is truly blessed and he intends to keep it that way for the rest of their lives.

The Agent’s Dilemma 13

Maya and Richard had just retrieved their luggage and had just gotten out of the airport terminal when they heard their name being paged. Maya glanced at her boyfriend then and they proceeded to the paging booth. Once there they had asked the woman on the booth who was waiting for them and when they realized that their ride was already there, they gather their luggage and followed the driver to the car.

They are now inside their hotel and had already been informed that their contact would be coming over to meet them at exactly 1900 Hours today. Maya glanced at their watch and saw that it was already 1200 Hours so they instructed the front desk not to disturb them until 1830 Hours. The receptionist obliges and handed Richard their key. Richard smirks then as he puts his hand on Maya’s waist as they walk towards the elevator. He tells her to rest until he comes for her at 1800 Hours. Maya obliges. However when she entered her room she becomes anxious forcing her to open her computer and do some work. However she gets too engrossed and before she knew it Richard was knocking on her door.

She panics as she hadn’t prepared yet for their dinner but she realized that her boyfriend might get worried so she decided to open the door. As expected she saw the surprise on his face until she explained. Richard frowns then and tells her to get ready while he waits for her. Maya obliges but was forced to rushed as she knew they had to meet Simon’s cousin at 1900 Hours.

They were a bit late for the meeting but Celeste hadn’t really minded as she too had been caught in the traffic. She had just arrived herself when Maya and Richard showed up and after some introduction, they all sat down for dinner. They were still enjoying their dinner when Celeste handed Maya the package and she in turn asked Richard to hand their new friend her cousin’s package. They thanked each other and continued with the meal. After the meal was finished Celeste bid them goodbye and Maya and Richard decided to return to their hotel with the package.

Once there her boyfriend requested Maya to hand over the package. Maya was surprised but she obliged until she saw what her Richard intended to do. She smiled then as she realized her boyfriend are taking some safety measures to guard the evidence. After securing the evidence Richard puts it in a special compartment inside his luggage before sealing it. They knew now that the other part of the journal was safe until they could go back to Manila.

They decided to do some sightseeing but to their dismay their hotel room was ransacked. As expected Richard complained at the front desk forcing the management of the hotel to have a full-blown investigation. However when Richard and Maya discovered that nothing was missing, they decided to drop the complaint however requested the hotel management for a favor. They obliged and Richard managed to uncover who was behind the crime.

Realizing that her former in-laws allies were behind the attack, the couple decided to fly home with the evidence. Once they had arrived they headed straight to the mansion and just like before transferred the information of the journal in his computer. Meantime Maya was checking on the disk that was accompanying the journal and she was surprised to see that they were additional notes of the Castro’s international assets.

As she and Richard uploads all the necessary information, they decided to some rest and relaxation on the side but after the uploading it, the couple began to study the files and it was then that Richard realized that Don Mario had put his main operation in Austria. Realizing this, Richard went to work. He decided to call James’ father once more and requests if he could help him. The director agreed and together with James and Ryan Brigadier-General James Ventura Sr. manage to arrnge a meeting for him with their international counterpart in Vienna. Once there, he and Maya asked for their aid to stop the operation of his quarry as he shows his counterparts the gathered evidence against the Castro’s. Together with the police and their military Richard had manage to topple down Castro’s main operation in Europe.

The Agent’s Dilemma 12

Maya and Richard were happy that day as they celebrated their victory at the mansion with their parents. Everyone was having a great time at the celebration but Maya couldn’t help but get worried. She still couldn’t forget the ominous face of his former father-in-law and she was scared. She knew he was planning something bad and she was worried. She knows he doesn’t need to be there in order to hurt her and Luke. He has his minions to do the dirty work for him. She tried to shake her anxiousness away but before she could do it Richard had already noticed it and asked: Is there something wrong, sweetheart?

Maya knew she didn’t want to scare Richard anymore but what if her fears were not groundless. She decided to tell him about her fears and to her surprise her boyfriend had the same feelings as hers. She wanted to laugh but she realized that both of them were not convinced that his former in-laws were done because they still have the capabilities to pay people. She knew she had given Richard some of her former in-laws accounts but she knew she didn’t know all of their transactions but her former husband did and if she remembered right Simon had kept a journal. But where did he hide it?

She decided to sleep on it and while doing so she had a weird dream. She was dreaming of Simon and they were on their honeymoon. He had brought her to his beach home in Nasugbu and showed her a strange book. He told her that if she ever get in trouble with his parents that book would save her. She had laugh at him than as she saw a fairy tale book and then she woke up. She realize then where she could find the missing journal.

The next day she had asked Richard to accompany her to Nasugbu and as expected her boyfriend was surprised. He even teased her that if she just wanted to go on a vacation with him, all she had to do was asked. She knew he was teasing her but when she explained why she wanted to go to the province Richard suddenly had gotten serious and drove fast. They arrived in their beach home after an hour and to her delight she manages to find the journal among the children’s books. Richard had smirk when he saw the cover of the journal and was impressed. He realized now why the journal had managed to survive from prying eyes. Who in their right minds would look in the children’s section. Genius.

He allows Maya to retrieve the journal from her husband’s former home and once she had done so, they had left the house. However when they had reached home Richard request Maya to hand over the evidence to him. Maya was surprised but hands the journal to Richard and it was then that she realized that her boyfriend were searching for “bugs”. She knew she wanted to laugh but after remembering what they had undergone these past few weeks he could understand his feelings.

Meantime Richard was checking the evidence from top to bottom and couldn’t find any hidden device but he was still worried so he had asked Maya to join him on his lab. She agreed and once there Richard placed the book on a special scanner. Realizing that no bugs were attached, he and Maya decided to transfer the contents of the journal on a special hard disk. With the new information at their disposal Richard and Maya thought that they have a greater chance of winning their case against the Castro’s however when Maya had scrutinize the information further she realized that the journal had been split into two.

She was surprised and decided tell her boyfriend about the new development and as expected he had gotten worried. She decided to go to her room again and re-read Simon’s diary once more. After reading the diary for some time she was surprised to uncover a message from Simon telling them to contact his cousin Celeste in New York at this number. Maya copies the address in the calling card then and puts it in her phone. Richard had asked her to call the number then and to her surprise a woman answered.

Maya introduced herself and tells the woman that she wants to talk to Ms. Celeste Madrigal. The woman introduces her then as Celeste and Maya tells her that she was Simon’s wife. Celeste had laughed then and told her that it was better for them to talk in private so if she could come to New York, it would be better. Maya glanced at Richard’s direction then and he nodded. They had agreed to meet and after a week of preparation she and Richard find themselves on board a plane to New York City.

The Agent’s Dilemma 11

Richard now realizes that he was alone with his battle with the Castro’s as the director had already made it clear to him that the agency was no longer at his disposal. He knew that he was saddened as he trusted these men and had treated them as brothers but where are they now? He knew James and the director was still there and would always be an ally to him but what about his former colleagues. Will they still aid him if he asked them or would they refuse him now? Richard shrugs his shoulder as he realized that he had just answered his own question.

Realizing that his so-called friends had now abandoned him, Richard knew he needed his family more than ever so when he had arrived inside the mansion he had asked them including his girlfriend to come to the secret room for a family meeting. Once the family was assembled he tells them that he had just been suspended from active duty by the agency due to a complaint by a client. His family and Maya was shock but when they recovered they started bombarding him with questions. He knew he couldn’t answer them so he escaped in his room and locked the door.

However when he came out of the room, he saw his girlfriend waiting for him and he knew then that he could no longer escape. He braces himself for their confrontation as he tells her about Simon’s parent’s accusation. Maya had gotten pissed then and realized that she had suffered enough in the hands of his former in-laws so without batting an eyelash she decided to fight back. He grabs her boyfriend’s hand then and asked if he still has the key. Richard was confused until Maya reminds him about the key with the diary and the test tube. Richard laughed then and heads back to his room. Meanwhile Maya goes to her room to retrieves a box. They met at the veranda and Maya inserted the key to the box. Richard was surprise to see documents inside the box. Maya passed the documents to him and to his surprise he realized that it was Luke’s birth certificate, and some other documents. He looked at Maya then and didn’t notice what she was trying to tell him until she pointed it to him. All the documents included his name. Maya had made sure that Luke would never forget who his real father was.

He knew he wanted to kiss Maya right then as he realized she had saved him once more. She however was not finished yet. She had called her friend to come to the mansion and when she had arrived she had asked Richard if he was willing to provide a blood sample for the sake of their son. She obliges and even produced a hair sample to go with it. Maya does the same with Luke and after a day they had managed to get the results and as expected the result had proven that Luke was indeed Richard’s son.

With this new information on their hands, Richard decided to file a counter-suit against the Castro’s and as expected a trial was set to determine who would get custody of Luke. Richard of course asked Ryan to lead his team of lawyers while the Castro’s got some high-profile lawyers to defend them. Maya of course sided with Richard’s team and she helped him proved that he had the right to claim Luke. As evidences were shown the couple knew they had a strong case against the Castro’s but they were still scared of the verdict as they knew some of the judges were under the payroll of the Castro’s. They only hope that when the final verdict comes
the judge would be fair. Luckily their prayers were answered as on the day the case was to be decided the judge who was handling the case had gotten sick and was replaced by the incorruptible Judge David Lopez.

Maya saw the Castro’s face fall then and she realized that they had tried to bribe the judge once more to favor them. She smiled secretly then as she sat at one of the chairs for the audience. She knew she wanted to leap for joy then as she knew her boyfriend would get a fair trial now. She sat down as the trial begins and as expected the trial was fair and after the judge listened to the closing statements of both lawyers he decided the case on Richard’s favor. She knew she was happy for her boyfriend but she realize that her former in-law’s would continue to harass her so she decided to stop her in-laws once and for all.

The Agent’s Dilemma 10

He knew he was irritated by the interruption but when he saw who was calling him he was surprised. He had never expected the director to call him at his cellphone. It was usually his secretary or James who would call and it was usually on his private phone. What happened? He decided to answer the call and to his surprise the director had asked him to come to his office at 0700 Hours tomorrow. Richard was shock. Why did the director want to talk to him that early in the morning? Was he going to be promoted. He knew he was excited but he tried to calm himself as he might be disappointed if the call was not related to his promotion.

He decided to have an early night that night and the following morning he woke up early and prepared for his meeting with the director. He was so excited that he had forgotten to eat breakfast until he received a call from his girlfriend asking him where he was. He felt guilty then as he realized that he had abandoned her last night and now he disappeared again. He knew he must call her now but before he could do so he realized that he was already at his destination.

Meantime Maya was troubled and didn’t know what to think. She knew she wanted to believe that her boyfriend’s disappearance after the call was just job-related but she couldn’t help to think that Richard would be seeing another woman on the side. She knew her boyfriend loved her but girls are flocking on him like moths and he might have succumb to one of those women’s temptations. She closes her eyes then and tries to dispose the evil thoughts from her mind. With that resolution in mind she decided to go back to their room and saw Luke playing with Lea. She decided to play with them until breakfast was announced.

Meanwhile Richard was now at the director’s office and was just awaiting for him to deliver the predicament he was in for. His secretary had already warned him that the director was in a foul mood because of his problem and he was surprised. He knew he had no problem with his case unless someone had complained but who? He knew he was confused until the director looked at him and said: “I’m sorry to summon you here Agent Lim but there was a complaint against you that I couldn’t ignore. Richard knew he was puzzled but he still managed to asked his superior: “A complaint, sir and may I know who the complainant is”?

His superior glanced at him then and reluctantly said: ” I do not know if I should tell you this but according to the complaint I got, the complainant claims that you have kidnapped his grandson from his home. Richard was shock but when he realized who the complainant was, he smirks then and said: “Sir, can I request ten minutes of your undivided attention so that I can present my case to you. Richard waited for ten agonizing seconds before he saw his superior nod. He smiled then and began his presentation.

He decided to level with the director then and tells him on how he discovered that Luke was his son and the successful rescue that followed afterwards with the help of their family and friends. He also tells him about the Castro’s continues harassment on Maya and her son forcing him to further investigate him. He informs him of what they had uncovered about the Castro’s as he gives him the disc he and Maya manage to compile a few days earlier. He now realized that his girlfriend was on the right track when she told him to make a copy of the disk.

The director took the disk from him and watch the compiled evidence come to life on his laptop. He was surprise on the information Richard manage to gather on the Castro’s and it was then that he realize that his colleague must be in cahoots with the complainant so he instructs his agent to continue working on the case in an “unofficial” capacity. Richard knew now that he has an ally inside the camp so without taking so much of the general’s time, he decided to shake his hand and thanked him for this time. He was about to leave his office when the director called him back and said: Agent Lim, my hands may be tied right now but rest assured I would try to get you reinstated. But in the meantime this might help you. The director then hands Richard a calling card and to his surprise it was one of the rebel armies of the governments. He glanced at his superior then and he smiled as he said: I may not be able to provide with the manpower right now but these people might help you. Contact Lieutenant Jaime Salazar of The REB-ARM and tell him The Archer’s Eagle had sent you. He would understand the message. Richard smirks then and saw the director give him a mock salute. He knew he was dismissed.

The Agent’s Dilemma 9

Maya had just finished telling Richard about her current situation with Simon’s adoptive parents when she saw her boyfriend slam his fists on the table. She knew then that he was boiling mad and she had gotten scared then as she knew Richard could not be consoled when he was on that state. She decided to wait awhile until he saw him calm down. She then approaches him but only to give him a glass of water. She didn’t dare speak as she knew it would only cause friction between them. She waited a little more until Richard spoke and asked: What happened then? Maya took a glimpse at his eyes and said in a soft voice : I instructed the bank to transfer the remaining balance of my account to their name thinking that they would leave me and my son alone since they had already gotten Simon’s money but I was wrong. They had only waited for about a week and after that they made their move. They had ordered one of their henchmen to kidnap my son. After doing so, they sued me for negligence. I knew then that they were not through yet with me and since I knew I had no more assets except my family’s fortune which doesn’t even belong to me yet since my parents were still alive I knew I had to fight back so I decided to contact James … and, well… you know the rest of the story.

Richard was dumbfounded. He still couldn’t believe that his girlfriend and son had undergone so many hardships without him. He knew he was ashamed for any wrongdoings he had done but he was also feeling guilty for not telling Maya the truth about his former in-laws. He knew he would get in trouble with her if she knew that he had withheld some information about her son’s abduction but would he tell her?

He was still pondering on what to do when his girlfriend asked him: What is bothering you, sweetheart? Richard was taken aback until he realized that Maya was waiting for an answer. He realized then that he could no longer withhold the information from her so he took a deep breath and told her that her former in-laws had master-minded the abduction of their son. As expected Maya had gotten furious but he didn’t know if her anger was directed to him or not until she had smiled at him and assured him that she was not angry with him but with her Simon’s parents. Richard gave a sigh of relief then and Maya laughed even though she was furious a few minutes ago. She could not help falling in love with this wonderful man beside her.

As she glanced at Richard’s direction, she had temporarily forgotten her own problems until Richard reminded her of Simon’s parents. Her anger towards them returned and she realized that their evilness must be stopped. She grabs Richard’s hands and requests him to follow her. Richard knew he was confused but he allowed his girlfriend to drag him and to his surprise he lead him to the parking lot. He knew then that she wanted to go somewhere so he got his keys and he asked her where she wanted to go. He was surprised when she told him to go back to her former home but when they arrived there Maya had started searching. He knew he wanted to help her but he didn’t know what she was looking for until she gave a shout of glee. He realized he was surprised when he saw Maya holding a box.

He decided to asked her what was the contents of the box but to his surprise she just smiled at him and told him that she would tell him everything once they reached the mansion. He knew then that Maya was being cautious so he opted to abide to her wishes. They left her condo then and proceeded to the mansion. Once there, she opened the box in front of him and to his surprise it contains a disk, a diary and a key. Richard was puzzled until Maya opened the diary and Richard realized that it was a copy of Castro’s journal. They began to read his written accounts and realized that he had gotten the proof he needed to incarcerate him. He checks the disk next and realized that it contains dates, contacts and important transactions of all his illegal activities here and abroad. But the key doesn’t go anywhere. Where does the key fit? She glanced at his girlfriend then but before he could question her further, his cellphone rang and he was forced to answer the phone.

The Agent’s Dilemma 8

Maya decided to go to Richard’s room as Manang Fe was now in their room taking care of Luke. He was now sleeping so Maya took the chance to go out of the room. He was now outside her former fiance’s room but she was starting to have some misgivings. Was she doing the right thing? She knew it was nobody’s fault that he and Richard had parted ways. She knew that now but how could she face the man she had wronged? She knew she wanted to turn back and run but before she could do so Richard opened the door and was surprise to see her standing there.

Maya, he stammered. Is everything all alright?, and it was then when she saw a mini-revolver on his pocket. She sighs as she realizes that she had spooked him so she told him that she just wanted to talk to him. He suddenly eased up and she laughed. He smiled then and told her to follow him. She obliges and was surprised to be led to a secret place in the garden. She knew she had not seen the place before and Richard explained that it was his sanctuary. Maya was surprise but after she was seated Richard asked her what she wanted to talk about.

She told him that she wanted to talk about their past. Richard was stunned as he never expected Maya to open the topic again. Was Maya trying to torture him? He glanced at his former fiancée and asked: Why are you doing this Maya? Maya was surprised as she thought her actions were pretty obvious and then she remembered. She was dealing with Mr. Dense himself. She smiled then but her surprise Richard noticed it and asked. She laughed then and explained.

Richard was puzzled until Maya practically told him that she was still helplessly in love with him. Richard was stunned with the revelation but when he recovered he had kissed Maya on the lips and promised that he would take better care of her this time. Maya smiled then as Richard wraps around his arms around her. They were still cuddled in each other’s arms when both decided to tell one another what transpired during the three years of their separation.

Maya decided to go first as she informs Richard that her marriage to Simon was more of a marriage of convenience type than a real one. Richard was confused until Maya explained that Simon was more of a business partner than a lover. She explains that Simon was an orphan and was only being taken cared of by relatives however when he had gotten sick his relatives had abused him. Luckily a loyal friend who happens to be also his accountant manage to uncover the treachery before it was too late. He had told Simon about it and as expected he had gotten furious so without his family’s knowledge he had changed his will after he had asked me to help him. That time I had just separated from you and learned that I was pregnant so I told Simon this. We made a deal then. He becomes a father to Luke and he temporarily transfers his assets to me and my son. Richard got confused and Maya explained that Simon wanted them to be facilitator of his money and at the same time help them in their daily existence. Richard then asked: What happened then Maya? Maya grew sad then as she continued.

His adopted parents had gotten furious when they learned that Simon had changed his will but to my surprise they didn’t do anything. I thought everything was fine as I never heard from them again but when Simon died that was the time things started to change. At first the changes was minimal but I ignored it as they tell me that Simon had already approved the move prior to his illness. Little did I know that they had already installed some of their men inside Simon’s company and without my knowledge they had manage to steal the company from me. I knew I was not hurt because I lost the company but I was devastated because I knew I failed my husband and friend. With the company gone I thought they would stop and leave us alone but to my dismay, they still wanted more. She glanced at Richard then as she continued: They had managed to convince the court to subpoena me if I do not release the money in their favor. I knew then that I had no choice because my father-in-law had already warned me that if I don’t allow the transfer the said amount, he would hurt Luke and I knew that he would not hesitate to do what he had threatened.

The Agent’s Dilemma 7

Rafi was confused as he saw his mother smile at his father’s glance. She looked at Maya then who looks as confused as she was until her mother grasped both their arms and whispers to them to follow them. They shrug but decided to follow and was surprised to be led in the secret room. What were they doing here? She glanced at Rafi but her friend only gives her a shrugs until her father explained that they are waiting for Richard’s call. Both women gives a sigh of relief and they were overjoyed when they learned that the operation was a success. Richard ended his call on the note that they would be back with the team in two days so that he and his team could recuperate before going down.

His family smiled then but Maya was bothered. What was Richard trying to do? Was he trying to get her son away from her. She knew he had the capabilities of getting their son away from her but would he? She knew she was starting to mistrust her former fiance once more so she decided to put her evil thoughts aside and just continue to pray for Richard and her son safe return.

Meantime back in the mountains Richard was still worried as he knew the case wasn’t really over. He may had rescued his son and round off his son’s kidnappers with the help of the military and the police but the mastermind behind Luke’s abduction was still on the loose. He knew Simon’s parents would not stop until they would get their insurance back and he had no plans of giving them back his son. He had already made arrangement with the director and the head of the military on how they would protect his family but he was worried about Maya. How would he convince her to stay with his family in the meantime. He decided to call his partner and Maya’s secret bodyguard and once she answered Richard asked her to report her status. Lea informs him that his former fiancee was quite safe and had not received any further threats.

Richard was relieved but he could not prevent himself from getting worried as he knew Simon’s parents would try to get even once they realized that their main insurance was stolen from them. He knew he had already instructed Lea to be on the lookout for any eventuality but he realized he would be more complacent if he knew that Simon’s parents are behind bars. With that resolution in mind, he begins his search for his quarry once more until his son had demanded his attention. He smiled at the boy and told him that they would be going to McDonald in a short while and Luke obliged. He immediately grab his wallet and they went out of the hotel.

The weekend had passed quickly and Richard realized that it was time to bring Luke home so with a heavy heart he decided to head back to Manila. They had arrived quite late in the mansion but to his dismay Maya was already waiting for them. He knew he shouldn’t resent Maya for being there but he was hoping that he could still have some time with his son. Realizing that this was no longer possible he hands over the sleeping boy to his mother. He invites Maya though to stay for the night and to his surprise her former fiancee agreed.

Maya and Luke had already retired for the night but he was still awake. He knew he was still anxious as Simon’s parents’ were still on the loose. He knew he could ask Maya for information about her former in-laws but would she help him. He knew he was hesitant to ask for her help as she might take it against him. He knows he and Maya hadn’t resolved their issues yet even though he had already saved their son.

Meantime in the other side of the mansion Maya couldn’t sleep. She knew she was worried about Richard but she was ashamed to approach him. She knew he was troubled but why? Wasn’t his mission finish yet? He had already rescued her son and brought his abductors to justice so what was bothering him. Was there something he was not telling her? She decided to confront him the next morning but to her surprise Richard left early to report to his office.

Meanwhile Maya decided to stay another day so that she could talk to Richard. She had already told Manang Fe that she wanted to talk to her former ward but she couldn’t seem to catch him so when Richard finally went home Manang Fe went inside her room and told her that Richard had just come home and was in his room. Maya smiled then and thanked the old lady. She requested her to looked after Luke while she talks to Richard and she agreed.

The Agent’s Dilemma 6

Richard was now on his way home to the mansion and he was terrified. He knew he didn’t want another confrontation with his family as he remembered the last time. He decided to shake of the memory as he drove through the gates of the mansion. However when Doris opened the door for him he realized he wasn’t ready to face his parents yet, so he asked Doris if he could have the key to his room and the maid obliged. He went to his room and once inside he goes to his secret room to think.

Meanwhile Manang Fe learned that his former ward had come home so she knocks at his room and was surprise that he wasn’t inside his room. She was about to leave when she realizing that her former ward might be inside the secret room. She enters it and was surprised to see her former ward crying. She decided to sit down beside him and asked: What’s wrong, iho? Why are you unhappy again. He glanced at his former nanny and without even saying anything he hands her a picture of Luke. Manang Fe understood then what Richard was going through and she couldn’t blame him. She knew she would feel the same if she was in his shoes so she asked him to sit beside her once more and luckily her former ward obliged.

Once he was seated Manang Fe explained the real reason why they kept the truth from him and it was then that he realized that the whole thing was really his fault. He now felt guilty and ashamed but Manang Fe manage to convince him to move on and to rectify his mistakes. She even helped the family to finally bury the hatchet once her parents and sister realized that Richard had already learned the truth about Maya’s son.

Richard had become closer to his family now as they try to help him in any way they can. They had even formed a support group for him. He however was having problems with his former fiancee as she refuses to be guarded by him. He had tried several times to convince her that he was the logical choice because of their past but Maya was so unreasonable that in the end he had requested his superior to pull him of the case. At first the director refused his request but when the case subject asked for a change of agent the agency had no choice but to abide to their client’s wishes. They had given her Richard’s female counterpart and Maya had accepted the change.

Meantime Richard decided in concentrate on finding his son. He had asked his superior’s help and together with his trusted men they begin to plan on how he they would rescue the boy. He knew his son was hidden in one of Simon’s properties in the Cordillera mountains but since he couldn’t get the aid of his mother, he had to rely on his own contacts to find the whereabouts of his son. Luckily being an agent also has some perks so he managed to find the place he wanted even without Maya’s help.

He was now outside the house with the police and the other military troops. They are already getting ready to rescue the boy. The commanded glanced at Richard and told him to stay put while the military enters the premises. Richard nods and the team begins the assault. Shots could be heard everywhere but Richard remained hidden until he saw the signal. The military and the police had done their job. They were able to secure the place and the kidnappers were arrested. But Richard knew it wasn’t over because Simon’s parents weren’t apprehended yet so he asked the head of the military to install a man in their home. He obliged as the military and police issue a full military man-hunt for the couple.

Meanwhile back in mansion, Don Roberto was trying to keep everyone calm as they wait for Richard’s call. His wife had been fidgety for days since she had learned that their son was on his way to rescue her grandson. His daughter and his son’s former fiancee are trying their best to keep calm but are failing miserably. He knew they were all anxious. Even the house helps seems affected as he doesn’t hear the usual happy chatter inside the kitchen. They were now inside the pavilion and hoping that Richard would call soon. They knew the operation had already passed but what happened. Where they successful? Was he able to rescue his son? Was Richard all right? He was about to stand up and call up his contact when their driver approached him and whispered something in his ear.

The Agent’s Dilemma 5

She was impressed as they walked back to their open pavilion but she knew her parents were still blown away with the revelation. She glanced back at them and saw them whispering and she wondered what they were talking about. She knew she wanted to asked but she opted to give them some privacy. She decided to walk faster until she had reached their open pavilion. Once there, she summoned Sabel to bring them some food and refreshments and after she had given the instructions the maid left.

Her parents arrived soon after and to her surprise her father instructed her to call his brother. She was shocked and wasn’t able to respond but when she recovered she knew she realize that was hesitating to do his father’s bidding. She decided to talk to Manang Fe but before she could do so she overheard her mother telling her former nanny the real reason why her father wanted to talk to him. She decided to go to her father’s study then and talk to him. After she had managed to talk to her father, she decided to call up her brother and ask him to meet her at their favorite restaurant.

Richard agreed and was now waiting for her sister to arrive. He knew he was happier now because he had finally reconciled with her sister. At least now he had two people he could trust implicitly. He only hopes that he could reconcile with his parents soon as he realized Manang Fe was right. He needed his family right now. He was still mulling over his parents when he heard a familiar giggle. He looked up and saw his sister smiling at him. He smiled back and asked her to sit down.

She obliged and after a few minutes their food arrived. They were chatting amicably when his sister suddenly stopped. He had gotten scared and was about to get his gun from his bag when he saw his sister send a silent message to him. He looked up then and saw his parents behind him. He was shock and wasn’t able to move until her mother embraced him. He glanced at his sister’s direction and realized that her sister had intercede in his behalf. He gave her a silent sign of thanks before inviting his parents to join them. It was then that his father approached him and clasped his hand. He knew then that he was forgiven and he couldn’t help but shed a tear.

He quickly gets his hankie from his pants pocket hoping that her sister would not notice his action but he was too late. His sister had noticed it and he knew he would get teased. He knew he didn’t mind though as he had finally reconciled. He had already asked his parents to join them for lunch and they had obliged and that lunch had extended throughout the weekend. His parents had asked him to stay with them at the mansion so that he could tell them about his new case. Richard knew then that his sister had told their parents everything but he was surprised to learn that they saw his hidden room inside the mansion.

He knew he was troubled but at the same time he knew he was also relieved that his family had finally found out about his “double life”. He could now asked for their support but would they support him if they learn that his new case concerns her former fiancee and her son. He knew he was doubtful but he knew he needed to try. He decided to talk to them during breakfast and to his surprise they all agreed to help him even though he told them the case involved Maya and her son. He knew his family was close to her former fiancee so he had asked them to gather some information about her and her son for the last three years. However when his family gave him the report he realized that something was amiss. Was his family hiding something from him? He knew he didn’t want to mistrust his family once more but why was this report so vague? It seems that his own family doesn’t want him to locate the boy. Why?

He decided to contact his own troubleshooter and asked him to meet him at an undisclosed place. Once there he asked him to produce a photo of Maya’s son Luke after giving him some information about the boy. His fixer acknowledges his request and after three weeks of hard work he finally got the information he wanted and was surprised. How could this be? The boy he was searching looked exactly like him. Was he searching for his own son? Was this the reason why the director didn’t give him a picture of Luke? He knew he was stunned but he knew he wanted answers so he heads home to get it.