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.