The Agent’s Dilemma 4

They were still hugging each other when Manang Fe broke out of her clutches and began telling her about her brother’s hidden life. Her nanny ended with her brother’s latest case but she noticed that her nanny was a bit hesitant to talk about it until she learned that the case involved Maya. She was surprised until her nursemaid explained the truth behind her brother’s real reason why he had broken off with his fiancee. Rafi was shock the second time that night and couldn’t help but pity her brother. She knew now how much she and her parents had wronged him so she decided to make amends.

She realized though that it wasn’t easy to reconcile with her brother now. She should make the first move. Realizing that she wanted her family to finally reunite once more, she decided to seek her former nanny’s advise and together they devise a plan. But Rafi knew that in order to make her plan work, she must reconcile with her brother first. She then ask Manang Fe to set a meeting for them. Her nursemaid agreed and calls up her former ward.

At first Richard was hesitant to agree on his former nursemaid’s requests but when she started to caress him, he knew he was a goner. He knew he had no choice but to agree with Manang Fe so she told her that he would be meeting her sister at her desired time and place but not to expect anything from the said meeting. Manang Fe agreed then and ended the call.

However when he was already at their meeting place and waiting for her sister to arrive Richard suddenly felt nervous and questions begins forming in his head once more. What if Rafi doesn’t show up? What will he do if she does? What does she want to talk about? He was so absorbed in his thought that he had not noticed that her sister had already arrived and was standing in front of him until she spoke and said: Kuya, is this seat taken? Richard was taken aback as Rafi hadn’t used that endearment in years. He was brought back to reality then. He stood up and pulled the chair for her sister so she could sit down. Once seated they began to talk. At first they were just talking about the basic things but as hours passed they realized that they had already caught up with each other’s lives.

Her sister had invited her to visit her in the mansion but he gave her a dismal look making Rafi realized how truly unhappy her brother was. She knew she must do something so when they separated that night she started formulating a plan to bring together her brother and her parents and she knew the perfect ally to help her. She asked Manang Fe’s help and together they device a plan and after a week of preparation Rafi decided to execute her plan. She calls her parents in China and tells them that she needed them. As expected Don Roberto and Dona Esmeralda took the first flight out of China to be with their daughter but when they realized that Rafi had tricked them in flying over, they had gotten furious with her.

They demanded an explanation and she did. She also apologizes for her deceiving them but she explained that if they knew that it was her brother that needed them and not her, they wouldn’t have bothered to come home. She knew she had hit a nerve but she no longer cared. She must make her parents understand that her brother needed them right now especially if he was dealing with a personal case. She heard his father give a sigh then before she heard him say: Okay Rafaela, why are you so concerned about your brother all of a sudden and why do you think he needs our help then? Rafi glanced at Manang Fe then and smiled as she begins to explain.

She tells his parents what she had uncovered about her brother while Manang Fe updates her employers about the other things that their son had been doing these past few years. Her parents were shock but her father was still a bit skeptical so Manang Fe requested them to accompany her in their son’s room. Don Roberto and Dona Esmeralda was confused but decided to follow their long-time servant and to their surprise she lead them to their former son’s room. They glanced at each other until Manang Fe showed them a hidden room beneath their son’s room. The couple and Rafi was stunned. When did this room come into existence and it was then that Manang Fe explained. Her employers were shocked and Rafi came to realized that his brother must have been in that room if he wanted to be alone. She saw her former nanny nodded and as she inspects the room she also realized that this was his brother’s secret way out of the mansion without being seen.

The Agent’s Dilemma 3

Her former nanny nodded and Richard heave a sigh of relief. He had lead her to their favorite spot in the garden and once there he told Manang Fe to sit down at a nearby bench. He however remained standing as he wanted to gather his thoughts. After a few minutes he sat down beside her old nanny and told her that he needed her advise on a new case. Manang Fe was puzzled but she opted to remain quiet as she waits for her former ward to speak. After several minutes Richard began telling Manang Fe about his new assignment and the repercussions it entails if he doesn’t accept the assignment. She knew she was still confused until Richard tells her that his new assignment was to guard Maya and rescue his son.

Manang Fe was shock as she knew her ward’s feeling toward’s Maya had not change. How would he deal with it? She was also worried about his other mission. She knew Richard thought that Luke was Simon’s son but how would her ward feel if he learns that he was rescuing his own son? She knew she had many questions in her mind but the irony of it all was she couldn’t even tell her ward about it. She shrugs the feeling off and advises Richard to think things over before he makes a decision. Her former ward thanked her for her advise and left the mansion.

However after Richard left her, Manang Fe was still worried sick about his former ward and didn’t notice that his younger ward had already entered her quarters until she called her name. She suddenly jerked and scolds Rafi for surprising her but her younger ward only laughed at her until she realized that her nanny was really furious. She apologizes to her and asked why she was brooding in the first place and when she learned it was because of his brother she began to pout.

Manang Fe noticed her scowling and reprimanded her by telling her that she doesn’t know everything about her brother. Rafi had gotten pissed and walked out making her nanny more furious with her. She decided to go to the garden to relax and while she was there she heard a car stop near the servants quarters. She decided to peek and saw her brother with a small package in his hand. He handed this to Manang Fe and it was then that she heard her nanny say: Iho, why do not you tell your family the truth? I know you’re afraid that they might perish because of your work, but you need them now. You know you cannot always survive alone. You will need their help eventually. Please consider. I’m worried about you… Manang Fe pleaded.

Richard smiled then and said: ” Manang, you know I am always careful and besides I know you are always praying for my safety. My worry now is how to deal with the mother the kidnapped boy. You know I cannot face her Manang… she is the only girl I had ever loved and if I face her now and see the hurt again, I might not be able to do my job. I know I am an agent of the government but I am still a person capable of getting hurt and I hope I would still be whole once I finish with this mission.

Rafi was shocked with his brother’s revelation as he never expected his brother to be part of that special elite group. They had heard that the government had a group of special agents assigned but she had always thought these stories were myths. She had never expected that his brother was one of them. He wanted to hug him then but he stopped herself in time as she realized that she shouldn’t be here. She had been eavesdropping on somebody’s conversation and if Manang Fe ever finds out she would be a goner. She tiptoes slowly away from the garden and walked towards the house. Once she had reached the main house she goes directly to her room and locks the door.

After an hour, Rafi decided to leave her room. She knew it was almost dinnertime soon so she decided to go down and enter the kitchen as she knew Manang Fe would be there. Once inside she had asked her former nanny to come to her room once they had finished their dinner and she had obliged and a half an hour later Manang Fe was already knocking at her door. Rafi asked her to sit down and once she obliged Rafi had confessed to her about overhearing her conversation with her brother. At first Rafi thought Manang Fe would get mad at her for eavesdropping but to her surprise Manang Fe didn’t scold her. Instead he hug her and told her that she was finally relieve that someone else knew about her ward’s secret. Rafi was shock until she realizes the ordeal of being a confessor but doesn’t have anyone to confide with. She smiled at Manang Fe then and told her that she was that person now.

The Agent’s Dilemma 2

He didn’t wait long though as his best friend and colleague called him up as soon as he had disconnected the call. He asked him for the reason of his call and he learned that their head and James biological father, Brigadier-General James Ventura Sr. wanted to talk to him. He knew he was surprised. General Ventura never summons his agents unless he was giving them a special assignments and he knew he hasn’t reached that level yet.

He knew he was one of the top rising stars in their agency but he never expected to be called by their head. What could have happened? Why was the director so interested in him all of a sudden. His colleagues were already teasing him that he was already being groomed for top position but he shakes it off as he never even considered it as a possible option for him. He was a newbie compared to his other colleagues. He might have survived some tough cases but he knew he was just lucky. He knew there were more deserving candidates than him.

He was still pondering on his friend’s message inside the hidden room when he heard footsteps from his outside office. He knew his food had already arrived so he decided to close his communication disk and leave. However, he realized that he wouldn’t be able to come out the way he went in because there were people inside his office who would see him so he devise a plan to enter his own office without being seen. Luckily the agency had given him two secret passages to help him enter and leave without being seen. He decided to use one of them now and was able to get out of the hidden room without being spotted.

Once he was out, Richard summoned one of his employees to inform Liza and Minerva about his whereabouts. He knew Liza and Minerva were already searching got him. His assistant and secretary immediately went to him and asked if he was fine. After being assured that their boss was fine, the two corporate heads returned to work and the crisis was averted. Richard knew then that he must be more careful with combining his two jobs. He had almost made a costly error in judgement and he doesn’t want to lose another trusted men like he had lost his beloved Maya.

He decided to return to his office and work. But his friend’s message was not far from his mind. He was still bothered by it until he finally connected the message to Maya. But how could that be? The last time he checked his former fiancée was happily married and was living in their home province. What happened? Did something change in the three years he had gone out? He knew he was curious but he opted to wait for his meeting with the director. He knew he would get the answers from him.

He decided to go to the director’s office early the next morning and to his surprise the director was already inside his office and waiting for him. Richard was surprise but decided to remain calm until he could talk to his superior and he was surprise when he
learned that he was being considered to replace one of the Assistant Directors. He was stunned. He had never imagined that he would even be considered. He wasn’t even a full-time agent of the government. He finally manage to find his voice and told the Director that he was honored to be considered for such a position and would try to live to his expectation. He saw the Director smiled then as he tells him the requirements of being an Assistant Director. Richard was shock at the task he was being asked to perform and asked for some reconsideration. But when his superior declined his request he realized he had no choice but to follow his orders. What would he do now? Was he willing to take the assignment in favor of the promotion?

He knew he was still stunned after his talk with his superior so he couldn’t help but drive aimlessly around the city. He knew he was wasting precious gas but he was so anxious that he didn’t know where to go until he thought of his old nanny. He knew his parents was in China so he drove to the mansion and headed straight to Manang Fe’s quarters. He caught her with her sister but when Rafi saw him coming she immediately bid Manang Fe goodbye and left the room. Richard realized then that his sister still hadn’t forgiven him so he did not bother to follow her. However he decided to sit beside his former nanny and once he was seated he had asked her if he could talk to her in private.

The Agent’s Dilemma 1

It was April 1, the day of pranks and Richard was already expecting that when he comes to the office, Liza or one of his long-time employees had already prepared a prank for him. It had already been a traditional practice among Liza and the staff that they would make a fool of their boss at least once a year and this was the usually the day they do it. He knew he didn’t like these kind of pranks to go inside his office but he allows them to continue for one simple reason: It makes his staff more closer to him.

He knew he had been hard to please since Maya left him three years ago but what could he do. He had already made his choice. He thought then that he was protecting Maya from harm but he had never expected that he would never be able to recover from that loss. He knew now that he should have taken his chances with her and told her the truth about his “other life” but he had gotten scared and because of that fear, he was now paying for the consequences.

He shrugs at the thought and wonders why he was suddenly thought of Maya after all these years. He had tried to shield her off his mind for the past three years and was pretty successful. So why was he thinking of her all of a sudden. He knew her sister and parents had renewed her friendship with his ex-fiancee but he himself had not seen her since they had separated three years ago. He had opted not to see her after she had married Simon in fear that he just make a fool of himself. He brushes off the thought from his mind as he reminds himself that still has to deal with the pranks Liza and her cohorts are preparing for him.

He was now in his office and had already started working. He knew he should get an early start because once Liza or her cohorts begins with their plan he would lose his chance to get some work done. However, the morning had already passed and Richard was amaze that his secretary/assistant nor her cohorts had not played any tricks on him yet. However he decided to remain vigilant until closing time but to his surprise five o’clock had passed and nobody had played a trick on him that day. Richard was surprised but when he arrived home he realized that he had not finished his work today. Realizing this he decided to come to the office early the next day.

He was already hard at work when his secretary and assistant came in for work and they were surprise to see him there. He knew Liza and Minerva were not used to his presence this early of the day but he needed to finished the documents he had unintentionally left behind due to his his over-cautiousness. He knew he had to finish them first before he gets swarmed again with new documents to sign. However he had gotten hungry so he was forced to summon Liza and asked her to buy him some food. His assistant obliged and after a few minutes Richard managed to have his breakfast.

He started working once more until Minerva came into his office and brought him his usual black coffee. Once there, she waits for further instructions from her boss but since Richard’s work was still full, he decided to withhold his orders and just asked his secretary to hold his calls for him. His secretary acknowledges his requests and closes the door behind her. He continued working until he felt hungry once more. He glanced at the clock and was surprised that it was already lunchtime.

He closes his laptop and was about to leave his office when he saw his secretary rushing towards him. He stops and asked: Can I do anything for you, Minerva? His secretary smiled weakly and told him that Mr. J was on his line. Richard was confused. Why was James calling him at L.A.S. He knew he was troubled so he decided to asked Minerva a favor and tell her to buy lunch for him. His secretary obliges and after giving his secretary some instructions, he heads back to his office.

Once there, he calls James and asked what he needed. Realizing that James wanted to talk about his “other job” he had asked his friend and colleague to disconnect and call him on his very private number. His friend understood and hang up. Richard stood up then and push a special button from his drawer. A secret panel had opened suddenly and he enters it. He switches the light on and it reveals a high-tech room. He pushes another button and a special phone appears. It was then when he sat down on a swivel chair and waits for his colleague’s call.

The Secret 16 Finale

Maya was now at the front door at the church but she was a bit worried. She knew that her future husband was now in his “tiger mode persona”. because of the delay. Richard was never a patient man and that was a trait she was trying to instill in him. She had tried to search for him when she entered the church but he had been blocked by his best man. However when the wedding procession began and her entourage had taken their respective pl aces, she saw that Richard was not in a good mood. She had tried to calm him down when they already met at the altar but he refuses to respond until she had gotten furious with him and threatened to leave the altar even before their marriage was consummated. She knew she wouldn’t do it but it had worked. Richard had turned pale and silently beg her to reconsider. She took pity at him and knew that he was already calm so she held his hand and nodded to the priest to continue with the ceremony.

After the ceremony was done, their parents had asked why Richard had paled during the ceremony and Maya had laughed. She wanted to answer their parents inquiry but her husband had given her a warning looked so she decided to remain quiet. However when they were already in the sanctity of their bedroom, Richard decided to confront his new wife and Maya had no recourse but to tell her new husband the real reason why she had pulled that silly stunt on him. She knew he was pissed so she cajoled him until Richard temper started to subside. She realize now that she was wrong to pull that stunt on him during the ceremony but she was so pissed at him at that particular moment that she no longer cared what she told him. She was about to apologize to her husband but Richard stopped her as he realized his wife was just trying to get him out of his “tiger mode” persona. She kissed her then and they proceeded to their wedding night activities after that.

The next day however, the couple had to wake up early as they and the children had an early flight to Singapore. Richard knew that this was suppose to be their honeymoon but Maya couldn’t part with any of the children for even a single day so she and Richard decided to compromise. They would bring the children on their honeymoon provided they bring a couple of nannies along. His new wife had agreed but he soon realized that Maya could not be easily swayed so he decided to call for reinforcement. His in-laws and parents answered his summon and they flew to Singapore to help him.

However when his parents and in-laws arrived, his wife glares at him and he knew he had been busted. He tried to explain but to his surprise his wife had laugh and smothered him with kisses before saying ” Mr. Lim, are you so desperate to bed me that you had to call for reinforcement”, she teased. Then she winked at him and he knew Maya was already giving him the signal so he jumped into bed and they had made love

The next day Maya and Richard realized that they were alone and decided to continue where they left off the previous night. They had only stopped when Richard’s phone rang. He answers it and learns that their parents and children are already back from their day out and was just inviting them to have dinner with them. Since it was already their last night in Singapore the newly obliges. The following day the whole family decided to do some last-minute shopping before proceeding to the airport.

Richard and Maya returned to work soon after but after several months Maya learned that she was pregnant once more. Her husband had asked her to take a leave but she had refused so he didn’t bother contradicting his wife. But on her eighth month of pregnancy Maya decided to hand in her resignation letter. Her husband was surprise but he could understand her reason. He accepted her resignation and soon after Maya gave birth to another girl and the named her Abby

The Secret 15

Since it was summer, Richard and Maya decided to take a break from work for a week. They decided to stay in San Nicholas with their children but since they were still unmarried Richard had opted to stay at a nearby hotel. The children however stayed with Maya since Luke, Nikki and Niccolo had already bonded and didn’t want to waste any time to get reacquainted. Richard however only sleeps at the hotel as he also comes to his fiancée’s home before breakfast. His in-laws had already teased them that he better stay there but Maya wouldn’t hear of it so he knew he had no choice but to abide to her fiancée’s decision.

Their vacation had now come to an end and they could see that everyone was saddened to see Maya’s son leave so Richard promised them that they would see them again soon. He saw that his fiancée had looked at him with puzzled eyes and it made him realize the birthday gift he could give her on her upcoming birthday. As he formulates his plan of his head, he texted Maya’s sister on his phone that he would call her up once they reached Manila. He saw Christina Rose glanced at him and he nodded and saw that Maya’s sister had acknowledge his gesture.

They were now on the plane and the children were now playing with Luke’s new tablet. He could see that Niccolo was envious with the toy so he made a mental note on his head to buy some toys for Niccolo once they reached Manila. He holds Maya’s hand and asked if he could buy some gifts for Niccolo and she smiled. He knew she had already approved of his plan so when they arrived, they went directly to the toy store and made the children choose. At first Niccolo was reluctant to pick a toy as Luke and Nikki runs around and chooses their new toy but when Richard and Maya nudges him to buy a toy, he decided to choose an inexpensive one. Richard knew that the toy wasn’t his real choice so he had nudge his fiance and ask what their son really wanted. She had looked at him with awe and he realized she was surprised. He told her what he had noticed on the plane and it was then when he saw her smile.

She told him her son’s wish list and he had to purchase them all much to her his fiancée’s delight so by the time they left the store the children were all contented. After their impromptu shopping they decided to eat out to officially welcome Niccolo to the family. They returned home afterwards and Richard brought down their packages before bidding her goodbye as he and Nikki returns to the mansion.

However, the following morning, he and Nikki was once more in Maya’s home. Nikki want ed to play with her brothers and Richard had used the opportunity to see his fiancée. They were now on vacation leave since they were preparing for their upcoming nuptials. They knew they had hired a wedding planner and a wedding planner to assist them but they wanted to check on their progress and was surprise to learn that they have nothing to worry about.

Their wedding planner and a wedding planner did a terrific job and they are satisfied. They knew they could recommend them to their friends. Maya and Richard was now holding hands as they check on their preparations and Maya couldn’t help but say a silent prayer of thanks to Simon. Unknown to her Richard was doing the same thing to Alex. They looked at each other than and realized that they had the same thought so they decided to go to the cemetery and visit their respective spouses. After praying for them Richard and Maya walked hand in hand to begin their new life together.

The big day had finally arrived. Richard and Maya woke up early and began preparing for their big day. As Richard prepares himself Maya sits on the stool and allows her hairstylist and make-up artist to do their job. Her parents, sister and children were already finished and was already in church waiting for her. Only Rafi, Richard’s sister and her bridesmaid was with her. Richard wanted to see her before the ceremony but his sister had practically slammed the door on his face forcing his future husband to turn around and leave. She couldn’t help but laugh at her sister-in-laws antics but she couldn’t blame her. Richard knew he wasn’t suppose to see his bride before the ceremony but he insisted so that is what he got.

She was still reminiscing when she noticed that the car was already stopped and she was outside the church. They are only waiting for the priest and he was late. She knew her future husband is now pissed. She wanted to calm him but she knew she can’t. She was still trying to find a way to make him relax when she heard the wedding march. The priest was finally here. She smiles as the car door opens for her and she steps out of the car to begin her march towards her husband.

The Secret 14

Maya wipes the tears from her fiance eyes as he finishes telling his story. She now realized how devastated Richard was when Alex died. She knew the feeling because she went through the same experience when her husband died. Simon might not be her true love but she had already learned to care for him as a dear friend and husband. He may be misunderstood by others but he had proven to be a good husband to Maya and a good father to both Luke and Niccolo and for that she was grateful to him.

She just hopes that Richard would not change his outlook towards Niccolo. She knows she would be deeply hurt if Richard or any of his relatives would show indifference towards her son. She was still musing when she felt her fiance’s arms on her hips forcing her to looked up. He was smiling at her as he ask what was on her mind. She shrugs and tells him not to worry as she remembers that this was the day she would be finally reunited with her son.

Richard could sense how happy his fiancée is and he couldn’t blame her. She is finally seeing her son again and Richard was overwhelmed. He knew he would do anything for Maya even accept Simon’s son as his own. Who wouldn’t. He loved Maya so much and he knew Niccolo is a part of her as much as Simon so why wouldn’t he love her son. She love Nikki like a daughter so why can’t he reciprocate. Realizing this he approaches his fiancée and tells her it was time to pick up their son.

They had already arrived in San Nicholas and the children are already playing with their cousin Pocholo… Christina Rose’s son but Niccolo was nowhere to be found. They decided to search for them until Pocholo had an idea and said ” Mom, I have a hunch where we can find Niccolo but I suggest that it would be better if I and my cousins would talk to him alone. Don’t worry, we will bring Nana Ibing with us. Please mom” Pocholo had pleaded. Christina Rose looked at Maya and the sisters decided to allow the child to follow his idea.

Pocholo gathers Luke and Nikki into a huddle and tells them to follow him. The two children glanced at Maya’s direction and she nodded. The two children ran with their cousin followed by Nana Ibing. Pocholo led them to small hidden park in San Nicholas as he informs Nikki and Luke that this was his and Niccolo’s hiding place whenever they wanted to escape the wrath of his mother. The two children laughed as they searched the small park and after some time Luke spotted Niccolo near a food stall.

He taps his cousins shoulder and points to Niccolo’s direction. They decided to approached Niccolo who doesn’t noticed his brother and cousin until Pocholo made their presence known. Niccolo looked up then and saw that his older brother was already scrutinizing
him. He had tried to avoid talking to his older brother but his cousin and the girl with them had already moved back so he knew he had no choice but to have a conversation with his brother.

He noticed that his brother was also uneasy as he clears his throat to talk to him. He tells him about their experiences in Manila from the time he had been diagnosed with a mild type of epilepsy until his father learned about him. He continued to tell his brother how their mother found real love with the help of his father and his offer to raise him as his son. Niccolo was surprised but was still skeptical until he introduced her to Nikki, Richard’s daughter. As the children swap stories about themselves, Niccolo came to realized that he had judge his Uncle Richard too soon. He glanced at his brother and new sister and they embraced each other. After their reconciliation, the children walk hand in hand where Nana Ibing was waiting for them.

Meantime back at the house Maya was pacing the floor and Richard couldn’t help but get amused. He knew Maya was worried. He was too but Christina Rose had already assured them that the children are alright and are already on the way back. He tried to pacify her but she was too agitated to be controlled. Finally Richard gave up and just stayed put. The children had finally arrived in the house and Maya started fuzzing over them. She was still alright while checking Nikki and Luke but when she came face to face with Niccolo she started crying forcing Richard to request Niccolo to join his siblings first so that he could calm their mother. The child reluctantly obliges and leaves and Richard goes to work. He had managed to calm his fiancee and after she recovered they talk to Niccolo once more and this time Maya saw her son smile and she realize that everything will be alright.

The Secret 13

He knew he had to explain some things to his future wife but he knew there was something bothering him. Her fiancée had mentioned that she had borne Simon a son and his name was Niccolo but where was he? He was thinking about the boy when he remembered a scenario from his past, He was in San Idelfonso then when he saw Maya with two boys. He knew now it was Maya because he had finally recognize Luke. The other boy must be Niccolo. But where was he? He knew he was confused.

He decided to confront her fiancée and ask her the whereabouts of his other son. Maya was shock as she realized that she had made a blunder by revealing Niccolo’s existence to her fiance. She knew she misses her son but she had to make this sacrifice for her other son, Luke. She just hopes Niccolo would be able to forgive her once he is old enough to understand. She now looks guiltily at Richard and he realized that her fiancée and soon-to-be-wife had no intention to tell him about Niccolo.

He knew he was hurt but he wants to know why Maya abandoned one of his sons. It seems so unlikely like her. He puts his hand gently on her face and asked: “Please sweetheart, why did you abandon your son? Don’t you care about him anymore? I cannot believe you are that heartless Maya. I refused to believe it…there must be a reason”.

Richard knew he wanted to say more but he could see that Maya was already starting to cry. She knew she had hurt her again but he must find out the truth about Niccolo. Maya was now starting to calm down but Richard decided to wait a little longer  before he asked again and this time Maya was able to answer him. He learned that Maya loved her son very much but she was forced to leave him in her parents’ and sister’s care because she knew she could no longer support him. She tells him that since he was practically supporting Luke and her needs, she felt ashamed of asking for more assistance from him. Richard hugs her then and tells her to call her son up. Maya was surprise until she learns that Richard is planning to reunite her son with her. She had smiled and embraced her fiance then but before she could kissed him Richard stops her and said: ” Sweetheart, I have to tell you something.  Maya was surprise by the seriousness of Richard’s quiet command but she decided to buckle down and listen. Her fiance looked at her then and began his tale without looking at her.

I left for the States so that I could forget you.  And while there I met a girl named Alex. At first she was a mere companion to me but as time passes I learn to care for her until I decided to propose and marry her.  I thought I have finally found the woman to replace you but I was wrong. Alex was beautiful, compassionate and world-weary but her parents was so over-bearing that I almost instantly fell out of love with her when I met her family. Unluckily she was already pregnant and I knew I couldn’t abandon my own child. However only after two months after we tied the knot she had a miscarriage and Alex suffered a mild depression. Her parents were no help either as they were forcing their daughter to recover quickly from her depression. I decided to take Alex away but before we could leave her parents had manage to stop us and they had put their daughter in an institution for the depressed. I knew I pitied my wife so when I had the chance to break her loose from the institution I did and when we had gotten the chance we flew to Europe. We decided to stay in a small village in Austria before going to Singapore.

Richard glanced at his fiancee then before he continued and said: After we reached Singapore Alex and I tried some herbal treatments and luckily Alex had managed to recover fully and had became pregnant again. We were so happy then until she went into labor and I was told that I must make a choice. I was dumbstruck and couldn’t speak and before I knew it my wife had made the choice for me and I never heard the end of it from my in-laws. They blamed me for the daughter’s untimely demise.

The Secret 12

Meantime Maya was still pissed with Richard’s comment when they landed in Manila. She knew she was being petty but she had waited long enough for her boyfriend to propose. She had already propose to him once and she has no intention of doing it again. She was still not in the mood to forgive him when they landed however when two men suddenly stopped her in immigration, she panicked. Why was she being stopped and where was Richard and the children.

They had brought her to a beautiful decorated room and Maya was surprised. What was going on. She was about to ask one of the immigration officer that had brought her there but to her surprise he had disappeared and in her place she saw a man playing her favorite song. She glanced at the man and he smiled at her but when she tried to talk to him, he simply shrug and continued with his playing. Maya was confused until she saw her sister enter the room. She is followed by her husband, then her son and lastly her parents. They are followed by Richard’s parents too and last to appear was Richard holding the children who were trying to carry a bouquet of flowers in their tiny hands. Maya couldn’t help but cry when she saw her father but she burst into tears when Richard had knelt on bended knees and propose. Maya was too shock to respond and before she could answer she could already see her boyfriend’s worried face.

She couldn’t help laugh and cry at the same time. She knew she looks like a fool but she didn’t care. She was too happy. She decided to kiss her boyfriend before giving him her resounding “YES”. Richard gave a whoop then making their family laugh. It was a fun night after that as the newly-engage couple enjoy the night with their family and a few selected friends. The evening had already come to an end and their family had already left for their respective homes except her family who was currently staying in the home of Richard’s parents.

They were alone now except for the children who are already asleep in their bed and Richard couldn’t help but tease his new fiancee as she admires her new ring. He knew she was happy and so was he. He was beyond happy and he couldn’t wait to marry Maya. He knew he could not ask for anything more. He had managed to make his parents happy in more ways than one. He had made a huge profit for Limsin and to top it all he is marrying the girl of his dreams. There is only one thing that was bothering him though. Why did Maya marry Simon in the first place?

He glanced at her fiancee and she glanced back at him. She realized that he still wanted to know why she married Simon in the first place and she sighs. She tells him that she was very confused during those times and had just realized she was pregnant. She further explained that if she had gone home to San Nicholas without the father of her child, it would be a great scandal so when Simon learned about it and offered to help her she had accepted. She only later learned that the reason why Simon had offered to marry her was because he was a “closet queen” but his parents doesn’t know about it and was already forcing him to marry someone and produce an heir so when he met Maya again in Manila and learned about her predicament he offered her a “marriage of convenience” and she had accepted.

She further tells him that her relationship with Simon was purely platonic until three years later when he come home intoxicated. He had practically taken her by force and the result was Niccolo. Maya tells Richard how Simon reacted the day after he had made love to his wife and Richard couldn’t help but laugh. He could not help but imagine the scene on his mind. He knew he wouldn’t have stop if he hadn’t seen her fiancee’s frown and realized that Maya was already pissed. He forced himself to stop and cajoled his fiancee until her temper was abated. However when he had already stopped laughing, he realized that he too should explain some things to Maya before they tie the knot for good.

The Secret 11

Maya could not help but laugh when she saw Richard’s reactions on her revelation. It was priceless. She had never imagined she could shock a Richard Lim. Her teasing laughter however brought Richard out of his shock and when he recovered he had tickled her mercilessly as if punishing her for shocking him. But when both of them had already recovered Richard had asked her if she was serious with declaration and when she nodded, he smiled and literally jumped for joy.

He knew he was overwhelmed so he gently holds his girlfriend’s hands and promised her that he would be a better boyfriend this time. Maya nodded as they talk about their past issues and their future plans and aspirations. Richard felt lucky to be given this second chance with Maya so he had vowed to make her his priority from now on. He had fulfilled that promised as he had immediately introduced Maya to his parents the minute they had become a couple. As expected, Don Roberto and Dona Esmeralda were enthusiastic with the news. However his father had warned him again to be careful and Richard had obliged.

He knew the hardships he had to undergo just to get Maya back so he was not to fool to lose her anymore. He knew he still had to take his father’s challenge but with Maya around, he had become more inspired. He had told Maya about his father’s challenge and to his surprise his girlfriend had giggled until he learned that it was her idea to challenged him. He was about to start teasing her again when he noticed that she was pale. He worriedly asked to sit down and asked the reason for her paleness and learned that Luke had another attack.

Richard was now worried as their son’s attacks had become more frequent. He decided to call a specialist and set an appointment with her. They told her about Luke’s various seizures and his various medication and saw the specialist frown. He had asked her why and she had told him what she suspects about Luke’s case. Richard nodded and told her to initiate the tests. Maya was hesitant at first but p to after talking to the specialist she finally relented.

She was more complacent this time though since the father of her child was with her. Richard had remained by her side while their son was being examined. He even asked Liza, their secretary to move all their meeting to next month so that they could spend some time with their son. Maya knew that she could no longer asked for anything more except for the safety of their son.
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The test was finally done and they found out that Luke was suffering from a partial brain tumor and needed an operation. Richard and Maya were stunned but Richard decided to get a second opinion. Together with their entire family they flew to New York to have Luke check and found that the findings in Manila was correct. Richard decided to no longer postpone the operation. He searched for the best hospital that could accommodate his son and once he had found it, he had Luke operated on. He and Maya had stayed at the hospital with their son while his daughter Nikki had stayed with his parents and Maya’s parents at their home in New York. t

Luke had recovered quickly much to the delight of his parents and after he has recovered Richard decided to treat Maya and the entire family to a trip to Disney World. The children had enjoyed it tremendously and even his girlfriend was like a child much to Richard’s dismay. However he enjoyed their family bonding as he made his family happy and he promised the children that they would come back again. Maya glanced at her boyfriend then and hopes that he really keeps his promise to them.

After the impromptu visit to Disney World, the enter family flew back to New York so that they can catch their connecting flight back to Manila. Maya gave a silent sigh that their family vacation was soon going to end and didn’t notice that Richard was already looking at her until he said teasingly: “You want to stay longer, hon. We can have our honeymoon here.”. It was then that he saw Maya pout and knew she was pissed. He decided to turn around and take care of the children.