Chapter 24

AS SOON as Casey and Esperanza entered the drawing-room, the woman slapped her face. Because of surprise and impact, Casey fell on the floor. She caught her cheek and looked up at the woman on a knotted forehead.

“You’re such an idiot!” Esperanza snarled at her. “What’s gone into you, Amara?” She caught her head. “Why did you refuse David’s offer? And, why the fuck you let Alexander dragged you away from the event?”

Casey knotted her forehead. She doesn’t understand what this bitch is talking about. And why she wanted her to speak with David? Who the fuck is that man? What’s her connection to her and to Alexander’s step-mom?

“Alexander asked me if I knew him,” he said, trying her best to sound more confused than she really was. She has to play the wife who lost all her memories but has to face the evil step-mom. “I don’t know what I am going to say to him. You didn’t tell me what to do. You just pushed me to talk to that David—”

“Stupid whore!” Esperanza shouted at her angrily. “David Carvajal is the CEO of the Basi Winery, the largest sugarcane winery here in Ilocos. He’s richer than Alexander, and he’s the man that can help us with our plans!”

Casey tried to stand up, but the woman kicked her back on the floor. A low whimper escaped her lips as she rubbed her hip that she hit. She can’t believe that this woman is torturing her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Oh, sure, you did!” She caught her arm and dragged her up. “When will you stop pretending that you can’t remember a single thing?” She pushed her again, but this time Casey stood still. “Don’t give me that bitchy face, Amara. We’re allies here. I am not your target.”

“Why don’t you just tell me what’s my plan before the plane accident?” she said, testing her luck. “It seems that you have something that Alexander couldn’t tell me. And, if we’re really allies in the plan that you’re referring to, why don’t you just spill your tea so I could remember?”

Esperanza looked into her eyes. It was as if she’s studying her reaction if it reflects the Amara that she knew. “We’re running out of time, Amara,” she said in a low voice. “We can’t afford to lose now. We’ve waited for this moment to happen.”

Her brows drew together. “Esperanza, what is it that we’re afraid to lose?”

“Darn it!” She frustratingly raked her fingers thru her auburn hair. “Amara, you killed Alexander’s dad because we thought we could take over the winery, as me being the wife, and this is our conjugal property. But, we failed when we found out that Nicanor’s last will and testament was all for Alexander.”

Casey’s jaw dropped. “I-I killed Alexander’s dad?” She covered her mouth and shocked. “You’re lying. I can’t do that.”

Esperanza laughed wickedly. “Of course, you can.” She walked towards her and grabbed her face. She squeezed her cheeks until she flinched in pain. “You even offered yourself to him just to give you half of the winery stocks. But my poor husband is a good man. So we planned on killing him.”

Casey looked at Esperanza horridly. Her eyes were wide-opened in shock about what she found out. How could Amara do that to Alexander? She’s a slut. “H-How did I kill him?”

Esperanza smirked. “Alexander’s dad has a weak heart,” she said and let go of her face. “So we put some Botulinum toxins on his food. It was a good thing that the maids here are stupid. We can do everything that we wanted when Alexander is at work.”

Casey’s chest started to tighten with all the horrible things that she found out today. “I killed him?” she asked again in a trembling voice. “Esperanza, we planned on killing Alexander’s dad to take over the winery, but we failed? Then what’s our next plan?”

A smile formed on Esperanza’s lips. “You will marry David Carvajal,” the woman said and stepped closer to her. She fixed her hair that got messy because of what she did to her. “But that is after you execute Alexander.”

“What? I-I will kill Alexander?” Casey’s heart almost jumped out of her chest. “A-Are you serious?”

“That’s your suggestion, Amara,” she said. “That’s why you will go to the Maldives. But the bastard delayed his flight. That’s unfortunate for us because if he was also on the plane and got killed, it would be easy for us.”

Casey clenched her fist. This woman is evil. She has to do something to save Alexander and Billie. “I think… I remember now, Esperanza.”

The woman smiled. “Good.” She gave her a peck in the cheeks and slipped something in her hand. “Now, we got to get going.”

_________________

CASEY went straight into her room as soon as Esperanza left her in the drawing-room. It seemed that the woman was convinced that she’s Amara and her memories are back. She smirked. Even villains are vulnerable, aren’t they?

She looked at the opened drawer and stared at the multiple signed documents. She doesn’t know why Amara has numerous signed copies from different investors. Still, since Esperanza gave her key to the locked drawer, she suspected that these documents were also connected with their evil plans.

“If that Esperanza wanted Amara to marry David Carvajal—the CEO of the largest Basi Winery in the Ilocos Region—and she wanted Alexander to be dead, then maybe they have a plan on merging the business with Carvajal.” Casey shook her head. “I thought this kind of evilness only exists in fiction, but I guess realities are crueler.”

She opened her phone camera and took photos of each of the documents. She sent it directly to her personal email as Casey Almario, the Speedy Online Scandal News writer. Then, she opened the small box she hid under her bed and took out the microSD card.

Casey smiled as soon as she saw the tiny storage device. “Now, Amara’s memories are mine,” she said as she inserted it on her phone. As soon as her device read it, hundreds of photos flashed on the screen. “Oh, my gosh…” Casey covered her mouth in shock. “This is more than enough to knock off that Esperanza inside the jail.”

She clicked ‘select all’ and sent it directly to her email. It might take a while to send it all, but this is the least that Casey can do now. She has to make her own copies. If they found out about her real identity, her editor Art has to know about her email address passwords. Because of what she found out, Esperanza might not want to let her out of the hacienda alive.

“But, poor Esperanza, I am smarter than her,” she said. “All I have to do is to send a cryptic message to Art—”

The door from the adjoining room suddenly opened. Casey quickly hid her phone under the bed before Alexander could see it.

“Amara…” Alexander stood in the doorway. He looked hesitant with what he wanted to say.

“What is it, Alexander?” she asked and shifted on her bed to face him. “Do you need anything?”

Alexander scratched the back of his head. “Ah, do you want to sleep in my room?”

***