Chapter 7
Vince Madrigal shares office with another colleague who has been always out in the field for the past couple of days because of his project in Tagaytay City. It is a huge shopping mall situated at the heart of Olivares, Tagaytay’s business center, and it needs a hands-on monitoring of the project architect. It’s a manic Monday and all draftsmen are busy on the other end. Vince starts to open his PC for a project he needs to finish before noontime because it will be presented on the board meeting the following day. His task does not end at creating a blueprint, the most crucial point is making a model. It needs craftsmanship, expertise, and patience. And Vince possesses all of these, that’s why he is a valued employee of Toledo Group of Companies.
He is currently emerged with his work when the glass door opens. Vince first notices the pair of red stiletto walking towards his table, and when he looks up, the woman in the penthouse approaches. She sits on his table trying to snatch his attention, and when she sees his disinterest, she slowly walks behind and begins to give him a back hug, her hands slowly crawling down his chest, unbuttoning his white shirt. Before her exit, she leaves a tiny whisper on his nape that gives him goose bumps from top to toe, but there is something unusual that happens under his pants.
It is 7:30 in the evening and she is naked in bed, waiting for him in the penthouse of Mayfair Tower. Thirty minutes quickly passed and no shadow of the man appears, so she picks her iPhone, clicks the search button, then finally taps send. Fifteen minutes later, Vince Madrigal appears on the door.
What Chloe wants, Chloe gets. Chloe Marie Toledo is the only daughter and heiress to the $50M worth of Toledo assets. She has been in Italy studying photography for two years, but when she saw the company’s picture in a blog post, the image of a tall peachy man etched her whole being and urged her to go back to win him. After few days of stalking Vince Madrigal in the social media, Chloe realizes he is not an easy prey. She begins to use the naïve and demure strategy, but still fails at the end. She is not good at extending patience, what she wants, she wants it now. So, during the company’s 50th anniversary celebration, Chloe Marie Toledo laid her last card. And she succeeded. She was able to record their intimate moment at the penthouse which surely brings Vince Madrigal to her door.
Meanwhile in Isla Carillo, Mark stays in Michael’s cottage and manages the remaining finishing touches Michael himself instructed him to do. There is a fang of regret on Mark’s heart because on his first night in the islet, he chooses to stay with Mikaella Lee and leaves his brother waiting for his coming the whole night. When he returns early in the morning, a short note from his brother surprises him. The piece of paper contains his scheduled training and medical examination in the city, and his request for errands. Below, it says, “Take care of my neighbor.”
Mark’s eyes starts to narrow when he reads the last line. What does his brother mean of saying, “Take care of my neighbor”? There is an ounce of jealousy that immediately pinches his heart and run straight hitting his ego.
The realization comes rushing that brings him a bundle of fear and worries when at the middle of the night, he hears grappling sounds.
Mikaella Lee retires early after settling everything she needs to. She tells Mark to go back to his brother’s cottage to take a rest also. This is a busy and long day for all of them since Mikay’s Nest has just held its first island wedding. It was a Norwegian wedding a Filipina, and most of the guests were foreigners who were obviously captivated by Isla Carillo’s mystical charm. Despite the resort’s incapability to cater overnight guests, the patrons insisted to stay, with only their camping tents, the group of Caucasians savor the gift of nature.
Just a few minutes after 11PM, Mikaella Lee wakes up with heavy burden on her chest. She begins to struggle catching the air she breathes, and the pain continues to build up, making it harder and harder to survive. The least she could do is gather all her remaining strengths and scream for help.
Mark is still awake, bothered and curious of his brother’s note. The line echoes repeatedly on his ears no matter how he diverts his attention. What does his brother mean? There is a deeper meaning engraved on every word when he says, “Take care of my neighbor”. He is currently in deep thought when he hears a struggling sound asking for help. Mark hurries out of the cottage and in just a minute his bare feet land on Mikaella Lee’s door.
He sees Mikaellah Lee excruciatingly crawling on the floor with two hands holding her chest, his shattered heart bleeds in silence as he carries her on his arms. Mark grasps her hands looking for vital points and slowly presses them. Few minutes later, he sees her breathing slowly goes back to normal. Then he stands up towards her closet and look for a comfy set of night dress.
Mark stays on her side the whole night patiently wiping the beads of sweat on her forehead. In the morning, aside from the on and off body temperature, Mikaella Lee’s condition becomes stable. At 7:30, she sits for a while trying to recall what happens on the night before. She is on the state of mixed shock and shame when the worried image of Mark peeps in. When he knows that Mikaella Lee is already awake, he hurries inside to drop the tray of freshly cooked breakfast on the side table and immediately puts his right palm on her forehead. It is quite relieving to know that her temperature turns normal again, compared to its fluctuating condition last night.
Elisa Mortel requests a leave in Mikay’s nest. She takes the first trip on Alex Menor’s motorboat one morning with bruises circling her eyes. When Mikaella Lee sees her, she right away determines the tragic drama occurred at home. Elisa’s absence in the kitchen actually makes things difficult for Ellah since the marketing and food preparation are all done and managed by her. But there is nothing Ellah could do. Being her employer, it is her obligation and responsibility to look for the welfare of her employees. If only men like Donato Mortel do not exist, women will be living a different kind of life in a much different kind of society. Her thought of Donato once again triggers the lumps of fear frozen inside her. What if, her future husband gives her the kind of life Elisa Mortel is living today? It is too early to worry. Ellah enters the kitchen to check the availability of supply inside the fridge.
Mark is peering silently from the open door. He has been there for quite a while thinking of Ellah’s strange condition few nights ago. He is grateful that her body temp is not anymore changing from high to low. But he is bothered by his brother’s note, “Take care of my neighbor,” plus the actual happening he witnessed. Then a horrible storyline begins to build up on his conscious mind.
He is on that state when Ellah goes out of the kitchen and pulls a chair opposite to him. He turns to scan thoroughly what’s going on with Mikaella Lee by looking at her bare face, then in upward and downward motion scrutinizing every angle of her being, waiting for her to throw reaction. But what he does is pointless. Mikaella Lee begins to discuss the flow of work now that Elisa is on leave.
Obviously, even Mikaella Lee will not ask for it, Mark is willing to extend his service free of charge. There is nothing he would not do for this woman especially now that her actions obviously deceive her feelings. Even she will not vocally admit, Mark knows inside Mikaella Lee’s heart lies a spot reserved for him.
He rushes like lightning to his cottage the moment his feet set on the fine sand of Isla Carillo. Michael Amoroso makes sure to catch the trip of Montenegro Lines from Batangas City to Romblon on the afternoon of Wednesday right after his interview. The eight-hour travel by sea becomes a terrifying journey torturing his mental and emotional state. His days in the city prolong the agony his heart initially feels and his mind couldn’t afford to fathom despite the reasons and possibility his sanity tries to conceive. His earthly desires had been satisfied by unselfish maidens but there is a bothering connection, a new and strange feeling that Michael refuses to admit.
When he opens the door and sees his brother lying sound asleep on his bed, Michael releases the mass of air he’s holding. He feels the huge block escaped from his throat, and slowly closes the door avoiding any noise that would disturb his brother’s sleep. With a cup of freshly brewed coffee at hand, Michael Amoroso faces the ocean looking at the tide comes to and fro, he sighs deeply for in his inner self, it is difficult to concede that his days are already numbered.
On the following days, Mark runs errands for Mikay’s Nest. He takes over the pick-up of goods in the mainland as well as the daily marketing. Mikaella Lee on the other hand, shoulders the food preparation. She knows good food and loves fine wines but the stove, cooking pots, and other kitchen utensils are simply just unfriendly and elusive. The resort needs an expert cook, one who produces a delicacy distinct only to Mikay’s Nest. And she thinks of Elisa Mortel. The resort needs her, she needs Elisa Mortel to come back. Tomorrow, she will summon her to report immediately.
It is a fine morning and a few guests start to alight on Alex Menor’s motorboat which will also take Mark to the mainland for his daily routine. Mikaella Lee is in the kitchen preparing for short orders when Michael comes in. She tries to conceal her initial reaction of surprise since the man comes in without knocking. She waits for him to utter a word, but Michael just stands at the doorway, watching her, scrutinizing her whole being. He senses the tension his presence brings to Mikaella Lee as grains of sweat begins to glitter on her forehead. Slowly, with his masculine arms crossing his chest, Michael walks towards her and takes the knife and chopping board she’s holding then starts to do it himself like a pro. Mikaella Lee gets amazed and with her right hand on her hips she faces Michael and says, “Next time, before you take over other people’s business, will you please ask permission first?” Michael purposely adds pressure to the knife he’s holding that it causes a loud screech. Mikaella Lee steps backward but she refuses to display the hasty beats and inaudible scream of her heart inside. Michael drops the knife and turns to slightly push the vegetables on the side, wipes his two hands on his denim pants and steps forward. In a flash, he holds Mikaella Lee’s face and starts to kiss her. His lips press hardly and strongly, moving in dire motion. Mikaella Lee feels the marathon drumming of her heart. With her open eyes, she sees the razor’s tips on Michael’s eyes. Despite her two hands pushing him, trying to make him stop, Michael continues with his left hand on her nape and the other on her back. Slowly, his lips move smoothly, dancing in rhythmic pattern of a heart rejoicing inside for he feels Mikaella Lee’s hands stop from pushing him. Her lips begin to open. After few more strokes, Michael stops and steps an inch backward. Then with his right finger, he wipes his lips and turns away.
Mikaella Lee stands still, her knees are tender and start to tremble. What happened a while ago is beyond control that she couldn’t accept. She couldn’t admit that she almost gave in. In fact she gave in and responded to his kisses. She is secretly scolding herself when Mark gets in. He sees the terror registers on her pale face. Mark drops hurriedly the basket on his hand and rushes towards her. “Anything wrong?” he asks while holding her two hands. Mikaella Lee gently shakes her head, and moves closer to embrace him. “Nothing. I’m fine,” she whispers. Mark returns the embrace and gently pats her back.