“D**MIT, Andrea!” Sebastian Monte Bello yelled violently while on the phone. “Do you want me to tie your feet up just to get you here!?” He spoke, gritting his teeth.
The other end of the line remained silent. There is only stern breathing audible.
Sebastian ran his fingers through his thick hair in frustration. “This is my last ultimatum, Andrea.” He got up. His anxious steps made a faint creaking sound on the polished oak floors. “I am giving you three months. . . three months, Andrea. Do you understand? And if you don’t come back here by then, you know what will happen. Because even if I have to chain you up, I’ll do it! I’ll do it just to get you back!”
With that, he firmly pressed the end button on his phone, almost crushing it in his grip. He stared into nothingness. His thoughts drifted to his family and the burden that had been placed on his shoulders. Hacienda Monte Bello was an extensive property he and his siblings inherited from his late father, Don Federico Monte Bello. The vast expanse of land that was passed down through generations. It was located in Puerto del Cielo, a place in southern Luzon known for being the country’s top coconut exporter. Besides copra, they had other produce sent to various countries, like bananas, corn, sugarcane, and more.
Sebastian had three siblings. Antonio, second to him, managed their businesses in Manila, diligently overseeing their affairs. Aurora, on the other hand, was the hardheaded type, now residing in the US. Then there was Andie, the free-spirited one who had chosen to traverse the globe, leaving her family behind in pursuit of her own adventures.
Sebastian paced around the library, lost in thought, when suddenly there was a knock on the door. He furrowed his brows, wondering who it could be. He saw their elderly housekeeper, Nana Andeng, standing there. He composed himself before letting her in. “What is it, Nana?”
The old woman seemed uneasy, avoiding direct eye contact with hi . “Señorito. . .”
“Say it, Nana.” He sighed, glancing at the papers on the table. Their workers would be paid today, and he knew many were waiting for him at the plantation. That’s one of the reasons he never gets tired. And that was also the exact reason why he had dedicated his entire life to this place, leaving little time for his personal life.
“It’s because of Bella, Señorito,” Nana Andeng agitatedly said, facing back and forth between him and the floor.
“Yeah. What about her?”
Nana Andeng didn’t reply.
Sebastian stopped what he was doing and looked at her. “Just spit it out, Nana. I have a lot of work today.”
With shivering lips, she replied, “Bella is missing, Señorito. . .”
He abruptly turned toward her and asked, “How did that happen?! Where is her nanny?!”
“That’s the problem, Señorito. . . Her nanny is missing too,” she said, her voice still soft.
“What?!” he exclaimed. His voice thundered through the entire house.