Chapter 1- Aronzaga's

Lanie's POV:

“Baby, ready?” Dad as he knocks on my door.

“Coming!” I quickly answered and put my tablet on my bag.

I checked myself out for the last time in the mirror before going out of my room.

We just arrived here in Hespheria.

We finished first the things that needed to be finished before going here and just like what our family agreed on, Sage will be staying in Vienna under the condition that he’ll visit me here in Hespheria whenever he’s available.

We haven’t arrived for more than three hours here, but the Mayor of hespheria invited us to his house for a feast since he and my dad were childhood friends, and since my parents flight to Russia is tomorrow, my Dad accept the humble invitation of his friend. As for me, tomorrow will be the day that I’ll go to my school and stay in the dormitory.

“I still don’t get it why do I need to come with you.” I complained to my Dad as I pout my lips.

My Dad just gently tapped me on the shoulder. “You know that it’s impossible for your brother to be here right now, right? We need to take at least one of you with us and you’re the lucky one.” He said smiling.

I pouted.

“And also your uncle Florante wants to meet you too since you’re the same age as his son who is also studying at Saint Augustine.” He continued before opening the car’s door for me.

He waited for my Mom to hop in the car before going to his seat which is the driver’s seat.

I looked depressingly at my Mom’s ancestral mansion as my Dad started the car’s engine and went our way to his friend’s house.

My Mom’s family mansion is actually old, but the design and the mansion itself still looks so elegant and modernized. And I can say that the Inocencio’s mansion is just one of the few mansions here in our village.

And I discovered that my Dad’s friend is also living here in this elite village, though it’s still far from ours since their mansion is just in the front while ours is at the end of the village.

We travelled for maybe ten minutes before my Dad stopped the car in front of a high and large gate.

“Aronzaga,” I read under my breath, the name is written on a gold tablet stone that is placed near the main gate of the mansion.

The gate immediately opened and the guards slightly bowed down after seeing our car. A man in uniform greeted us and took the car key from my dad.

A personal valet.

I’m the first one to get off of our car and I can feel my neck getting numb even if I don’t stop looking up at the mansion.

I rub my eyes to see if I’m seeing things right. The mansion is huge and is arrogantly standing in front of us, it’s thrice bigger than our ancestral mansion and it will surely take someone a few minutes of walk from the mansion’s gate to get to the main door of the mansion.

And it looks different from others, because their mansion is quite big to be inside a village. There’s also a big fountain in front of their threshold and a colorful garden. I can’t deny that the garden’s landscape is amazingly beautiful.

“Come on.” Dad supported us as we climbed up the stairs to get in front of the mansion's main door.

If the outside is already rich looking and gives your eyes satisfaction, the insides of the mansion can make you speechless, from its design to its luxurious furniture, it shouts nothing but wealth.

“Leandro!” A muscular man in his forties with a sophisticated woman beside him approached us.

“Florante, man!” My dad greeted and hugged the man.

I smiled at the scene that I am seeing right now, they really look so close to each other, even my Mom and the sophisticated lady that is with the Mayor, who I am sure of is his wife.

My Dad pulled me with him. “Here’s Maelanie, my daughter,” he boastfully introduced me to the couple. “Lanie, he’s the Mayor of this town, your uncle Florante, and his wife your Aunt Laura Aronzaga.” He continued with the introduction.

“Such a beautiful young lady. Just call me Aunt Lau.” Mrs. Aronzaga said as she held my hands.

“It’s a pity that my Yshmael is outside right now, it would have been a good thing if you two have met.” Mayor Florante said smiling.

I just nod lightly as a response to the couple. I’m actually comfortable with them despite the fact that their presence screams power and authority and I know that they’re good people even though it’s my first time meeting them.

"First impression, huh?"

They chatted for almost an hour before they decided to have dinner, and I just stayed with them the whole duration listening to their conversation and I can’t even keep up with their topics.

Exactly when I finished my meal, my phone suddenly rang.

“Excuse me,” I excused myself to them.

“Go on, do your thing or tour yourself instead of getting bored here listening to the oldies stories.” Aunt Laura said while smiling.

I bowed slightly to them and left the dining area, and I almost got lost because this mansion is too big.

I immediately go down the stairs and lean on one of the posts there.

“What took you so long, Lil' Pup?” The person on the other line asked as soon as I answered the call.

“What is it, Page? Is there something wrong?” I asked back.

“Nothing, I’m just too bored, anyway, where are you?” He answered simply and asked me again. I can hear the clicking of the keyboard, I’m sure he’s hacking some sites again.

“Neighbor.” I answered back, I walked my way to the fountain and watched how the water dances from it.

“Do you have your tablet with you?”

I heard the excitement in his voice.

I immediately took my earphone and connected it to my phone. I put my phone inside my bag and took out the tablet.

I know this, he’s going to give me some link or information because just like my other laptop, this tablet that I’m holding right now is my alternative for deep diving. Page already checked everything in my tablet so I don’t need to worry if he'll share some sensitive stuff to me using this.

“I just sent it, take a look.” But the excitement in his voice from earlier was replaced with a nervous voice.

“Is there something wrong?” I asked, I’m just curious why he would call me just to say that he sent something to me. Oh well, in our group he’s the only one who knew my personal number.

I heard him sigh, “I’m curious and at the same time worried. What I sent to you is about Hespheria, Lanie.”

I stopped from clicking the link when I heard what he just said.

“What do you mean?”

I heard him sigh again, but this time it’s a deep sigh before he answered my question. “Hespheria is one of the most peaceful towns in Vienna, not even once it got involved in any crimes or any negative issues but the articles that I sent to you says otherwise.”

My forehead creased as I finally opened the link that he sent me.

He sent two articles and it feels like my heart will burst out because of the nervousness that I’m feeling just by reading the title of the articles.

The Fake and Cruel Town of Hespheria

Wilemna Salazar: The Missing Heiress.

“Where did you get this Primo?”

I asked him, and he knows that when I call him in his true name I’m serious, the same goes for him when he calls me in my true name.

And the name of the article is kind of familiar too but I don’t remember where I saw or heard it.

He didn’t answer. I know Page, if the topic is sensitive he’ll choose to be quiet, he’ll stay quiet even if I do everything to get the answer from him.

“Page…”

“Don’t ask me the details Maelanie. Read the article, I gave it to you because I thought you need to know it, but it’s just an article and there is no proof or evidence that what is written there is true, it just might be defamation for someone. Just read it and do nothing.” He said with finality and hung up the phone.

“This jerk.” I hissed.

As I focused my attention on my tablet I realized that I’m trembling right now, I calmed myself first and stared at the article's title.

The link that Page sent me is different from other ordinary links that if you click it will automatically open and you can read the whole content, but he sent the article’s title and its content separately for sure he did something again to send it that way.

Page is somewhat brusque but I know he cares. That’s why he sent the link this way so I can prepare myself from what I’m about to disclose.

And he just does something like this if it's sensitive information.

“Who are you?”

My hand stopped midway from an attempt by clicking the highlighted article when a man suddenly appeared in front of me.

“Oh damn it!” I couldn't help but to curse due to shock as my tablet fell in the fountain.

“Who are you?” The man asked again.

His eyebrows are furrowed and his cold eyes are looking at me. I couldn’t help but to look up to him since he’s taller than me.

I just sneered at him and tried to rescue my tablet from drowning, but I couldn't reach it, the water from the fountain is quite deep and I’ll get wet if I try reaching it again with my short hands.

I heard the man at my back chuckled.

He pulled me away from the fountain. I looked at him with evident curiosity in my eyes as he folded the long sleeves of his polo.

His cold eyes landed on me again and he quietly took the tablet out of the fountain.

“Stop wandering around in my place. Such a klutz.” He said coldly and just tossed the tablet at me.

I stood here dumbfounded by what he just said. I didn’t even have the chance to talk back to him since he immediately left and climbed up at the Aronzaga’s mansion.

❤