Book 2: Chapter 48

I couldn't seem to imagine that my grandfather had other women. Perhaps, he did it while grandmother was still alive. But who am I to judge him anyway?

"It was a short-term relationship with his secretary, back then. When your grandmother found it out, she almost left; but luckily, your grandfather was able to persuade her to save their marriage. From then on, he never had a female secretary, and that was how Philip came in."

"So, Philip was grandpa's secretary?"

"And Sean's, when he passed away. He is your grandfather's most trusted assistant."

My heart sank as I heard it. I still remembered how Philip affirmed Hazel's confession about my real identity. If it were not for him, I would not have trusted Hazel's claims. If it were not for him, I would not have come to believe that Sean was making lies all along.

"Sadly, he has betrayed them," I said, my lips turning into a smirk.

The pilot looked up to me, squinting his eyes. "Philip? Never."

"But— "

The pilot laughed hard, his eyes shrinking into a puffy slit. "I applaud Philip for being such a good actor. Sean was almost convinced that he was a traitor."

"What do you mean?" It was my turn to look at him with enlarged eyes.

I had noticed that the longer I stared into his face, it looked like I saw him somewhere already. I had a sharp memory every time I read a book, no matter how thick it may be, but when it came to remembering faces and names of persons, I am such a loser.

"He was the first to know about President Ric's intention. And he was the first to know about Eric's collaboration with him. He reached out to Eric, offering his cooperation in putting out Sean. He's doing it very well, giving Sean enough time to prepare."

I felt myself heating up in anger. Why would Philip deceive me, as well?

"Wondering why Philip deceived you, as well?" the pilot said, echoing what I had in mind.

I nodded, heaving out a deep sigh. "Because Sean predicted that one of these days, his enemies will be able to succeed in deceiving you."

"What about Hazel?" I asked, remembering how lovey-dovey they went, and how Hazel's eyes shone when she looked at Philip.

"Hazel is the spy Eric planted into the office."

I brushed my fingers through my hair, recalling how easily my heart accepted her. She was emotional and sweet at the same time, making my hair stand on its end.

"But captain, I remember the president asking help from Sean to take care of Calla when the news of his illicit love affair shook the nation."

"After the reading of the will, the president pretended to have conceded heartily and that he accepted the reality. He even apologized. But Philip saw through his intentions. He got someone to act as an investor, aiming that one day, he could be able to take the company from Sean."

Needless to have the pilot's explanation, I concluded that Mr. Ian of Riddance Corporation had Eric and the president's support. I shuddered at the thought that one of these days, I would be informed that Mr. Ian has successfully taken over the company.

What I couldn't believe was Eric's involvement in this. To clear off my suspicion, I raised up the subject.

"Captain, what do you know about Eric?"

The pilot threw out a burst of mirthless laughter, making tears glint in the corners of his eyes. His handsome face shone on top of his white uniform, posing the image of a highly-esteemed flight pilot.

"Eric is nothing but a puppet. He understands that he is merely used for the president's advantage. He also knew that the president is after Grey's inheritance, but in his heart, he still believes he can win you out. If he succeeds in marrying you, then he would fight for the inheritance against the president. If things wouldn't go as he planned, at least the president can approve without much hassle his business expansion and his tax evasion."

I froze for a moment at how low did Eric stoop down just because of greed. But Calla's image came to my mind, stealing my thoughts away from him.

"What will happen to Calla?"

"That poor woman. Her wild dreams only give way to her downfall. She understands that she could never get away from him. And she knows exactly what will happen to her should she go against his will."

"She's with Sean the last time I saw him."

"She came to warn Sean about the president's moves. It so happened that he got so occupied in dealing against the United Nation's investigation on him. To put it plainly, Calla is not an enemy."

"It's not what you think— " I remembered Sean trying to explain it to me, but I was too hurt to listen to him. Anyway, I had already broken up with him. So, what right did I have to get jealous?

I looked away and stared at the runway as I realized that all along, Sean remained true to me. And at that moment, I was already willing to forgive his sexual betrayal with Calla. I tried to inculcate in my mind the thought that sex was just a matter of lust and flesh, and what really mattered was the person you want to keep in your heart.

"So, where are they now?" I asked drops of tears were now trickling down my face.

"Just the other day, I flew Calla to Papua New Guinea. From there, she would start out her new life using her new identity as Rya Sevilla. As for Sean, I don't know yet. He had not contacted me since the other day."

I broke into a sob as I played in my mind all those scenes about my encounter with Calla, the videos that President Ric showed me, and that moment I saw her with Sean inside the hotel. Thoughts of regret also washed over me for not being able to tell that Sean had been the most reliable person I could have leaned on for support. All those lies blinded me, and my anger had caused the inheritance to crumble down in the hands of the greedy.

The pilot allowed me to cry for who knew how long. He just sat across me silently, handing me some plies of tissue paper to wipe my tears away.

"What will happen to the company, then?" I asked in between my sobs.

"Put that away from your mind as of now. Philip is still there to fight for the company. He has apparently dedicated his life to serving the Greys."

My face lit up at the mention of Philip. At least, I could still cling to some rays of hope.

"Dr. Red, shall we go now?" the pilot smiled and extended his hand to help me stand; his expression so full of gentleness.

"Sure.'

'Where should I take you?"

"Anywhere far from the city. I just want to have some peace of mind anywhere in a tranquil place."

The pilot nodded. "Okay. I know a place you should go. But as of now, try to go to sleep."

I didn't know how long was our travel, but when I woke up, I was already inside a hotel room.