Mang Caloy is Shot

It was seven in the morning at the Innovare headquarters, Marie went early to finish what Jasmine and Bianca instructed her to do, she was concentrating all the reports that she needs to do before her boss arrives, minutes later, Brian came in and sat down beside her, turning the laptop on, while the lass was busy with her work.

"Good Morning," Brian greeted the lass.

"Good Morning Brian," Marie responded.

"You're not in the mood today,"

"Yeah, I need to finish this report,"

"Let me help you with that."

"No need, it's just a matter of seconds and I will be finished with this."

"You're really are hardworking," Brian praised the lass.

"I need to help my uncle and aunt," Marie responded. "So that is why I am working hard."

"By the way, I bought you something to eat." Brian took out a burger and a sundae for Marie, when suddenly Vanessa came in and stood in front of them.

"So this is the woman that you're replacing me," Vanessa said.

"What?!" Marie exclaimed

"Vanessa, it's not what you think" Brian told his ex-girlfriend "And besides, I'm not your boyfriend anymore."

"But you're replacing me with this hapless woman." Vanessa argued. When she was about to spill her coffee at Marie, fortunately a hand came out of nowhere and grabbed her arms, prompting the coffee to spill at her and her pricey blouse, employees started to look at them.

"Man, it's still nine in the morning and it's very noisy," Jasmine uttered, wearing the standard corporate attire, much to Vanessa's surprise "What's going on here and who are you?"

"Ms. Jasmine, it's my fault. I was the one who is making the commotion," Brian apologized.

"Well, I am asking you what your name is." Bianca asked, glaring at the lady with intimidation.

"Va….Vanessa, Vanessa Castellano" Vanessa uttered.

"Oh, a Castellano," Bianca remarked, standing beside her younger sister "Yesterday, there were two Montevistas. Last night two Serranos were conducting surveillance at my house and now a Castellano is standing in front of us."

That moment Vanessa shivered and felt both humiliated and intimidated by Karl Marino and Arisa Kudo's daughters, who kept on staring at her.

"Every day is a scene here in the office. If you have visitors please have them wait outside and please do not disrupt the work here in the office," Bianca uttered going to her office, while Bianca did the same.

"Let's go now" Brian took the visibly stunned Vanessa away from the office. Minutes later, Jasmine went out of her office and sat beside Marie, grasping her breath.

"Castellanos, I didn't know that they had moved here in the capital," Jasmine uttered "I should've checked on them frequently,"

"What do you mean, madam?" Marie asked,

"You know, I have some bad blood with the Castellanos, Almeidas, Fontierras and Serranos" Jasmine answered "I never trusted those snakes, especially Agatha Serrano, that is why I don't accept the invitations."

"By the way, Amy and I met a girl last night," Marie told her boss "Her name was Kara Almeida"

"Well girl, there are many Almeidas here in the Philippines," Jasmine remarked "You should ask for the middle name, if it's Fontierra."

"Why, what's with the Fontierra, Miss?" Marie asked again

"That family owes us big time," Jasmine uttered "From attacking our business, to murdering my step-mother, beating up my brother, they owe us big time."

"So what are you planning now?" Marie asked. Jasmine stood up and returned to her office, leaving no answer as to what her plan was.

-----

It was three in the afternoon at the INNVOARE Headquarters when a parcel for Jasmine arrived; the receiver came out of her office after a foul odor aroused from the package. Marie and the rest of the employees were staring at the package, wondering what was inside.

"What's with the foul smell?" Jasmine asked when she noticed the package and opened it.

"A rotten chicken?" she uttered. Employees were horrified by what they saw, a chicken with bullets in its mouth and a wallet.

"Edmund's wallet," she said taken that wallet of the chicken and stared for a while "He is sleeping with the chickens?"

"What do you mean, Ms. Jasmine?" Marie asked her boss,

"Someone must have killed my Edmund," Jasmine uttered, prompting Marie and Brian to shiver "Just joking, anyway I don't know who sent this, but throw it, it can't be cooked,"

"Ms. Jasmine, you have an appointment tomorrow at the groundbreaking of the new Marino tower," Marie reminded her bosses

"I know," Jasmine quipped before returning to her office.

----

Marie went home early, tired and exhausted, lying on the couch, closing her eyes for a bit when the door opened. It was Mang Caloy, Gabo and Cynthia entering the house.

"Marie, you're early," said Mang Caloy.

"I wasn't feeling well, so I came home," Marie reasoned out

"Ryoma is in his room, why don't you call him for dinner," said Gabo. "We bought dinner."

"What did you bought?" Marie asked, Gabo was holding two boxes of pizza stared at the young lady.

"A bucket of chicken," Gabo answered, "I hope you like it extra flat and crispy?"

"Stop it you two," Cynthia interrupted, "Call Royma,"

Marie hesitated for a moment, then slowly made her way upstairs, pausing in front of Ryoma's bedroom door. She knocked three times, her knuckles tapping lightly against the wood. There was no response. Frowning, Marie hesitated briefly before turning the doorknob and pushing the door open. What she saw inside left her stunned.

Ryoma was lying on his bed, completely naked, with a girl beside him, equally unclothed. The shock of the situation caused Marie to gasp, her hand flying to her mouth in disbelief. "Oh my god! Ryoma!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with a mix of surprise and horror.

Ryoma jolted upright at her outburst, his eyes wide with panic. He quickly scrambled to cover himself with a nearby blanket, then darted over to Marie, covering her mouth with his hand to keep her from screaming again. "Hush," he whispered urgently, glancing back at the girl, who was hurriedly trying to cover herself as well. "If Mang Caloy finds out about this, we're both screwed."

Marie pushed his hand away, her eyes narrowing at him. "Why didn't you even go to a motel if you wanted to do...this?" she asked in a harsh whisper, trying to keep her voice down despite her frustration.

Ryoma gave a sheepish grin, shrugging. "It's free here," he muttered. "And I didn't think you all would come home early. We thought we'd have the place to ourselves for a bit longer."

Marie sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "What are we going to do now? If Mang Caloy finds out, he's going to lose it."

Ryoma glanced around the room, his mind racing. "We need to find a way for Rio and me to get out of here without being seen," he suggested. But as he spoke, his expression suddenly changed. His eyes widened, and his face went pale. He slowly turned his head to the door, where Mang Caloy stood, arms crossed and a stern expression on his face.

"I can explain," Ryoma stammered, his voice trembling as he tried to come up with some sort of excuse or explanation.

Mang Caloy didn't say anything for a moment, his gaze fixed on Ryoma with a look of disapproval that made Ryoma feel even smaller than he already did. Finally, Mang Caloy spoke, his voice calm but firm. "What are you going to explain?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. "You have five minutes to get dressed and come downstairs for dinner. Both of you."

Ryoma swallowed hard, nodding quickly. "Yes, Mang Caloy," he muttered, scrambling to find his clothes as Rio did the same.

Five minutes later, Ryoma and Rio made their way downstairs to the dining room. They both sat down, avoiding eye contact with Mang Caloy, who was seated at the head of the table, his expression unreadable.

Marie, who had been standing in the doorway, spoke up hesitantly. "Mang Caloy, maybe I should just eat in the kitchen with Uncle Gabo and Aunt Cynthia," she suggested, clearly uncomfortable with the tension in the room.

Mang Caloy shook his head, not taking his eyes off Ryoma and Rio. "No, you can sit on my left," he instructed, gesturing to the chair beside him. Marie reluctantly sat down, glancing nervously between her uncle and the two young people.

Mang Caloy finally turned his attention to Ryoma and Rio. "So," he said slowly, his tone measured, "why don't you introduce her to Marie?"

Ryoma cleared his throat, his face still flushed with embarrassment. "This is Rio. Rio Ojeda," he introduced, gesturing to the girl beside him. Rio gave a shy smile, her face slightly red from the awkwardness of the situation. She was slim with pouty lips and captivating eyes, clearly attractive, but the circumstances made it hard for anyone to focus on that.

Mang Caloy nodded slowly, still keeping his gaze on the pair. "Well, Rio," he began, "I hope you're hungry, because we're about to have a long talk over dinner." The atmosphere in the room was thick with tension, and everyone could feel that this meal was going to be anything but ordinary.

"Nice to meet you, sir," Rio greeted Mang Caloy with a polite nod, her voice steady despite the tension in the air.

"She's the daughter of Senator Eugene Ojeda," Ryoma quickly added, trying to establish some ground for civility. "We worked together at the NBI."

Mang Caloy gave a knowing nod. "I know that," he replied, his tone even but carrying a weight of experience. "You really are your father's son, Ryoma."

Ryoma smirked, leaning back slightly. "My father got it from his father," he shot back, half-jokingly. "I mean, who on earth marries three times, has two mistresses, and a relationship with a former aristocrat?"

"Maybe you should shut your mouth now," Mang Caloy suggested with a sharp edge in his voice. Ryoma immediately fell silent, recognizing the gravity in the old man's tone.

As the conversation dragged on, Mang Caloy grew quiet, his eyes narrowing as if sensing something. He had stopped eating, his fork suspended in mid-air.

"Is there something wrong?" Ryoma asked, noticing the sudden change in Mang Caloy's demeanor. Just then, they heard a rumble of engines outside, followed by the distinct sound of vehicles pulling up in front of the house. "There are a lot of cars parked outside," Ryoma continued, starting to rise from his seat. "I'd better go check—"

"No!" Mang Caloy barked, yanking Marie down below the table with surprising strength for his age. "Get to the kitchen!" he ordered, his voice urgent.

As the gravity of the situation hit them, Ryoma and Rio scrambled to the kitchen, ducking down beside Gabo and Cynthia, who were already preparing for a fight. The air was thick with tension, everyone bracing themselves for what was about to come.

Mang Caloy dashed to his room, emerging moments later with a rifle and a couple of suitcases. Without hesitation, he fired at the approaching assailants, his sharp aim taking down several before they could get too close.

"Gabo, grab the suitcases!" Mang Caloy shouted, tossing them to his old friend. Gabo nodded, motioning for the others to follow him out the back door.

As they ran through the back of the house, gunfire erupted from behind. The attackers had pursued them, and bullets whizzed by, forcing them to duck and weave. Mang Caloy fired back with precision, taking down several of the assailants, but he was outnumbered.

"Who are these people?" Gabo shouted over the gunfire.

"I don't know!" Mang Caloy yelled back, taking out another attacker with a well-placed shot. Just then, a burst of bullets hit Mang Caloy in the abdomen, causing him to grunt in pain and slump to the ground.

"Mang Caloy!" Marie screamed, horror evident in her voice. She rushed to his side, trying to help him up.

Despite the pain, Mang Caloy managed to get back on his feet, his face grim with determination. They staggered a few more steps when a vehicle screeched to a stop in front of them. The door swung open, and a familiar voice called out from inside.

"Uncle! Get in!" a man shouted urgently.

Gabo and Cynthia helped Mang Caloy into the car, while Marie, Rio, and Ryoma scrambled in after them. The vehicle sped off, leaving the chaos behind. Inside, the atmosphere was tense, with Mang Caloy bleeding heavily from his wound.

"Mang Caloy," Marie's voice quivered as she saw the blood soaking through his clothes.

"Eugene, we have to get him to the hospital," Cynthia urged, her face pale. "Otherwise, he won't make it."

"I'm calling Marla and Rafael right now," Eugene said from the driver's seat, his voice tight with urgency as he maneuvered the car through the streets.

Marie clung to Mang Caloy's hand, her eyes welling up with tears. "Mang Caloy," she whispered, her voice breaking.

The old man gave her a weak smile, his eyes filled with a mixture of pain and reassurance. "Don't worry about me, young lady," he said softly. "You just take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will," Marie replied, her tears flowing freely as the car sped through the dark streets toward the hospital, each second feeling like an eternity.

------

Upon arriving at the hospital, Mang Caloy was rushed inside the emergency room, while Gabo and Eugene's men surrounded the area to avoid another wave of attack or media frenzy.

Marie, Ryoma and Rio sat on the benches while Eugene stood in front of them.

"So Rio, what brings you to their house?" Eugene asked "Is it work?"

"No Dad," said Rio, bowing her head

"What if something happened to you?" said Eugene "I will never forgive myself."

Moments later, four men arrived, all of them had a good looks despite their age, the three gentlemen stood at the side, while the other one stood beside Ryoma, patting his head.

"Rafael," Eugene uttered, staring at the man sitting beside Ryoma

"How's the old man?" Rafael asked.

"He is with Marla and Gaku at the operating room." Eugene responded "It's not good."

"If it's not good, it means he'll still be alive," said Rafael

"Marie, I want you to meet my father, Rafael, "Ryoma introduced his father, Marie's eyes were locked unto Rafael for a moment.

"Nice to meet you, young lady," Rafael offered his hand

"She is a boarder in the house that Grandpa lived," Ryoma explained, "And Marie these are my uncles, Muro, Kazuki and Takeru. They are all smart and good looking."

"Nice to meet you," Muro, Kazuki and Takeru both greeted the young lady.

"They're only good looking, I don't know about being smart," a lady-like voice said out of nowhere, she stood beside Muro. Marie was mesmerized of the lady's timeless beauty, her big doe eyes, fair skin, perfectly shaped face, high nose bridge and plump lips, beside her was a tall Japanese man with a flower boy aura that girls can easily fall in love with.

"Geez, you're generalizing your brothers," Muro reacted

"That's my aunt, Marla, she is a doctor and behind him is my uncle Gaku," Ryoma introduced her aunt and uncle, "Aunt Marla, Uncle Gaku she is Marie, she lives with us in the boarding house."

"Nice to meet you," Marla greeted.

"How is Dad?" Takeru asked.

"I've removed the bullet from his abdomen," Marla explained breathing deeply, "But he suffered a cardiac arrest but was revived, so he is still under observation, but I wouldn't wait the last minute till I get those organ donor cards."

"Marla, why would you say that?" Muro asked.

"We all know what we want after Dad dies," Marla answered "Rafael despised Dad, Kazuki has some resentment on Dad, Takeru has some issues with Dad, so why don't we do it, he has already signed his will after all."

"For the record, I never despised him," Rafael explained "I resented him for what happened to Sachiko."

"You told him that he should be the one who died instead of Sachiko," Marla reminded "It broke his heart and ran away."

Rafael turned silent and lowered his head while Marla stared at her eldest brother with a grin. "And now Ryoma is getting that attitude of yours, the both of you had only one job in this world and that is to look after Dad while looking after the company."

"My question is who did this to Dad?" Muro asked, "Gabo, who did this?"

"We got a clue already," said Eugene, "My men found this snake emblem in the trash bin where the shoot out happened."

Marla took the snake emblem and examined it when Bianca and Jasmine arrived.

"Marla, how's dad?" Jasmine asked

"Sleeping under sedation," Marla straightforwardly answered, "He got hit in the abdomen and almost got a cardiac arrest so I sedated him to avoid being stressed out, but he is okay so far."

"What is that?" Bianca asked

"A snake emblem, a lead on who did this horrible thing to Dad," Marla answered "The four boys couldn't analyze this aside from brawling and abusing Muro's smartness."

As the conversation went deeper, Jasmine noticed Marie in the corner.

"Marie, what brings you here?" Jasmine asked

"Auntie, she lives with us in the boarding house," Ryoma explained, surprising both Bianca and Jasmine

"Bianca, Jasmine, have you called the rest about what happened to Dad?" Marla asked

"Nozomi wants to know who did this and have Rafael and the boys kill the assailants," Bianca answered.

"Why don't she come here and kill those assailants?" Rafael asked.

"That's the only job you can do and you want a woman to do it for you?!" Jasmine raised her voice, "After all Dad had done for you?!"

"You still despise him because of what happened to Sachiko?" Bianca asked "I mean, you're in love with Karen, I mean I don't know what made you fell in love with that bitch, her body, the way she does it in bed, but you're in love with her yet you despise the one who gave you life?"

"I came here because I am also concerned about Dad's health, I didn't know I am in the hot seat," Rafael answered back.

"Because you kept on complaining," Marla responded still browsing the emblem.

"So I don't have the right to complain?" Rafael queried.

"You have the right," Jasmine responded "But not at this time when your father is in critical condition, you have no right to complain."

Rafael shut his mouth and sat down, unable to defeat his sisters' reasoning. Jasmine sat beside Marie and held her hand.

"I'm sorry you have to hear all of these rants," Jasmine told Marie,

"To be honest, I am surprised that your father is Mang Caloy," Marie said

"Mang Caloy?" an amused Jasmine asked

"That is Grandpa's alias," Ryoma explained

"That crazy old man is still at it," said Kazuki.

"You all better go to rest, Gaku and I will check on Dad and will transfer him into a presidential suite," said Marla and all the Marino siblings, Eugene, Rio and Marie dispersed.

"Ms. Marla," Marie approached the doctor, "Can I see Mang Caloy?"

"He is under sedation, you can see him once he is transferred to a suite," Marla explained, "Go grab a bite to eat."

Marie sat down at the bench as everyone left the area, waiting for any news about the old man.

--chapter end--