Exposé

Juan Miguel really sided with Auguste when it came to his decisions regarding the finances of the company, and the family as well. This made Geoffroy even more furious.

“But Dad! He's abusing the authority you have given him! He can’t just freeze my credit card just like that. He won’t even give me money to spend.”

“Son, just listen to your brother. If you want to earn money, work in the company. It's time for you to help us run the Ortega Group. You're not getting any younger.”

The thing about Geoffroy – as well as Auguste – is that when it’s their father that's ordering them, they just can’t refuse. It's the overflowing respect they feel for him that made them like this. Of course, they can appeal but once the older Ortega said it’s final, then it’s final. No one can counter that.

Except for that one person, of course. Geoffroy suddenly thought of the only person that can persuade their father.

“Where’s Mom?” He looked around the living room where they are talking.

“I was at the library when she left. She said she’s just visiting a friend.”

As if on cue, Céline Brizuela-Ortega suddenly arrived.

“Ooh! Henri mon amour!” She came and kissed her younger son. “What brought you here?”

“Big brother froze my credit cards, and he even disallowed my allowance from the office,” Geoffroy answered, with a pout to make his mother more sympathetic of him.

“Oh?” Céline looked at Juan Miguel.

“Let Auguste do what he thinks is best for the company, and this family as well,” Juan Miguel said to his wife. “Not long from now he will be the head of this clan. Might as well make him experience it as soon as possible.”

“Head of the clan! He doesn’t even know how to date!” Geoffroy is really annoyed, more so because his mother doesn’t seem to want to help him. “How can he continue this bloodline if he won’t even marry?”

“Speaking of marry...” Céline looked at Juan Miguel. “I already met her.”

Juan Miguel frowned, but it was Geoffroy who asked his mother.

“Met who?”

“Cinderella!” Céline looked at Geoffroy. “You’re brother’s mystery girl.”

Geoffroy was stunned.

“Is that where you went?” Juan Miguel asked Céline.

“Oui, mon amour,” Céline answered. “I went to UrbanShop and met Margaret. She seems to be a very interesting woman. Mignonne, I can say. She seems nice and very polite.”

“Margaret? UrbanShop?” Geoffroy asked.

“Oui,” Céline answered. “Cinderella happened to be Margaret, la belle Timmy's assistant. I went to see her, and it was a very pleasant meeting. Although, I think she was a little intimidated. Am I really that domineering?” He looked at the two men.

“Maybe she was just shy,” Juan Miguel said. “It was the first time she met you. I remember you told me you were the same when you first met my mother.”

“I guess so. But she said she has nothing to do with Auguste. That they’ll never meet again. That is very strange.”

“How did you know that this Margaret is Fatima’s assistant?” Suddenly, Geoffroy’s interest shifted from his finances to his brother’s love life.

“Iñigo went here earlier. He told us about it,” Céline answered.

“Iñigo...?” Geoffroy fell deep in thought.

“There’s something about that Margaret that I like,” Céline said. She looked at her husband. “You know? I kind of felt she is a good person.”

“Well, you are a good judge of character,” Juan Miguel said. “It might be your instinct working again for you.”

“I guess that’s true,” Céline said.

“Do you think this girl is good for Brother?” Geoffroy said.

“Based on first impression, I think she is,” Céline said. “But of course, it would take more than first impression. I need to talk to her more, that kind of talk where she’s not timid and would tell me more about herself.”

“Why don’t you do a background check on her, Mom? You can ask Andy to do it for you.” Andy is Céline Brizuela-Ortega's driver-bodyguard. Since being a bodyguard involves knowing the person that his boss transacts with, he also does background check for her sometimes.

“I already did,” Céline answered.

“You seem to like that girl a lot,” Juan Miguel said to his wife.

“Well, like I've said, if she’s good enough for my Hervé, then I'm for it. What matters is he is happy.”

The Ortega couple did not notice Geoffroy’s contemplation. He stood there quietly as he tried to analyze everything that he has heard.

“Let’s wait for the background check that Andy did,” Céline said. “Then after, we can decide if this girl is really good for my Hervé.”

“Mom, Dad, I have to go,” Geoffroy suddenly said. He kissed his mother on the cheek. “See you later!”

“Are you having dinner with us tonight?”

But Geoffroy was not able to answer his mother’s question anymore as he immediately left. He went back to the Ortega Group building. This time, he went straight to his cousin Thirdy’s office.

“Hey!” Thirdy said as he saw him barge into his office.

“Thirdy, I have a lead on the mystery girl.”

Thirdy frowned. “Who?”

“Auguste’s Cinderella!” He sat down on a chair in front of Thirdy’s table.

Thirdy contemplate for a while. “That girl? Wait! Don't tell me Admin already found out who she is.”

“No.” Geoffroy shook his head. “I don’t think Admin will ever find her. Cinderella really does not belong to the upper class.”

“So how did you find out about her?”

“I don’t know what happened, but Iñigo found out that Cinderella is Margaret, and she is Fatima Velasco’s executive assistant.”

“What?” Thirdy was really surprised.

“Yes! I can’t believe she was just close all along. If only I have gone to Timmy’s office. She is always the one to go to the office for the board meetings.”

“But what are we going to do now? So we know who she is, but how can we make them meet again? Your brother is a very stubborn one. For sure, he would not just agree to date that Margaret, or even meet her for that matter.”

Geoffroy pondered.

“So what are we going to do?” Thirdy also fell deep in thought.

Geoffroy saw his cell phone. “How about... we use the help of Admin again?”

“Huh?” Thirdy looked at him.

“Let’s tell him to do a post about exposing Cinderella’s identity! When that goes viral again, at least inside the group, then my brother will be compelled to pay attention to Margaret.”

“Are you sure about that?” Thirdy looks skeptical. “Your brother might just make the IT team take it down again.”

“He won’t if he doesn’t know about it,” Geoffroy answered. “The last time this happened, I even needed to show him the post because he had no idea about it. If no one tells him about the post, then he would not know.”

“Well, let’s hope no one tells him... So are you really going to tell Admin about your exposé?”

Geoffroy suddenly remembered something. “There’s just one problem, though.” He looked a little despaired.

“What is it?”

“I don’t have money to donate to Admin.”

Thirdy took a while to absorb what Geoffroy said.

“For sure she will ask me to donate to charity again before she does my request.”

Thirdy chuckled.

“Why does this financial problem need to happen right now? I need money!” Now Geoffroy looked really hopeless.

“Okay, fine! If the Admin asks for donation, then I’ll pay for it,” Thirdy said.

Geoffroy’s eyes glistened with hope again. “Thank you, Thirdy! You really are the best!”

“It’s nothing. For Auguste, I will do everything. Just like you. And, it’s for a cause anyway.”

“I’m really wondering who that Admin is. She asks for donations whenever I ask her to do something for me.”

“We’re not even sure she’s a she.”

“Only a woman can be smart like that,” Geoffroy commented.

“Let’s just be thankful that she doesn’t have an exposé about you. Or else, you need to donate again to Brgy. Loria or any other barangay that was devastated by a calamity. You need to be careful, you know.”

“I know!” Geoffroy said, acting like a child being reprimanded. “And by the way, Admin seems to be on my side already. I give her exposés, and money as donation. What more will she like?”

Thirdy shrugged. “Don’t have an idea, but as you’ve said, this is good for the meantime.”

Geoffroy nodded. “I’m messaging her now.” He opened the Messenger app on his cell phone, then searched for his contact labeled as Admin.

'I’ve got something for you.'

He started telling her the exposé that he wants her to expose on their group.

****

Mon amour – my love

Mignonne – cute

Oui – yes