Chapter 13

 "Do you have any idea why Grandma suddenly showed up here?"

 I didn't let Mahana off the hook until we were in the bedroom, where Grandma had ordered us to pack our things to take to her house. No matter how much I pleaded, Grandma wouldn't budge. She had made her decision, and that was final.

 "Why are you accusing me? I just woke up and went to the kitchen to cook when I saw her sitting in the living room. I was startled when I saw her," she explained, grabbing some of her clothes from the cabinet where she had stored her things in my condo.

 "Shit!" I rubbed my temples in frustration.

 "Pack your things; Grandma might come barging in here and catch you fuming," she said, placing a suitcase down for me to put my clothes and personal items in. She finished packing and was now putting her skincare and makeup products from the vanity table into a pouch.

 "Mahana, I can't. I have an important meeting today. I need to leave."

 She stared at me. "Then tell Grandma, not me."

 She put the pouch with her personal items into her shoulder bag and grabbed her phone charger to stuff it in as well.

 I plopped down at the edge of the bed, feeling overwhelmed. This was a huge problem. I would have a hard time explaining to Grandma because I knew I would get an earful when she found out my reason. She couldn't know about the annulment between Mahana and me.

 "Couple, time is running out. We need to leave now." Grandma knocked lightly on the bedroom door where Mahana and I were.

 "Damn it!"

 I had no choice but to start packing my things too. Mahana helped me to make it quicker because Grandma would surely get angry if she had to wait too long. Once we got downstairs, she immediately called her bodyguards to help us carry our luggage.

 "Okay, let's go. I'm excited to spend time with you two." Grandma cheerfully said as she led the way out of my condo.

 "Come on." Mahana gestured for me when she noticed I was lagging behind.

 I scratched my head and cursed under my breath. I wanted to make an excuse, but Grandma was too sharp. Just by looking at me, she could tell that I was lying. Shit!

 "Grandson, let my bodyguard drive your car. Let's take my service car so we can chat along the way."

 She instructed one of the bodyguards to take the keys to my car from me. I had no choice but to exhale in frustration. I handed over the car keys and helped Grandma into the car, then did the same for Mahana.

 "Wow! You two really suit each other. It's so nice to watch you together." Grandma commented, not realizing we were unaware she was watching us.

 Grandma sat in the passenger seat while Mahana and I were in the back. Mahana was alert, doing her part, wrapping her arm around me and putting on a show for my Grandma. Inside, I was seething with anger.

 "Luis, why do you look troubled?"

 Grandma noticed I was restless in my seat. I really needed to get to the bar to pick up that copy of the CCTV footage. I couldn't postpone it, especially since the annulment process would only take longer.

 "Grandma, I have an important meeting today." I bit my lip afterward, feeling nervous under her gaze.

 "More important than me? Than your wife?" She guilt-tripped me, making me swallow hard. "Just reschedule it. I rarely get to spend time with you and your wife, and you won't even accommodate me." There was a hint of disappointment in her voice, and I had no choice but to give in.

 "I'm happy that you finally got married, Luis, so I apologize for not informing you earlier about your move to my house." Grandma said as we traveled.

 I secretly typed on my phone to inform the bar staff that I would come another day due to Grandma's insistence. I also instructed them not to give the footage to anyone else, especially since I didn't know who my true allies were.

 "Mahana, what is your job again?"

 "Oh, I work at a coffee shop, Grandma." Mahana replied, subtly elbowing me in fear that Grandma might notice me.

 "Oh! Degree holder, right?"

 "Yes, BS in Business Management, Grandma."

 "Oh, you and Luis are alike then. Why don't you plan to start your own business? You both know a lot about business; it would be great if you had your own by now, especially since you don't have kids yet." Grandma suggested.

 Mahana nodded along to convince Grandma that what she was saying made sense.

 "We're planning to, Grandma."

 I elbowed Mahana for that response. I couldn't remember us discussing anything like that because, first of all, I didn't want to be in business with her. I was even reluctant to socialize with her.

 "Nice, I'm happy that finally, Luis has been enlightened by you, Mahana. You know, he had no plans in life. If you hadn't come along and married him, he would probably still be single and drowning in his vices." Grandma even laughed at her comments about me.

 "Whatever I say, Luis will follow, Grandma. He's such an obedient husband, right, hubby?" Mahana said, playfully holding my cheek as Grandma turned to look at us. Of course, I had no choice but to act sweet in front of her.

 "Of course, you're the boss." I pinched her cheek lightly, pretending she was blushing from my gesture.

 "But please don't forget to plan for having children as well. You know, you're getting older, and you might not be able to have kids later. And time is running out; I want to see my grandchild grow up, even if just for a moment, Luis."

 Mahana and I nodded, even though deep down, we both knew we couldn't allow that to happen. We didn't love each other, so having a child was impossible. I never even dreamed of being married, let alone having kids.

 When we arrived at Grandma's house, her staff immediately greeted us to help carry our things. Grandma led us into her home. Despite her age, Grandma's wealth allowed her house to keep up with modern trends and designs. I was eager to receive the reward she could offer because I knew she was not just all talk.

 While Grandma and Mahana were busy chatting, I was off to the side, trying to call Kenneth to see if he could pick up the CCTV footage from the bar for me.

 "I can't, bro. Alona and I are heading to the province right now. Try calling Chris and Rhaiven; they might not be busy."

 After Kenneth hung up on me, I called Chris, but he and Jaime were out of the country because they had just celebrated their anniversary. Rhaiven was busy at work; his secretary answered my call earlier and informed me that his schedule was hectic.

 "Damn it! Why now? This is so frustrating."

 I felt like I could explode with anger. Just when a problem was about to be resolved, another one popped up. The worst part was that I couldn't escape Grandma's insistence.

 "Attorney, I'm sorry, but I can't make it. It's an emergency. I'll call you again if I can meet with you. Okay, thanks."

 I put my phone back in my pocket and cursed under my breath. Even if I screamed in anger right now, it wouldn't help. I had no way out of Grandma's demands.

 "Hey! Grandma said it's time to eat. Let's go."

 I turned when Mahana spoke from behind me.

 "Tsk! You're so chill," I replied irritably.

 "Why? Your grandma is nice, so I found it easy to win her over. You know, instead of getting mad at me, why don't you just be grateful that I'm doing my job well? If you don't, it will only complicate your chances of getting your reward." She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at me.

 "Mahana, I can't just ignore our annulment. Okay, I appreciate what you're doing, but I need your cooperation."

 "Oh, what do you want me to do now? Tell your grandma that you're leaving because of our annulment, is that it?"

 "Just think of any reason, as long as it's not that."

 "Psh! You're the smart one; you figure it out."

 She walked away and headed to the dining room to join Grandma for a meal. I sighed as Grandma called me to eat, and I had no choice but to join them.

 "Rice, hubby?" Mahana asked me, putting on a show in front of Grandma as if she were a devoted wife. Of course, in the name of the reward, I played along with her act.

 "Just one scoop, love." I replied, and she served me rice, placing it on my plate.

 "Hey! Pinakbet!" Mahana's eyes lit up when she saw the dish I always avoided. "Oh, Grandma, you might not know, but Luis loves vegetables. Whenever I cook for him, he always requests pinakbet."

 Damn! No! I hate pinakbet!

 I subtly pinched her arm to let her know I didn't like her excuse. When she looked at me, I shot her a glare, but she discreetly pointed at Grandma, who was watching us.

 "Wow! You're improving, Luis. Before, you absolutely hated pinakbet. It seems Mahana is the cure for your pickiness," Grandma commented happily.

 "Grandma, if you want, you can keep watching Luis eat pinakbet, especially this bitter melon. Oh! This is his number one favorite." She scooped some pinakbet with a spoon and held my chin to feed me.

 I tried to plead with my eyes, but it didn't work, and in the end, she managed to feed me pinakbet for the first time. My Grandma was watching, and I had no choice but to swallow it without any fuss.

 I hate you, Mahana. You're going to regret this. Fuck!

 We continued eating, and I felt like I was going to throw up from the pinakbet. I endured every bite of our dish, reminding myself that this was part of the trial for the reward I was hoping for.

 "Since I'm happy about your marriage, of course, I can't let you go without giving you a gift. So, I got you something I know you'll both like."

 Mahana and I exchanged glances at Grandma's words. I had no idea what we both liked, aside from nullifying our marriage.

 "Sogo motel? What the fuck, Grandma." I stood up in shock when I saw the picture she was showing me as a gift. I couldn't help but curse.

 "Isn't it exciting? I want to have a grandchild from you, Luis, so if I need to make it happen, I will. So after we eat, you two should rest and recharge because tonight, you'll be in for a tiring but romantic challenge." Grandma winked slightly and flashed a smile that made my heart race.

 Shit! No way! Over my dead body!