CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

"Big Brother." Worriedly, said Carmela when Manuel went to where her sister was detained.

"Hurry up." He whispered while helping Carmela escape.

"Brother, you'll get into trouble for what you did." Concern, her little sister said to him.

Manuel didn't speak; they walked carefully through the mansion so no one would see them, because he was going to rescue his little sister from the hands of their cruel father.

There is a waiting car; he will take her to where the two lovers will meet. His sister is two months pregnant; if she stays in the mansion for too long, she might go crazy.

As a brother, he couldn't bear to see Carmela suffering. He escorted her to the meeting place, and he saw Donald.

"Run away." That's all he said when he saw the man.

He nodded at him.

"Big Brother." Carmela simply hugged him.

"Be careful; keep your distance from here while the Gonzalez family still controls Santiago." His reminder to the two.

The two nodded. Carmela had just given birth to her child, and their father was threatening to kill the newborn that Carmela had just given birth to.

He was ready to sacrifice himself for Carmela. He watched the two of them. When his father found out, he was punished and bore the painful marks on his body. He will endure it; he will endure it until he can no longer bear it.

There was also a fierce argument between the Gonzalez and Santiago families. The Gonzalez family won, and his father was so furious that he almost cursed Carmela. Carmela secretly sends letters; Manuel hides them so his father won't see them.

He still carefully keeps in touch with his sister, who is now living quietly with her husband and their child. Even though he only caught a glimpse of his niece, he was happy to rescue the mother and child.

He had not yet met Leah at that time because he was studying in college far from the town. Because he was far from his father, he was free to communicate with his youngest sibling.

Sometimes, Manuel is given a picture of the child, whom they named Ellena. Manuel's parents left no inheritance for Carmela, but his sister left with all her heart. She did not finish her studies because of her father's actions.

He still keeps a close watch on his every move, knowing that he is monitoring his sister's actions.

He notices that he rarely receives letters from her; he just thinks that maybe Carmela has become busy with life. He only wishes for his sister to always be safe. Even though he wanted to send his sister money for her needs, he couldn't do it because there were many eyes watching his every move.

He completely lost communication with Carmela; he only heard the news that his father had captured her. He hurriedly went home to the mansion. He was just surprised that he brought a little girl with him.

"Dad." Whose child is that? Just a question.

"Who else? To your talented sibling." His cruel father said it to his face.

It felt like his world was crumbling at that moment. "W—What did you do to Carmela and Donald, Dad?" Manuel asked him directly.

"What else can be done with those? I have given them a lifetime of rest." His father exclaimed and looked at Manuel intently.

He swallowed his saliva; he couldn't speak right away. His mind was questioning how his father found this.

Suddenly, letters were dropped to his subordinate; these were the letters he had sent to Carmela.

"It's your fault why I caught their scent. You know that my sense of smell is strong; no one can escape me." His cruel father smiled menacingly at him and was pleased with what he was doing.

He suddenly blamed himself, clenched his fist, his hand trembling, and wanted to punch his father now.

"Don't hurt the child, Dad." That's all he could say to his father, who looked at the innocent child staring at them.

He was the one who took care of Ellena in the meantime, always asking about her parents. A few days later, news broke that two bodies were found in an empty lot, one female and one male. It was no longer recognizable due to the severe injuries it had sustained.

When that came out, the Gonzalez family took action, blaming his father. He was deeply saddened by the death of his youngest sister, but he couldn't scream because his father controlled everything.

How can I explain to the child that their parent is no longer here? He could only wonder in his mind.

His parents made it seem that the Santiago family was also innocent. They gave Carmela a beautiful wake, but Ellena was locked in a room so no one could see the child, especially the Gonzalez family.

It was revealed in the investigation that it was also done by his father to cover up the Santiago scandal, as his father was involved in a large organization, which led to the death of the couple. However, the Gonzalez family did not believe this; they were looking for loopholes, especially the furious brother of Donald, who was searching for the child Ellena, who had been hidden in their custody for a long time.

He took care of the child Ellena for a month. He thought she would be safe, but the father decided to erase the memory and throw it away.

He deeply regretted following his father's orders. He did not return to the town of San Mateo; he focused on his studies just to forget the bitter experience he went through. He couldn't do anything for his little sister and his nephew.

Manuel found freedom when he started his own life, and his father no longer meddled in his life as much back then. He is desperately trying to correct the mistake he made. He secretly searched for that child; he remembered that the child was wearing a bracelet.

He would recognize the child when he wore the bracelet, but he didn't see any child wearing a bracelet that had a design different from all the others.

One year, he left San Mateo again and returned immediately because his father had a partner again. There, he met a young lady named Leah, the daughter of a wealthy family in Martinez.

He didn't realize that his father was manipulating him again. He thought he had control over all his actions, but he didn't because of the stress and pressure brought by his father's business. He learned to go to the bar; there, he met a woman who would become the spark in his quiet life, along with his girlfriend Leah.

He drowned in the sin he would repeat, which did not save his youngest, Carmela.

He was lost in his thoughts now; he didn't know why, as a soul, he felt an overwhelming remorse deep within him.