Chapter 1 A Blast from his Past

RAFAELLA was checking the screen to see if her flight to New York was ready when she noticed a bearded man following her. She was used to it though her time as a CIA agent ended two weeks ago.

She used to be with anyone for a long time, so she can't help but worry about being alone. She was with a co-worker named Gwen, but after quitting the operatives, she was left to manage everything alone. It was also her first attempt to travel back home to be with her mother for three days, so she had to return to the place of her birth and upbringing to carry out her plan. And eventually, she also wanted to move her family to a safer location.

Rafaella quickly bent down towards where the woman's toilet was when the man removed his eyes from her. She promptly pulled out her phone when she entered the women's bathroom but realized she couldn't call any of her old co-workers. She had no right to ask for their assistance because she had already cut her ties when she resigned.

As soon as she got into the restroom cubicle to change her clothes, she heard a woman's voice pleading; she logically entered one of the cubicles and took off fresh clothes from her backpack so the man who followed her wouldn't recognize her. She was finished changing her clothes when she heard the door slam open and close. Then she heard a commotion.

Rafaella instinctively placed her feet on the rim of the toilet bowl in fear as she listened to the voice say, "Obviously, there's no one around. Bring that woman here for interrogation," said the man's voice.

As she listened to what would happen outside the cubicle, she tried to control herself and hold her breath.

"Don't test my patience, woman. Tell me where you put my boss's stolen luggage if you don't want your family to find your dead body in the trash."

The woman insisted in a trembling voice, "I keep saying I don't know," the woman insisted, "You already looked inside my luggage and seen what's inside."

Rafaella could hear one of the woman's frustrated sighs. Then another woman interrupted, saying, "Finish her and follow me."

Rafaella heard the door close and hurriedly put her foot on the floor. She took a quarter coin and tossed it into a corner stall facing further from where she was. After she tossed the coin, footsteps were in the same area where she threw it. She knew then that someone was inspecting it outside the cubicle.

Rafaella heard the door open as a woman shouted, "Hey!" loudly. Followed by thudded of footsteps, then silence followed.

She guessed the woman who was supposed to be in the bathroom might have escaped. When it got quiet, she rushed out of the cubicle and met a gang of youths on her way out. She quickly walked out of the comfort room.

It was a relief when she arrived on schedule and called her flight on the dot. Before entering the tarmac, she slowly passed the old ladies, grinning at them as if she knew them, and finally heaved a sigh of relief after that. Her eyes were also attentive even though she was inside an aircraft. She just leaned on the back of the chair after making sure there was no suspicious movement.

She put on her sunglasses and closed her eyes loosely so she could take a nap, but she couldn't. Returning to her hometown brought her back from what had happened that made her leave. It was an escape for her to go and forget everything that hurt her, which affected her life even though she was able to start over abroad. But she yearned to be with her mother. Talking to her was not enough now that she had time to see her and convince her to live with her in another state.

She usually called Mrs. Wood about her mother's welfare, who used to be their governess, but when her father died, they lacked financial ability. Her mother had no choice but to end her service. But Alexus, who used to be their neighbor and a family friend, hired her as his governess, and it's through her that she found out that he was taking care of her mother after she got out of the hospital. She could still remember the night the mafia lord's men entered their house to get her. However, she managed to escape, not her mother, who fell down the stairs. And it became worst when Alexus revealed the truth about their marriage by proxy, which was consented to by her father.

And that's why she could not understand why Alexus had to interfere with her mother's welfare when he was the one who filed for their divorce. What did the man want to prove when everything was over with the two of them? It was crystal clear that he wanted to cut ties with her.

She couldn't ask Mrs. Wood about those things because she felt her evasive reply. All she could tell her was she had nothing to worry about since her mother was in good condition, but it was not enough even when she had the chance to talk to her mother. She was unconvinced, so now she sought to speak to her mother personally. And she needed to clarify with her estranged husband the nature of their divorce since she got a different story from the official record she requested.

The moment she left the airport, she called the nanny of her twin kids, who arrived before her and had already checked in at the hotel, where they would temporarily spend a few hours before continuing to their destination.

And she decided to call Mrs. Wood to find out if her mother's at home. In one of her calls, her mother explained that she usually spent time at Latimer's residence, which she didn't mind because it was just across their house.

But now, she was shocked to learn that she couldn't talk to her mother without permission from Alexus. But why?

"Please, talk to Alexus as I kept telling you. He can explain to you better about your mother's health. She's fine, but I can't bring her to where you are easy. I need to ask his permission. You know that your mother had a stroke, and it's a bit delicate to hear anything that could trigger it."

"Do you mean to say that my mother is not really at home? She does not live there?"

"That's right, Rafa. But please, ask Alexus."

The information shocked her, but she realized it was fruitless to talk to the governess. She replied, "It's okay, Mrs. Wood. I understand your side. When is he coming home, and where can I find him now? I've been trying to call him, but he's not answering from his place of work."

"They have a gathering today at a hotel. I heard it's Sandy's birthday."

Oh, he's still with her, she thought.

"Alright. Thank you very much, Mrs. Wood. I'm going to see him."

She let out a deep sigh in the air as she dropped her phone inside her shoulder bag while her mind filled with what the governess had said, who was almost the same age as her mother.

She could not understand why Alexus seemed to control those who visited her mother. Since when did he interfere in her mother's welfare? It was only now that she got an idea about it.

It somewhat upset her that their former governess hid the actual arrangement of her mother. She felt like she was betrayed.

Oh, this is beyond my understanding of what his objective is. She reflected. As she peeked out of the cab, she told herself she didn't have time to chase after anyone to see his mother.

RAFAELLA was not surprised to see a crowded function room because Mrs. Wood told her numerous visitors were in the ongoing gathering.

She took a breath when she spotted the familiar shape of the man she was aiming for at that party. The murmur of elegant voices made her stomach flutter as she continued walking forward. The man was grinning broadly at the people in front of him, both men and women. He seemed happy and relaxed.

Her facade became stiff when she saw the lovely face of a woman she was all too familiar with sitting next to him. Sandy.

Rafaella's eyes moved to the man's hand resting on the woman's shoulder. He was laughing at someone who said something to him, then shook his head and looked around. It was undeniable how he was stunned for a moment. The smile on his lips quickly vanished when he raised his eyes to meet hers adequately. Somehow, he felt her eyes on him.

The woman at his side quickly came to meet her when she saw where Alexus's eyes headed and frowning, but Rafaella was looking at the man. She could see his cold eyes on her.

Was that contempt? Rafaella ignored that feeling of a bad case of butterflies in her stomach and shrugged it off.