Chapter 3

"The next day, they left early in the morning with their father, riding in a Wrangler Jeep along with the four bodyguards of their father. Their farewell to their mother, Diana, was just a ruse to take her on a tour of Camarines Norte and introduce her to some of their father's business associates. They reached Gumaca, Quezon, which puzzled her.

"This is your Godfather Ernesto's office, Anikka. He's a lawyer and he's in charge of your trust fund and some of the wealth I put in your name. Your mother doesn't know any of it, you probably know why."

She nodded slowly as they entered the house of her Godfather. An old man, nearly seventy years old, greeted them.

"So this is Ana, Agusto. Your granddaughter is so beautiful. It's a shame Doña Manuela didn't get to see how she grew up."

"The only grandchild, Ernesto," Agusto agreed. "That's why I want her to be safe and secure in case something happens to me."

"Papa..." she wanted to interrupt whatever her father was going to say. She didn't know what she would do if he were to pass away.

"I'm not getting any younger, Anikka. It's better that we're prepared for whatever might happen. Your Godfather Ernesto is here to help you, no matter what."

"You're scaring your daughter, Agusto," Ernesto said with a smile. When his wife entered, she handed them drinks. "Take a break because your journey is still far."

After some conversation with her father and Godfather, Agusto began to go through the assets he had put in her name, like the Ranch, her trust fund, and shares in Mining and Agriculture as his daughter. He divided some of the shares between Ana and Diana. He also left a will stating that if something were to happen to him, his shares would go to Ana and not to Diana, his wife. Along with that will was the result of the DNA test confirming Ana as the child of Octavio and Diana.

Ana was now twenty-five years old.

"That's why their resemblance couldn't be denied, Agusto," Ernesto commented. "But when it comes to beauty, your daughter is undoubtedly more beautiful." He turned to her and smiled. "Choose your future spouse wisely, Ana. Besides your beauty, you're incredibly wealthy. Many will surely court you. It's a challenge if you encounter an opportunist like Octavio who only seeks his own interests."

"Do you know Uncle Octavio?"

"I know him very well, dear. I was also friends with your Grandma Manuela. She never really liked Octavio because he always aimed for the same status as your Papa when it came to money and popularity. If he had been a good grandchild to your Grandma, he might have inherited from Manuela. But he's always been naturally unruly and loves to cause trouble."

"We're leaving, Ernesto. Say hi to your children for me," her father said, standing up and saying goodbye to his wife as well.

"Take care, Agusto," the lawyer replied, escorting them to the gate of the subdivision they were staying in.

When they returned to the Ranch, Ana and Diana were at the swimming pool. Although she felt a pang of jealousy, she pushed it aside. For now, she needed to focus on her father.

"Join us, Nikka," her sister called, so she reluctantly approached the pool area. She was surprised to see a man there, someone she hadn't seen since she returned to the Ranch.

"Hey, babe! That's Anastacia," Ana said in a louder voice. The man approached her and extended his hand.

"I'm Benedict. It's nice to meet you."

She smiled and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you. I just saw you here for the first time," she said, smiling. He seemed kind, and she felt at ease with his genuine smile. She couldn't help but notice the casual attire he was wearing, but he didn't seem like a simple Ranch employee.

"I just arrived from Palawan yesterday. I've been there for a year, taking care of the land Papa left that I needed to manage."

She nodded and smiled before returning her attention to the two swimming.

"Why don't you join them?" he asked in his deep voice.

"We've been traveling around CamSur with Papa. I'll rest for a bit." She leaned back on the metal chair. "How about you?" He shook his head immediately.

"I just came to talk to your Papa because one of the horses is sick."

"You work here?"

"Not directly. I'm the one who looks after the horses when your Papa calls me. Can I speak with him?"

"Sure, he's inside the house, he might be done changing by now." She stood up, and they walked together from the patio into the large house.

"You look different now, even more beautiful," he complimented her as they walked. She furrowed her brow at his words.

"You know me?" she asked, surprised. She couldn't remember meeting him when she was younger.

"I see your pictures all over the house. You were a bit chubby, but your face was undeniably beautiful even then. Seeing you in person now is even more special," he continued to say. She smiled at him.

"So, I guess you're a veterinarian," she said.

"Yeah. I have a clinic in town."

Her father greeted him warmly when they entered the house.

"Benedict! I'm glad you came early."

"I wanted to check on the horses early. Fury seemed a bit sluggish when I passed by the stables."

"Let's go and see what needs to be done, Benedict."

"Would you come with us?" Benedict asked her, waiting for her answer.

"Come along, Anikka, so you can also chat with Benedict. I trust him here at the Ranch," her father added.

She reluctantly joined them at the stables, which were a kilometer away from the main house. There were only ten horses there, but all were imported by her father from other countries. As they walked, the two talked about the land in Palawan that Benedict inherited from his father. She remained quiet, just listening.

"It's good that you're back here," Benedict said while they sat on a large fallen tree. Her father was touring the Ranch with other staff on the horse named Glory.

"My return here has a long story," she said with a smile, trying to avoid sharing too much. She didn't want to add to the lies they had already told the people there.

"Sunday is tomorrow, can I invite you for coffee in town?"

"You might have problems with Ana, I don't want to have any conflict with her."

Benedict chuckled at her words. "Ana and I are good friends. She's just used to calling me 'babe'. But I can assure you, I am single and available," he said with a sweet smile.

"Alright, I'll ask Papa for permission."

The next day, Ana was surprised to see her dressed up, while their father was in the garden, reading the newspaper. They were used to her leaving with their father.

"Do you have plans?" Ana asked.

"Benedict invited me to stroll around town."

"Hmmm... Benedict seems to have caught your attention, considering you just met him yesterday.

On the way, she asked Benedict about the true nature of his relationship with Ana. Among the people she met at the Ranch, Benedict was one she felt comfortable with.

"Ana seems upset about me being with you now, Benedict. Is there something I should know about your real relationship?"

"Like I said yesterday, Ana and I don't have a relationship, but I'll admit that she's expressed several times that she wants us to have one."

"Why didn't you court her? If it's just about beauty, Ana is undoubtedly the most beautiful among the ladies at the Ranch."

A man looks for more than just beauty in a woman to court, Anastacia," he said, using her full name. Since she came here, she avoided being called Ana. Only her Papa called her that, while most people called her Nikka along with her Mama and Ana.

"How long have you been friends?"

Since I started working for your Papa. But I've never given her any indication that I wanted our relationship to go beyond being friends."

"Well, it seems like she has a different understanding."

"Let's forget about Ana for a while. How about you? Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Yes," she answered quickly. "But I haven't introduced him to Papa yet."

The man didn't speak again until they arrived at a coffee shop in town. As he lined up at the counter, she observed his physical appearance once more. He was good-looking; a cowboy-type look with his boots and polo, and his tight-fitting pants. He was also quite tall, probably around 5'10". It wasn't surprising that Ana was fond of him.

"How old are you?" she asked the man.

"Thirty," he answered while preparing his cappuccino order. "You probably already know what you're going to say next. Why I'm not married yet," he said with a laugh.

"Why is that?" she asked with a smile.

"I had a six-year relationship that ended two years ago. Her family moved to Canada. She wanted me to follow, but I didn't want to live in another country. So, it just ended that way. Since then, I haven't found another love."

"Wow. It's a shame about those six years."

"Maybe. But I don't regret it because we were happy. And if I find love again, I'll make sure it lasts longer than six years. I want it for keeps." If he was trying to imply something, she didn't know, because he was staring at her as he said it. Ana's warning about Benedict earlier came to her mind, and she didn't want any trouble between them because of the man.

They talked for over an hour before she asked him for a ride back. He wanted to show her his office there, but she declined, using the excuse that she still had some things to prepare for her first day at the office tomorrow. When she arrived home, Ana was in the living room, seeming impatient for her return.

"Hi! You both came back quite quickly, didn't you?" she pretended to say, then approached Benedict and kissed his cheek. He was polite enough to disregard her action, but he quickly excused himself. He nodded at her before going up to his own room.

"If Benedict tells you we don't have a relationship, Nikka, you shouldn't believe him," Ana said, looking back at her. Her sister's eyes were questioning.

"We've been through something, and if it weren't for Papa's objections, we would have been married a long time ago."

"I'm sorry, Ana, I didn't know. If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have gone with him earlier. But don't worry, I'll make sure we're just friends," she reassured her sister. Ana nodded slightly before turning away.

"Can I know why Papa doesn't like him?" she asked.

She saw the confusion in Ana's face before she answered. "I-I don't know either..." She gave a weak response before heading downstairs.