Naglakad ako sa hallway hangga't sa naisipan kong pumasok sa kwarto ng iba.

"Open" sabi niya at binuksan. I don't mind opening it.

I got shocked nang makita ko ang lalaki na... ABALA MAGSUOT NG POLO!

May anim na lump mula sa kanyang dibdib hanggang tiyan. Maganda ang kisig ng kanyang katawan.

Tumama ito sa kanyang mukha. "Maria?"

I didn't know that tears running down from my eyes.

"Ba't ka umiiyak? Sinong nagpaiyak sa'yo?" stern voice filled his room.

Tumungo ako. "wala lang ito kuya"

"Stop being a liar Leti, I overheard you and dad" nanlaki mga mata ko sa narinig.

"You want to enter ABM right? Wow sakto may isa na satin ang magiging CEO HAHAHA" tawa ni kuya.

"Pero mukhang hindi pumayag si papa" I wailed. Niyakap ako ni kuya at hinimas ang likod ko.

"Shhh... Shhh... it's okay, siguro nanibago lang siya" he kissed my forehead at nagsuot ng sapatos.

"Aalis nga pala kami ni Tracy papunta sa mga Hanabusa. Sama ka? Ta's sunod sa mga Benitez" alok niya.

He smelled me at pinatunog ang bell.

"Prepare an outfit for lady Letizia"

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Nasa kotse na kami. Nakasuot ako ng Korean style pastel pink business, white polo sa looban nito, at pastel pink pants.

Itim ang bag ko na may Gucci sa gitna nito.

"I can't handle that lady, she laughs out of nowhere. Para akong nagkaroon ng meeting sa baliw" ate Tracy laid in the seat.

Nakasuot siya ng blue blazers at white na pencil skirt. Nakapuyod ng messy bun ang kanyang buhok hindi kagaya sa akin na lugay.

"I don't even know why she's laughing out of nowhere. I even asked her in our first day of meeting tapos apelyido pala natin ang tinatawanan niya? Where's the sense?" singhal ni ate Tracy at tumingin sa bintana na ngayon ay tirik na tirik sa araw dahil mainit ang panahon.

Tumawa si kuya Sandro. "ikalma mo"

"Paano ko ikakalma?"

"She's lowkey shaming us"

"She's a Hanabusa. May business connection siya sa akin kaya umayos ka" aniya ni kuya saka pinitik ang noo ni ate. Receiving a hiss from him.

She fumes. At tumitig nalang sa labas.

"Komportable lang po ba kayo dyan lady Letizia?" tanong sa akin ng bodyguard. Tumango ako at umupo nalang ng maayos.
Ate Tracy is still silent. A mile later nakarating na kami sa isang mansion.
It seems different in style of architecture. A little bit of... Uhmm...

"Welcome to Hanabusa mansion, Maria Letizia Ackerman" tango ko nang naglakad kami papasok sa mansion ng mga hapon.

"Wow! Good thing maaga kayo" bumeso ang babaeng... Nakita ko sa mall kasama sina ate Tracy at ate Hillary noon.

"Kasama mo si Maria?" ngiti niya kay ate Tracy. "nandito siya to remove her boredom in the manor"

Tumingin sa akin ang babae at binati ako. I got too stunned to speak.

"It's me, Hinata Emi Hanabusa, 'yung nakita mo sa mall" she smiled at me.

Ah.

She's that girl na may kasamang lalaki sa mall na nakita nina ate.

"Well, hintayin nalang natin mga Roosevelt at Allura. Nandito na rin sina Benitez at Sariaya" I blushed.

"Uhmm... Maria?"

"Ah yes?" nagulantang ako nang tawagin ako ni Hinata.

"Mga Roosevelt at Allura nalang ang hihintayin"

Bumulong sa akin si ate Tracy. "say 'got it' for a formal look"

I imitate the moves easily. "got it, so, shall we wait for them?" I formally said.

The rest of my family was too stunned to speak.

I guess they never knew.

I practiced formal etiquette.

Tumango si Hinata at naghintay kami sa living room nila.

I never saw or hear anything that Hinata is laughing because of our surname. Maybe ate Tracy is a liar or ganito lang 'yung Japanese girl sa school nila?

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

All of the maids here are been in a hurry to greet the other representatives of the family. However, while the other maid is serving us, masama lagi ang tingin nito sa akin.

"The Sariayas are here" aniya ni Hinata at tumayo na.

"Let ate Tracy greet them" sagot ko nang ialok niya ang kamay ko. Tumango nalang siya at umalis.

And now it's just me and the maid.

"Sipsip sa Hanabusa family" she mumbled while looking at me. Binigyan niya ako ng masamang tingin and inirapan ko lang siya.

"At least hindi ugaling hangal kagaya mo" I smirked, looking at her having a flame in her head.

I chilled out. Bumalik na si Hinata kasama ang pamilyar na babae.

Ah. Siya nga pala 'yung pinuri ako.

Damn it, why forgetting so fast Maria?

"Oh. It's a fate of time, Maria Letizia Ackerman" she smiled. I nodded and shake hands with her.

"Since kumpleto na ang lahat, arat sa conference room at mag meeting na" she smiled.

The annoying maid looked at me with such shock painted on her face.

I winked and smirked, at pinulupot ang kamay kay ate Tracy.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"The Hanabusa family held nine million compensation for the adoption centers for the charity" panimula niya.

"Benitez family prepared some unused clothes and relief goods for them" dagdag ni Von.

Ate Tracy raised her hand. "the Ackerman family is now ready to give some of the old decorations of the Manor to give the adoption center a decoration together with some toys to play and Maria's old books to read"

Everyone nodded.

"Any other request? Marami tayong charities na aasikasuhin, all six families must be held responsible for it"

I sighed. Wala talaga akong ambag dito kundi display lamang.

"Well" I muttered. "yes Maria? You can held a suggestion or request and we will have a discussion on it after that" Hinata smiled and looked at me, still thinking kung ano ang sasabihin ko.

"Why not attending to the charity habang kasama natin ang mga staffs for the people's needs?" I suggested.

"Don't let the staff there, dapat kasama rin tayo to help them, and to meet the kids... You know, I'm interested in kids" I looked away, I'm afraid of their opinions about my suggestion.

Von touched my hand. "don't think such negativity" aniya.

The others looked at me with such amazement. "good suggestion Maria Letizia, no one suggested this kind of thing" umupo si Hinata sa seat niya. "we never have this kind of suggestion, all of them revolves about giving things and such business. So I am grateful for this"

"I am too"

"She's really such an interesting girl"

"She's innocent yet smart"

"May Von na 'yan—" natigil sa pagsasalita si Ellen Grace nang tingnan siya ng masama ni ate Tracy.

"My cousin will never have such an insolent boyfriend" she said with such annoyance.

"I know I know, it's just they look good together"

Umirap na lamang si ate Tracy.

"Hilig mo ba'ng maging protective kay Letizia? Come on, she's a teen" the blonde girl said.

"I need to guide her thoroughly, Thraia Rose. Why not guide yourself properly to politics?"

The meeting room became silent. "why silent?"

Ate Tracy laughed. "I'm just giving her such advice. She needs to seek guidance to her father, Martin Alfredo Sariaya, the current mayor of Sariaya City" she convinced the people inside.

"I thought your thinking such shit Ciara Tracy, your critical in thinking kaya. I'm not be surprised if I saw Maria Letizia herself being one of the dangerous being in the Ackerman family" a woman with a black straight hair said.

That girl breathed heavily. "she's just suggesting a little but it's great, us to interact with kids. I'm getting bored na sa family system natin just because we're old money rich families" that girl I described laughed.

"Kathleen Roosevelt" Hinata called her with a stern voice.

"Sorry na sorry na" she laughed again.

"So, everyone agree in Maria's suggestion? You know meeting someone is great for our mind" Hinata raised her hand as a sign.
Everyone raised their hands except Kathleen.

"Okay. The majority agrees. So next week na ang bigayan ng reliefs and we need your presence there"

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"Whew" aniya ni ate Tracy. "may kasalanan pa sa akin 'yang Kathleen Roosevelt na iyan" tawa pa niya.

"Una si Von ngayon si Kathleen? I'm not shocked kung pati ang sarili mong mga pinsan ay may kasalanan din sa'yo" irap ni kuya at binuksan ng driver ang pinto ng kotse.

Pumasok na kami sa kotse.

Until a notification popped up on my phone. Regalo ito sa akin ni ate Tracy kahapon.

Von Benitez: see you next week :)

Nanliit ang aking mga mata.

Okay, see you next week

"Sino ka chat mo Leti?" puna ni ate Tracy na ngayon ay katabi ko.

"Wala, just typing something"

Mayamaya ay nagchat si Von.

Von Benitez: I love you

Namula ako sa nakita. Pero nang tutugunin ko ang kanyang mensahe, bigla itong...

Von Benitez unsent a message

My heart cracked a little, still staring at the phone, I decided to turn it off.

Sinampal ko ng mahina ang kabila kong mga pisngi. Maybe na wrong send lang siya. Don't worry about this. He's your friend lang.