Because of Roschelle's sudden greetings, natanggal agad si Cody sa kanyang pagkakatitig kay Bea.
'What am I doing?' His eyebrows suddenly furrowed as he asked himself. Dagli niya nalang itunoon ang kanyang atensyon sa karneng hindi na nagalaw.
"Congrats." Arvin and Cyrus immediately said after Rose.
Dahil dito agad na napatingin si Cody sa kanyang mga kuya't napakunot ang noo.
'Anong pinag-uusapan nila?'
His face says it all. Wala siyang narinig tungkol sa sinabi ni Roschelle.
As he was searching for answer, Arvin suddenly lifted of his eyebrows while staring at the young man's clueless face.
'Nu ginagawa mo?' He thought.
Upon realization kung ano ang napag-usapan, Cody gently scratched his head.
"C-congrats..." Nabulol niyang sabi. Of course he need to congratulate her girlfriend, in agreement, so that none of Cyrus and his father would suspect na walang sila.
The way the young man acted, made Cyrus smile inside. He couldn't help himself but to curved his lips. Because of Bea, hindi niya sana makikita ang ganitong side ni Cody. Dahil dito, mukhang meron na man siyang mapagtitripang tuksuhin.
"O-oh." Nag-aalangan na napatango si Bea. She just didn't know how to react. Magsasaya ba dapat siya? She thought she might leave a wrong impression na parang boastful if she would act like really happy about sa nangyari.
"Oh?" Inulit ni Maam ang reaksyon ni Bea.
"Ay naku, Bea, masanay ka na. Ikaw ang girlfriend ni Cody, natural lang na itong si Dad maging super nice sayo. In fact, this is just a speck of dust sa kuko ni Dad eh. Di ba po dad?" Roschelle jokingly said na parang siyang tunay na anak ni Sir David.
But none of the young men talked about how she behaved. Mukha talagang sanay na ang lahat. Pati si Sir David.
"Of course." Napakunot ang noo ni Sir David because of his strong approval sa sinabi ni Roschelle. He gracely paused his hands while cutting beef steak.
"Hayaan mo Bianca, as long as na maging komportable na itong si Roschelle sa loob ng company, I would immediately make a new position for you." He quickly added.
Because of that, sabay sabay na nagsitaasan ang kilay ng tatlong magkakapatid habang busy kumain. They didn't looked at their dad instead they just listened. Si Cyrus na kanina pa nakikinig just gave a bit of his cute smile habang gently na kina-cut ang beef steak.
"P-po?" Bumulwat ang mga mata ni Bea dahil sa nasambit ng matanda.
"N-naku po. Wag na po. Sobra sobra na po ang tulong niyo po s-sakin." She immediately blurted without even thinking na ang dad ni Cody ang kanyang kinakausap. Sino ba namang hindi mabibigla sa sinabi ni Sir David.
Bea actually came from a humble family. Napalaki siya ng kanyang ina na wag maging gahaman. She was even lectured by her mother na magtanim lagi ng utang na loob sa mga taong nabibigay sa kanila ng tulong at laging isiping hindi dapat abusuhin ang kabaitang ibinibigay sa kanila ng ibang tao. Kaya the moment that she heard what the old said, she didn't even think na ireject ito.
Because of the sudden reaction of the young lady, Sir David's gaze went cold hanggang sa napakunot bigla ang kanyang noo.
"Bakit? You don't like my proposal?" His dark voice gave creeps to Bea's ears until her spine cracks with coldness.
"..." Her eyes suddenly widened as she realized how Sir David misunderstood what she said. However, she couldn't just blurt out again or the old man might bring her death. Kaya dahil dun ay napatikom nalang ang kanyang bibig at napayuko. Her mind was going crazy habang kaba kaba na ang kanyang dibdib.
"Why?" Sir David continued. None of his sons dared to talk, even Cody na napapasulyap nalang sa kanyang dad but say nothing.
"...you don't like my son?" As he added.
This time, all of them suddenly flashed a gaze on the old man sabay titig kay Bea.
The young lady almost coughed blood dahil sa tanong.
'Bakit napunta dyan?' Nataranta niyang tanong sa sarili.
"..." Hindi agad nakapagsalita si Bea.
'Ano ba dapat ang sasabihin ko?' She slowly pinched her fingers habang mabilis na mabilis na nagsitakbuhan ang malnourished niya nang mga braincells.
"D-dad." After seconds, Roschelle seemed to notice how Bea was panicking around, agad siyang bumulweta sa usapan.
"...of course not. Mahal na mahal po ni Bea anak niyo." As she added na parang natatawa pa.
Arvin almost died from his seat dahil sa sinabi ng kanyang girlfriend. He immediately gazed her and gave a cold look.
Hindi ito pinansin ng dalaga.
"Tyaka po, lagi po siyang binibisita ni Cody sa siya shop. They even walk together pauwi kahit pwede namang magkotse." She continued. This time, not just Arvin, but also Bea and Cody got their eyes on her na parang sinisenyasan na...
'Anong pinagsasabi mo?'
"And to tell you a secret, one time..." She ignored them saka biglang hininaan ang boses.
"...they almost kissed."