“HOW LONG are you staying here with Jeremy?”
Esmeralda turned to Cynthia Lyn, who was busy pruning the boiled corn they harvested from the field. They just arrived from Manila and bid goodbye to Aiden to avoid Amadeus in the meantime.
“Until the next schedule for his check-up. The air here was better for him compared to Manila," she explained and made a corn coffer for her. She was still dizzy from lack of sleep. She could not get a decent rest for the past few days.
“What about your wedding with Aiden?” she asked.
“We have to cancel it for now because he was still fixing his problem with his brother,” she said and smiled curtly.
The truth was she did not know how to tell him that she was backing off from the wedding. She wished it was simpler to leave everything, including their land, and live in a distant place where no one knew her and Jeremy. But Amadeus said he would take care of everything. Aiden could not do anything if she did not want to push through with the wedding, after all. She may not trust Amadeus's way, but she could not do anything about it for now.
“Have you broken up?” she asked and stopped from eating the corn.
“His brother is causing a mess. He did not want me to get involved.”
“Maybe his brother disliked you because you are poor. Some rich people really looked down on the poor. They are too greedy with their money. As if their money could buy love. But is his brother handsome?”
Esmeralda rolled her eyeballs. “Yes, but he’s mean. I could not understand how Aiden had a brother like him.”
“It doesn’t matter as long as he’s yummy.”
She widened her eyes at her friend. “Cynthia Lyn!”
“I’m just joking. If rich people are like Aiden's brother, I’m very much fine with Topher. Even if that idiot is poor and always makes fun of me, at least I know he has no brother or a family that’s proud.”
“Are you two together?” she asked.
A naughty smile curved Cynthia Lyn’s lips. “Not yet. He was still courting me. But we kissed already,” she said giddily and hugged herself. “So that’s how it feels when you like the guy. I feel like I’m in heaven when he kissed me.”
“He’s not yet your boyfriend, but you let him kiss you.”
Cynthia Lyn tucked her hair behind her ear. “Of course, I’ll still play hard to get. But it’s a bonus point that he kissed so good.”
Esmeralda could only laugh. “I’m happy for you. You already know Topher. He can be an idiot sometimes, but I know he’s a good person.”
“You too. If ever you would not end up with Aiden in the end, I hope you find a man who will love you for real. Someone who isn’t arrogant and proud.”
“I don’t want to think about it for now. I just wanted to make sure that my brother will be all right.”
She hoped Amadeus would forget about his interest in her. Maybe he was trying to annoy her when he included that in his conditions. He just wanted to prove that she was weak when it came to him, and her attraction toward him remained. She knew he would grow interested in other women. What mattered to him was to take her away from Aiden.
Esmeralda heard a noise outside. Even from afar, she could hear Jeremy calling her. “Sister! Sister!”
She rushed to the door, panting. Something might have happened to her brother. Topher fetched him early this morning to take him to Mrs. Ising and to the river. She strictly advised that Jeremy should not be exhausted. His condition was serious.
“Why? What happened?” she asked.
“We have a visitor,” Jeremy replied, grinning, as he pulled someone behind him.
Esmeralda froze from where she stood when she saw Amadeus being led by her brother. Just a while ago, she thought he had forgotten about her and found another woman. But here he was in San Luis now. What did that mean? Did he just want to make sure that she’d leave Aiden or make her pay?
“Hello, Esmeralda,” he greeted in a smooth voice.
Esmeralda could have closed the door, but Cynthia Lyn pushed her and ran to Amadeus to hug him. “Richard! Richard, my love! At last, you’re back!”
Esmeralda’s eyebrows furrowed as she folded her arms. “I thought you’re with Topher already?”
It was a shame because she saw Topher and her neighbors entering the gate. But Cynthia Lyn was still clinging to Amadeus. "I have two hearts, friend. It's all right."
She pouted. “There’s Topher over there.”
To her amusement, Topher smiled confidently. “It’s no big deal. I have hugged Richard first, actually.”