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Kayla's parent's house...
Though her visit to Rex's office didn't go as planned Kayla found little relief she was able to deliver most of the message to him but she hoped he listened and did wha was necessary because no one knows when Susanna will strike.
Kayla stared out in the distance, looking at all the little lights from small homes far away. She sees the beauty in everything around her but her heart is burdened with a lot of things she wished will just get out.
"Kayla? Kayla my dear, where are you?" Hannah called from inside the guestroom hoping to find her there. She has been searching for Kayla all over the house since dinner was over, but after spotting her standing in the balcony, staring out in the distance she decides to join her.
"Mind if I join you?" Hannah ask softly.
Kayla took a glance at her mother and turned back to continue staring ahead.
"Yes." She said quietly.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Hannah breathes out.
"And cold." Kayla adds without any emotions.
"I know, why didn't you come along with a coat? You might get a cold easily, now that winter is at the corner, winter sickness can arise." Hannah reached out to warm her daughter's slightly cold shoulder but maintained a good distance in case she got uncomfortable.
"Maybe I deserved it! Maybe I am supposed to suffer more than just a cold." Kayla continued to talk without any emotional expression on her face.
"Kayla, why would you say that? Are you sure the weather isn't affecting your mind?" Hannah questions her daughter with worry lines wrinkling her forehead. "You're scaring me dear, why do you think evil of yourself?"
"I've done something terribly wrong Mom. I've hurt people, and I've hurt you and Dad." Kayla starts to sob slowly.
"What are you talking about, you've never hurt us darling." Hannah pampers her hair lovingly and still searches Kayla's face for a clue on what is going on.
"I know what I am talking about mom. I was a good daughter until I decided to allow my self-desire cloud my duties as a daughter."
"Kayla, if you want me to tell you, I will tell you now and again. You are always a good daughter to us and we've never for once regretted our decision in adopting you. Always remember that." Hannah reminds her.
"I don't know if your love for me will remain after you hear me out." Kayla looked at her mother briefly.
"Kayla if I told you I understand a single thing you are saying then I'm lying, darling please open up, what's on your mind?."
Kayla then turn to face the sliding doors and Hannah can see the tears running down her cheeks.
"This thing has been a burden in my heart for sometime and I have thought about it severally. I need to come clean with both you and dad."
"About what? Have you been keeping secrets from us?" Hannah asked.
"Dad needs to be here too." She tells her mother.
"Alright, I will go get your father but please stay out of the cold." She begged her.
"Yes mom."
Kayla waited for her mother to leave first before entering the guestroom, and closing the sliding door behind. She grabbed a coat from the hall stand and sits on a sofa waiting for her parent to come.
Hannah came back later with her husband who thinks she wanted to deafen his ears again about the same thing she has complained about. He sits on the longer couch to avoid Hannah but Hannah instead, joins him and held his hand.
"He's here, we all are here, you can tell us what's bothering you now." Hannah encouraged her daughter.
"Wait- this is not about you?"Marcelo ask Hannah, getting confused with the situation.
"No, Kayla wanted to tell us something important." She explains to her husband.
"Is it very critical?" He ask his daughter.
"I don't know, it depends on how you both see it but I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing? We haven't even heard what you have to say." Marcelo sits straight looking attentive to listen.
"I really hope both of you forgive me after hearing what I have to say, that's one of my biggest requests, and I hope it does not change the way you think of me."
Hannah and Marcelo both look at one another, they had the same expression showing their confusion but hoped what Kayla had to say will not result in serious consequences.
"Dear, we will never get mad at you because you are our daughter." Hannah responds for Marcelo.
Kayla then sighs and closed her eyes to think of a normal way to begin so she starts with the first thing on her mind.
"I met with Susanna." She started and Hannah pulls back a little.
Marcelo was also taken back but he had more composure to matters than Hannah.
"When?" Marcelo asked still attentive to listen.
"About two weeks ago." Kayla replies uneasily.
"Two weeks!" Hannah exclaims in shock. "You met with Susanna and never told us about it? Marcelo!" Hannah showed her disappointment but Marcelo cautions her.
"Hannah control yourself... Why would you do that Kayla? Don't you know the police is looking for her?" Marcelo scolds her.
"I know dad and I was a fool to go behind your backs and ask her for help, but I was so desperate for my brother's love and I was willing to do anything to gain his trust-"
"Trusting that snake is the wrongest thing you've done Kayla. What if she hurt you?" Marcelo still showed he was upset.
"I realized it dad, but it was already too late before I came to my senses." Kayla explained.
"What happened? Did Susanna hurt your brother?" Hannah asked desperately.
"No mom but I did. I almost ruined him and the love of his life. But believe me mom, dad I didn't have bad intentions."
"You did not hurt Rex did you?" Hannah ask her slowly.
"No mom, at least not directly, but, I might have hurt him indirectly." Kayla lowers her head in shame.
"Explain..." Marcelo urged her.
"Dad, remember the day I called for protection because someone was following me?..."
"Yes, I do." Marcelo answer with a nod.
"It was Susanna... she was the one following me. I tried escaping her but she managed to find me in the mall, and she talked to me-"
"Did she hurt you baby?" Hannah asked.
"No mom, but she offered me a deal..." Kayla looked up to see her parent's reaction. "A simple deal that involves the whereabouts of Cherry Gilles-"
"At what price?" Marcelo jumps in and she looks at him.
Kayla sighs and nervously rub her laps."Cherry's whereabouts in exchange for my brother's love and attention. I tried asking Susanna what she was going to do when I give her the information but she didn't tell me. I only thought she wanted to separate Cherry from Rex but I think she had other selfish reasons..."
Hannah quickly cuts in angrily.
"And you thought betraying your own brother for your crazy desires isn't selfish? Kayla! This isn't how we raised you! Your father and I never raised you to ruin someone's life for your personal gain!." Hannah scolds her daughter but Marcelo and Kayla both gave Hannah knowing stares. "What? Why are you both staring at me like that?" She ask.
"What I did is somewhat similar to what are doing to Rex, but mine isn't intentional mom. You don't want him to be with the woman he loves." Kayla tells her mother.
"Don't try to teach me about love Kayla, I most certainly know how to love, and my love for Rex is a mother's love. I'm his mother and I know what's best for him." Hannah defends herself.
"Hannah-" Marcelo call his wife.
"Mom, I think Rex already made his decision, and if you truly know what's best for him, as a mother, you should respect his choice. I don't think you should force your wants on him like I tried to." Kayla tries to pen her mother's eyes.
"Kayla, one day you will become a mother and you will understand how I feel. How I feel when my only son chooses to waste his life on a simple low-life." Hannah still remained rebellious.
"Doesn't happiness ever matter in everything, mom? The joy of a mother is her child's happiness, even though it's not convenient for you?" Kayla expresses her thoughts.
"Don't teach me how to love my son Kayla-" Hannah almost jolts from the couch toward Kayla.
"Easy Hannah, Kayla is only trying to defend her brother. They are siblings remember? She has the right to think what's right for her brother just like you think what's best for them." Marcelo quickly jumps in and held his wife before the situation becomes a difficult one to handle. "Kayla, please continue." He gestured to her.
"Thank you dad. So, from where I stopped... I followed this person, or Rex, I think! They were going to the mansion a little away from the city, it was a very massive mansion. A kind I've never seen before but I made a terrible mistake after that."
"Like what?" Marcelo urge her.
"I told Susanna about the mansion, and when I told her she made known to me she only used me and what I wanted to get what she wanted. We fought, but she left with one promise... to kill Cherry before the year is over. Gosh!...I'm such a terrible person dad..." Kayla sobbed into her palms. "How could I do such a terrible thing?"
"Why Kayla? Why did you let yourself be the reason another person dies?" Marcelo scolds her carefully.
"I am sorry dad, I didn't- I didn't know Susanna is such an evil person that she rather kill to get what she wants." Kayla continues to sob.
"Fine, you wanted this for your personal gain but, what have Cherry done to you? Tell me?." Marcelo ask but Kayla couldn't answer.
"Kayla, why did you do that? Susanna is a crazy woman what if she hurts Rex instead?." Hannah scolds her.
"What about Cherry? She is the one Susanna is after. That poor girl is going to get killed because of me!." Kayla complained to her mother.
"Kayla dear, Cherry should have known better than to get involved with people like us." Hannah tries to justify herself.
"Aren't you not a mother too? I might not like Cherry a lot but I still feel guilty for what I did to her. Do you really wish ill for another mother?" Kayla stare at her mother in wonder and Marcelo had to say something to avoid a brawl.
"Hannah, Kayla is right, you shouldn't blame the poor girl for what is about to happen to her, and she is also a soon-to-be mother, our first grandchild will be born through her-"
"And how do you expect me to feel?" Hannah snarl at them.
"Mom! Are you really going to let your first grandchild die!" Kayla exclaims in horror.
Hannah was very conflicted knowing her husband and daughter already accepted Cherry and her baby but hates to public to know her first grandchild came from a poor girl because she already boasted to her friends and business partners about Rex marrying a higher-class woman with dignity.
"If this is what you want then fine, I will accept her but on one condition..."
"Why? What-" Kayla wanted to protest but her father stopped her.
"If she can produce an heir to the family's name I will accept her."
"Baby-" Marcelo tries to trounce her condition.
"That's my final decision!." Hannah said and left the guestroom angrily.
Both Kayla and Marcelo stare at Hannah with worry but there was nothing they could do to change her heart towards Cherry.
"Don't mind your mother Kayla." Marcelo tries to make his daughter feel easy.
"I'm not worried about her, I'm worried about Cherry and her baby. We have to do something dad."
Marcelo thinks about it for a while and comes up with something.
"You know where the mansion is, right?"
"Yes dad."
"I have an idea."