"Why bring Micay along? You know what could happen," Miguel said to Louie over breakfast. The young man had just informed his uncle of his plan to take his sister to meet the landowner they intended to negotiate with the next day. At that moment, Micay was still fast asleep.
"Let her come. It’s better than having her mope around at home. Besides, she promised to stay in the car while I handle the discussion," Louie replied.
Miguel sighed. "It’s up to you, but make sure she stays safe."
"Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. You should focus on finding Alicia," Louie said, his tone firm. Miguel's expression darkened at the mention of the woman’s name.
"You still haven’t found her or the child?" Louie asked, taking a sip of his coffee, which a maid had just served. "You’ve been searching for twenty-five years, and still nothing?" He shook his head.
"You think it’s that easy?" Miguel scoffed. "That woman is a master at hiding. Just be grateful she hasn't come back, trying to claim her son's right to his father’s wealth."
"That’s what you hope doesn’t happen," Louie muttered, locking eyes with his uncle.
"Just remember, if another one of Henry’s children appears—"
"Will this be my last warning?" Louie snapped, irritation flickering in his gaze.
"I’m just saying—"
"Make sure they never step foot on my properties. And make sure Micay never finds out about them." With that, Louie pushed back his chair and walked out of the dining area, heading for the living room.
As he passed the staircase, Micay was just coming down, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She caught sight of her brother’s scowl.
"Why the frown so early in the morning?" she teased, her voice sweet. She sat beside him, resting her chin on his shoulder.
Louie remained silent.
"Whatever it is, you’ll fix it," she said, kissing his cheek lightly before bouncing toward the dining table.
"Good morning, Uncle Miguel!" she greeted cheerfully, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before settling in her seat.
"How’s school?" Miguel asked.
"Still on top!" she answered brightly.
"That’s why we love you. You never let me or your brother down."
"Of course, Uncle. It’s the least I can do to repay Brother Louie and you," she said, flashing a bright smile.
One of the maids approached, setting a glass of milk before her. "Thank you, Lina," Micay said warmly before taking a sip.
"It seemed like you and Louie had a disagreement earlier. Is there a problem?" she asked casually.
"Just a minor issue. Let us handle it," Miguel replied.
Micay simply nodded and focused on her breakfast.
---
On Monday morning, Louie woke early to finalize the paperwork for the land purchase. He waited for Micay to wake up so they could leave. A few hours later, she knocked on his door, fully dressed and ready to go.
"Are you that excited?" he teased, ruffling her hair.
"Louie, stop it!" she huffed, swatting his hand away while laughing. He grinned, knowing how much she hated having her hair messed up.
"Hernan is already waiting for us," she informed him as she smoothed down her hair.
"Alright, let’s go." Louie chuckled, draping an arm around her shoulders as they headed out.
---
Later, in her room, Micay smiled to herself. She had refused to bring her nanny along, despite her uncle and brother's insistence. She was old enough to take care of herself—and besides, a nanny would only get in the way of her plans.
As she packed, a knock came at her door. When she opened it, a familiar face greeted her.
"I thought I saw you when I got out of the car," the visitor said with a smirk. "I won’t stay long—someone might see me. I just came to give you this." He handed her a USB drive.
Micay took it. "Are you sure it’s him?"
"When have I ever been wrong?" he replied with a knowing look. "Remember when they tried to replace you as a baby? I was the one who got you back."
Micay’s expression darkened with hatred for a brief moment before she regained her composure.
"Just be careful," he warned.
"You know how good I am," she responded confidently.
Her phone suddenly rang. After a brief conversation, she turned back to him with a smirk.
"It’s time."
The visitor chuckled before kissing her cheek and disappearing down the hall.
On his way out, he passed one of Louie’s men, who was heading toward Micay’s room.
"Who was that, Ma’am Micay? She was gorgeous," the man remarked, still glancing back toward the stairs.
"I don’t know. She just returned my lost keychain," Micay lied smoothly.
The man nodded, seemingly accepting the explanation. "Sir Louie wants to see you."
"You got distracted by a pretty face and almost forgot your message, didn’t you?" she teased with a laugh before closing her door.
---
A few minutes later, Micay entered the living room, where Louie was lounging on the couch, watching TV.
"Aston said you wanted to talk to me?" she asked, plopping down beside him.
"I have a meeting to attend. Will you be okay on your own?" he asked.
"It’ll be boring here alone, but I definitely don’t want to sit through your boring meeting either," she pouted, resting her chin on her palm as if in deep thought. "I’ll just go shopping."
Louie sighed. "I’ll have someone go with you."
"You always do that," she huffed. "I’m not well-known here, so I can walk around freely. Just drop me off at the mall and pick me up afterward."
"But, Micay—"
"Please, Louie?" she pleaded, flashing him her best puppy-dog eyes.
Louie exhaled in defeat. "Fine."
"Yay!" she squealed, throwing her arms around him and kissing his cheek. "I promise I won’t let anyone court me and—"
"I’ll call you if anything happens!" she quickly added, cutting off his predictable warning.
Louie shook his head, amused. "Go get ready. We’re leaving after lunch."
Micay grinned and dashed off to her room, excitement bubbling in her chest.