Seeking Sabina (Completed)

Chapter XIV: Warrior's Soul

Less than half a thousand miles away from the couple, a regal, elderly woman was seated in the grand living room of her majestic home up North. Her face showed Spanish lineage with her deep-set dark eyes, olive skin tone and pointed nose, giving her the aristocratic but kind look.

Doña Esperanza Dela Vega y Gonzalo is the matriarch of the Dela Vega clan, an old fashioned family of Chinese and Spanish parentage. She maybe one of the wealthiest women in the country but for her, her family was her most precious possession, her children and her grandchildren.

She and her late husband Don Samuel Alejo Dela Vega, had three children, one male and two females. The women opted for a simpler life so they chose to go back and live in Spain, both were married and had kids of their own which she get to see every other year. While her eldest and only male offspring chose to remain in the country, he was the heir to the whole Dela Vega fortune until his three children came along.

On the old woman's hand was a faded photograph of an angelic 10-yr-old girl, smiling sweetly while standing in the sand dunes of Ilocos Norte and in the other was a captured image of a smiling petite gorgeous woman with straight bouncy hair crossing the busy street of the chaotic Metro. The girl and the woman in the photos share the same smile and same big expressive dark eyes.

The old woman caressed the face of the young woman in the photo, as tears began to flow from her sad eyes. "You looked just like me, none of you mother's features, just pure mine, mi amor." She whispered lovingly.

Unknown to her, someone was watching. "You're doing it again, mi abuela hermosa." A man's voice sounded from the hallway. The matriarch lifted her face and offered a soft smile to the owner of the voice.

The 40-ish man padded quietly towards his weeping grandmother. He looked imposing in his dark elegant suit and black Italian leather shoes.

He was tall, well built and his olive skin tone made him looked like a man in his early thirties. He had the nose, eyes and the facial structure of the woman in the picture making it obvious that same blood was running in their veins.

He sat beside the old woman and started to rub her back. "We could visit her if you want." He suggested kindly, knowing perfectly how his grandmother was feeling.

"Do you think she's ready to see you?" She asked, hope sparkled brightly in her teary eyes.

"Yo la extranamos terriblemente, Jacob." She added as she sniffed demurely.

The man smiled sadly. "Yo tambien, abuela." Jacob replied, trying to recall his sister's angelic face. He just saw her last week but it seemed it was a long time ago. He was the one who took the photo. He wanted to approach her but he was afraid what will her reaction be.

The man sighed deeply. "I don't think she'll be ready anytime soon but we have to take actions now. According to Alfred and Bart, she's with him almost every day. He had even spent a few nights at the penthouse with her." He stated grimly, his fist voluntary balled.

The matriarch arched her brows. "Abuela, this might get out of hand and she'll be hurt again. I want her back so this time I could protect her. It's been a decade, it's time to bring her back home." Said Jacob.

"I will call her first, we should do this slowly, iho. We might scare her off. I don't want her running away from us again." The aristocratic woman decided.

Jacob Dela Vega stood up and walked towards one of the grand home huge window. "She didn't run away from us, the situation made her run away. She's blaming herself for what happened that night." He mumbled while looking at the very far end of the huge tobacco plantation.