Kahati (GMA Magkaagaw Fanfic)

51 - "You ruined my lipstick"

"OMG Diane. Saan mo ba nakuha 'to?"

"I don't know. My assistant gave that to me. Remember earlier this morning?"

Hindi pa rin makapaniwala si Regina sa sinabi ng kanyang pinsan. Si Diane naman hindi na mapakali. Binasa ulit ni Regina ang sulat. Nakasaad dito na may utang ang kompanya sa isang businessman na connection naman ng kanyang yumaong ama na si Romualdo. Fifty million pesos was allegedly "charged" to the company's account in 2010. The letter stated the whole story too. It is stated there that Romualdo funded his cousin Romeo Martinez when he ran as Mayor in 2010 elections. Kilala pareho ni Diane at Regina ang tinutukoy na Romeo Martinez dahil uncle nila ito. Pero hindi naman ito ganun ka-close sa family nila para paglaanan ng papa niya ng ganun kalaking halaga. Lalo pa't noon pa ma'y separated ang political Martinezes at ang business-oriented Martinezes.

At ang nakapatataka'y walang nabanggit na ganun si Romualdo noon kay Diane na ganung klase ng "tulong". At kung tumulong man siya, bakit hindi man lang niya ito binayaran? At sa kompanya pa talaga chinarge? Kahit kailan money is not the problem naman sa kanila kaya nakakagulat na may naiwang liability pala ang papa niya na gunun kalaki. After 10 years, ngayon pa nila natuklasan. At ang businessman na hiniraman ng pera ay walang iba kundi si..

"Mr. Sinatra? Sino si Mr. Sinatra?" Asks Regina. "He must be really close to tito Romualdo before, knowing that he lend him 50 million."

Familiar kay Diane ang pangalang yun. At doon niya naalala na there was this one time na merong makikipag-lunch meeting sa kanya na nagngangalang Mr. Sinatra. That happened last year. Pero hindi yun natuloy, nag-cancel si Diane because something important came up that time. She missed the chance to actually know more about that mysterious Mr. Sinatra.

After that day, Diane decided na ipasantabi lang muna ang isyung yun at ang misyeryosong businessman. She ignored that suspicious letter. Year 2020 na, marami nang scam. Para sa kanya kasi hindi pa rin nagme-make sense na nagkakautang ang kompanya in behalf of her father para sa campaign funds ng isang relative sa politiko. Whom is technically, considered as kaaway nila. Because like said before, the Martinezes were divided into two empires. Kumbaga North and South Korea.

A week later, Regina surprises her. All along akala ni Diane skeptic lang rin si Regina tungkol doon sa issue. Yun pala pa-sikretong nag-hire ito ng agent to investigate the case. Nagbayad siya ng mga detectives at lawyers at iba pang real witnesses para makakuha ng mga ebidensya. And she was really able to confirm facts.

"Romeo Martinez asked his cousin Romualdo Martinez if he could borrow some money for the upcoming elections." Panimula ni Regina nang ikinwento na niya sa pinsan ang kanyang nakuhang impormasyon. "Romualdo was surprised at first. Then he believed it must be a good start to reunite the two divided groups of the Martinezes if he'd help Romeo. So he agreed to lend him some money, 50 million. Both parties agreed it was a borrowed money. NOT sponsored."

Nag-aabot ang kilay ni Diane habang nakikinig sa narration ng pinsan niya. Nasa opisina sila ni Diane. Regina continues.

"They only had that verbal agreement. Romeo promised that if he wins, he'll automatically pay in full. There was no other option because he was so sure he'll going to win, which he really did. But then.. Romualdo dies that same year, which was 10 years ago this year. Romeo took that advantage of not paying what he owed anymore. Thus, Romualdo wasn't able to pay up Mr. Sinatra, whom he got that money he lend Romeo, because after he died no one in his family knew about that deal with his politician cousin."

"Tito Romeo is pure evil!" Diane exclaims after hearing everything. "Why would he do this to his own relative? His own blood?"

"Did you forgot?" Regina retorts. "Kailan pa kumilala ang mga Martinez on the politics side sa atin na business side? Kaya nga humiwalay sila sa atin diba? To make their own empire."