He never really begrudged Miro and his choices. Mostly because Miro was his younger brother, and Santi’s defenses tended to lower around him. Santi had been told that his brother needed his care, his patience, his understanding. But when push came to shove, Miro always had the option of saying, “no.” And because Santi had no sense of boundaries when it came to his brother, he would never make him change his mind.
Santi hadn’t seen Miro since New Year, he realized, when he’d left his brother to deal with his grandfather after he had accused Santi of “going native.” He should have called, explained why it was a horrible thing to say. But there had been no reason to see each other, no reason to talk, so they hadn’t. But it was made clear. Everything Miro ever asked for was given, while Santi needed to “deserve” it.
A tiny pang of missing his brother hit Santi, even as Miro stood in his lobby. But Santi wasn’t naive enough to think that it was why Miro had showed up.
“Did you miss me, Kuya?”
What a loaded question,Santi thought, hugging his little brother anyway, because yes, he missed him. He missed the two of them facing the family together, looking at each other from across the table like, “can you believe that just happened?” They hadn’t done that in a long time. Because Santi left, because Miro was always itching to be somewhere else. There was that undertone of anger in his voice again, and Santi didn’t know what his brother wanted from him. If Santi’s exile had truly mattered to Miro, his brother would have fought for it, the way he fought for that penthouse in Makati. Couldn’t he at least try to be civil with Santi, instead of blaming Santi for things that he couldn’t control?
“It’s good to see you,” Santi told him, as Miro wriggled out of the hug.
“Whoa,” he huffed at his brother. “You do hugs now? That’s weird. People might actually think you like me.”
“We wouldn’t want that,” Santi sighed, awkwardly pulling at the hem of his shirt and running a hand through his hair, slightly embarrassed. “What can I do for you, Miro?”
“Well.” Miro was looking around the space like their mother had, although he was a lot better at hiding his feelings. “I was actually on the way to Laiya for a shoot, and the office thought I should get this to you.”
He handed Santi a folded piece of paper. The Carlton Group letterhead was obvious, even without him having to unfold it. But the fact that Miro was sent on a special detour to make sure Santi saw it meant it wasn’t going to be good. A letter of intent?
Santi frowned down at the notice, and felt his heart sink to his stomach when he opened it and saw the contents.
This letter is to signify the interest of the Carlton Hotel and Resort Group, Inc., to purchase land and properties under the ownership of the Luz Holdings, Inc., in particular Lot. No. 2XX8-42 in Lima, Batangas...
The letter was marked received by Luz Holdings.
Which meant that Kira’s family knew. That she could know, that his grandfather wanted the Laneways, and he hadn’t told her. His stomach roiled with acid, and he swallowed down the panic that was threatening to rise. How did Kira’s family react when they found out? Did they tell her? Did she already know?
All the fantasies he’d built up in his head were slowly starting to crumble, and the things he held close to in Lipa faded at the edges. Santi breathed through his panic, doing his best not to show Miro how terrified he was. His grandfather no longer had the ability to wait for him. Petty as it was, Vito’s message was clear.I can take everything that ever mattered to you. I have control.
There was a second page attached, a memo that really was just made to infuriate Santi.
We are excited to announce an exclusive partnership between Carlton Hotels and Resorts with Altair Chocolates. Starting January 30, Altair Chocolates will be named the exclusive chocolatier of all Carlton Hotels and Resorts, including Hotel Villa and Carlton Beach Club Mandaue.
Santi felt his jaw clench with restrained fury. His hands went cold, and it felt like his body had gone on lockdown, keeping everything inside. His immediate thought was that this was his fault. How stupid must he be, to underestimate his grandfather’s desire for control? He shouldn’t have introduced her to them. He should have gotten her away as soon as he saw her. It wouldn’t have taken much for his grandfather to ask about Kira, and now she was going to lose everything she had ever built, because of him. The Laneways, Gemini, things that she loved and was proud of, risked getting lost. It floored him that this was what it came down to. That his grandfather would be willing to hurt her.
“You need glasses,” Miro told him, pulling Santi out of his thoughts. Santi realized his brother was watching him very closely. Likely any reaction Santi had right now was going to make its way back to Manila. He might as well take full advantage.
“Maybe I do,” Santi said darkly, before he ripped up the memo, crumpled it in his hands and tossed it in a nearby bin. Miro’s eyes went wide, like he’d just seen something very interesting indeed.
“He’s not going to be happy,” Miro warned him. A kindness, maybe. “That’s basically a threat.”
“He’s never going to be happy. And he threatened me, too.”
Which was the problem, wasn’t it? Even if Santi did leave this all behind to go to Manila, his grandfather would still exert his control, would still twist them all together. He wanted Santi to give up everything...for what? He looked up at Miro, who was still looking at him like he didn’t know Santi at all.
“Did you know this was what he sent you here for?” he asked through gritted teeth, wondering again what was going on in his little brother’s mind.
“Does it really matter, Kuya?” Miro shrugged, betraying no real emotion. Or maybe he really didn’t care about Vito’s and Santi’s power plays, when he wasn’t really involved. “You don’t shoot the messenger. And you’re not going to shoot Lolo. So really, you’re just angry at yourself, because you put yourself in this situation, and now your girlfriend is going to lose alotof business.”
She was. Cold dread prickled at Santi’s skin, his hands suddenly stiff and clammy like he was in the dead of a Japan winter again. He needed to fix this. Kira was not going to lose her business because Santi hadn’t been brave enough to tell her what his grandfather wanted, or smart enough to keep her out of his sight.
“I should talk to Lolo.”
“And say what?” Miro scoffed. “‘Lolo, please don’t take my girlfriend’s business away?’ You know what he wants from you, right?”
He was right. At this point Vito would only be appeased by getting what he wanted, and he wanted Santi back in Manila. Suddenly, after pushing him away for as long as he had. Santi frowned and considered the facts.
“How much trouble is Carlton in?” he asked Miro suddenly. And rare was the moment that Miro actually showed surprise. And if Miro knew that the Carlton was in trouble, then it had to be big. “Miro.”
