Chapter 87 6th Bonifacio Building

KIA

As I do every morning, I stretched out of bed and onto the floor while raising my arms to touch the ceiling. I got out of bed like any other day and strolled into the kitchen, where I could smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

My husband made breakfast for the two of us as soon as he woke up. The aroma of that coffee easily awakened me today despite the fact that I am not a morning person. Normally, I wouldn't have woken up that quickly, but today was different. This day seemed different from earlier days for some reason. Perhaps because I enjoyed myself so much yesterday when I did some relaxation. I have the impression that today will bring about nice things for me.

“Hon, I have a very busy schedule today. So, expect me to be late. I will just order you some food so that you don’t have to cook—”

“No, thanks. I got it, hon. It’s okay. I feel in a good mood today so I will just cook for myself or maybe go out.”

“That would be great. Text me whenever you need anything, okay?” Ares assured.

I answered him with a nod and we then eat our breakfast. After we finished eating he then left for work.

…

It’s been an hour since he left and the boredom is starting to kick in on my head. Maybe I will just stroll outside. Looking up at the bright blue sky with sporadic white cloud patches as I marched out of our front door and into the street, I saw that it was a cold day. I swiftly crossed the street after quickly turning my head to look for oncoming vehicles on both sides.

In the middle of the Sunday morning, there were no cars or people to be seen on the street, which was calm and vacant. The driveway still has a lot of automobiles parked in it. My shoes landed on the pavement, and I could hear my own footfall. My naked shoulders were warmed by the strong sun as I walked along the pavement.

I saw a lot of front yards with beds of blue-gray river rocks, rows of white and blue agapanthus, and dry juniper bushes as low-maintenance, drought-tolerant landscaping. Every now and then, I came across a few high-maintenance yards with lush, green lawns and seasonal flowerbeds of vibrant impatience. Following the morning lawn irrigation, some sidewalk segments were still damp. I angled my right hand out to the side with a slide-raised angle as I passed a line of blue agapanthus flowers to catch the flower heads. My eyes peered into the distance, looking for anything blocking my route or, more seldom, dog poop, which I had seen before.

My hands relaxedly swung back and forth in time with my footsteps, which were rhythmic like a soldier marching along the street. My eyes were engrossed in examining every item in the front yard. I would occasionally lean back and glance upwards as I followed the sound of birds chirping. A roof of thick oak leaves was all I could see instead of any birds. I had the impression that I was walking in a tunnel because of the extremely long canopy of oak branches that was draped over the pavement. The rare light breeze causes the live oak leaves to collide with one another. Some leaves swayed from side to side as they fell from the sky. Others lost control and spun out before coming to rest.

As I walked up to the small lemon tree that was standing on the sidewalk, the aroma of citrus was wafting through the air and floating over my nose. Numerous juicy, vivid yellow lemons hung heavily from the branches. My mouth was watering at the thought of fresh lemonade. The tall, red, and white oleanders were planted in a long row along the walkway in a bed of dirt that was raised about two and a half feet above the ground after the lemon tree.

From half of a block ahead, I saw a glimpse of a gray squirrel eating his acorn under the nearby oak tree. I tried not to make any noise by tiptoeing forward to take a closer look at the squirrel. As my eyes focused on the squirrel and paid no attention to what was in front of me, my left shoe hit one of the rocks sitting on the sidewalk by accident and sent it flying toward the oak tree. It then bounced against another rock and caused a loud noise which startled the squirrel.

He swung his head first in the direction of the rock and then in my direction. He rushed over the ground and up the oak tree in no time, and I soon heard the sound of dried leaves scratching on the pavement. He slipped through the leaves and branches high above, and I could hear the sound of the leaves clattering against one another. I quickly scaled the tree. My eyes strained to see him up in the tree as my head tipped back, but all I could make out was a dense canopy of green and black leaves obscuring the sky.

I remained still for a minute before starting to go ahead. I silently continued down the path as we walked side by side. On this Sunday morning, I became aware that I was doing more than just going for a walk. I just hope that something will come on my way bringing a piece of good news from that investigation…

—

6th Bonifacio Building

Ares arrived at the hotel. The building is surrounded by green-leafed, willow trees, which offer enough shade despite the fact that it is nine in the morning and the sun is beating down mercilessly. There isn't much noise at all. There is no shouting or racing; only people walking while sitting on seats and admiring the lovely scene. A sign warning people to only use the crosswalks at intersections is located near the pathway's terminus, on its right. A fire hydrant with red paint that is peeling off and exposing a yellow patchwork is located on the left side of the walkway. The 6th Bonifacio hotel, which is located at the head of the walk, is more notable. This hotel is owned by the Buenavista Group, Ares’ stepfather.

Keystones, glazed tile, and mosaic patterns that beautifully reflect lovely flora and fauna give the hotel a Spanish Renaissance Revival look. The brown-bricked structure is adorned with windows on both sides. Architecturally speaking, the aesthetic fusion of asymmetrical towers, balconies, pinnacles, and bays creates a distinctive design. There is no other way to describe the scene but as being both incredibly old and gorgeous. For those who want assistance, there are a few steps in front of the double doors in a copper hue. Air conditioning is unexpectedly integrated into the interior, which is nice and incredibly cool given the heat outside. Two elderly women are seated on coordinating black steel chairs and tables to the right of the entryway, chitchatting happily. The only thing on the left is a pair of chic, brown couches. The right side is empty.

Black-steel chandeliers with candles hang from the ceilings, and light bulbs that extend to the ends of the passageways provide drab illumination for the rooms' lengthy hallways. A substantial patio with open windows and a room packed with white tables next door both open to the patio. At one of these tables, a pair of elderly men and a group of older women are having a boisterous conversation. Black and white tiles are laid out in a pattern as the floor, but they don't cover the entire surface. For instance, a forest green carpet covers the floor in the halls. Similar mosaic patterns like those on the exterior of the building are used to embellish the walls halfway. It suggests that not only the structure's foundation but also the entire end product was thoroughly considered.

Ares stopped his car in front of the valet and gave his key to him. Walking to the entrance several men gathered in front of him and greeted him. They lead Ares into the 5th floor and entered a Vip room. When he opened the door there was a woman sitting on the couch guarded by two bodyguards and when she noticed that someone entered the room, she immediately stood up and bowed at Ares.

“Is she ready?” Ares asked one of his men.

“Yes, boss. She had a mild cold earlier this morning but it has already gone when she took medicine. We also made her wear comfortable clothes for her.”

“Ms. Ventura, have you enjoyed your overnight stay here?” Ares asked, looking at Vera.

Vera couldn’t do eye contact so she stared at the floor. “Ye-yes, sir…”

“Good. You have a lot of things to do today. — Where is the document?”

The man handed a case to Ares. He then takes a seat on the single couch. “Take a seat, Ms. Ventura. We have a lot to talk about before you do everything I will say.”

Vera looked around and was afraid of all of the stares that Ares’ guards gave her. “Will you let me go today?” she asked.

Ares raised her head and look in Vera’s direction. “Maybe. If you will cooperate. — Here is the document of your family’s business. I also already know about those secrets that your family is hiding. So, if you will not follow everything I say, you know what could be the ending. But that was not the reason I came here today.”

“Please… Please don’t do anything to my family. I— I will do anything….”

“Yes. Now here’s what I wanted you to do…”