Chapter 44

“We’re here.”

The sight of the vast Montes from the hilltop left me speechless. I couldn’t help but notice the two stones that were in front of us.

“This is where I buried Don Ignacio and Lady Stella.”

I couldn’t speak and just stared at the two stones with their names.

“Are you ready to hear what I have to say, Ana?”

I looked at the Detective who was gazing into the distance. The wind picked up, so I held on to my hair. I didn’t know why, but my heart was pounding so hard.

I knew I was ready, but… why did I feel like I wanted to go back to the hacienda?

“Ana.”

I blinked and turned to the Detective who was looking at me.

“I want to tell you the truth about the tragedy that happened 28 years ago. When they removed the Montes family.”

I just stared at the Detective as the wind blew.

“Tell me everything,” I said. He just smiled and looked back at the town.

“In 1980, Don Ignacio Montes became the town’s second leader because Don Martinez selected him to follow in his footsteps. Don Ignacio was still young when Don Martinez appointed him as the town’s second leader, and he was about to marry Lady Stella. There was no problem with that for the people because even before his position, Don Ignacio had already helped many citizens in the town.”

I noticed he was smiling, but I could feel his resentment because I knew he had been serving the Montes family for a long time.

“The Montes are known as kind and respected people. The people loved them, so Don Ignacio stayed in his position for many years. I saw how they helped others without asking for anything in return. Don Ignacio became my idol. Besides being a father to the town, he also became a father figure to me. The people trusted him because he was not corrupt, and he loved the town.” He clenched his fists. “But that crumbled when Levi Villalobos returned to the town of San Alfonso in 1983 from Spain with the prostitute Caridad.”

My eyes widened when I heard Caridad used to be a prostitute. I had never heard of this before. While he was so mad with me when he found out I was dating his only son.

“It was also reported back then that Caridad was pregnant with their first child.”

I furrowed my brow and looked at him. “First child? You mean Mateo has a sibling?”

He shook his head and grinned. “The first pregnancy was miscarriage. It spread throughout the town, which Levi didn't like. So he asked for help from Don Martinez, but the Monticello couple was abroad so he asked Don Ignacio for help. Don Ignacio didn't hesitate and helped Levi to dispel the rumors spreading about his wife Caridad being pregnant.”

I touched my forehead because everything was so complicated. Levi was really stubborn and didn't want to accept the truth.

“Don Ignacio became a good friend to Levi because they had known each other for a long time since Lady Stella was childhood friends with Levi.”

I nodded. But why did everything lead to this?

“How did you know that, Detective?” I asked as I stared at him. He smiled at me and just shrugged.

I was just wondering how he knew all the details. As far as I knew, he was still young when Don Ignacio became the town’s second leader.

“Grandma Tasing told me. Because I used to love listening to her stories back then.” He smiled, but it disappeared when he remembered Grandma Tasing. “It’s a shame we didn’t get to see each other before she was killed.” He added, and I could feel his pain over what happened to Grandma Tasing.

I looked away from him and just stared at the Montes’ gravestone. I also felt sad for what happened to Grandma Tasing because she was the witness to what happened 28 years ago. I couldn’t even save her.

“Don’t blame yourself, Ana. Grandma Tasing knew it would happen to her.”

I just smiled faintly at the Detective and sat on the grass in front of Lady Stella’s grave.

“Continue, Detective, even though I’ve read some of your stories in Lady Stella’s diary,” I said with a smile, and I noticed he chuckled and sat beside me.

“So you’ve seen the diary that Don Martinez hid before he passed away,” he said.

I just nodded at him, and he lay down to look at the darkening sky.

“The partnership between the Montes and Villalobos was good back then. The town was prosperous until Don Ignacio and Don Levi became rivals for the position in 1988. But what was surprising was Don Ignacio’s loss in the election, which everyone knew was rigged, but Don Ignacio accepted it because he also wanted to retire as he and Lady Stella were expecting a child.”

I was stunned and held my chest because it was beating even harder.

“Ever since Levi won the election, chaos erupted in the town due to a series of incidents. There were killings in the town, and almost all the victims were Montes’ residents. There was also an outbreak of a plague in the rice fields, which belonged to the Montes. Don Ignacio tried to fix things because Don Martinez entrusted the town to them.”

I hugged my knees and bowed my head.

“Don Martinez went to another country after the election. Since his wife passed away, he entrusted the town to Don Ignacio and Levi, but he didn’t know that there was trouble brewing in the town they built.”

I hugged my knees tighter as I felt the tragedy was about to unfold.

“Don Ignacio believed Levi was helping him resolve the chaos, but things only got worse when Levi publicly blamed Don Ignacio for what was happening in the town. Some didn’t believe, but the belief that someone died in the town grew stronger. A foreigner was pointed out, and Don Ignacio was accused.”

I turned to the Detective, who stood up and looked at Don Ignacio’s tomb.

“The people got angry at them. They stormed the hacienda carrying spears and torches…”

***

The people outside the Montes' mansion were in chaos.

“Don Ignacio! Come out! My husband died because of your orders! You beast!”

“Don Ignacio! Leave the town!”

“Don Levi was right. You’re behind all of this!”

***

“They threw torches at the hacienda, and half of it caught fire. The police arrived with a warrant for Don Ignacio’s arrest, also ordered by Levi.”

He clenched his fist and took a deep breath.

“The townspeople of San Alfonso united to drive out Don Ignacio and his pregnant wife, Lady Stella, from the town.”

I don’t know, but tears are falling from my eyes because of what I heard from him. I feel his grief over what happened to the family that took him in.

***

“What are we going to do, Ignacio? The town is in chaos! How could Levi betray us?!”

Ignacio shook his head at his wife because he also didn’t know why they were betrayed by one of his close friends, Levi.

“I will come with them, Stella, and I will clear my name with the people. God knows I am innocent. The truth is still on our side.” Ignacio said with a smile to his wife as he approached her and caressed her belly. “When I get out, we will leave the town to continue our dream for our future child. I can't wait for her to be born. I’m sure she’ll be as beautiful as you.” Ignacio said with a smile again and kissed his wife on the forehead as she sobbed.

The police then pulled Don Ignacio with handcuffs on.

“Ignacio! My husband is innocent!”

Lady Stella ran after him, but the police just pushed her away, assisted by their other men.

“Stella, take care of our child. The truth is on my side.”

Lady Stella’s eyes widened as Don Ignacio smiled at her while being pulled out of the hacienda by the police.

“N-no…! Ignacio…!”

***

I blinked and turned to Detective who held me by the shoulder.

“Are you okay? I’ve been calling you for a while, but you didn't respond.” he said with concern.

I shook my head, and took a deep breath because what I saw in my dream was in his story.

“I-I dreamt of the arrest of Don Ignacio. I-I don’t know, but I feel like I have a strong connection to them.” I said, and I saw surprise in his eyes before he smiled and sat down next to me.

“When Don Ignacio was taken out of the hacienda by the police, the people rushed towards him and started hurting him. Lady Stella couldn’t do anything about what happened to her husband because she was under house arrest. The situation escalated even more when Don Ignacio was caught.”

He looked up, and my eyes widened when I saw tears on his cheeks.

“The police killed the people in the hacienda, Don Ignacio’s men. They set fire to the extensive rice fields and stole some of Don Ignacio’s land that the government didn’t know about. They let the other helpers die in the fire that happened on the hacienda.” He sighed and wiped his tears. “Because of our cowardice, my mother Tasing and I escaped, leaving Lady Stella grieving over what happened to Don Ignacio. I left town because I was a coward back then, but Levi’s men caught Mama Tasing and kept alive, but she had to keep her mouth shut.”

So, Grandma Tasing was caught and kept alive for many years, but why was she killed now?

“I didn’t hear any news for months. But my conscience bothered me, so I decided to return to San Alfonso to find out about Don Ignacio and Lady Stella. I thought of sacrificing for the family that took me in. But what I found was different, San Alfonso was entirely different now, no longer under the rule of Don Martinez and Don Ignacio.” He clenched his fist and took a deep breath. “I noticed people going back to their normal lives as if nothing chaotic happened before. They shamelessly act happy after what they did to the Montes family. They even use the houses given by Don Ignacio to them. I was furious at the people for believing baseless accusations.”

I averted my gaze from him because I could feel his anger towards the people. If I were in his shoes, I would also be furious at the people, as those who fought for Don Ignacio would be the reason for tragedy in his family.

“I hid in a small hut where no one knew. I pretended to be a foreigner from Manila to avoid suspicion. I met someone who was loyal to the Montes family, and I was surprised that he recognized me, so he took me to a place owned by the Montes…”

“The falls…”

He nodded at me because that’s where Tyron and I met when I planned to enter the Montes Hacienda.

“He told me everything after Don Ignacio was captured. They imprisoned Lady Stella on the hacienda and did not allow Don Ignacio to visit her in the cell. He told me back then that Levi had forbidden anyone to talk about or even mention what happened to the Montes, and everyone would be punished if they violated his law.”

I faced the detective, feeling like I understood everything. “Levi is behind it all. He orchestrated Don Ignacio's capture and spread lies,” I said. The detective just nodded at me. “They really are something else. He won the election and still smeared Don Ignacio in public.”

The detective chuckled, so I just grimaced at him.

“That’s not all, Ana. He did many evil things to the Montes family. He had Don Ignacio arrested and ordered the police to make him confess to a crime he didn’t commit. And if he didn't confess, they would hurt and torture him.”

“When I returned to San Alfonso, I gathered evidence against him. I also kept an eye on Lady Stella from a distance, carrying her pregnancy, but one night the police went to the hacienda to inform Lady Stella that Don Ignacio had died…”

***

“I-I want to see my husband! I want to see him!”

The police chief just shook his head. “I’m sorry, Lady Stella. Don Ignacio is dead.”

Lady Stella’s eyes widened, and she covered her mouth before clutching her stomach.

“T-that’s not true! Take me with you! I would like to see my husband! I don’t believe what you’re saying!”

The police officers restrained Lady Stella from trying to reach her husband.

“He committed suicide earlier because he felt guilty about what he did to the town.”

Lady Stella stepped back and collapsed to the floor because she couldn’t believe that her husband could commit suicide.

“N-no… I-Ignacio…”

***

“Don Ignacio committed suicide?” I asked in surprise.

He turned to me.

“That’s what the police made it look like that Don Ignacio committed suicide. But the truth is, his body couldn’t handle the excessive beating and torture he endured in the cell.” He clenched her fist as she spoke. “The police kept their mouths shut, but I know they’re under Levi’s control, so I know they’re the ones behind what happened to Don Ignacio. They forced him to confess until he died. Lady Stella was devastated by Don Ignacio’s death because she didn’t even get to see her husband in his final moments, as she couldn’t leave the hacienda. They just threw Don Ignacio’s body by the river like an animal.”

I was stunned and just stared, tears streaming down my face. I held my chest as it felt constricted.

“I secretly took Don Ignacio’s body and buried him here on the hilltop. After that tragic incident, I was deeply worried about Lady Stella, so one night, I entered the hacienda…”

***

The young man entered the hacienda without anyone knowing until he heard screams and crashes coming from Stella's room.

“W-who are you? Let me go! W-what are you going to do to me? N-no! Have mercy! I’m pregnant! Let me go! You animals!”

The young man hurried upstairs, but what he found was beyond his expectations. His eyes widened as he saw Lady Stella being assaulted by unknown men.

He was surprised to see Lady Stella look at him and just shake her head. After the assault, the young man hid while the men left the hacienda as if nothing happened. Once they were gone, he quickly went to Lady Stella, who was undressed, and helped her escape, but suddenly Lady Stella felt a sharp pain in her stomach.

“I-I think I’m going into labor…! Angelo…!”

He assisted Lady Stella in escaping from the hacienda.

***

“Lady Stella was assaulted? Oh, fuck! I haven’t read her entire diary yet. Why did they do that to her?” I angrily asked him.

They have no mercy. They killed Don Ignacio and planned to go after Lady Stella next. Detective didn’t say a word, but I could feel his intense anger.

“Lady Stella gave birth to their child, and I hid them in the hut where I lived. I also accompanied them to visit the grave I made for Don Ignacio. Lady Stella has been suffering since Don Ignacio’s death, crying every day and questioning why these things are happening to them and why Levi betrayed them. She even told me that if anything were to happen to her, I should take care of their child.”

Detective smiled bitterly as his face darkened.

“That’s not what I wanted. I did everything to make up for my cowardice in leaving them and neglecting them. Until the public and Levi found out about Lady Stella’s escape, so he had her searched for along with his wife, Caridad. And they used my friend to tell them where Lady Stella was. They caught us here at the top of the hill.”

The Detective’s stories rendered me utterly silent, overwhelmed by the anticipation of what he would reveal next.

“They took Lady Stella and planned to take their child as well, but Lady Stella didn't allow that to happen, so she handed the child to me and made me escape…”

***

“Stella!”

Their eyes widened upon hearing Caridad and Levi’s voices.

“They’re here! Let’s go, Lady Stella!”

The young man pulled Lady Stella, but she still didn’t move from her spot and whispered to the young man, who didn't know what to do.

“Lady Stella…”

“Hide, my child. I’ll take care of them.”

Stella handed her child to the young man who hid in the tall grass. Levi’s men surrounded Stella, and they held the struggling woman.

Stella glared at Levi as she struggled. “You beast, Levi! We trusted you! Ignacio trusted you! We accepted your cheating in the election because we had no evidence, but what did you do? You killed our fellow citizens! You infected the Montes' rice fields with a plague! Not only that, but you even involved the townspeople!” Stella shouted angrily.

“You killed my husband! You raped me! What kind of person are you, huh? Remember, this town is not yours! It belongs to the Monticello and the Montes! You have no shame.”

Levi and Caridad just laughed because they knew Stella had no chance against them, as they had everything in their favor.

“Stella, just come with us. You won’t get hurt. Ignacio is a coward. That’s why he couldn’t defend himself. I am now the king of this town, and you... I will erase you from history and the map of San Alfonso. I will bury everything in the ground,” Levi said with a smirk.

In her anger, Stella broke free and charged at Levi, but he punched her hard in the stomach, causing her to sit down.

“Take her and her child. Kill them.”

Stella’s eyes widened, and she looked at where the young man was hiding, protecting the child in his arms.

“I won’t allow that to happen,” said Stella. She hurried to the young man’s hiding place and smiled when she saw the angelic face of their child.

“I’m sorry, my child, if you can't be with us, but we love you very much. Grow up to be kind and God-fearing. Be brave and stand up for what is right. I hope you find a man as brave as your heroic father. I’ll be here, find my diary. All the evidence against them is there,” Stella whispered tearfully to her child, taking off her necklace and putting it on her child.

She looked at the young man. “I entrust my child to you. I trust you with our child, Ignacio’s and mine. Leave this town, raise him well.”

Angelo sobbed as he gripped the child of his adoptive parents for many years. “L-Lady Stella… F-forgive me…”

Lady Stella just smiled and shook her head. “You did the right thing, too. The truth remains on our side, and the truth cannot be buried in the ground. Leave now, they’re here.” She whispered to Angelo and kissed him on the forehead.

“Stella!”

“Lady Stella…”

Stella just smiled at the young man. “The history of the Montes family in this town will never be erased. I will count on you.”

“Stella!”

The young man hesitated to leave until they were caught by Levi’s men.

“RUN! DON’T LOOK BACK!”

He startled by Stella’s shout, the young man quickly ran down the hill, pursued by Levi’s men, tears streaming down his face. He stopped and widened his eyes as he saw Stella being shot repeatedly.

“LADY STELLA.”

***

I covered my mouth and the surroundings seemed to darken as I heard the truth from the Detective. I held my head in my hands, tears flowing uncontrollably. And I couldn’t bear the pain of hearing about the tragedy that the Montes family had suffered.

I took a deep breath and wiped away my tears.

“W-where is their child, Detective? Did she also die?” I asked him. He paused and stared at me.

“No. The child is alive and well. I returned to Manila and didn’t know what to do because I couldn’t keep track of the child, especially knowing that Levi would be looking for me. I left the child outside the gate of an orphanage.”

I was taken aback by his words, and I couldn’t help but feel anxious about what he would say next.

“Lady Stella left a necklace for her child and also told me the name she gave the child, a name similar to Don Ignacio’s.” He looked at me seriously and held my hand. “She named the child Anastasia Montes, Anastasia Montes is their child’s name. Don Ignacio named their only child.”

My eyes widened as I held on to the necklace I was wearing with the name Anastasia engraved on it. Mother Carol said they named me Anastasia because that’s what was engraved on my necklace.

Maybe their child has the same name as me.

“Aren’t you curious why your parents didn’t come back for you at the orphanage, Ana? Haven’t you searched for the truth about your identity?” he asked.

I furrowed my brow at him and withdrew my hand from his grasp, standing up because I had heard enough, which could be my weapon against the Villalobos.

“I’ll go ahead, Detective. Martin might be looking for me,” I said, turning away, but I stopped when he spoke again.

“Aren’t you curious about the woman in the painting inside the Monticello who looks like you?”

I just shook my head at him and clenched my fist.

“The woman in the painting is Lady Stella Montes…”