14 The Confrontation

It's been three weeks since the kidnapping fiasco in southern Philippines. Rafael and Kanna have gone back to their normal lives. Meanwhile, Karl was relaxing while reading his favorite news rag and munching on some bread for breakfast at the Marino mansion when Riko came into the dining room with fury all over her face.

"What's eating you?" asked Karl nonchalantly.

"Do you harbor feelings for Takako or something?" Riko blurted out furiously without hesitation. "Takako? Seriously? Give me a break," said Karl as he stared blankly into space, still chewing his piece of bread calmly

"Don't play dumb! You looked so happy next to her!" exclaimed an even more agitated Riko as she slammed her hand onto the table.

"Are you kidding me right now?" replied Karl starting to get angry himself

"Just come clean already! Do you like Takako or not?!" demanded an angry Riko pointing towards him accusingly

"If I did, then we wouldn't be here arguing about this right now!" retorted Karls fiercely just before Rafael walked in.

Rafael informed his father, "I'm off to school." Karl hastily rose from his seat and abruptly left the dining room, leaving Riko feeling annoyed. Before Rafael headed to school at a later time, Karl requested him to drive him first towards the tower location.

------

After an hour, Karl and Rafael arrived at the Innovare Corporate tower, Jiena and Kyoko were inside his office, while Takako was sitting on the couch, calm and composed.

"Takako narrowly escaped death," Arjan told his best friend, who went inside the office with him.

"Takako, I apologize for being late," said Karl "I would've come here earlier, but you weren't ambushed yet."

"Thank you," said Takako "If it weren't for Nozomi, I would've died right now because of boredom."

"Cigarette?" Karl offered Takako.

"I know" Takako responded

"Okay," Karl replied and took out a whiskey in his cabinet and offered it to Takako.

"Irish?" Karl said as he offered it to his former colleague.

"I'm a Japanese, remember?" Takako responded.

Arjan handed over the pictures of the incident to Karl. He carefully examined them and said, "Looks like there's an emblem of a man being eaten by a snake."

"What does that mean?" Arjan asked.

"It represents Fontierra," he replied. This left Rafael in shock.

"Dad, you are not making this up without any proof, right?" Rafael questioned while examining the photo himself.

"Do I seem foolish enough to do that?" asked Karl as he held his fist tightly around evidence causing it collapse inwardly at his grip. Takako interjected asking him what his plan was going forward.

"I'm planning on confronting them tonight," replied Karl out of frustration with their behavior towards him previously. Rafael tried calming down his dad without success which led Jiena to tell her brother off for doing so.

"Yo Fumi! Round up all the soldiers and get them to join us tonight," Karl commanded.

"We'll fence off the whole building."

"Hold up, don't jump to conclusions just because you're mad," advised Arjan with Takako agreeing on it. "I concur; after we attend that ball I got an invite for, we can work through this issue later."

"Takako and Arjan make sense Oppa," Tiffany affirmed. "You neglected to be level-headed while taking decisions."

"Fine then, I relent." Karl conceded and sat in front of his desk facing Makati's skyline as he whipped out an invitation card.

"Fernando is hosting another lavish party at his estate, so he invited me there." revealed Karl. "Takako should come along with me."

"What about yourself?" asked Takako.

Karl replied, "If we don't stop picking each other's nose, my missus will surely be cheesed off. Don't forget that you have your serving girls with you and can take Rafael, Kyoko and Jiena along."

Tiffany inquired, "How about us?"

"I've got some tasks to assign Jamie and the rest of the staff," Karl informed his assistant while loading bullets into his gun. "Reserving it for special occasions."

"Get ready for the function by dressing up," Takako suggested to Marino kids who excitedly complied.

-------

Later that night, Takako arrived at the estate that Fernando owns, as soon as she entered the hall, heads turned on her regal and timeless beauty, her handmaids were also the faces of the night as both men and women were mesmerized by their beauties.

"It's nice to finally meet the legendary Madam Fujimiya," Fernando greeted, kissing the lady's hand.

"The feeling is mutual," Takako responded, "I bought my godkids with me."

"That's nice," Fernando said, taking out a Cuban cigar and offered it to Takako "Cuban?"

"I'm a Japanese," Takako responded.

"Let me accompany you to the grand hall," Fernando offered, for which Takako happily complied.

------

At the ball, Takako was busy talking to some businessmen while the rest were interacting with guests, Rafael was standing near the door, bored and twigging his fingers when he saw someone that fluttered his heart, it was the love of his life, Kanna who was slowly approaching him.

"Is there something wrong with my face again?" Kanna asked.

"No, not at all," Rafael answered, "My heart will always flutter when I am with you."

Out of the blue, Albert arrived and stood behind his daughter, staring at Rafael with disdain. The young man bowed his head as a sign of greetings to the father of his love.

"Can I talk to you outside with my daughter?" asked Albert, a request the young man obliged. The three of them were at the garden, Albert stared at Rafael with much disgust, while Kanna anxiously looked at his raging father.

"Look, I want you to back off," said Albert.

"Pardon me sir?" Rafael clarified.

"I want you to stop seeing my daughter," said Albert, pointing his finger at Rafael, who taken aback by the former's words.

"But dad!" Kanna interrupted.

"Look, I never imagine mixing the blood of the Fontierras with the blood of the Marinos," Albert elaborated.

"Mister Fontierra, I love your daughter so much and I could imagine life without her," Rafael explained when Albert grabbed his collar.

"Listen, I am arranging for her to marry Jude Almeida, the Marinos are pigs and all of you deserve to die" Albert grinned when a tremendous explosion rocked the garden, prompting the three of them to rush into the area. Much to their surprise, it was Karl who was grabbing Javier Barbarin and Leonard Fontierra's neck, while the two also made the same at the Marino patriarch.

"I knew you were here," Karl grinned still holding the necks of his adversary, Tiffany and Jamie rushed in, kicking Leonard in the stomach, forcing the three to be unlocked from their standoff.

"Karl Marino," Albert Fontierra muttered, while Fernando and some guest rushed to the area

"Javier," Takako murmured, taking out her pistol and pointing at her adversary.

"What's this again, Mister Marino?" Fernando asked, noticing a squadron of combined policemen and soldiers.

"Is this some kind of bust?" one of the guest asked.

"Yes, it's very impressive than what Takako had, but I'll go straight to business," Karl glancing at the lady's endowment, looking at Fernando.

"Fernando Escobal, you are under arrest for coddling a terrorist and for the attempt on the life of Senator Marino," the chief of police served the warrant.

"You miscreants, you think you can destroy someone like me that easy?!" Fernando asked to which smoke came out of nowhere covering the area, prompting Karl and Takako to stick together and chase Javier. Few seconds later, shots rang out.

"Dad!" Rafael yelled while taking Kanna and Albert to safety, seeing Jiena and Kyoko exchanging fires with Fernando's men, the firefight didn't last long as Riko and another squad of police arrived at the scene, arresting most of Fernando's men.

Karl and Takako returned to the estates, tired and frustrated, the two sat down at a bench with their heads lowered.

"Where are Javier and Leonard?" Tiffany asked.

"The two escaped," Takako replied, "How about Fernando?"

"He too escaped." Tiffany answered, bowing her head in shame.

"That's okay," Karl calmly replied, patting Tiffany's head, "You've worked hard."

"We can catch them soon," Takako stood up and offered her hand to Karl.

"I'm tired of this job," Karl took Takako's hand and stood up, walking into the crowd.

"Senator Marino, we're sorry we failed to capture the primary suspect," the police chief told him.

"That's alright," Karl replied, when he glanced at Albert with restraint, while Takako just gave the Fontierra patriarch a smirk.

"You wouldn't want your blood to mix up with mine okay," Karl said with sarcasm, picking his nose.

"Are you insulting me?" asked Albert, who fumed in anger.

"What is it you fuming at, your face is red?" asked Takako.

"Look, stop making that illusion that you an illustrious guy and you have an illustrious family," said Karl "Especially if you brother is a drug lord and he is with an international terrorist. To sum up you're not an Aquino or a Marcos or a Sy or an Ayala, much as I am not Takako's husband so I am not an illustrious crazy rich Asian."

"You had a choice to marry me when you had a chance," Takako interrupted, contradicting Karl's statement.

"Yeah, but the thought of it makes me sick," Karl responded.

"What did you say?" a grinning Albert asked, clinching his fist.

"What is this, some kind of Romeo and Juliet?" Takako laughed, unable to control herself, and tapped Karl on the back.

"I have said what I have said, and that's it," Karl answered, leaving the crowd with his children, together Takako and his men.

------

Back at the Innovare Tower, Takako and Riko were waiting for Karl to arrive as he and Tiffany went to settle other businesses. Rafael passed by and eavesdrop on the conversation between the two ladies.

Riko sat down, facing Takako, trying to compose herself in the woman's face whom she suspects that her husband was dead crazy.

"It's been a while since was saw each other," said Riko

"I know you looked stressed out," Takako sips a cup of tea.

"Yeah, there is something that I wanted to ask you,"

"If your husband has feelings for me?"

"Is it?"

"Even if I want to, I wouldn't want to do that,"

"What do you mean?" Riko asked and Takako explained, "We are more than friends, less than lovers, high probability of being business partners and sage, even if you ask him, he is not interested in me, a sage cannot fall in love with a fellow sage and besides he is allergic whenever I am around."

Sipping a cup of tea, Takako continued to explain, "Even if Karl had a chance and opportunity, even if I was at my weakest point, he didn't bother crawling up on me or proposing marriage or try to ditch you for me. As you know we both have a substantial fortune that we have looted during the war and he even managed to stole Javier's loot, if we combined our fortune, it's a different story, he'd never be happy with that kind of system, you have the fortune but less happiness, he is not the person who'd love that, he is simple, but sometime flaunts if he thinks he wants something, that's it."

While Rafael continues to listen to their conversation, he was suddenly pulled in the shoulder. Much to his surprise, it was Jiena and Kyoko.

"Why are you eavesdropping?" asked Jiena

"I was waiting for Dad," Rafael answered

"And you're eavesdropping?" said Kyoko when Karl, Arjan, Tiffany and Jamie arrived.

"What's up?" asked Karl when Riko and Takako went outside.

"What is going on?" Riko asked.

"I was about to say that Jiena, Fumi and Chloe found Leonard and killed him," Karl answered, "They found him hiding in the mountain near Fernando's estates, then they threw his body in the sea."

"Dad, how long will you continue this war?!" Rafael cried

"Why, because your girlfriend's family is at stake?" Jiena mocks her twin brother.

"This is not about me or the Fontierras, but how many lives must be sacrificed to end this war," Rafael, prompting Jiena to hit him in the face.

"That's the answer," Karl replied, "Now, Rafael doesn't represent my stand about this, so let's continue the meeting."

-----

After meeting with Takako, the Marinos returned home, visibly exhausted, Karl sat down on the couch, grinning his teeth, Rafael went to the living room where Jiena stood in front of him and without hesitation he got slapped in the face by her sister.

"Why do you that for?" an angry Rafael asked his sister.

"Why I do that?" asked Jiena "You are so naïve, you embarrass us in front of someone like Takako"

"You're really are an embarrassment to us," Kyoko added, "You know who started this war in the first place and it's your girlfriend's family."

"Jiena, Kyoko you were friends with Kanna and this, what has gotten into the both of you?" Rafael told his sisters "Both of you have turned into heartless animals!"

"Who you calling animal? If it weren't for Albert and Leonard, we would've lived in peace," Kyoko punches her step-brother in the stomach, while Jiena pulled his hair in anger.

"It's only Kyoko and I who are doing this to you," Jiena muttered, "You don't expect someone who is more monstrous than the two of us".

Kyoko and Jiena went to their respective rooms, leaving a stunned and frustrated Rafael slumped on the couch, bruised with his poor heart and body.

---

At the Fontierra Residence, Albert become enraged and sharply glared at her daughter, Kanna, who was standing firm despite the fear in her heart as she glanced back at her father.

"I am not letting you go near those bastards," Albert told his daughter, approaching her and embraced her tightly, "You will marry Jude Alemeida whether you like it or not!"

Kanna broke free from her father; Albert quickly raised his hand and struck her daughter in the face. "I love Rafael! And I will fight for it!"

Albert quickly ran and struck her again, fuming mad as her daughter was trying to defy him, fortunately Mrs. Fontierra came to aid, pushed Albert away from their daughter who couldn't stop crying. The latter, utterly upset, walked away, leaving the two on the floor.

"Listen to your father; he's just very concerned about you," Mrs. Fontierra comforted her daughter.

"Mom, I love Rafael so much and I know there is some way that we could stop this war," Kanna reasoned out, wiping her tears.

"Sweetie, this war couldn't be stopped, either your dad or the senator dies and everyone will be at peace." Mrs. Fontierra explained, trying to empathize to her daughter.

"But it would only create another war; don't you think Mrs. Marino or Jiena will let this pass if Mr. Marino dies?" Kanna embraced her mother, pleading for her to intervene and stop Albert from declaring further attacks against the Marinos.