Chapter 63

"Welcome home, hijo!" greeted Laura as she embraced her son. Then turning to Sasha, she hugged the girl as well. "Hello Sasha, dear."

Sasha hugged her back as Laura's eyes went to Alex. She straightened herself as she greeted her.

"Hello, Alex," Laura greeted without hugging her.

Alex smiled faintly at her as she gripped Robbie's arm tightly.

Laura's eyes suddenly noticed something different from the couple. There was a sudden glow in both of them and what was more shocking was the diamond ring in which it did not pass her eyes as Alex slipped a strand of hair away from her face.

"Robbie," a stern voice came out of her lips. "We need to talk."

Robbie glanced at Alex first as she smiled at him. Their eyes spoke words that were unsaid as if understanding what another one needed. He slid his arm away from her and took her hand, kissed it and walked with his mother inside the house.

Alex and Sasha followed and went straight upstairs to their bedrooms while the mother and son walked outside by the pool.

"So... how was your trip?"

Laura started by asking casual questions in which Robbie knew was a calm before a storm, and he braced himself for the next question.

"It was great, Mom. I think Sasha enjoyed mostly than us."

"I see..." and she sipped her tea which Manang Emilia had set for them on the table.

"What do you really want to ask me, Mom?"

Laura took her time as she studied her son. She knew she had to let go whatever Alex had done but the mother in her just could not trust her fully yet.

"Did you just recently got engage? Did you purposely lied to me?" she accused.

"Why would you say that?"

"Don't you dare lie to my face, Robert James. I know if you are lying. You cannot even look at me straight in my eyes. You're never a good liar."

"Fine," and Robbie lifted his hands as if in surrender. "Yes, at first we just pretended but now-"

"Now what? You want me to believe it was all true? That she actually loves you? Robbie..."

"Mom, you have known Alex as a little girl. Why can't you believe she can have feelings for me?"

"Because she lied before, Robbie. It's hard to trust someone that we had loved so much all our lives only to be betrayed because of some stupid scene that did not even happen."

"How would you know? You're not even there..."

"So are you telling me now that she doesn't believe it really happened? Why? Because she had sex with you and tell you she loves you?"

Robbie pursed his lips. He knew his mother only wanted good things for him and he could not blame her for speaking harshly about Alex.

But he could not agree with her. He knew these past few days that what Alex showed to him was true. That everything was true and no one could ever tell him that Alex was lying, because he saw it in her eyes, the love he had been longing for had been returned, and even more.

"We love each other, Mom. Now if you cannot accept that, I'm sorry but I have to disobey you for once," and he stood up. "Excuse me, but I have a conference to attend to."

Then he walked back inside the house leaving his mother sipping her tea as she pondered on the future events that would take place soon.

An engagement party.

Then a wedding.

Laura sighed as she stared blankly on to the pool.

***********

"Welcome back, Robbie," greeted Tonette on the screen.

"Hi Tonette. So how was everything there?" Robbie greeted. Though he was still a bit upset from the prior argument with his mom, he decided to focus himself on the true work he had to face.

That is to find the person who sold their idea to the competitor.

"I'm still trying to figure out who sent those leaks to Pretty Lips."

"Do you want me to get the nerds to hack files there?"

"Nerds?"

"Yes. I have Sasha's youtube video on watch. These hackers are my best buds in high school. They could crack up any file."

"Maybe we should or probably just hold a meeting by tomorrow. All staff per department."

"But that would take too long to find out."

"But if this person was the snitch, he would not be using technology to send out things. Robbie, it's better if we have a meeting so you can somehow meet everyone in person. It had been awhile the team had seen you and there were probably several newcomers who joined the team we haven't met. Maybe one of them could be the snitch."

Robbie thought of it for awhile and then nodded.

"You're right. It's time for me to meet the new people. Let's have a staff meeting tomorrow, and invite the newcomers. Kind of a welcome party in disguise. Then pull out the files so we can check each one."

"Right. I'm going to send the email invite to everyone today."

"Thanks, Tonette."

"You're welcome. By the way, bring your new personal assistant. I'm sure everyone would want to meet her," and she smiled.

Robbie smiled. "Sure. By the way, we... got engaged."

Tonette's eyes widened.

"Is this for real?"

Robbie nodded.

"We confessed to each other when we were at camp."

Tonette smiled. "Finally."

Robbie chuckled. "Yeah. Been long time..."

"You waited a long time."

"I know but it's still worth it."

"This is actually good news.. I just hope the media would buy it."

"Well, they bought the idea of me having a kid so why not me being engaged and all?"

"Well, you knew your business soared when you admit you were gay. I'm not sure how they would accept this."

"Not if we present it better."

"Like how?"

"By collaborating with Edlena and putting Sasha as the new face of the kids line, then I'm sure the media would get the idea."

"So you're going to use your kid?"

"I'm done hiding, Tonette."

"I know but you cannot erase the fact that Alex had done a huge damage to you, too. She needed to admit to everyone that what she saw was not true."

Robbie thought for a minute, trying to think of ways to convince Alex.

Should they tell the truth about what happened after?

He did not want everyone to hate her all her life. There got to be a better way to tell everyone about what really happened... what was her basis of thinking those things? How to completely erase it in their minds...

This was harder than he thought. His plan was only to announce to everyone his engagement but he never really thought of Alex until now.

People will start to ridicule her just like ten years ago. Unless they change something...

Robbie smiled as an idea came up in his head.

"I got an idea," he told Tonette. "But first, let's do the Welcome Party tomorrow."

"Sure, Boss. But do share what you're thinking because I don't like surprises. You got to let me in on the plan somehow."

"Of course. But I have to talk to my wife-to-be first."

"So funny how you refer her. But I want you to know Robbie, I'm happy for you. I just hoped this would all get straightened out soon."

"Yes. I hope so, too. Anyway, I have to let you go for now. We'll talk again soon tomorrow."

"Sure, Boss. See you."

"Thank you," and he ended the call.

A knock from the door had him walking towards it. When he opened the door, Alex was standing before him.

"Hi. Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," and he opened the door wider for her. She let herself in and sat on the white couch. Robbie followed and sat beside her. He took her hand and kissed it before speaking.

"We need to talk," he said.

"About what?"

"Our engagement."

"Ah yes! We need to do the arrangements. Call people-"

"But we have to do something else before that."

"Like what?"

Robbie gazed at her eyes.

"You need to tell them the truth about me."

Alex creased her brows.

"Who is they?"

"The media."

Alex stood straight as she suddenly felt pale. The last thing she wanted to deal with was the media but she knew she couldn't run away from it. She would be part of the Magsano family soon, and being in the spotlight once again was what she had bargained for as Robbie's wife.

She hated the media but she could not escape it, and somehow she knew she owed Robbie. She needed to tell them it was all a lie.

But was it? Robbie had not told her anything yet about what really transpired in that room. But did she really need a proof? Was it not enough to see how much Robbie suffered through all those years because of what she had said?

She loved him. She truly loved him and eventhoigh it might be the hardest rhing she would do, she must do this for him.

A sacrifice she needed to make to prove him she loved him.

"Okay... I will do it," and Robbie have her a wide smile as he hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, Alex," he whispered and she hugged him tightly.

"I love you, Robbie. If this is the way to prove it to you, I will do it."

Robbie let her go and kissed her on her lips.

"I love you, too, Alex. I always do."