“I need you to investigate two people – Alvin and Hector Mangubat. They’re brothers. I need to know everything about them as soon as possible.”
Hector was at the gambling den when one of his men came to tell him that his daughter was waiting for him at the gate. Hector ordered his men to hide all the güñs so his daughter didn’t see them. Meanwhile, Roxy went through the gate outside and took a selfie of herself before making her way into her father’s place. Jude brought Kulas a lawyer and he told the old man that they were arranging for his bail.
Kulas argued that he wanted to get out of there and clear his name and the lawyer told him that they had to gather evidence and prove that he wasn’t involved in Romina’s räpë case. Kulas then told the lawyer that he had to have a talk with Eric, his former cop buddy because he was the one who had hidden the evidence.
At Maxwell, Romina thanked Alvin for looking out for Cassie. Alvin said there was no need since Cassie was like a daughter to him. Mina then had a phone call and when Cassie came up, she told her to go ahead with the driver because she was going to the station since there was some progress with her case. “Okay mamma,” Cassie said. “But, can Mr. Vin come with us too? He’s got a wound on his leg. It’s difficult for him to walk. I actually went to get a first aid kit for him.”
Mina glanced at Alvin’s leg. “Um… do you want me to call you a cab or something.”
“No, thanks,” Alvin replied. “My place isn’t that far.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m okay.”
“Ma, I’ll just drop Mr. Vin there,” Cassie said. “His home’s along the way.”
Mina stared suspiciously at Alvin. “Okay, Cassie. But keep me updated, okay?”
Cassie nodded and smiled. “Thank you, mamma.”
Mina forced a smile and eyed Alvin. At the Bartolome house, Carlos sat at the table and Daniela dished out some food. Carlos was silent and staring at Daniela and she asked whether there was a problem. “I’m just thinking about something,” Carlos said.
“Are you regretting that you married me?” Danny girl asked.
“What are you talking about?”
“I know what your dad did to Romina. If he hadn’t kept that evidence, you wouldn’t have left Romina. Is that true?”
“That was a long time ago. It’s not important. What matters is the present – being with you and Marga. I don’t know how I’ll be able to live without you.”
Roxy entered her father’s place and hugged him. Hector asked why she had come so suddenly and she told him that she had missed him. “Didn’t you miss me too, pa?” Roxy asked.
“Don’t you have school?” Hector asked. “Did you ask permission from your aunt? You didn’t tell her, did you?”
“As if she’ll allow me if I ask for permission.”
“How did you travel? Where did you get the money? Why did you come straight here?”
“What’s with the questions? You sound like you don’t want me here. You got a new girlfriend, didn’t you?”
“Here we go again. You always change the subject.”
“I guess I’m not your baby girl anymore.”
“You know that you’re my one and only baby girl. Don’t be like that.”
Roxy then asked why he didn’t want her there then and Hector told her that he didn’t want to get her involved in his business since it was too dangerous. Roxy argued that gambling wasn’t illegal since there was a lot of casinos around. Hector said he wouldn’t be able to get time to take care of her. “I’m sixteen,” Roxy said. “You don’t have to take care of me all the time. Can I stay here? Please, papa. Even for a week. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
Cassie rode with Alvin in the van. She advised him to have his wound washed first before being treated. Alvin told her that he had to do it himself since he didn’t have anyone else. Cassie was surprised. “You live alone? Are you still separated from your daughter?”
“For now. I don’t think she wants to see me.”
“What’s her problem? You’re a nice person. She’s very lucky to have you as her dad.”
“Thank you, Cassie. Your parents are lucky to have you. Have you ever thought of searching for your real father?”
“I do want to find him if I can. Not because I want to know him, but because I want to get justice for my mom. I’ll never forgive him for what he did to my mom. He’s a dêspiçable person.”
Just then, the car came to a sudden stop. An officer at the precinct told Mina that Kulas had confessed to them the person who had given him the video and they were currently searching for him. Carlos came in and asked to talk to her. “I just want to apologize,” Carlos said. “I never thought dad would do that.”
“You’re not the one who should apologize.”
“I want to apologize for my mistake too. I judged you too quickly. I didn’t even fight for you back then. I’m sorry. I regret everything I said and did then.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore, Carlos. Nothing will change, whether I forgive you or not. You’re just a part of my past.”
Back at the roadside, Renee the driver told Alvin that the car had overheated. Alvin then suggested that they get some water from his place since it was nearby. He asked Cassie whether she wanted to go with him to his house and she reluctantly agreed when he asked her to bring her bodyguards along. Romina arrived home and greeted her husband. Robert asked where Cassie was and Mina said she had told her earlier to go ahead with Mr. Renee.
“Aren’t they home yet?” Mina asked.
“No.” Robert called one of the bodyguards. “Where are you? Why aren’t you home yet?”
“Sir, the car broke down.”
“Where?”
“Near Cassie’s friend’s house.”
“Who is it?”
“It’s Alvin, sir.”
“Okay. Keep an eye on Cassie, and don’t leave her alone. We are coming over.”
“Where are they?” Mina asked after the call.
“At Alvin’s”
Alvin brought Cassie over to his place. Cassie looked around and mentioned that he didn’t have any pictures of his family or his daughter around. “Didn’t I tell you her mom kept me away from her?” Alvin asked.
“I have an idea,” Cassie said. “Almost everyone’s got an account online. We can send her a message or see her pictures if you want to. What’s her name, anyway?” Cassie fished out her phone.
“Oh, nevermind. I’ll handle it.” Alvin then insisted and left to go and buy some snacks for her. Back at the mansion, Mina told Robert that Cassie had wanted to drop off Alvin at his house since his leg was injured. Robert had a flashback of his recent conversation with the officer at Camila.
“His leg got injured?” Robert asked.
“Yes,” Mina replied. “Why?”
“The police said that one of the suspects they chased got shøt in the leg.”
After talking to his daughter’s aunt on phone, Hector told Roxy that she could stay with him for a week. Roxy was excited. She thanked her father for being there for her. “Unlike that chick.”
“Hey, Roxanne, she’s your mother,” Hector pointed out.
“Mother? She left me with random relatives, remember? Like I was a pet or something left somewhere. If you hadn’t found out I was your kid, I’d probably be on the streets hiding from the law like a street rat.”
“Enough with the complains. It makes you look ugly.”
Roxy then tried to convince her father to take her to visit her uncle Alvin. Back at Alvin’s place, Cassie tried to leave to ask Mr. Renee whether the car had been fixed yet. Alvin said she hadn’t touched her food yet and Cassie told her that she was still full and it was already getting late. “Let your bodyguards stand and watch,” Alvin said. “Let’s talk for a while.”
“Why, Mr. Vin? Is there something…”
Romina and Robert arrived just then and Mina pulled Cassie away from Alvin and asked her to wait for them in the car. Hector arrived at his brother’s place with his daughter. He noticed the car parked outside and he asked Roxy to stay in the car so he would go and talk to his uncle first. Hector pulled out a güñ and Roxy noticed it before he got out of the car and hid it. Cassie was walking toward the car when she saw Hector. She glanced at him several times and Hector stared back at her as she made her way into the car. Back inside, Alvin asked whether there was a problem since Cassie had asked for her permission and he had only invited her to wait in his house because the car had broken down.
Robert glanced at Alvin’s wound suspiciously. “What happened to your leg?” he asked.
“It’s nothing,” Alvin said. “I got it from an accident. I run into a tricycle.”
“When did that happen?”
“Why are you asking? Is there a problem?”
“I think you need a doctor.”
“Alvin, Were you at the park the other night?” Mina asked. “Answer me.”
Hector came in just then. “No, he wasn’t. He was with me.”
Outside Alvin’s place, Roxy came out of the car since her father was taking too long. She was awed by the Mondragons’ car. “Wow, looks fancy,” she said to herself. She went over, posed and took a selfie with the car in the background. She then turned to use the car’s screen as a mirror to help change her hairstyle. Cassie rolled down the car’s window and greeted Roxy with her usual smiling face. Roxy was startled. “Excuse me. Can I help you?”
A bodyguard came up and eyed Roxy. “Are you a princess?” Roxy asked.
“What?” Cassie said, surprised and amused as well.
“You’ve got a nice ride, and a bunch of bouncers too.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Nevermind. Have a nice day.”
Cassie stared and pouted her mouth in confusion as Roxy walked away. “Who’s this?” Robert asked back inside.
“I’m his brother,” Hector announced. “And who are you? You ask a lot of questions. Are you a cop?”
“It’s okay,” Alvin said to Hector. “He’s Mr. Robert. He used to be my boss at Camila.”
Hector faked an apology, and Robert gave him a look. “Have we met each other before?”
“I don’t think so,” Hector said. “I don’t go out often.”
Robert noticed the outline of the güñ hidden in Hector’s jacket. He turned to his wife. “I think we better leave now.”
“Robert, wait…”
“Let’s go.” Mina tried to resist but Robert ushered her out.
“Why are we leaving?” Mina asked as they made their way back to the car. “Alvin didn’t even give us a straight answer.”
“We’ll have other chances, Romina. But it’s better we leave now.”
Mina was confused. “Why?”
“Didn’t you notice? Alvin’s brother has a güñ. We don’t know what will happen if we force Alvin to talk.”
“What will we do if we find out that your suspicions about him are true?”
“Leave it to me. We’ll find out the truth. But I don’t want you to get hurt.”
At the Bartolome house, Marga asked her father if it was true that her grandpa was a suspect in her aunt’s case. Carlos told her that it was so. He however assured her that her grandpa couldn’t really räpë anyone. “What will happen now?” Marga asked. “Will he get out.”
“Don’t worry about that. We’ll take care of it.”
Robert told his PI (private investigator) that he couldn’t work with him anymore because he needed someone more efficient. He gave him his last paycheck and sent him on his way. He then made a call. “This is Mr. Mondragon. Bernard recommended you to me. I need you to investigate two people – Alvin and Hector Mangubat. They’re brothers. I need to know everything about them as soon as possible.”
Jude brought the lawyer, along with Gino to see their father again in jail. Kulas was upset at Gino for betraying him and Jude said he had only told the truth. Jude then told him that they had good news. “Your alibi at the night of the räpë checks out,” the lawyer revealed. “Good thing there were pictures of you and your friend’s birthday.”
“Does that mean I’m free to go?” Kulas asked.
“You’re still not off the hook for the charge of obstruction of justice. Let’s wait for your bail.”
“You need to talk to my friend. He’s the one who hid the CCTV footage.”
“Don’t worry,” Jude assured. “We’re looking for him.”
“Then hurry up,” Kulas grumbled.
Marga was glad that her grandpa’s name had been cleared and he would be out on bail soon. She suggested that they pay him a visit and Carlos said they would do that later. Carlos then reminded Daniela about their counseling session tomorrow and she reluctantly agreed to meet him there. A phone call came in and Daniela rejected it. Another one followed. “Why aren’t you answering it?” Carlos asked.
“It’s just Savannah,” Danny girl claimed.
“Answer it. It could be important.”
Daniela picked up the phone. “Hello, Savannah.”
“Savannah? This is Alvin.”
Daniela started walking away from the table. “You okay? Tell me what’s going on.”
“We have a problem. Your dad’s getting suspicious.”
Danny girl got off the phone as Carlos came up to her and asked whether she was okay. Daniela told him that Savannah was having husband problems. She then took the call outside, saying that she didn’t want to disturb him. Cassie joined her parents for breakfast. Mina asked why she was dressed up so early and she said she had to return some books to the library. “Tell Renee to take care of the books,” Robert called out to his staff.
“It’s okay, dad,” Cassie said. “Mr. Vin will help me.”
Mina glanced at her husband. “Cassie, aren’t you scared of Mr. Vin?”
“Why would I be?”
“When we got to his place, you seemed so uncomfortable,” Robert said.
“He just wanted me to stay longer to have a chat.”
“Chat about what?”
“A lot of things. But mostly, his daughter.”
“I didn’t know Alvin had a kid,” Mina commented.
“I’m her age,” Cassie said. “But he hasn’t introduced himself to her yet since he was imprisoned.”
“Did he mention anything about his brother?” Robert asked.
“Not really.”
“Cassie, listen to me. There are many things in Alvin’s life that I can’t make sense of. You and Marga should be careful. Better safe than sorry. After what happened to you, you have to be careful,” Mina added. “So it doesn’t happen again.” After talking to someone on phone, Mina told Robert that the former cop who had hidden the CCTV footage had been found. Robert had a look of unease on his face.
Kulas was glad that Eric had finally been found and arrested. Eric was upset that Kulas had dragged him into the issue and Kulas pinned all the blame on him, saying that they had to say the truth since someone was looking for justice. Jessa prepared breakfast and asked Myrna to come down. Myrna came down with her things, ready to leave. Jessa broke down and pleaded with her not to leave her, even promising to confess to Romina about being the one who had extorted money from her. Myrna told her not to do that since she had chosen to go to jail to save her and Kulas.
“You’re leaving me for your children?” Jessa sobbed. “Just face it. You’re a terrible mother. You can never make up for abandoning them.”
“Maybe that’s true. But I am willing to wait until they’re ready to forgive me. I want to spend the rest of my life with them.” Myrna left as Jessa broke down in tears. Eric had joined Kulas in jail. Kulas told him that he would only spend 2-10 years in jail if he kept his mouth shut. “But if you rat me out, you’ll rot here forever. I covered up for you once so you better think twice before you say something when they talk to you later.”
Robert and Romina arrived at the station. Mina asked why they were releasing Kulas and the chief said that Eric had confessed to being the one who had hidden the CCTV footage. Mina was upset. Kulas came up and said that he had done what he did to protect his son. He apologized for keeping silent about it, saying that he wasn’t the one who had hidden the CCTV footage and he had nothing to do with what happened to her.
Mina was boiling with rage as Kulas asked to let them live in peace. At Maxwell, Cassie sat by herself at a table and watched as Alvin worked. She recalled the conversation she had with Alvin at his place the day before. Kristoff joined her. He noticed her staring at Alvin and he asked why she was doing that.
“What can you say about him?” Cassie asked. “Do you think he’s a good person?”
“I guess. He’s always helping you, right? He defends you from Marga.”
“He told me that I remind him of his daughter.”
“Do you look like her?” Kristoff asked, confused.
“Actually, I don’t know. I’ve never seen his daughter’s photo. He doesn’t even have one in his house.”
“That’s weird. My dad has a photo of me in his wallet.”
“Just like my dad.”
Romina was still upset that Kulas had been released since she wanted someone to pay for what happened to her. The chief revealed that they were reviewing the CCTV footage for any clues as to who the real culprit is. “So did you find any clues?” Robert asked.
“We had the CCTV footage enhanced and we got the license plate of the abductor’s car. We’re trying to identify it’s owner.”
Back at Maxwell, Cassie told Kristoff that her father could be right about Alvin since he had changed the topic as soon as she had suggested that they search for his daughter online. Alvin came up and asked Cassie to join him for some snacks. Kristoff saved the day by coming up with the excuse that they had some class assignments to do. “Maybe next time,” Cassie said as she left with Kristoff.
Daniela met up with Alvin and blamed him for being the reason why Robert now suspected him since he had taken Cassie to his house. “When dad finds out, it will be the end of us,” Danny girl said.
“That’s why I want you to make a move. Do something before your father finds out.”
“You want me to clean up your mess?”
“I think Robert already spoke to Cassie. She’s ignoring me now. We both want the same thing. Let’s help each other.”
Hector was upset that Roxy had come down to the gambling den. He asked her to go back upstairs but Roxy refused, saying that she was bored because there was no TV and she had no one to talk to. Hector gave her some money to buy whatever she wanted and Roxy asked about the girl she had seen at her uncle’s place. “You mean Cassie?” Hector said. “She’s your uncle Alvin’s friend.”
“That’s cool. How did uncle get himself a rich friend? Only rich kids go to Maxwell.”
“Your uncle works there as a janitor.”
“Pa, I want to study there too. Let’s make it happen.”
Hector gave her a look. “Are you nuts? You said so yourself. It’s for rich people. We can’t afford it.”
In Robert’s office at Camila, the PI he had just hired brought him information on the Mangubat brothers. The PI then told him that based on the records, the brothers didn’t have any kids or family. “Not even Alvin?” Robert asked.
“Based on my investigation, he’s childless,” the PI confirmed.
Carlos went to pick up his father from the station. Kulas was glad that he had come for him and Carlos told him that didn’t mean he had already forgiven him for what he did. “I’ll make it up to you, son,” Kulas said.
“Dad, I’m not the one you lied. It was Romina. You should make it up to her, not me.”
“Fine. I’ll do it for you.”
“How?”
“I’ll help with the investigation. I’ll do everything to put an end to this.”
Romina arrived at her office at Camila and Bonita and Neil followed her in. Despite Kulas’ release, she was glad that her case had made some progress. Mina then had a phone call. “Hello. Yes? Chief, that’s impossible. Can you check again?”
“What did the police say?” Neil asked after the call.
“The license plate didn’t match the registered vehicle. They were using a fake plate number. It can’t end this way. I won’t allow it.”
Hector scolded Alvin for losing Cassie’s trust. “Use your head. Try and remember what you did to make her do this.”
“I remember her asking me why I don’t have any photos of my daughter at my house.”
“Well, why don’t you?”
“What will I hang up? I can’t hang up Cassie’s picture or she’ll find out she’s my daughter.”
“Cassie’s your daughter?” Roxy asked in surprise, walking into the room with some shopping bags. “Uncle, are you serious?”
“No one can know about this,” Hector warned.
“How did that happen? Did you get a rich family to adopt her?”
“No, her mom’s the rich woman,” Alvin explained.
“So she’s my cousin? That’s awesome. I have a cousin studying at Maxwell.”
Hector convinced Roxy to keep it a secret, saying that he didn’t want Cassie to get hurt and that Alvin couldn’t compete with the Mondragons because he was poor. Hector then suggested that Alvin show Cassie a photo of Roxanne so she would stop doubting him. Cassie was sitting at the waiting area of Maxwell when Alvin joined her and asked whether she wasn’t going home yet. Cassie shifted away uncomfortably. Robert came up and Cassie went to him.
“Mr. Robert, I just want to show Cassie something,” Alvin claimed.
“What is it?” Robert asked.
“A picture of my daughter.”
“A picture of your daughter? Stop it, Alvin. I had you investigated. You don’t have a child.”
“Is that true, Mr. Vin?” Cassie asked, surprised. “So who were you talking about?”
“She’s real. Cassie, look. This is her picture.” Alvin showed them a photo of Roxanne.
“Put that away,” Robert said. “I don’t know what your intentions are with my daughter. But I suggest you stay away from her for your own good.”
Roxanne came in as Robert turned to leave with Cassie. “Papa,” she said, giving Alvin a hug. “What’s going on here?”
Cassie looked like she had just seen a ghost. “You’re Mr. Vin’s daughter?” she asked.
“Yes, I am,” Roxy replied. “I’m Roxanne.”
Robert eyed Alvin and Roxanne suspiciously.
