“I finally learned the truth about who really k!lled Robert. It was Daniela. She killed her own father. She was the reason for my imprisonment. Cassie and I went through months of suffering because of her cruelty. I will make sure she experiences the hell she put me through. And I swear. I will never give her a chance to escape.”
Gino and Jude brought their drunk father home. Myrna complained about how Kulas had caused another fight between Carlos and Daniela. Kulas blamed her and told her that her son was acting just like her. He then threw up and when Myrna asked Jessa for help cleaning up, Jessa refused and left.
Hector asked one of his men about his brother and the goon told him that Alvin had gone out last night in a hurry and hadn’t returned yet.Hector tried reaching Alvin on the phone but it didn’t go through. He then flashed back to how Alvin had told him that he needed to get back the cufflinks.
Hector hurried out. Romina stood brooding over the revelations she had discovered from Alvin the night before. Cassie came over with Neil and told her that she might be home late since they were going on a trip out of town. “It’s okay,” Mina said. “Just have your uncle Jepoy drive you.”
“Are you okay, Romina?” Neil asked. “Cassie said you looked troubled last night. Where’d you go anyway?”
Mina smile. “I went for a short walk outside. I’m okay. You should leave now so you don’t run late.”
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Cassie asked.
“Of course I am,” Mina replied. “Please, don’t worry about me.”
Nanny Esther went to call Marga for dinner downstairs, telling her that her parents were waiting. Marga refused to eat and Esther tried talking some sense into her. Marga then ranted about how her aunt Romina was always there for Cassie while her parents were never there for her. “You can’t rely on your parents forever,” Esther admonished. “There’ll come a time when you’ll need to stand on your own and defend yourself.”
“But they’re still around. They have to spend time with me.”
“The world is full of surprises, Marga. Look at what happened to Cassie – she almost lost her mother after her father tragically died, but she chose to rise above the situation.”
” Don’t compare me to her.”
“All I’m saying is, you can’t rely on someone forever. If you don’t know how to stand on your own, you’ll never be strong.”
In the kitchen, Neil asked some maids whether they had heard a man screaming last night. “Yes,” said one. “It came from underground.”
“Maybe it was Mr. Robert’s ghost,” another added.
“Maybe he’s mad at Mrs. Daniela for what she’s doing to Mrs. Romina.”
Daniela walked in on the scene. “How dare you include my father in your petty gossips. How about I put you all six feet down instead?”
“Sorry, ma’am,” the maids chorused.
“And as for you Neil…” A phone call came in just then. “Hello
“Meet me in front of your house right now.”
Daniela met up with Hector outside the mansion, slipping into his car. Hector grabbed her and demanded to know where his brother was. “Let me go,” Danny girl said. “What do you think he is, a keychain?”
“He went back to your house to take back the evidence you stole from him.”
Daniela scoffed. “More like he broke into my house. How dare you ask me about your brother’s whereabouts when he was going to steal from me?”
Daniela went through her phone. “Hey, what you doing?” Hector asked.
“Calling the police. You want to find your brother, and I’m trying to prevent a break in. Do you have any better ideas?”
Hector pounded on the steering wheel in frustration. “Quit the mind games. You’re confusing me.”
“Just think, Hector. Of course I didn’t seen Alvin. And whether or not he actually found the stüpïd cufflink, no robber in their right mind would stay in a house they broke into.”
“You know how stüpïd my brother can get. He’s a dimwit.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nevermind. Just help me look for my brother in your house.”
Daniela went back into the mansion and asked the guards to take a break from patrolling. Hector used the distraction to sneak in. Carlos came over and heard a disturbance from the backyard. Daniela stood in his way as he tried to go and investigate. “What was that?” Carlos asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Danny girl said. “The maids are just tending the garden because I asked them to get rid of all the nasty weeds.”
“I wanted to talk to you about Marga. I think we should spend more time with her. I’m going to focus on the car shop so I can manage my time better.”
“Is that what you want? I’m always here to support you. Don’t be belittled. I løvë you so much, Carlos. You and Marga mean the world to me.”
“I løvë you too, Daniela. And before I forget, I need a bank loan to buy new equipments for my shop.”
“Why do you need to get a loan? I can give you the money.”
“Daniela…”
“Okay, fine. Think of me as an investor. You can make monthly payments to me instead, just don’t get a bank loan.”
“Fine. But I promise I’ll pay you.”
Hector came out of hiding as Carlos got into his car. In the basement, Romina was mopping off the bloodstains on the floor when Neil walked in on the scene.
“Romina, is that blood?” Neil asked.
“Let me explain,” Mina said quickly.
Neil started fussing over his sister. “Were you hurt? Do you have any injuries? Whose blood is that?”
“It’s Alvin’s. I caught him breaking into our house. I held him here and forced a confession out of him.”
“What did you do?”
“Neil, it was my chance to find out the truth. I did the right thing because I finally learned the truth about who really k!lled Robert. It was Daniela. She k!lled her own father.”
Neil looked horrified. “Romina, that can’t be.”
Romina was vengeful. “I will never ever forgive her. She was the reason for my imprisonment. Cassie and I went through months of suffering because of her cruelty. And now, I will make sure she pays. I will make sure she experiences the hell she put me through. And I swear. I will never give her a chance to escape.”
“This is scaring me. What if they send you back to jail for this?”
Romina resumed mopping. “I don’t care, Neil. I don’t regret what I’ve done.”
“What will you do now?”
“I will ask Bernard for help. I’ll file a case against Daniela, and I won’t rest until I see her behind bars.”
Myrna was making soup for her husband to help with his hangover. Gino mentioned that Jessa was the one who had to be doing that since they seemed to be a couple and Myrna said she didn’t mind. Gino then brought up last night’s incident, telling his mother that Jessa was just using his father and didn’t care about him. “Don’t jump to conclusions,” Mryna admonished. “We can’t judge her based on that.”
“Why are you defending her? She knows you’re still married and yet she still keeps coming here. I need to find dad and tell him that we need to talk and give him a reality check.”
“Son, don’t get involved. He and Jessa are consenting adults. They know what they’re doing. Just leave them alone.”
Kristoff told Cassie that she looked tired, asking whether she had been up all night because of what had happened. Cassie told him that she was worried about her mother because she probably had a problem and didn’t want to tell her about it. “Don’t worry,” Kristoff assured. “Aunt Romina’s one of the bravest women I know. She can overcome all of her problems.”
Sir Wacky came out of the diner and instructed everyone to get into the van so they could leave early. “Sir, can I speak with you?” Cassie asked.
“Cassie, if it’s about what happened, don’t worry about it.”
“But sir, I know I’m partly to blame. If I hadn’t fought back, we wouldn’t have damaged the shelf, that’s why I think I should pay for it.”
Marga came out of nowhere. “You don’t need to.”
Cassie looked like she had just seen a ghost. Inside the diner, Sir Wacky told Marga that he wouldn’t employ her even if she had changed her mind. Marga apologized and pleaded to be given a chance. Sir Wacky sighed. “Fine, I’ll hire you. But you can’t start working until tomorrow. We’ve got an event today.”
“Where are you going, sir?”
“Out of town. Our sales are good, so we’re going to celebrate.”
“Sir, can I come?”
“You’ll need a consent from your parent or guardian first.”
After Sir Wacky left for the kitchen, Marga called her grandpa and asked for permission. Daniela took Hector round the mansion to search for his brother. When they came down the stairs, with only one room left to search, Hector offered Daniela a handkerchief. “Wipe your tears,” Hector said. “It’s starting to annoy me.”
Daniela was appalled. “What? I’m not crying. I have dust in my eye.”
“Wipe your tears before I get pissed off. Don’t wait for me to wipe it for you.”
Daniela reluctantly took the handkerchief. “Your husband is really a bästärd.”
“What you talking about?”
“You’re crying because of him, aren’t you?”
“I told you it was dust.”
“Right. I saw what happened outside earlier. He didn’t even ki$$ you goodbye. Is that how he treats you after leeching off of you?”
“Excuse me. Carlos isn’t using me for money. I wanted to give him that money.”
“That’s what you think. He planned to tell you that because he knew you’d give him money. Your husband is cunning.”
“My husband isn’t greedy at all. He’s nothing like you.”
“Yeah. I’m a greedy gangster who swindles people. But there’s one thing I’m not capable of – making the one I løvë cry. That’s what makes me better than your husband.”
Daniela was speechless for a moment. “Will you stop talking or should we just end this tour?”
Hector stretched out his hand. “Give me my handkerchief back.”
“What? No. I’ll just buy you a new one.”
“No, that’s mine. Give it back.” Hector snatched it from Danny girl’s hand. “Where are we going next?”
“To the basement.”
As Daniela walked away, Hector breathed in the smell of the handkerchief and smiled. Back in the basement, Romina told Bernard over the phone that she wanted to press charges against Daniela. Bernard warned her that it wouldn’t be that easy and Mina asked him to meet her at the precinct if he wanted to help her. “What if he doesn’t show up?” Neil asked after the phone call.
“After everything I’ve been through, I’ve learned one thing – I cannot count on anyone but myself.”
As Romina was heading out, Daniela entered the basement with Hector and Mina asked why she was with him. “He’s looking for Alvin,” Daniela announced.
“Is that so?” Mina asked. “And you’re helping him?”
“Contrary to popular belief, I actually have a heart of gold.”
“Not all gold is real though.” Mina began walking around Danny girl in circles. “Take you for example; Fake. Worthless. Rusting.”
Neil stared at the bloodstain on the floor. He then glanced at Daniela. Daniela noticed, and as she dropped her eyes down to where Neil had been staring earlier, Romina quickly blocked her view. “I didn’t come here to hear you two bicker,” Hector cut it. “I’m looking for my brother.”
Romina gave Hector a look of disdain. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Hector faced off with Romina. “Where’s my brother?”
Mina looked unfazed. “I don’t know.”
Hector grabbed her by the hand. “What did you do to him?”
Mina stared as Hector’s phone rang. “Why don’t you answer that?”
Hector glanced at his phone and answered. “Alvin?”
“Hector. I’m at your house. I need your help.”
Back at the diner, Kristoff asked Marga what she was up to and why she wanted to work there. “I want to prove myself to you. I’m not a spoilt brat like you think,” Marga claimed. “I can take responsibility for what I did.”
“I hope so.”
“I won’t start a fight anymore, so please give me a chance. I’ll prove to you that Cassie’s no better than me.”
“We’ll see.”
Sir Wacky called out for the employees to get in the van and Marga came along. “You’re coming?” Kristoff asked.
“Yeah,” Marga replied. “With Sir Wacky’s permission.”
Kristoff and Cassie both shocked. Hector arrived home and found the state his brother was in. He asked what had happened and Alvin told him that Romina had caught him breaking into the mansion. “Did you rat us out?” Hector asked.
“She asked me about Robert’s dëäth, but I didn’t admit anything.”
“How did you escape then? Don’t tell me she just let you go.”
“I told her it was Daniela who had Robert mürdëred. Worked pretty well.”
“Be thankful. You’re hurt right now or else…Why did you do that?”
“She wouldn’t have let me go. She even stabbed my hand.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make that woman pay. She stabbed your hand, huh? Then I’ll take her whole arm off.”
Neil was getting worried with how calmly Romina was feeding the dog. Mina told him that she could have done worse if only she was like the dog. “I should have hurt him more,” Mina said. “I want to take revenge so badly but I can’t, no matter how mad I am.”
“Because that’s not who you are. You’re not a bad person, nor are you a dog.”
Mina managed a small smile and told her brother that she had to meet up with Bernard to make a statement. Daniela came over. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Mina gave her a look. “Get out of my face or I’ll make your dog eat you alive.”
Daniela refused to move. “You won’t budge?” Mina bent down to release the dog and Danny girl ran off. Mina laughed wickedly. Carlos had wooed some cab customers over to his car shop with a promise of a discount. He and his family joked about how Kulas had drunk so much last night. Carlos told his father that he wanted to manage his time well so he could be able to spend some time with his daughter. Romina met up with Bernard at the police station. Bernard told her that he had mentioned to the police everything they knew about Daniela. The chief asked if she really wanted to go ahead with it.
“I want you to arrest that woman,” Mina said.
Hector pulled over his car outside the mansion. A goon notified him that the police were there and Hector said they had to wait and not get involved. Hector noticed Daniela leaving with the police. Back at the car shop, Carlos was having a talk with his father when he received a phone call from Daniela, telling him that she needed him because the police had come to arrest her. Sir Wacky arrived with his employees at the hotel he had booked. Marga watched as Kristoff hanged with Cassie. A moment later, she asked sir Wacky if she could join the others for the game they were playing and he told her to join the blue team, Cassie and Kristoff’s. Marga feigned an injury, pretending to have a sprained ankle, and Sir Wacky asked Kristoff to take her to the clinic before it got worse.
“But I can’t walk,” Marga claimed.
Kristoff glanced at Cassie. “In that case you should carry her there,” Cassie said.
Marga gloated as Kristoff reluctantly carried her away while Cassie looked on. Back at the station, Daniela ranted and told the officers that Romina just wanted to pin the blame on her, adding that she had nothing to do with her dad’s dëäth. “Just answer the question,” the officer said. “What was the last thing you and Mr. Mondragon talked about?”
Daniela flashed back to how Robert had told her that he needed to tell the truth and he would take care of everything. “It was about the company,” Daniela said. “After dad received the dëäth threat, we talked about what could possibly happen.”
“What about the investigation your dad conducted on the missing money from the joint account with your husband? What can you say about that?”
Daniela flashed back again to how Robert had told her that he had evidence linking her to the Mangubat brothers. “I confessed to my dad about that,” Danny girl claimed. “Way before the tragedy happened. Yes, I spent my family’s savings, but that’s it.”
“For what?”
“I am a Mondragon. I have a lifestyle to maintain.”
“So you weren’t able to maintain your lifestyle?”
“If you’re implying that I k!lled my own father for money, you’re dëäd wrong. We had financial problems but I didn’t have to do anything because he was willing to help us. I’m his only biological daughter, after all.”
Back at the hotel, Kristoff asked Cassie whether she wanted to hang out for a while but Cassie told him that she had to help with the food. Kristoff offered to help but again, Cassie declined. “Are you mad at me?” Kristoff asked.
“What? Why would I get mad at you?”
“Because, it’s like you’re avoiding me.”
“No, I’m not. I have to go.”
After Cassie left, Sir Wacky came up to Kristoff. “Don’t make someone feel special and treat others the same way. Make things clear as early as you can, before you hurt anyone.”
Carlos arrived at the station and asked Romina what was going on. Daniela came down with her lawyer and the officers and Mina was upset that she hadn’t been locked up. “We don’t have enough evidence to detain Mrs. Bartolome,” said the chief.
“What did you do to my wife this time, Romina?” Carlos asked. “How many times do I have to tell you to leave my family alone.”
“Better luck next time,” Daniela mocked.
“Why don’t you fix your life first and leave us alone?” Carlos added.
“Your wife is the root of all my problems,” Mina shot back. She grabbed Daniela’s hand as she was leaving with Carlos. “This is far from over.”
“It’s not worth it,” Bernard said to Mina. “You’ll get another chance.”
Mina released Daniela and she left with her husband. “Where do we find new evidence now?” Bernard asked. “We’ve played all of our cards.”
At the mansion, Daniela was crying to her husband about how Romina was doing everything to destroy her and their family. Carlos assured her that he would never let that happen. “I’ll do everything I can to protect you from Romina,” Carlos promised. “I will be here for you. For Marga. For our family.”
Danny girl cried some more and hugged her dearest dumb hubby. Kristoff approached Cassie and asked to meet her by the treehouse before sunset so he could make things clear between the two of them. “I’ll wait for you,” Kristoff said.
Cassie smiled as Kristoff left. Marga had overheard, a look of worry on her face. In a room at the hotel, Kristoff prepped up for his meeting with Cassie. He stood in front of a mirror, practicing his lines, a flower in hand when a phone call came in. Yep. It was bratty daughter Marga aka Mini-Daniela/Daniela 2.0. Bratty daughter claimed a group of guys were following her and she was scared. She pleaded with Kristoff to come over and ‘save’ her like he was some kind of superhero. “Alright. I’m on my way,” Kristoff said. His brain refusing to function for that moment, Kristoff rushed out in his boxer shorts.
Hector arrived back home and Alvin asked whether he had gotten back at Romina. Hector told him that he hadn’t been able to do it because the police were at the mansion to arrest Daniela. “I’m sure Romina’s behind it,” Hector said.
“Would she rat us out?” Alvin asked.
“She already knows what’ll happen if she does. We have to be wary of Romina. That little pest. No matter what she does, I will bring her down.”
Romina was deep in thoughts in her office at the factory when Bonita came in and asked what had happened. Mina told her that Daniela had been released because they didn’t have enough evidence to prove her guilt. “Is there anything else we can do for Mr. Robert’s case?” Bonita asked. “What else do we have?”
“The DNA clinic. The connection is still a big mystery. It can’t just be a coincidence.”
“Jepoy and I already went there but we didn’t find anything.”
“I want to find the answers to all my questions regarding Daniela’s connection to the DNA clinic. Maybe that’s what will finally put her behind bars.”
A goon watched as Romina and Bonita left the factory. He made a phone call. “Boss, they’ve left the plant. We’ll tail them now.”
Kristoff arrived at where Marga was with some hotel receptionists. He asked about the guys who had been chasing her and Mini-Daniela told him that she had managed to lose them. “Which direction did they go?” asked a receptionist.
“Uh…that way,” Marga pointed.
“Are you sure about that? That leads to a dead end.”
“I don’t really remember. I was so scared.”
The receptionists left to search for Marga’s ‘pursuers’.
“What you doing here?” Kristoff asked. “Didn’t you sprain your foot?”
“I did,” Mini-Daniela claimed. “But it feels better now.”
“Tell me the truth, Marga. Did you really trip earlier?”
“Yeah. Why would I lie about it?”
“You’ve done it before.”
“Believe me. I tripped earlier but I feel better now.”
“Then let’s go back now.”
Mini-Daniela started putting on a show, claiming that the guys who had been after her could come back again. “The staff is looking for them,” Kristoff pointed out. “They can’t hurt you anymore.”
“Please, Kristoff, I’m sure Cassie would understand.”
Kristoff’s brain which had taken a sudden nap earlier finally came back to life. “So you knew Cassie and I were going to meet. Is that why you asked me to come here?”
Mini-Daniela shook her head. “No.”
“So that means you weren’t really ever in danger. You just made it all up. To stop me. From seeing her. Admit it, Marga. This is my fault. Føøl me once, shame on you. Føøl me twice, shame…”
“Kristoff, wait. I’m sorry.”
“Why are you doing this? Are you still competing with Cassie, and you’re using me to get back at her?”
“No. It’s not like that.”
“Then why?”
“Because I like you. And I don’t want Cassie to take you from me too.”
Kristoff was dumbstruck for a while. “Marga, Cassie can’t take me away from you…”
Mini-Daniela looked hopeful. “… Because I was never yours to begin with. We’re just friends.”
As Kristoff left, Mini-Daniela sat back down on the swing, defeated, humiliated, and reckless abandoned. Cheers to that! Romina arrived at the DNA clinic with Bonita. Bonita reminded her that she, Jepoy and Robert’s PI had tried but they had still not been able to get anything on Daniela. Mina told her there was no harm in giving it another try. “I’ve known Daniela for years,” Mina stated. “She always finds a way to get what she wants.”
“Why? What do you mean”
“She had the DNA test done illegally, that’s why they don’t have any records. No one knows she had it done. That’s how Daniela operates.”
Romina approached the desk. An attendant came over. “How can I help you, ma’am?”
“Are you an employee here?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Can you help me out?”
“What do you need?”
“I need a DNA test, but it has to be confidential.”
“All our tests are confidential.”
“That is not what I mean,” Mina whispered.
The attendant glanced behind. “I know someone inside. But he charges a lot.”
“I’m ready to pay as long as he gives me what I want.”
“Wait for me outside.”
Romina stood outside the clinic with a scared Bonita. The attendant brought Alex to Mina and she paid him off. Mina pierced Alex with a look. “Daniela Bartolome. Do you know her?”
“Aren’t you here for a DNA test?” Alex asked.
“What do you know about her?”
“My services are trusted, cause I make sure their secrets stay safe.”
“How much will it take for you to talk?”
“Double the usual rate.”
Romina brought out an envelope of money. “Is this enough? What was Daniela doing here? And who was the DNA test for?”
“One day someone called me. They wanted to do a DNA test.”
“Who’s DNA were they going to test?”
“They just gave me some samples.”
Just then, some goons on a motorcycle came out of nowhere and fired off some shots, striking Romina and Alex. Bonita was fussing over Mina since she had been hit in the shoulder but Mina was too busy trying to find where the goons had disappeared to.
“Romina, you’re hurt,” Bonita pointed out.
“This is nothing,” Mina said, as if suffering from a mere mosquito bite. Mina went over to Alex, who still lay on the floor with a büllët wound, groaning in pain. “Alex, don’t move. Bonita, call for help.”
