9 A Riddle Without an Answer (1/2)
She says that she has no one in mind. I know that there must be someone. How could she deny a marriage that would suit her family? I have known her since we were in Elementary School. She would do anything that would benefit her family, but refusing a marriage with a man that she could love is something she would do but did not. That was her first act of open defiance. Now, I truly saw what love could do to a person. She became an utter fool for that third man. I have to know who he is.
I am currently writing another article concerning Emma's illness. I cannot bear to recall every memory I have of the day her illness was announced. I cannot take my boss's blackmail. This would be a danger to the economy once they learn about Emma's illness. Goodness knows that almost every close relative of the Concepcion family has been either dead, indisposed, or disinterested. No one would be willing to take the company. Sure, a regular person would want it, but any close relative of the Concepcions seem to be unwilling to take it.
And now, I think I should know who the mystery heir would be now that Emma will be gone. When I finished writing the article, I felt a pang of pain that would never go away. I printed the article and set it in one corner. I just took a second to take the flash drive containing the article, when suddenly, I saw Mateo reading the article. I do not even try to take it away from him. I am still furious with everything he did.
And suddenly, I did not expect that he would split the papers in half. He tore it to shreds. I did not flinch with what I saw. I have a soft copy on my computer. I can just reprint it.
”Really?” he says in disbelief. ”I tore the article to shreds and you did not even flinch.”
”I have a soft copy,” I say steadily.
”Rose, as I said, you do not have to write that article,” he says. ”I already explained to the boss that Emma did not agree with an interview concerning her life, so as to respect the rules of journalism, we are not going to do that. This is both libel and slander. We need to keep this a secret until the RSC releases a statement on their own with a legitimate heir they could name.”
He has a plan in mind. I know it. If a journalist has to give up a story, the journalist must be prepared to replace a story he/she can gather.
”Well, what do you have in mind?” I ask.
”Look, I have a new story to the boss and it suits both our business to attend to it,” he says. ”In exchange for the slandering article about Emma, I gave him a substitute and he approved it.”
”Well, who are we going to interview this time?”
”Carlos Jonathan Suarez,” he says. ”You might remember him as your friend's second lover.”
Yes, I remember him. As far as I remember, her relationship with him lasted only for a few weeks. I do not know why her relationships never seem to be stable. At the end of the day, I do not see her crying or sobbing whenever I hear that her relationship is over. It was as if she did not care about the relationship in the first place, but what I heard that night was different. It seems that whoever her third lover is, she loved him truly.
”Why would we interview him?” I ask.
”He is an economist,” he says. ”We shall ask his opinion about the rising economy of the city of Lucia and along the way, maybe we can ask him about his opinion on the betrothal of heirs to keep the fortune in the family. And, after the interview, maybe we can ask him about what he knows on your search.”
He made a pretty good bargain. We have a story that will replace a story that will disrupt the economy and I shall get the answer on the search. This sounds like a great plan and I am impressed by how he managed to fix his mistakes.
We arranged a meeting at Carlos' home. He is no heir like the rest of my friends. In fact, he is a self-made person just like me. He got his degree quickly due to his intelligence. He already graduated college when we were only beginning to take it up. In fact, he is one of the most recognizable economists in the country.
”Thank you for obliging to our interview, Mr. Suarez,” I say kindly to my friend's former lover.
”Please, call me Carlos,” he says coolly. ”Don't act as if we never had a brief acquaintanceship under a common friend.”
”But we shall have to call you Mr. Suarez for the interview, so. . . we shall have to be a little bit formal for now,” I say.
We interviewed him about the reason oligarchs would keep their riches by marrying into other oligarchs. This is Carlos' field of expertise as an economist. Somehow, Emma had great taste in men. First, Emma had a boyfriend that was the heir to a media company. Well, he WAS the heir until he made a grave mistake. Then, here's Carlos. He is now an economist taking up his doctorate degree. After the interview, I made the step to ask him what he knows.