Today’s episode started with Marga fretting over her grandpa, asking whether he was really fine. Robert assured her that he was and Carlos told him that he was also glad nothing had happened to him. The police came in just then and Carlos left with Marga to give them some privacy. Robert asked the police what they had found out and they told him that they had investigated and found out that the incident had only been an accident.
“An accident?” Robert said in disbelief. “That’s impossible. The car was brand new.”
“Your car’s break overheated,” the officer said. “So we couldn’t determine whether there was any foul play involved.”
In the living room, Carlos arrived with Marga as Bernard went to see Robert outside. Carlos asked Romina how she and Cassie were holding up and Mina said that despite all the trouble, Cassie felt better now that nothing bad had happened to her father.
“If you’re going to ask about Daniela, just ask,” Mina said.
“That’s a serious accusation,” Carlos began. “Even the kids are getting affected.”
“Do you think this is easy for me? What do you expect me to do? Forget about everything?”
“Romina…”
“Robert is protecting Daniela, and I’m sure you’d do the same thing because she’s your wife. But if you think I am going to stop this investigation, that will never happen.”
“I’m worried about the kids here. All this has to stop for their sake because it’s taking a toll on them.”
Romina showed him the photo of Daniela and Hector. “Now tell me if I’m overreacting. There’s no doubt that Daniela’s the woman in the picture. And she’s with Alvin’s brother.”
At the poolside, Robert told Bernard that he was certain that someone was trying to kill him, and the ‘accident’ had been planned by people who wanted him dead and he didn’t want the kids to suffer.
“Have you taken care of the kids’ trust fund?”
Bernard gave him some documents. “Just sign it. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Maybe it will be best if I leave this place for a while so my family won’t get involved. After all, I’m their target.”
“Who do you think is behind all this? Why do they wanna kill you?”
Carlos confronted his wife at home with the photo and asked her to tell her the truth. Daniela claimed that Hector had suddenly approached her and her father had already seen it. Danny girl then went on, saying that since Robert was in love with Romina, he wouldn’t have let her off the hook had she done anything against her. She then started with her emotional blackmail.
“Let’s put an end to all this,” Carlos said. “Let’s reveal the truth.”
“What do you mean?”
Alvin was recalling his earlier conversation with his brother when Robert barged in. Alvin asked what he was doing there and Robert asked him to tell him about his involvement in his car crash. Alvin played dumb and Robert told him that he would prove that they were behind it, and he wouldn’t stop until they were both imprisoned.
“That’s if you can prove it,” Alvin jibed.
“You know what? Whatever you two are planning, stop wasting your time because you won’t succeed.” Robert turned to leave.
“Watch your back,” Alvin taunted. “You and your family.”
Robert gave Alvin his classic death glare and grabbed him. “Go ahead. Try me. Just try me!”
Romina was pacing around in the living room when Robert came in. She asked where he had gone so suddenly and Robert told her that he had taken care of some important matters. Mina said they were worried about his safety since he had gotten into an accident.
“I had to fix it,” Robert said. “It couldn’t wait another day. I had to do it.”
“Do what?” Mina asked, confused. “What’s so important you had to do now? Is it about the accident?”
“It’s about the cause of our fight.”
“I won’t force you to report Daniela to the authorities. This isn’t the right time for that. You just came from the hospital. You should rest.”
“This is hard for me, Romina. I’ll do everything to…”
“And you think this isn’t hard for me? I decided to leave because we were both having a hard time. I hope you let me get the justice I deserve.”
Robert thought for a moment. “I’ll be the one to leave. You stay in the mansion. I need some time to think. I mean…”
“Robert, please…”
“This will also give you time to think,” Robert went on. “It’s going to be good for us.”
Romina sobbed silently as Robert went up the stairs.
Carlos took Daniela to Alvin’s place and asked how his brother was connected to his wife. Daniela, who stood behind Carlos, gave Alvin the ‘dont-you-dare-say-anything’ kind of look. Alvin asked that they leave him out of their marriage problems but Carlos insisted that he answer his question. Alvin then told him that Hector had approached Daniela to ask for help concerning Romina’s case.
“But she turned him away,” Alvin claimed. “She said she didn’t care if I rot in jail, and now you’re here bothering me? I didn’t rape Romina.”
Danny girl gave her clueless husband the ‘lost-puppy-look’. “You believe me now?”
Cassie came out as Robert was packing his stuff. She pleaded with him not to leave. Robert apologized and said that they had to do it. He asked her to be a big girl and take care of her mother.
“Daddy, please,” Cassie sobbed.
Robert consoled her with a hug as she cried. “Hey, you’re even making Daddy cry. I know it’s hard for you, and it’s not easy for me too. Please, give daddy a chance to fix everything. I promise that I’ll come back, and we’ll be a happy family again. Don’t forget that I love you and your mamma very much.”
“I love you too, daddy,” Cassie cried.
“Stop crying. You’re making me cry too. I just hope you forgive me for all my mistakes.”
“You don’t have to apologize, daddy. I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt other people. Especially me and mamma.”
“I have to go. It’s okay. Everything’s going to be fine.” Robert glanced at Cassie and the mansion for one last time before getting into his car and driving away.
Cassie cried all the way back to the living room. She went up to the stairs where her mother sat dejectedly, crying as well. “Mamma,” Cassie wailed as they comforted each other with a hug.
A scoundrel watched as Robert drove out of the mansion. He then made a phone call. “Boss, Mr. Mondragon just left his house.”
Daniela went back to Alvin’s place and Alvin asked whether she was there to thank her for saving her marriage. Daniela asked whether he was involved in her father’s accident and Alvin told her that her father had been there last night to accuse him of the same thing.
“My dad came here?” Danny girl asked in disbelief.
“Yes,” Alvin replied. “And like I told him, I had nothing to do with the accident.”
“You actually expect me to believe that?”
“I don’t care if you believe me or not. I’m finally free. Why would I do something that’ll send me back to jail?”
Danny girl gave him a look.
“Let me remind you. If it weren’t for me, your husband would have left you, taken your daughter away, and sent you straight to jail. I’m innocent. You don’t want me to tell your husband the truth.”
“You better be telling the truth this time, Alvin.” Daniela then had a phone call from Esther who told her about her father leaving the mansion.
During breakfast, Neil asked why Robert had to leave since they had just come back. Mina said that it had been his decision and she had agreed with it. Esther asked Mina to trust her husband because she knew that he wouldn’t do anything to ruin their family, and that maybe he just needed time to think things through. A staff came in with some men and announced that they were the additional men from the agency.
“Why did they send more security personnel?” Mina asked
“Mr. Robert asked the agency to send additional men to guard you.”
Romina and everyone else looked on in confusion.
During the drive to the rest house, Robert recalled Romina’s encounter with Alvin at the police station : “I won’t let you soil my dignity again. I’ll prove to everyone that you’re a lying bastard! You bastard! You disgusting animal!”
He then had a flashback of his talk with Cassie : “I will never forgive him for what he did to mamma, daddy. I will never acknowledge him as my father. He raped mamma. He has no right to be anyone’s father.”
Robert then recalled his talk with Daniela during their family’s vacation : “It’s your fault. Why do I have to pay for your mistakes? You are to blame more than anyone.”
Robert took a detour and pulled over at the cabin where Romina had been sexually abused. He got out of his car and gazed ahead. He then had a flashback of how Alvin had taken an unconscious Romina into the cabin.
Hector was pretty upset that Daniela suspected them being involved in her father’s accident. “Maybe you said something to make her suspect us,” Hector said.
“I didn’t,” Alvin insisted. “She just assumed that I was involved in her father’s accident.”
“That woman is a real pest, but she’s still useful to us. As long as she doesn’t find out what our real plans are.”
“Don’t you think we should postpone it for now?” Alvin said. “We might get in trouble.”
“What?” Hector said in disbelief. “Do you wanna suffer again? Go back to eating mud? You need to get close to Cassie. That’s where the money is. She’s our way out of poverty, do you understand?”
Alvin was nervously silent.
“You can do whatever you want after that. Hey,” Hector hit his brother with a pillow. “Keep it together. You look scared even though nothing’s happened yet. Just think of the huge amount of money we’ll get in the end. We’re still going after Robert. We can’t screw this up.”
“Robert left the house already.”
“I know. I’ve got someone following him now.”
Robert talked to Bernard on phone at the rest house. “I understand Romina. I can’t blame her. But this will ruin my family.”
“Wait. What do you mean?” Bernard asked.
“If I do this, I will lose everything. All I did to protect my family would be nothing. But I have to rectify these mistakes.”
“Robert, you’re not making any sense. What exactly is going on? And what are you planning to do?”
“Bernard, you’ll know the answers when I return.”
“I’ve been your friend for a long time, and if there’s one thing I know, it is that you will always choose to do the right thing in the end.”
“Go to the police station. I’ll meet you there. I hope that after you learn the truth, it won’t affect our friendship.”
At Camila, some men approached Daniela and announced that they were going to be her new bodyguards. Daniela asked what it was for and they said that it was Robert’s request.
“What the hell’s going on, Danny girl?” Savannah commented.
Daniela excused herself and called Robert. “Hello, dad. What’s going on? Nanny Esther said you were at the rest house and now I have bodyguards?”
“It’s for your own safety and that of your family,” Robert said.
“Dad, will you please tell me what’s going on?”
“Daniela, I need to tell the truth.”
Danny girl was frantic. “No, you can’t. Dad, don’t do this to me,” she pleaded.
“Please, listen to me. Trust me. This is for the best. We can’t keep on living a lie. This is the only way I know to fix the situation.”
“Dad, please. I’m begging you.”
“Daniela, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll take care of everything. Trust me.”
Romina called her husband on phone and pleaded with him to come back so they could face whatever problem they had together. Robert told her that there was something he had to do and Mina said he didn’t have to do it alone, adding that she was confused with the situation and was sure that he was keeping something from her.
“Just calm down,” Robert said. “Everything will be okay. I’ll explain everything to you when I get back.”
“Robert, please. I’m begging you. Please come home.”
“Romina, let’s meet at the police station.”
“Police station?” Mina said, confused. “What do you mean?”
“I’ll give you an official statement about everything I know,” Robert replied. “I want to end this. Go to the police station. I’ll meet you there.”
“Robert…”
“Romina, I love you so much. And it’s time for me to prove that by telling the truth. I’ll see you there.”
The line went dead and Mina smiled to herself. Meanwhile, Robert called Bernard and learnt that the chopper (helicopter) was ready and waiting at the helipad.
Neil came into his sister’s room and asked why she was crying. Mina gladly told him that she had just spoken to Robert on phone and he had decided to tell the police the truth about everything.
“You mean he’ll tell them about Daniela?” Neil asked in unbelief.
“What else could it be? He said he’d make things right. I’ll finally get the justice that I deserve.”
“But… Daniela is his daughter…”
“Neil, he’ll do what’s right. Robert asked me to wait for him at the police station. I have to go.”
Neil watched as his sister left, all smiles.
At the helipad, Robert climbed into the helicopter and strapped himself in. The pilot and his assistant signalled to him that everything seemed to be fine. A goon watched from behind the bushes as the pilot took flight. The scoundrel walked away with his equipments of sabotage.
At the Bartolome house, Daniela was frantically packing her stuff and crying when Carlos came in and asked what she was doing.
“We’re running out of time,” Danny girl wailed. “Tell Marga to pack her things. We need to leave.”
“I don’t understand. Where are we going? Why are we leaving, Daniela?”
“Carlos, please! Just do as I say. We’re running out of time. We have to go.”
“Tell me why we have to leave, Daniela.”
Robert stared out at the vegetation and the sea as the helicopter advanced forward. He spoke to Romina on phone, telling her that they would be arriving in an hour time. “I’m sorry, Romina.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” Mina said. “I know it’s difficult for you too.”
“This is the only way I can make things right. I’m really sorry.” The helicopter suddenly spun out of control for a moment and Robert dropped his phone. He unstrapped himself and went on his knees to retrieve it. And he was shocked at what he found. “There’s a bomb!” he yelled.”
“Hello, Robert. What’s going on there?” Mina was saying over the phone.
Robert tried frantically to reach for the bomb, which was 9 seconds and counting. 4…3…2… Robert glanced behind frantically when the timer counted down to 1. The helicopter suddenly burst into flames and went flying downward into the sea. Meanwhile, Romina was still trying to reach Robert, all to no avail.
Cassie stared at some family portraits at the mansion. Neil came over and reminded her that it was time for dinner. Cassie told him that she would wait for her parents’ return since she wasn’t really hungry. Neil assured her that her parents would fix things between them and Cassie said that was what she was also hoping for. As they turned to leave, a portrait suddenly fell and Cassie picked it up. It was Robert’s and it had cracked into two. Cassie glanced at Neil and stared at her father’s broken picture in shock.
Romina got out of her car and asked about what was going on. A man told him that there had been an explosion near the beach.
“Do you know what exploded?” Mina asked.
“Not yet, ma’am. But we’ll find out soon.”
Some officers arrived on the scene and addressed Mina. “We received a report on a helicopter crash, and Mr. Mondragon was on board when the crash occured.”
A goon nearby was recording the event secretly.
Mina couldn’t believe it. “No, that’s not true. That can’t be true.”
Back at the Bartolome house, Marga asked her mother where she was going. Daniela asked her to go and park her things because they were going to leave the country. Both Marga and Carlos asked what it was all about and Danny girl said there was no time to explain.
“It’s either you come with me or you leave me,” Daniela said.
“Mommy, I’ll come with you,” Marga agreed.
“No, no,” Carlos objected. “No one’s leaving this house. Marga, go to your room. Your mom and I will talk about this.”
“Fine!” Danny girl barked. “I’ll go alone. I’ll explain everything later.” As Daniela started dragging her luggage away and Carlos tried stopping her, they all saw the news about Robert’s helicopter crash.
Romina was frantically agitated when she got to the seaside. She asked what was happening and where her husband was. An officer told her that they had retrieved some things near the explosion zone. Mina was crying uncontrollably as the officers showed her the things they had recoverd, silently confirming that they really belonged to her husband. She took Robert’s tattered shirt and cried into it. “No. This can’t be. It can’t be true. He can’t be dead. He isn’t dead. This can’t be real.”
During the drive to the crash area, Marga was worried about her grandpa and her mother assured her that Robert was fine since the news hadn’t confirmed anything yet, adding that he was strong and he wouldn’t just leave them.
Jessa payed Kulas a visit and the old man asked why she hadn’t been coming around lately. Jessa claimed that she had bee sick.
“You should have told me,” Kulas admonished. “I could have visited you.”
“Oh, it’s alright. How are you?” Jessa asked, stretching out her neck.
“We’re going through a lot. Are you looking for someone?”
“Oh, just Myrna. Is she in there? Your house looks really quiet.”
“Myrna? I kicked her out.”
“Why?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I guess she visits. She wouldn’t leave her kids, right?”
“She came the other week.”
Cassie came into the kitchen as the news of Robert’s accident was playing on TV. Cassie was devastated. She received a phone call. “Hello, mamma. Have you seen the news? What happened to daddy? Where are you?”
“Cassie, I’m at the place where your dad’s helicopter exploded.”
“Did they find daddy?”
“They’re still looking.”
“I’m going there, mamma.”
“You don’t need to. Just stay there.”
“I’m sorry mamma, but I can’t. We’ll wait for daddy there together.” Cassie hanged up and asked Esther to take her to her mother. When she told her that it was dangerous, Cassie went ahead to ask the driver to take her there instead.
Back at the seaside, an SAR (Search And Rescue) officer brought back a wallet and Romina confirmed that it was her husband’s. The Bartolomes arrived on the scene and like always, Daniela started making a scene, asking where her father was. Carlos tried to calm her down but Danny girl was inconsolable.
“Please, calm down,” Mina admonished.
“Don’t you dare tell me to calm down!” Danny girl barked, on and on with her ranting. “Where’s my father?!”
Romina turned to the officers. “I won’t believe he’s dead unless I see his body. I’m begging you. Please find him. Search the whole area,” Mina cried. “I’m begging you.” Romina turned to stare at Daniela who looked as broken down as she herself was.
That was where today’s episode ended.
CREDIT : Stephen Yeboah
