Chapter 10: Her Gift?

His heart beat heavily and his body vibrated after hearing the most terrific news.

He felt his body boiling inside inspite the daring chill in the atmosphere.

What Elder Sebastien revealed made him extremely perplexed.

"Oh no.. Did..Did he just said that Lavaliere belongs to...? Carl put his hands over his face.

"Oh dear Lord! " He exclaimed.

"I'm soo dead " he said, crushing his face with his fist.

"Not long she promised to make me regret ever coming to this house. What am I going to do now?" 

Will I be chased out of this house today? I just lost a package worth $10 thousand, where will I find it?"

He scatters his hair with his hands as he walked to and fro aimlessly in the chamber.

He was soo frustrated. Madam Vincenta never liked him so it's an opportunity for her to rain her rage on him if Mr. Edgardo reveals him to be the one he had sent to bring home her surprise.

He felt like the ground should open and swallow him completely. There is no one who is as terrified as he currently is.

Although, he cannot keep his father-in-law waiting for him, he might get seriously annoyed.

***

[The Next Minutes]

Carl quietly walked down the staircase.

Some members of the family were preparing to go out on a vacation.

Mr Edgardo was about to take his grandchildren for an exotic picnic.

It seems he has not yet unveil to his wife about what he got for her as the atmosphere was still cool.

When Carl arrived, everyone glimpse at him except for Mr. Edgardo who was not aware and busy chitchatting with his 3 year old grandson.

Those who saw him quickly snobbed at him.

Vivian exude a loud hiss and unveil a sarcastic look at the sight of him.

Carl was already catching a fever of doubt that things may end well.

Empty handed, he approach Mr. Edgardo who was carried away by what his little grandson was saying to him. 

He was in a very good mood with smiles blooming on his face. He has taken the day to be off from his business and to focus on his family.

He wore a pair of white knicker and a pencil green t-shirt that has his name on it. He wore a very expensive golden rolex watch on his left wrist and a pair of green snickers, looking like a young man.

Valeria was ready to leave for her own separate vacation. 

"Dad! Could you borrow me one of your men to take my green box to my Audi outside?" Despite how light the box is, she begs.

She have it as an habit to command errands to be run for her.

Anyways she is eldest daughter of the family.

Mr. Edgardo did not repudiate her request. He waved at one of his boys to help her out.

"Thanks Dad, I love you, " she said and smack him on his cheek.

"Love you too honey " he responded, smiling.

She hugs and kissed her little son who was keeping her dad a warm company.

"Please dad, I hope my baby boy enjoys his picnic today " she urges playfully.

"I'll keep that in mind honey, " He answered. He smiles as he watch her walk out of the house in her glimmering and astounding dress, swinging her car keys around her thumb while whistling softly on her lips.

"Safe journey honey. Enjoy yourself " he said.

"Have fun darling," Vincenta added, waved at her gently and smiled.

___

Except for Camila, Pablo and Marco, the rest of the family were present in the living room.

Vincenta gasped when she remembered what she has been wanting to ask her husband.

She first gave a warm impression, smiling at her beloved husband.

"W..Well, Honey. Since you returned from your business trip, you seem to have gotten nothing special for me, " composing herself, she said.

Mr. Edgardo grinned at her.

He looked at her, "Oh Vincenta, it was supposed to be a surprise tho' because I wanted it be delivered to me first, " he reveals.

"Delivered?... Is it something huge?" Anxiously, she enquired.

"Do not worry honey. You'll receive what I spent $10 thousand to get for you "  he responded promptly.

He gently relaxed his back on the cushion as if he is long waiting for someone to show up.

"A $10 thousand gift just for me?" She beamed.

She clutched the blue handkerchief with excitement

"Oh my lovely husband. Are you not soo charming. You do know how to spoil your woman, " She confessed, gaily.

Mr. Edgardo was happy to see his wife enthusiasm. He gaze down to his Rolex wristwatch. The ticking hand was still moving with speed.

"Where is that young man? " He mutters silently.

Where he sat, crossing his leg; two of his bodyguards stood by the wall behind him.

He slightly turns his face to the bifurcated stairs when he saw his son-in-law standing almost closer to him.

He was surprised.

Carl cloth though appeared a bit old, but it was still presentable before him.

Mr. Edgardo lit a chin when he saw him.

"Look who I have been looking for.. "

"Why are you standing there? I was asking about you when I returned from my business trip. You did not come to welcome me?" He enquired.

"You waste soo much time before you heed to my call, why? I was about to leave with my grandkids for our fun vacation."

Carl stayed unresponsive to what his father-in-law was saying. What is he going to tell him?

He manage to emit a little glow on his face before him that would definitely not last long.

He ponders.

What will happen if I tell him that I have misplaced the package he sent me to get?

He was quite glad to disappoint his mother-in-law, but in his other mind, he feared with the way she happily rejoiced.

Him! She reacted.

"Honey, you are sounding like you had a deal with him. Are you more delighted to see him than seeing your own sons? " she uttered vehemently.

"Oh Vincenta, come on. You know I also love my sons regardless of how irresponsible they are. Carl here is also our son-in-law too and he is also like a son to this family, " he replied her.

"Besides, he is the person I'd sent yesterday in the morning to deliver home the present that I bought for you, " he said.

"Yeah of course. Is there any other thing that he is good at than being a servant? " she responded.

She sigh. "So where is the present? " She did not hesitate to ask while facing her husband directly. She wants him to collect her present from Carl, wishing not to spare him another glance.

Mr. Edgardo faced Carl and notice he was not holding anything. He turns his view at his eyeballs.

Carl feared to look at his face.

"Carl? Why have you gone dumb all of a sudden?" Anxiously, Mr. Edgardo enquired.

Carl was placed on a very tight spot.

What will he tell him? That he'd lost the Lavaliere?

After seeing how delighted his wife was, he would be very disappointed at him if he hears what happened to his package.

At the moment, he had no choice.

"I..I could not find the package.. Sir " His voice was shaking as he said.

"You could not find What?" Mr. Edgardo hooted quite loudly.

"Are you serious? " He threw his back on his chair in disappointment.

The tigeress flared up.

Carl felt his eyeballs rolling in seconds. A very resounding slap bashed on his face from the hand of Madam Vincenta as she unleashes the hateful beast inside her.

"Idiot! You did what?" She vociferated.

Aggressively, she gird. On his body, she splashes the hot tea brought to her on the table by the maid.

She coughed a spit and threw it at his face.

Bawling at him..

"You peasant! You despicable fool!! Can you ever make that kind of money in your entire miserable life? Yet you church rat had the guts to misplace my Lavaliere of gold worth $10 thousand!!! "

"What life do you have?! It could have added value if you'd guard that treasure with it! " She continued.

Carl's face rattles with pain as if venom was added to the powerful slaps draught on his face.

He cupped his cheek and tries to absorb the pain.

His eyebrow raised at her but his expression was faint.

He realised his face was bleeding already when he felt a moist on his face and then checked.

His eyeballs were already red.

A barbaric smile smirked on the face of Vivian.

She enjoyed what her mom did to Carl.

"A Lavaliere! Dad! Mom! That is super expensive. How the hell will someone misplace something like that?!" she exclaimed to add heat to the flame.

"Did you not hear $10,000? That is a very good amount of money spent!" Lauren, a relative to the family, yelled, before having a sip of her hot coffee.

Mr. Edgardo was soo angry at Carl, but his wife reactions was becoming prejudicial.

He tries to calm things down.

"OKAY! It's alright Vincenta. I'll get you another gift when I return from the picnic with our grandkids, " he said finally.

Surprisingly, she refused to submit and took it as a priority for that Lavaliere to be found despite not knowing how it looks like.

She could have agreed with her husband, but intentionally, she wanted to make her innocent son-in-law to suffer.

Carl stood like a mug. He was annoyed but still cannot look at her face.

"No my husband! This fool here must find that lavaliere wherever he kept it. He must deliver it to me else I will throw him out of this house!" Forcibly, she announced.

Carl felt the threat in his heart.

He yowl, "But I brought home the package!"

"Then where is it? " Vincenta growled.

He looked at her. "I can't recollect anything after what happened to me last night " he said.

"I remember I kept it save in my pocket b..but I didn't glimpse at it even in the store room, " With a depressing voice, he said.

He thought of exposing all that happened yesterday since his Mother-in-law is already taking things too far.

He toast his fear for her aside.

Mr. Edgardo was getting anxious, "What happened last night at the gate?" He inquired.

At that moment, Vincenta's voice developed Achilles' heel...