Julio was the first person to spot Carmelita, the dead widow of his late brother, stepping forward in all her magical glory. He blinked thrice, rubbing his eyes with the back of his right hand to ensure he wasn't hallucinating.
But there she was, looking very much alive against the pale and terrifying image of the twisted and broken dead woman who jumped off a building.
"Impossible!" Julio's jaw dropped, touching the floor.
"What is impossible, son?" Luzon, whose eyes were initially glimmering with pride at the sight of Mr Nathaniel, suddenly froze as the lady beside him stepped forward for everyone to see her clearly.
"Ca..ca...ca..." Luzon tried to form a word, all the blood draining from his face as if he had just beheld the abominable snowman.
"Honey, what is the ma...Ahh!" Rosella's eyes bulged out like a pair of overinflated balloons on the verge of bursting, her mouth ajar in silent horror.
"Mom, what is the..." Tala was still speaking when Belinda's piercing cry almost ruptured her eardrum.
"Ghost!"
Belinda shrieked from the bottom of her stomach, her trembling hands pointing to the approaching red-haired goddess while taking refuge behind Stefano, Tala's former fiancé.
"Ghost!" Some of the guests standing around Belinda whipped their gaze to the red-haired lady she was pointing at. However, none of them recognise the lady as a known face amongst the elite circle in the city.
Tala cupped both her ears as her head snapped in Hiraya's direction.
In that brief, surreal, and terrifying moment, Tala's widened gaze locked with those of Hiraya; the supposedly dead woman she had tormented for the two long years the latter was married to her late brother. The same cursed woman, whose tragic suicide almost ruined the Mendoza family name and businesses.
"It can't be," Tala muttered under her breath shaking her head vigorously. "She is de..."
Tala's breath hitched, and the colour drained from her face. Her hands flew to her chest as a strangled gasp escaped her lips.
Before she knew what was happening, her knees buckled and she collapsed against the edge of the table with a crash, sending glasses and porcelain shattering to the floor.
The hall froze, gasps rippling through the crowd like a wave of thunderous disbelief.
A satisfied, devilish glint flashed across Hiraya's eyes and quickly disappeared before anyone could suspect a thing.
As the sound of shattering glasses and dishware echoed through the hall, the stunned silence broke into a frenzy.
"Tala!" Rosella cried out in panic reaching for her daughter.
"Someone please help!" Luzon temporarily forgot about the ghost of his late son's dead widow and the almighty Nathaniel Jomari. He knelt down beside his unconscious daughter, who had, in the process of falling, bruised her temple.
Hiraya gave Nathaniel a nonverbal order, and the latter whispered something into Miles' ear.
"Yes sir." Mile bowed curtly and left to carry out his boss's order while Nathaniel and Hiraya majestically made their way to another unoccupied VIP table meant for international brands.
The event host, a sharply dressed man with a mic still clipped to his lapel, leapt down from the stage, his voice cracking as he called for assistance.
"Quickly, get the ambulance, there is an injured guest here that needs urgent medical attention."
Six waiters rushed toward the scene in a flurry of black-and-white uniforms, weaving through stunned guests.
Curious stares and whispers began to surge like wildfire as different phone camera lights flashed in the air, capturing the embarrassing moment and the source of the commotion.
"Her head is bleeding." Rosella's voice cracked with urgency through the chaos as she picked up some table napkins and placed them on Tala's bleeding temple.
The waiters spread around, some kneeling to gather the broken pieces of glass and others offering water and napkins.
"Ma'am, please move aside and let us take care of her." A waiter spoke calmly to the crying mother.
"I'll help carry her." Stefano tried to move forward, but one fierce look from Belinda kept his feet rooted to the ground.
"Dad..." Julio patted his father on the shoulder as the company's regional managing director and the representative of Griff Bardin Holdings, Mr Miles Eddison, approached them, wearing a deadpan expression.
Luzon quickly stood up, straightening out his jacket while giving his son instructions.
"Julio, please accompany your sisters and mother to the hospital and ensure Tala is fine. I'll see you all soon."
"Okay, Dad." Julio hurriedly followed behind his crying mother and the waiter carrying his unconscious elder sister while pulling Belinda along, with Stefano hurrying behind them.
"What about Carmelita's ghost? Didn't you see her?" Belinda whispered to her brother while looking over her shoulder in horror.
"I did. But we can't discuss that matter right now. We've already made a mess of the situation and everyone is watching and making fun of our family." Julio replied, shielding his face from the blinding phone camera light.
"Mr Miles, I am very sorry for..."
Luzon was immediately silenced by Mile's cold and steely voice before he could complete his apology.
"Let's talk outside, now." Mile spoke between clenched teeth before walking away, leaving Luzon chasing after him with his tail behind his legs.
All this while the Mendoza family were busy swimming in a dirt pile of embarrassment, Ken took this rare opportunity to confirm the return of his long-lost love.
With the help of his personal assistant, he discovered that Carmelita now went by the name of Miss Ivy Cruz and she was the personal assistant to the renowned and shrewd businessman, Nathaniel Jomari.
Weirdly but understandable, there was no information on the internet about her. All the people named Ivy Cruz, who popped up on the browser search engine had not one single thing in common with this red-haired beauty. It was almost as though she didn't exist which perfectly made sense.
Currently, Ken was faced with the challenge of politely ditching Mira without making it look so obvious before formally introducing himself to the woman of his dreams.
"Ken, is something wrong?" Mira's sweet, angelic voice cut through Ken's thoughts, snapping him out of his reveries.
"No..." Ken looked up to meet her gaze, his eyes occasionally drifting off to the table where Hiraya was now seated with her boss. She didn't seem to notice him, nor has she spared him one single glance ever since she stepped into the hall–an innocent action that felt like a knife jabbing at his heart.
"Give me a second."
"O...Kay." Mira drawled, wondering why Ken was acting so off.
Ken quickly texted Erick with an urgent request before meeting Mira's anxious gaze. "Let's take a walk outside." He forced a smile, taking her hand tenderly for the first time.
"But the program is about to start and I don't want to miss it." Mira pouted cutely, blushing so hard.
"I have other plans for the night." Ken maintained his cool and husky voice even though his patience was already wearing thin.
"Oh....okay," Mira replied dreamily, pulling her wrist away from his hold and snaking her hand around his arm like a cute girlfriend. "I'm all yours."
At the same moment, Hiraya innocently looked backwards, and her gaze locked on Ken, who was now staring at her.
Time seemed to freeze, as unspoken words of recognition, appreciation and something else Ken couldn't place a name on lingered for those split seconds between them.
Something that looked like a smile curled up the side of her lips and before Ken could reciprocate the gesture, she looked away.
"Let's go, Kenny." Mira tugged at Ken's arm.
'Curses!' Ken gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to lash out angrily at Mira as he pulled her towards the hall exit.