Chapter 7 - A Look into Ivanna's Past

Nicholas entered Tony’s Resto on a Thursday late morning and saw his friend, waving at him from the table he is occupying.

“Hey, dude,” Warren greeted as he signaled for a waiter. “What would you like?”

“Whatever you’re having,” Nicholas answered after ordering his drink. He pulled out one chair and dropped down hardly. “Man, I’m so tired.”

Warren looked at him curiously. Before he could ask him, Diane Chan appeared from the back and handed him some sketches.

“Here you go, Mr. James,” Diane said formally. “I’ll have the final drawings email by Monday as well as the initial cost for the Board Rooms at the second floor. Ivanna gave the go-signal on the designs already.”

“She called?” Warren asked and he glanced when Nicholas looked up.

Diane nodded as she carefully placed her laptop inside her bag.

“Yes, and she says hello,” she said. “Well, I have to go. I’ll text you once I sent them.”

“You’re welcome to join us for lunch,” he invited with a smile.

She smiled and shook her head. “That’s alright. I’m meeting some friends nearby,” she replied politely.

“Is it a company rule that Ivanna is posting at your office?” Warren asked expectantly. “You, guys are not allowed to go on dates with a client if one is interested? What kind of an office is your boss running?”

Diane chuckled and shook her head. “I’m really meeting some friends nearby, honestly,” she answered with a smile. “Besides, Mr. James, you’re not our type. I’m sure Ivanna already told you that.”

Warren laughed as he waved goodbye at Diane.

“Where’s Ivanna?” Nicholas asked casually. “Did she assigned this to her to lessen the time facing you?”

“She’s overseas, you idiot,” Warren replied as he browsed through the sketches handed to him. He looked back and forth at two schemes before continuing. “She’s always on top of the project but she assigns a person in-charge just in case she won’t be around. Diane’s handling all Tony’s ongoing construction, the reason why she was here.”

“Where’d she went to?” Nicholas asked. “With whom?”

“Weren’t you two together last Saturday?” Warren asked in returned. He placed down the papers and gave Nicholas his full attention. “With the way you’re asking me, it sure was a right choice to change my bet on her. What the hell did you do?”

Nicholas gave his friend a look.

“She went home ahead that stubborn woman,” he scoffed as he leaned back on the chair. “And, what are these rumors about her? Rich, Dex, Paolo and I went to the bar and I overhead this group of ladies talking about her. One of them noticed me and remembered that I was with her, approached me and told me to be careful of her.”

“Dude, don’t tell me you believe what that woman said?” Warren asked hotly. He shook his head. “Of all people. I would never ever think you will believe that rumor about Ivanna.”

“Ivanna’s not a gold digger, Alonso,” he continued. “Get that thought out of your mind. Hell, I’m wealthier than you and look where I’m standing with her. You’re such an asshole. Or maybe, there’s still too much dessert sand in your brain that makes you think like that.”

“I don’t know her that yet,” Nicholas defended. “The only details I know about her were the ones I got when I talked with Mr. Mitchell, the man that she helped before.”

Warren shook his head.

“Did he tell you who her real father is?”

“He said he doesn’t know.”

Nicholas knew right at that moment how far the loyalty that Mr. Mitchell will go to just to protect Ivanna and their conversation came back to his mind and he started to connect some information he deemed significant. He looked at Warren squarely. “Who is her father, Warren?” He asked intently. “Was he also there at the party? Is that the reason why she doesn’t want to go there?”

“A big part of it,” Warren answered. “Her father is Damon Montgomery.”

“Damon Montgomery?!” Nicholas asked in surprise. He looked at Warren expectantly and couldn’t believe what he had just heard. “How the hell did that happened?”

“Hey, John!” Warren called to a passing waiter. “Can you get us both some beer?”

Nicholas loosened his tie and leaned back on his chair, knowing that it’s going to be a long story.

“Ivanna’s mom, Amelia was an Interior Designer and she works at Mont-Corp under the direction of Mr. Montgomery’s mother, Julia,” Warren started. “She was one of the best in the field especially with her expertise on resorts and hotels. Remember South Palm Resort? She was the original designer of the villa’s and lobby. That’s where she met Damon Montgomery, who as we know is an Architect, slowly being trained by his father to takeover the business someday. We all know that the heir of Mont-Corp must be the first-born male, ridiculous it may sound.”

“Wasn’t he married already?” Nicholas asked. “Weren’t we playmates with Chelsea, the eldest child back then?”

“Yes, he was,” Warren answered. “But, along with the pressure given by Mont-Corp, his marriage with Valerie was also on the rocks. I think it’s also to the pressure that she must have a male child. I remembered Mom told Dad that she’s so demanding, refusing to be second priority and Damon tried his best to be both. Prioritizing work and his wife. Amelia sort of became his listening ear during the project duration until they fell in love.”

“Of course, Valerie heard about it and it was a big scandal back in their days,” he continued. “Mont-Corp had no choice but to let her go to keep the family’s reputation. But, Damon wouldn’t heard of it. He refused to let her go even risking his inheritance. He said that he no longer loves his wife and will divorce her to be with Amelia, who unknowingly was already pregnant as well.”

“But, I guess fate was not on their side,” Warren said. “Valerie found out she was pregnant. Guess who was she carrying?”

Nicholas didn’t need to guess.

“Gabriel.”

“Yup. The next Mont-Corp heir, who we know unfortunately didn’t inherit most of the family’s motivation,” Warren simply answered. “You can take the story from there. Damon Montgomery has no choice but to honor the tradition in their family. Amelia moved away, not telling about her pregnancy condition and came back twenty years later. She’s married to Stephen Gatchalian and they bought that house where Ivanna is staying.”

“How did the Montgomery’s know that Ivanna’s their blood? Does she know already?”

“When Amelia died almost ten years ago a year after her husband died,” Warren answered. “You were already on your second or third deployment.”

Nicholas looked up from his beer mug and gave Warren a hard look. “Are you trying to tell me that Ivanna hasn’t spoken to her father ever since?” He asked intently.

“I don’t have the details, dude,” Warren replied. “Iva and I talked about it just once and she’s very secretive. All I know, which I got from Mom was that Damon received a call from her lawyer that she needs to talk with him but he refused. I guess he was angry and hurt when she moved without telling him. He still loved her after all. Or who knows? Valerie might have a hand on it as well.”

“Didn’t he see Ivanna during that time? Or even when they moved back here?”

“Ivanna’s mostly away going to a university, remember that,” Warren pointed out. “When she knew from the lawyer that Damon refused, she went home and to Mont-Corp to talked with him but it was Jackson Montgomery and Valerie who met her instead. She was denied entry no matter how much she begged and when they found out who she was, it was not a pretty sight.”

“Well? How did they find out?”

Warren smiled wryly.

“Apparently, Julia Montgomery knew,” he stated. “Remember what I said when Amelia worked with them? She was under the care of Julia Montgomery, who for all her iciness managed to have a soft spot for her. She was there all through Ivanna’s life since she was born. Back then, Ivanna only known her as her mom’s very close friend. She was the one who told them everything. She presented everything as well as the paternity test she had secretly initiated.”

“And, Ivanna refused to be one?”

“Well, I guess the shame brought down on her and her mom was too much that she even cut off ties with her grandmother due to anger. Mind you, she has a terrible temper, which we know is a famous Montgomery trait. She undoubtedly inherited it,” Warren said sadly. “I guess, up to this day, she still hasn’t forgiven her father and grandparents.”

Nicholas let out a long breath.

“Man,” he only managed to say.

“I don’t know other details, but I guess she had some pretty, tough years when her mom died,” Warren explained. “She stopped school for two years, took odd jobs to save for her tuition and to maintain the house her parents gave. That coffee shop you, guys went to? She used to work there, waiting tables. She refused the monetary offer her dad gave. She probably thinks it’s an apology move. She didn’t have an easy life. But, I guess she had one goal.”

“What is it?”

Warren looked at him in exasperation.

“Look at her now,” he pointed out. “SA IG Design Studio is now considered as one top small firm here in the city. She did it on her own. And, she doesn’t need the back-up of her family. If you don’t know the story, no one would know that she’s a Montgomery heir as well. The companions she is with overseas now would be enough backing already.”

“Really? Who?”

“A former boss of yours, Alonso,” Warren said with a laugh. “Amelia moved to Virginia and worked for Florence Portman, who is also an Interior Designer before becoming -.”

“The First Lady,” Nicholas interrupted.

“Yup. Former First Lady Florence Portman, wife of past US president Andrew Fredrick Portman,” Warren continued for him. “Up to now, they remained close and will always bring her in their family travels. Her stepdad was also part of the Presidential Security, who you know was also a former Marine, the explanation on why she was able to counter the move you made on her.”

Nicholas rubbed the back of his neck, absorbing all the information that Warren is telling him.

“So, her dad is trying to make amends with her,” he concluded slowly. He remained silent for a while, going through all the information Warren told him. Nicholas looked up and his eyes widened. “Don’t tell me that she’s the one who got the Montgomery grit in their generation.”

Warren laughed.

“Which they sorely need in their company,” he said. “Mont-Corp is doing well but we all know someday it will fall on Gabriel’s shoulders. Gab knows that he cannot do it and he made sure that his family knows it and his family knows about it so well. And, Damon will do anything to keep that intact. It’s a political strategy but it’s also more on winning his daughter back, who is slowly drawing the attention of the country’s leading real estate developers. Jackson and Julia are already in their eighties and I guess, they want to see her before they take their last breath. Julia was the one who was affected so much and I even told Ivanna about it.”

“That brat,” Nicholas only said. “Now, I know why she’s like that. I guess I’ll be changing my strategy.”

“Your 30 days will be ending in two days, idiot,” Warren pointed out. “You lose.”

Nicholas looked at him.

“One less problem to worry about,” he said. He reached for his empty mug and signaled for the waiter to bring him another one. “I’m going to make her mine, Warren. And, who says you’re wealthier than me? You wait and see. Ivanna Gatchalian will be meeting the real Nicholas Alonso once she steps her feet back on American soil.”