When the plane's door opened, flashes from the reporters' cameras almost blinded me in shock. I was wearing my brand new gucci glasses so hopefully they didn't get any embarrassing photos of me, when I got shocked from their flashes.
"She will not be answering any of your questions," Valerie yelled as she shoved off reporters hands that are holding recorders off of my face.
"El' has somewhere else to go, please keep your distance from her, so that she can go freely." Aileen exclaimed her disgust for their insensitivity.
The Agency had already called the airport beforehand to send some men to pick us up from the plane, I already saw security guards around the place ready to tackle anyone who gets out of hand.
" Ms.Del Acosta please come with us, your agency has prepared your ride." Security suddenly approached us when we arrived inside.
"She's in a hurry, where should we go?" Aileen spoke for me. Like they said, I need to leave the talking to them, if I want to prevent myself from being photographed while crying. The thought of my dad being in a hospital makes me cry, and it'll be provoked if I start talking about it too.
"Is our Driver there? Is Antonette going to be our driver?" Aileen asked.
"Yes, there's a woman waiting for you there, she was sent by your Agency." The guard said.
Reporters were still following us, asking some questions. The questions are mostly about the company, but they're also trying to involve my career in the conversation.
" Miss Del Acosta, are the pictures spreading about you legit? Are those really yours?" A reporter asked. Oh no! Did Selene release those fake nude photos during the time I'm most will-drained?
" What pictures? " Valerie stopped a while to asked, other guards stopped to wait for her, others went with us.
" Pictures of Model El Del Acosta with a man has been spreading in the Internet, it was taken from the Lure Restaurant, a very well-known five star Restaurant-" Valerie cut off the reporter.
" El has been busy with her work lately, she haven't been getting the chance to eat in a well known restaurant for so long… for further more informations please wait for our Agency's official statement. " Valerie answered the issue craving monster reporters who are eyeing me like a prey.
Someone must've seen me with Ash Ron the day we made our relationship legit. I don't know who the hell saw us, but he couldn't have chose a better timing at all.
"Val! Stop talking to those predators, keep up, will you?" Aileen commanded being so pissed.
"We'll secure the area, please proceed to your vehicle now." The guards scattered around the parking lot as we look for the familiar white van that we always rode for our errands.
"Get in!" The three of us were shocked at the person sitting on the driver's seat. She's not Antonette.
"Why are you the one driving?" Aileen asked curiously.
"Just Get in, before the reporters see you." She commanded Aileen.
"What happened? We just boarded a plane and then next thing we know there's reporters from all parts of the country trying to get El talking." Valerie asked too.
"Just like the reporters we all got shocked to know that our Agency's precious gem is actually the only living heiress of Del Acosta group of companies, the new CEO made a statement about the company's status and mentioned your name, calls suddenly came flooding that's why I'm the one driving," Danica paused for a while from explaining to catch her breath.
When I tried to make a sound tears suddenly came falling from my eyes. "I'm sorry, I just can't help crying." I explained between my sobs.
"What's happening?" Danica asked the two, they both looked at each other before Aileen sighed and started talking.
"El's mom called while we were boarding, her dad is in the hospital, he's not waking up. El doesn't know if he lost her dad or if she'll ever talked to him again." Aileen explained to Danica.
Danica sighed and looked at me sobbing. "Fine, I won't ask you heavy questions, but I need you to give me a statement, because the Agency has called in everyone on the sixth floor to go back to the office. The PR team can no longer answer every call on their own, even the international brands have been inquiring about your availability for their scheduled dates." Danica explained.
"I-I can't give you a day, I don't know my dad's situation is yet." I cried, but I think she understood what I was saying betwen those cries.
Aileen stroked my head and hugged me tightly. Danica started driving us out of the place too, she was suppose to deliver me back to the Agency to talk with Mr. Trevino, but she figured that it's best to let me see my dad first.
"Yes sir, I promise I'll send statement to you first before the team. Why do you need to know it sir?" Danica asked the CEO, she's on a call with him but only she can hear him on her airpods.
"Okay." Danica finally hanged up the CEO.
"You're really lucky El, Mr. Trevino wants to filter what we write about you, a lot of people have been pulling strings for you." Danica said not sounding so pleased.
"What do you mean?" I asked curiously.
"Your co-models, Beryl and Onyx had called earlier. Antonette, the producers, and now Mr. Trevino. I'm telling you this not because I'm hating on you, I'm telling you so because there are lots of people who are silently helping you, but you don't see those people. Now that you know, give them a pat on the back when you see them again." Danica exclaimed.
I didn't know a lot of people were backing me up. I really didn't.
"Your father stood up ready to leave when it took too long for us to diagnose him, just a few steps from his bed, that headache he was feeling did it's thing. It wasn't just a headache, it was a series of symptoms, your father just had a stroke. " A white coated doctor briefed me, but I wasn't really liking her tone, she talks as if it was my dad's fault that this happened.
"Hello Miss Del Acosta! I'm Doctor Stevens, Im your father's doctor. " Another white coated male doctor introduced himself. I like this one, he's very easy to get along, makes me think I want to trust him with dad's life.
" She said my father had a stroke, is he okay? " I asked trying really hard not to cry in front of everyone.
" We were running scans when the stroke happened, but accept our apologies, we could've seen the symptoms, we were just busy with the trauma in the E. R." The doctor paused to give me time to sink in the information.
" Yeah, I heard. " I replied when the details have finally sinked in me. Though I still can't get why this happened to dad.
"Your mother said that your father has been experiencing forgetfulness, dizziness, and chronic headaches. After the stroke he had a seizure before he could even speak, all we know is he was able to move three of his right hand's fingers, he isn't responding to the seizure medication right now that could cause severe brain damage-" I stopped the doctor for a while because it was all too fast.
" I know you're doctors and you go through this everyday, but I don't, so will you just please slow down a little so that I could accept it without crying!" I semi-yelled. The frustration is really getting into me.
" Baby, it's okay, the doctors are doing everything they can to help dad get better, Doctor Stevens told me himself before the surgey. " My mom comforted me but only one word sinked in me. Surgery.
" Wait! What? He got surgery? Mom why didn't you tell me? " My voice cracked as soon as I Asked that question. Dad must be feeling so much pain right now.
"Calm down, we found out that your father has a Hemolytic Anemia, so he is having immuno-artery response. This basically means that his anti-bodies are attacking his red blood cells, his anti-bodies are also attacking his brain which caused the encephalitis." The doctor Exclaimed.
" So that then? " I asked curiously.
" We found out that it was a teratoma in his lungs, it's attacking the brain that is causing the encephalitis that was first diagnosed. We removed it and tested it, it already came back positive, we got it out. You're father is still on a coma though, it stays that way until his brain heals. " The doctor explained once more.
" Wait so you're saying he's okay? It's gone? We just need to wait for him to wake up? " I asked.
" Yes. " The doctor said and I hugged him. They all left as soon as they delivered the message though, I went beside my dad and held his hand.
" El' they've been waiting for a while now." Danica called.
"You should go, baby. I'll call you when he wakes up." Mom said and stroked my head.
" Fine, but I'll be back soon. " I assured before leaving.
" How did your company lose so much money? " Danica asked.
" Someone stole it from me, that's why I've been working non-stop, my dream is to be a model but by modelling I can also save up to buy our company back. " I revealed.
" The current CEO, is she the one who did it? Because this is not the first time she talked ill about you. " Danica informed and sighed.
" Yes, that's her. She used to be someone important to us, but she blackmailed me with fake nude photos when I was just starting, that's why I didn't say a word when she took the company away." Danica drove slowly, probably thinking about my revelations.
"El' I'm going to say this now, because your not in the best situation at the moment. I was one of the few people who saw that leaked photo of you in the restaurant, luckily the reporter who took it was my friend. She said she deleted it already, but two days ago there was a breach on their building, their files have been stolen. It was her table who they specifically stole from, she suspected that it was your photos that they want the most." Danica said.
"Danica I can explain-" she cut me off.
"You know about the rules of the Agency, There's too much scandal already, whatever it is that you have with that man, it needs to stop. " Danica stated. For minutes the whole inside of the car was just full of silence until my phonr beeped.
Ash Ron is calling, but I can't answer him right now, Danica would know.
I put my phone on silent. " I'm sorry sweetheart." I whispered inside my head.
Just like Danica the PR team and Mr. Trevino asked me some questions, I answered them as much as I could, but everything has it's limit. At the end they just said that my father had retired and I pursued modelling because it's my dream, they kept the story real and going, in a matter of hours the gossips have stopped.
"You're lucky the PR team loves you." Mr. Trevino exclaimed before walking out of the room. The other PR team also stood up to leave and go home too.
"Thank you so much for your hard work everyone!" I thanked them a lot.
When it was just me and the girls inside the room I immediately went to the comfort room to call Ash Ron back, he might br worried.
"Hello? I'm sorry it was very chaotic here a while ago." I said, I told him about what happened too.
"I'm in the airport, I went back as soon as I heard about the news. I'm sorry if I was late, where are you? I'll bring you some food." He asked.
"We can't see each other Ash, not here. The Agency knows about us." I revealed.
" El' I'm back, I brought you some soup. " Danica's voice echoed inside the room. Oh my God I need to hung up.
" My manager is here, I'll call you back later-" before I could say bye she already opened the door.
" Who were you going to call back? I thought you were crying inside, so I didn't knock. " She said.