Bound By A Broken Night novel Chapter 236

Chapter 236

“And you are the reason it hasn’t moved forward.”

Murmurs erupted.

“You’ve been holding everyone back!” one farmer exclaimed, frustration breaking through.

“We’ve waited long enough!” another added.

“Can’t you think of the welfare of the whole town?”

“This project will benefit all of us,” someone else chimed in.

“Free education for our children… a hospital… better lives!”

“Sta. Cristina will finally progress,” another voice said eagerly.

“Don’t you want that for your family? For Dino?”

The pressure mounted from every side. Eliseo stood at the center of it all-silent, conflicted, overwhelmed.

“It sounds too good to be true,” Carmel suddenly spoke, stepping forward. Her voice cut through the noise, steady despite the

tension.

“How can we be sure this project is real?”

The crowd shifted.

“No one from that company has ever come here,” she continued, her eyes scanning the faces around her.

“Not once.”

“Mr. Romero is the representative of Malakai Group!” someone snapped, irritation clear. “Isn’t that enough?” “That’s exactly the problem,” Dino interjected, his tone calm but firm.

“Only he has come. Where is the company? Where are the documents?” His gaze hardened slightly.

“We’re talking about land-our inheritance. We have the right to question what we’re being asked to give up.”

A wave of unease spread through the farmers.

“Are you questioning Mr. Romero?” someone demanded.

“We’re being careful,” Carmel answered, her voice unwavering.

“These lands came from our ancestors. They’re not something we can just hand over because of promises.”

“You should’ve spoken to your children before coming here, Eliseo,” one farmer muttered with a scoff.

The tension thickened. Mr. Romero raised a hand, silencing the murmurs.

“Well,” he said lightly, though his eyes flicked sharply toward Carmel and Dino, “regardless of what your children think… the decision is yours, Eliseo.”

He took a step forward.

“It’s your land.”

A pause.

“You can choose to be selfish,” he continued, his tone now edged with quiet pressure, “and continue to delay the progress of

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this town…

He let the word hang.

“Or…you can sell the land to Malakai Group… and allow this project to finally begin.”

The room fell silent once more. All eyes were on Eliseo. Waiting.

“We trust Mr. Romero,” one of the farmers declared, his voice firm with conviction.

“He’s been helping us all these years.”

Several others nodded, murmurs of agreement rippling through the crowd.

“Alright,” Mr. Romero said, lifting a hand as if to calm the growing tension.

“Since there are still doubts…” He paused-just long enough to draw everyone attention.

“To put your concerns at ease, a representative from Malakai Group will be arriving today.”

A wave of murmurs swept across the hall-surprise, anticipation, hope.

“This is the man who introduced me to the Chairman,” Mr. Romero continued, a smug smile forming on his lips.

“He’s the reason I was given the opportunity to present my proposal for Sta. Cristina.” His chest seemed to swell with pride. “So… you’ve spoken directly with the Chairman of Malakai Group?” Carmel asked, her eyes narrowing, still unconvinced.

“Yes,” Mr. Romero replied without hesitation.

“We had several discussions. She found the project… brilliant.” He smiled wider.

“In fact, she plans to turn Sta. Cristina into something like Wallace Plantation—where everything is provided for free to the farmers and their families.”

The crowd buzzed louder this time, excitement beginning to butweigh doubt.

“See? Mr. Romero is thinking about all of us!” one farmer exclaimed.

But before the momentum could fully shift-

“There’s nothing wrong with being careful.”

The voice was calm. Clear. Unfamiliar.

“And the world is full of greedy vultures… waiting to prey on those who don’t ask questions,”

Silence fell. Heads turned. At the back of the gathering, just behind Eliseo and his children, stood Cassie.

Confusion spread across the crowd.

“What are you still doing here, Miss Cassie?” Carmel asked softly, quickly moving to her side.

“I got curious,” Cassie replied simply.

Then she stepped forward. Her gaze locked onto Mr. Romero.

“You said you discussed this project with the Chairman of Malakai Group?” she asked, her voice even–but there was something beneath it. Something sharp.

Mr. Romero met her eyes, brows lifting slightly as he assessed her. There was no flicker of recognition-only mild curiosity, and faint irritation at being questioned.

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“Yes,” he answered confidently.

“I presented everything to her personally. She assured me that the project would be realized-once all requirements are met.”

Cassie’s lips curved into a small smile.

“You seem quite close to the Chairman,” she said.

Mr. Romero shrugged, clearly pleased with himself.

“Well, she appreciates vision,” he replied.

“We share the same passion for developing places like Sta. Cristina.”

Cassie held his gaze, her expression unreadable.

Inside, disbelief burned. The audacity. The ease with which he spoke. As if the lies were truth.

“Then…” she said slowly, taking another step forward.

Her eyes never left his.

“You must know me.”

The room held its breath.

****tbc****