A/N: Thanks for the reviews, faves and follows guys! Honestly, I really don't want Britt to be the 'bad guy' in the story, and i hope you'll see that there's a deeper reason for the way she reacted about the break up. and yes, Santana will eventually grow up, like about now in this big time jump. anyways, please be patient with me, I'm working on it :)

Guest (1): yes, I hate 3rd parties too but as what I've said, there's a deeper reason for what happened :) and I can't promise you that there will be no more Roxy in the future. Let's see what will happen as the story goes.

Hi (Guest): hey :) thanks! anyways, San will eventually grow up. No worries about that.

Guest (2): yes, they both came from a well-off family and you'll read about that in the up coming chapters, like this one. and I have to say that your feeling why Britt did that is probably one of the reasons... we'll see about that :)

So... on with the story now :)

CHAPTER 4

10 years later...

The noisy and busy place immediately became deafeningly quiet the moment Architect Brittany S. Pierce entered the office. The blonde knows that a lot of the employees there is afraid of her, if not, they truly have great respect for her, especially because she was serious most of the time that she is in the office. She talked a little and seldom smiled, but she was a figure of authority when it comes to the position she holds in her field. No one dares to block her way or mess with her. She never cared to explain herself to them. Just like any other day, she just passed by them and went straight into her personal office. She became this serious ever since that incident 10 years ago... the moment when her sun, her source of light and happiness left her. Yes, the brunette sure was clingy but it was partly her fault too, though she still has no choice but to do it... for some reason. She sighed to herself. Ah, Santana...

The moment she arrived to her office desk, she took the only picture frame that is placed on top of her table and looked at it, smiling to herself the moment she saw the picture. It was already a part of her routine, the very first thing she does every morning she arrives in her workplace. The moment she sits down on her leather swivel chair, she would immediately look at that picture and her day will surely be okay. After looking at that picture, she sure knows that she could start her loads of work with a light heart.

Seeing the picture made her smile and she knows that it didn't go unnoticed by Mrs. Anna Miller, her secretary. The woman probably got used to seeing her in this situations after seeing the blonde a couple of times in this state. Although the woman just kept quiet and didn't say anything. However, the blonde knows that Mrs. Miller is surely curious about who the gorgeous brunette on the picture was.

"Here's your tea, Miss Pierce," the old woman said after putting the tea down in front of her. This old woman could really pass as her Aunt or like an old family member for her. Even though she was old, the blonde has got nothing bad to say about her performance when it comes to competency and reliabilty. She already got tired of those secretaries who are of her age. They couldn't do thier jobs pretty well because they did nothing but to stare and flirt with her. I can't blame them though. I'm hot, drop-dead gorgeous, blonde and oh, let's not forget about my Britt jr. down there. But naaah... I surely have my needs and I sort of took care of 'em but I'd rather have my Sanny though. . And with that thought, she sighed again thinking about the brunette.

"Thanks, Mrs. Miller. Then again, let me not remind you. Please call me Brittney. Understood?" she said. The old woman just nodded at her. Then, she started to open her file folders that are on top of her desk, along with a while messenger folder that was addressed to her. She almost spit the tea she was drinking when she read that it came from the Hudson Law Firm.

With shaking hands, she took the envelope and stared at it. She can't be dreaming right now. Her eyes are not being deceived and this certainly is not a joke. Hudson Law Firm holds the accounts of the Lopez Family - the family of the one and only Santana Lopez; the woman that owned her heart ever since they met, the only love of her life even after 10 years and the very same person that she hurt 10 years ago.

She continued to stare at the envelope, not sure if she's going to open it or not.

In the end, the blonde decided to open it to know what's in the letter. Another thing is, she knows that she'll be bothered if she ignores it. So here goes nothing then...

She took a deep breath and opened the envelope with shaking hands. Her jaw dropped while she was reading the contents of the letter again and again. She wants to make sure that she's reading the right thing, her eyes might be tricking her and it's just a figment of her imagination and what she truly wants to happen. But there's no way that this letter is not true. I'm holding it and I'm actually reading it. She read the letter a couple of times again, but then the message in the letter never changed. It's still the same.

But how could this be?

The letter came from the late grandfather of Santana, Don Theodoro Lopez.

She stood up from her chair and walked towards the wide glass window. From up there, she could see the busy street and busy lights of New York. She never expected for something like this to happen. She wasn't prepared for this moment wherein she would receive a letter that would definitely turn her life the other way around. Yes. The blonde admits that every day and night, and probably in every second of her life, Santana would come back for her, back into her arms. But not in this way, not in this circumstance that has to do with the last will of the brunette's Abuelo.

According to the letter, Santana has to come back to New York and both of them will have to get married. To be honest, the blonde was happy,- that is totally an understatement. I AM ECSTATIC! I would get to see my brunette again - to say the least, that she would get this chance again after all those years of asking, hoping and praying to anyone who's out there that soon enough, the brunette would come back. She waited for so long. Maybe now is the time to mend their broken hearts. It's time for them to heal. But the thought of meeting the Latina again after 10 long years is daunting an dshe really feels nervous about this. One reason is because 10 years ago, when the brunette left, let's just say that it wasn't that good. Okay, okay. It was more that "not that good", it was like the worst.

Puerto Rico

"What?!" Santana almost fell from the couch that she was currently sitting on when she heard Attorney Finn Hudson, her Abuelo's lawyer. Am I hearing things right, right now? This can't be...

"Attorney!" Alejandro Lopez, her father, said. Even her father can't believe what they just heard.

She looked around and saw that every person inside the room has this shocked look on their faces upon hearing the news. Well, at least, it's not only me who's surprised and more likely, shocked about this thing.

"You all heard it right," Atty. Hudson said before looking at her. "Miss Santana Lopez, according to your Abuelo's last will, it is stated that you have to be married to one Brittany Susan Pierce."

"That's utterly rediculous! This is insane! How could Abuelo-"

"Santana Marie Lopez!"

She cringed and stopped her rant the moment she heard the the stern voice of Maribel Lopez, her mother, calling her with her full name. As to what they were taught, no one should speak or talk bad things about or towards elders, especially if the person is already resting in an eternal sleep.

She breathed in deep and exhaled, calming herself down. "Sorry, Mami," she told her mom. Taking another deep breath, she said, "Then what if I don't want to do this and decide to go against Abuelo's will?" she said glaring at the lawyer and giving him a challenging stare.

The lawyer looked down and read the last will and testament, adjusting his eyeglasses, and continued to read. "In the end, no one rather than Santana should make the decision with regards to this. No on should force her into doing this..."

The brunette let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding, immediately relaxing. But contrary to what she thought, the lawyer wasn't finished.

"If ever my granddaughter chooses to go against my will, she will still get the inheritance she got as her part of my properties and wealth that I left. However, The three institutions that my wife put up - Isabela Youth Foundation, Isabela Teen Foundation, and the Isabela Elderly Foundation - will be stopped and put to close," the lawyer added. Ah, Isabela Lopez... my loving Abuela.

"N-No, Papa can't do this, Attorney. You know how important these foundations are to Mama," her father said.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Lopez, but that's what your father said."

"Dissolve the foundations," she said disbelievingly, scoffing.

"That totally is ridiculous. Those foundations were put up for a cause and each member of this family has a certain role that's being played there and this is important to the family. This is our legacy! What about the people under the foundations' care? Abuela will not be in peace if all of them would be dissolved," Nicholo Lopez or Nicho, the brunette's older brother said.

"Attorney, if the Abuelo's company won't support these foundations, we could support them ourselves. I could look for sponsors, I know a lot of people, so I don't have to worry about that," Rosalie Lopez or Rose, Santana's older sister, told the lawyer calmly while holding her hand.

"I'm sorry, Miss Lopez. But then again, your grandfather firmly stated that the three institutions shall be dissolved if Santana says no to your Abuelo's wishes."

Then the youngest Lopez, Santana, said the thoughts in her mind even before she could stop herself. "Does B-Brittany know about t-this?" she quietly asked. Then she added, "Most likely, I think she already has a family of her own. It's been years after all." Knowing Brittany, she would find this idea absurd.

Atty. Hudson smiled and turned to her. "Apparently, Miss Brittany Pierce is still single and by now, she already knows about this."

"And what did she say?" the Latina asked.

"She was also surprised, to say the least. As we all know, Miss Pierce's grandmother helped your Abuela in putting these foundations up. She definitely is willing to help," the lawyer said.

"She is?" she said, not believing what the lawyer just said. "And what will she get in return then?"

The lawyer shrugged and said, "Well, I really don't know about that, Miss Lopez. I think, she's just like you who's valuing and considering how important these institutions are that were left by your elders. Both of you know how important these are to your grandparents, to those people that are helped by the foundations, and the value it has to you and your families."

A/N(2): there you have it! the latest update. what do you think about it? hope 10 years isn't that big of a time jump for y'all and i hope you liked this chapter. I'll be updating again as soon as I can. Please send me your thoughts if you want, and all of them are pretty much appreciated. Thank you for your support on this fic! :))