Panther Walks

Panther Walks is a two part novel featuring the story of Aidan Fortalejo Worth, the adoptive son of Bernard and Jewel Fortalejo. The title of the novel is Aidan's Shawnee name. The novel introduced as well Danielle Wilding as the heroine and wife of Aidan.

The story begins with Aidan's story before he met the Fortalejo couple. It was revealed that he is a quarter Shawnee from his grandfather on the mother side. The Worth family is the owner of a pharmaceutical company with his father as the talented chemist and owner. On a picnic on a private land his whole family was murdered. He and his grandfather who were away taking a walk were spared from the murder but his grandfather, Laughing Bear, suffered a heart attack leaving the young Aidan an orphan. Before running away from the scene, Aidan saw the then an unknown Mexican man whose face Aidan will forever remember.

Aidan escaped and wandered to Texas but not before it was revealed to both foe and friend that he was alive. During an encounter with street hoodlums, he was saved by Bernard and brought home with the Fortalejos. Jewel insisted that they adopt Aidan upon learning that the boy is an orphan. Lenny, the Fortalejo's eldest son, didn't like Aidan but Jessica the youngest was immediately taken with the red skinned boy.

Haunted by his past he refused to share with his adoptive family, Aidan was constantly plagued with nightmares. He was very grateful of the Fortalejos for adopting him that when his cousins and brother were hurt during the attempted kidnapping of Jade Ann, he used it as an excuse to join the SEAL. It was revealed in Romano that even before the kidnapping incident, he had the intention of joining the army. Aidan is known for being very protective of his adoptive siblings and cousins, many times it was commented that he will put his life on the line for the family. Jewel worries that Aidan will always put his life second after his siblings. It was also mentioned that he insisted in retaining his American citizenship after his adoption making it easy for him to join the army to his family's anguish.

After being part of SEAL, he retired and took up a position in Pentagon. During an assignment, he was almost killed in Mexico because of his relationship with an undercover hitman. This incident triggered a heart attack in Jewel causing the whole family to panic and for Aidan who greatly loves his adoptive mother to resign from his job and to go back home. Kurt La Pierre offered him a job in his Security agency as secretly insisted by Bernard.

One sleepless night while driving he almost hit a dazed woman whom he brought to a hospital. He was later informed that the woman has amnesia. The woman roused protective feelings from Aidan thus taking the amnesiac woman under his protection. Later, the woman remembered her own name as Danielle.

Danielle though still could not remember anything from her past knew that someone was after her life. She also recalled a man's name, Calvin, who she knew is dead. One night, she was awoken at the hospital smelling a familiar cologne and fear gripped her knowing that someone was in her room despite the nurses insisting otherwise.

Aidan suggested airing photos of Danielle on TV to look for her next of kin. However, at the same day Jewel handed him an envelope he had forgotten about containing the supposed first case from Kurt. The envelope contained Danielle's younger photo, apparently her aunt was looking for him but Kurt said that the case was closed as the aunt, Ofelia, said that her niece had already came home. Knowing that the aunt was lying, Aidan took Danielle home to his parents. One time while the two were talking, a memory flashed in Danielle's mind of looking at a photo in the company office of a Shawnee man with the Worth family making her exclaim that Aidan is a red skin and calling him 'Brave', apparently a generic name for Shawnee people in Kentucky. This surprised Aidan and asked if she was remembering things now.

The following day after the airing of Danielle's photo, Ofelia Gonzales came to the Fortalejo home. Although torn from being separated from Danielle, Aidan allowed for the former to go home with her aunt to her grandmother's ancestral home where she was apparently staying ever since flying in from Kentucky. However, it was made known to the readers that Danielle's life was indeed in danger with snippets of conversations from two unrevealed people. These conversations makes mention of the importance of Danielle's 21st birthday which was coming up in 4 days and that before then Danielle must die.

Aidan met with Kurt to get more information about Danielle's background. It was revealed that Danielle's last name is Wilding, a last name that was familiar to Aidan especially when he heard the name of Danielle's father, Samuel Wilding. The man was a business partner of the Worths back when the company was just starting. Samuel Wilding was the CEO to W&W Laboratories when he was alive. Kurt also told Aidan that Danielle came to the Philippines about a month before with a Calvin Mores, her boyfriend, who was later found dead in his rented house. Kurt voiced his suspicion when he said that a woman of Danielle's description was seen running away from the house a few days before the discovery of the body. Kurt advised Aidan to be wary and not to let his emotion cloud his intuition much like what happened with the hitman in Mexico. The hitman posed herself as a helpless domestic abuse victim whom Aidan took under his protection making Aidan doubt his capacity to judge fragile and helpless women correctly.

When Aidan went back home questioning his trust for Danielle's innocence, he researched on W&W Laboratories. He found out that W&W stands for Worth and Wilding, Samuel Wilding continued to name the missing Aidan Worth as a silent partner of the company owning 60% of it. In anguish, Aidan cried and this was how Jewel found him. Jewel decided finally to insist from Aidan the truth of his background saying that they've waited long enough. Aidan retold the tragedy of his family to Jewel allowing Aidan to free himself of the sad tragic past. He was glad and thankful to have finally shared it with Jewel.

The following night, Danielle couldn't sleep and stepped out of the balcony but as she leaned on the rails, the rail gave in. Danielle managed to get to safety with minor injuries. But before falling, she saw human shadow's from a room above her own. She tried waking up the old steward, Tata Marco, of her grandmother living in the house but the old man wouldn't wake up. In her panic state, Danielle drove to the Fortalejos. Aidan, after hearing what happened, called Kurt to send men to check on Danielle's house.

After falling asleep, Aidan was woken by a phone call from Kurt who informed him that the railing in the balcony was indeed sabotaged and that Tata Marco was drugged. He also mentioned that Ofelia who was apparently away that night came home surprised to find Kurt's men in the house. In the morning, Aidan and Danielle almost had sex but Aidan stopped before anything further could happen, refusing to take advantage of a woman in anxiety (a direct juxtapose to Kurt and Jade's story). Hurt by the rejection, Danielle went back to her grandmother's house and find Ofelia packed and ready to leave admonishing Danielle's apparent selfishness of running away and making her responsible of the family business. Ofelia also accused Danielle of faking her amnesia. But the readers knew at this point that Ofelia was the person who wants Danielle dead and she along with the still unknown man had killed Calvin who was revealed to be part of the scheme but later fell in love with Danielle. Calvin wanting to protect Danielle pleaded to the unknown man that he'll pay him back but to spare Danielle's life, however as revealed, Calvin was shot to death.

While Tata Marco was away, Danielle heard footsteps from the attic where she had seen the shadow of a person the previous night. Investigating, she was shocked to find a familiar face. There she found her mother's second husband, Damon Gonzales. Damon, revealed as villains do believing their victims will soon die, was an ex-convict and husband to Ofelia. In a narrated background story, Damon details the events leading to the current situation.

Ofelia was a distant cousin to Danielle's mother Samantha who Ofelia greatly envied for marrying into a well to do family. Ofelia wanted to own shares in the company but the Worth brothers, Aidan's father and uncle refused for unknown reasons perhaps because they distrust the ambitious woman, causing Ofelia to greatly resent them. She then stole an important formula which she sold to a rival company. The Worths found out causing Ofelia to panic in fear of being imprisoned and ordered Damon, her husband, to kill them thus making Damon the unknown man Aidan saw the day his family was murdered. Damon also revealed that upon Samuel Wilding's death, Samantha was threatened that he will kill Danielle if she refuses to marry him, although the wedding is not legal since Damon and Ofelia are married. He also revealed that he along with Ofelia slowly poisoned to death Samantha and planned to the same with Danielle once she marries Calvin, but the latter as mentioned had fallen in love with Danielle. The duo wanted to kill Danielle to inherit the company as Samuel's will stated that in his family's passing, the company will be inherited by their next of kin which is Ofelia but Danielle, with a bit of memory back, ridiculed Damon for being just an ambitious and stupid man just like Ofelia who didn't know that the Wilding does not own the whole company.

Danielle and Damon struggled and during this time Tata Marco came back home but the old man was pushed down the stairs and was knocked unconscious by Damon. Damon overpowered Danielle and proceeded to tie her up on the bed, Danielle feared that she was going to be raped but it was hinted previously in a flashback by Ofelia that Damon is either impotent or something was wrong with him sexually. Damon meant to set the house on fire but before he can do so, Aidan arrived. The two fought with Aidan pouring all his vengeance to the other man, before Damon lost consciousness he asked who Aidan was and Aidan revealed his name as Aidan Worth. Aidan saved Danielle and the unconscious Tata Marco before the fire could engulf the whole house, however he was unable to retrieve Damon's body from the fire.

He told Danielle that he really wanted to kill the man with his own hands but he couldn't do it. Danielle said that Damon deserved to die for all the things he had done which Aidan agreed to revealing to Danielle who he really is.

Danielle, with her full memory back, recounted the events of her journey from United States to the Philippines. She said that Calvin insisted they leave Kentucky for a vacation, they were supposed to meet up one day but when Calvin failed to show up she went to his rented house where she overheard the conversation between Calvin and Damon. Daniel then recalled the warning her mother told her about Damon and Ofelia whom she knew would know where she was staying. She ran away but her bag was stolen and because she was in public Damon who had followed couldn't kill her. She managed to get away and wanted to see Calvin to confirm he is dead but along the way she fell into a pit and hit her head and that was the night she met Aidan.

Danielle also shared to Aidan that along the years, her father would search for him but many impostors will show up pretending to be Aidan Worth but through tests they revealed all of them to be pretenders. Aidan asked if she doesn't believe him which Danielle said she does but the lawyers need proof. Aidan refused to go to Kentucky saying that he is a Fortalejo now and Danielle left broken hearted after confessing her love to Aidan.

Upon Bernard learning of the events, he encouraged Aidan to reclaim his birthright but insisted that he is still his son and part of the Fortalejo clan. With blessings from his parents and Jewel teasing her son about his real intentions of really seeing someone more than claiming the Worth fortune, Aidan left for Kentucky. He went straight to his old home where the old maid, Mrs. Vale, was still working. Aidan reminisced about the past, calling Mrs. Vale in his affectionate endearment to the old woman. The old woman cried in realizing that the man before her was the young Master Aidan. Mrs. Vale then said that she has pie baking, Aidan's favourite. Aidan laughed at how nostalgic it was. Mrs. Vale said that someone told her that Aidan Worth is coming but she was sceptic. Aidan asked who told her and Danielle then showed up answering him that she did and that he passed the lawyers' test. As only the real Aidan Worth will call Mrs. Vale, 'nanny nigger' as endearment.

Aidan commented that he wanted to make changes and build new memories in the old home, Danielle said that it is all his and he can make any changes. Aidan proceeded to proposed to Danielle. Danielle asked whether she'll be a Mrs. Worth or a Mrs. Fortalejo, Aidan didn't answer immediately but then called Danielle Mrs. Panther Walks.