Adon's POV"I'm going to drive today. Parang I’m out of practice na," sabi ko kay Hugo habang pababa kami sa elevator ng Gustav Building papunta sa basement parking. Iba ang vibe ng araw na 'to, parang masarap mag-drive kahit sandali lang."Did Mrs. Gustav beat you again last night?" Hugo asked, and I chuckled. Medyo naging inside joke na namin ito dahil halos palagi akong natatalo ni Aubrey sa mga racing games na nilalaro namin online."Yeah, she did. All the time," I admitted with a smile. "Aubrey is really good sa mga racing games. May thing siya for racing, and I'm planning to bring her to Monaco para mapanood niya yung F1 Grand Prix soon.""She would love that," Hugo agreed, nodding. Alam ko magiging special ‘yun para kay Aubrey, especially since na-enjoy niya talaga ang racing. Alam ko rin na magiging magandang opportunity ito para sa aming dalawa. Step up na rin ito sa relationship namin, a sign na seryoso ako sa kanya.Habang naglalakad kami papunta sa kotse, sinubukan kong hi
Adon's POVAs I drove away from the basement, my thoughts drifted back to the moments I shared with Aubrey. Hindi ko maikakaila na she was constantly on my mind. Every time I thought about her, there was this warmth that spread through my chest—a feeling I hadn’t experienced before. It was strange yet comforting at the same time, as if her presence alone made everything in my life more meaningful.The sun was beginning to set as I maneuvered through the city streets. The sky was awash with hues of orange and pink, creating a breathtaking backdrop against the towering buildings. For the first time in years, I allowed myself to slow down and take in the beauty of the moment. My life had always been a relentless pursuit of success and power, but now, it felt different. Things had changed ever since Aubrey became a part of it.Pagdating ko sa building, I parked my car and headed straight to the elevator. My day was far from over, and I knew there were pressing matters at the office that r
Pag-alis ko ng opisina, my thoughts were still focused on everything that had happened today. The unexpected confrontation with Trisha, the issue with Monteros, and the brief but meaningful call with Aubrey—everything seemed to be swirling in my mind. I needed to clear my head, so I decided to take the long route home, driving through the quieter parts of the city where the lights were dimmer, and the streets were less crowded.Habang nagmamaneho, I couldn’t help but replay the conversation I had with Trisha. Her desperate attempt to win me back was almost laughable, pero it also made me realize something—how far I’ve come since the days when I thought I needed someone like her in my life. Noon, Trisha was everything I thought I wanted: beautiful, sophisticated, and ambitious. But now, her presence only reminded me of a time in my life that I wanted to forget—one filled with superficial connections and empty promises.Aubrey was different. She was real, honest, and completely unpreten
Aubrey's POVTwo months later, finally na-open na ang ANELE Fashion, ang aking kumpanya. Grabe ang tulong ni Adon sa akin—mula sa financial consultant, advisers, lawyers, accountants, at marami pang iba. Sobrang saya ko na makita ang mga pinaghirapan namin na maging reality.Nakabili kami ng malaking warehouse at pina-renovate ito para maging mas functional. Kumuha din kami ng mga vans at service vehicles para sa logistics, at syempre, mga makinarya, kagamitan, furniture, at fixtures na kakailanganin para sa production. Mga suppliers naman namin ng textiles ay galing pa sa India, China, Indonesia, Italy, at Germany. Nag-hire kami ng workers, designers, financial advisers, production managers, at iba pa para mabuo ang organisasyon ng kumpanya.Ang best friend ko na si Camella ay sobrang laking tulong din. Siya ang right hand ko at siya na rin ang Marketing Manager ng kumpanya.“Finally, nagawa na natin ang dream natin!” tili ni Camella habang tumatalon sa tuwa, sabay yakap sa akin.“Ala
Aubrey's POVAfter successfully resolving the issue with our supplier, bumalik kami ni Adon sa regular na trabaho. Pero kahit naayos na ang problema, hindi pa rin ako mapakali. Ramdam ko pa rin ang bigat ng mga pangyayari, lalo na't naaalala ko pa rin ang huling pag-uusap namin ni Grandpa. Hindi ko maiwasang isipin ang mga banta niya, at kung gaano kalayo ang kaya niyang gawin para kontrolin ang buhay ko.One afternoon, habang nasa opisina ako ng ANELE Fashion, may natanggap akong tawag mula kay Mom. Medyo matagal na kaming hindi nagkausap, kaya agad ko itong sinagot."Hi, Mom! Kamusta ka na?" tanong ko, pilit na tinatago ang pag-aalala sa tono ko."Aubrey, anak, we need to talk," sagot niya, and I could sense the urgency in her voice. "Can we meet for lunch?""Sige, Mom. I'll finish up here and meet you in an hour," sabi ko, although medyo kinabahan ako sa tono ng boses niya. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang dahilan, pero naramdaman kong may kinalaman ito kay Grandpa.We met at a small, co
Adon's POVTiningnan ko ang oras sa wall clock—alas dose y media na, at wala pa ring sign na makakauwi si Aubrey. Hindi ko mapigilan ang sarili kong maglakad pabalik-balik sa loob ng kwarto, habang paminsan-minsan ay sinisilip ko ang labas ng bintana. Ang init ng ulo ko ay parang hindi ko na kayang kontrolin. Kailangan ko nang tigilan ang kakahintay. Mabubaliw ako sa pagtingin sa orasan, bawat segundo na dumaan ay parang isang taon. Nagdesisyon akong bumalik sa kama at magpanggap na hindi ako nag-aalala. Humiga ako, sumiksik sa ilalim ng kumot, at nag-clap ng dalawang beses para patayin ang ilaw. Ngunit kahit nakapikit na ang mga mata ko, hindi ko maiwasang mag-isip ng mga posibleng senaryo. Paano kung may nangyari sa kanya? Baka naabutan siya ng dilim sa daan, o kaya naubusan siya ng gas sa isang madilim na kalsada. Ang mga kalokohang ito ay naglalaro sa isip ko, at lalong nagpapataas ng kaba ko. Hindi ko na kayang lokohin ang sarili ko. Bigla akong bumangon mula sa kama, sumuot n
Pagkatapos ng dinner date namin ni Aubrey, naglakad kami sa ilalim ng malamig na gabi. Ang hangin sa New York ay medyo malamig para sa oras ng taon, ngunit ito ay nagbigay ng pakiramdam ng kasiyahan at kapanatagan. Ang mga ilaw ng cityscape ay sumasalamin sa aming pag-uusap at bawat hakbang namin sa sidewalk.Pumunta kami sa isang maliit na café malapit sa restaurant para sa dessert. Ang café ay cozy at intimate, na nagbibigay ng magandang pagkakataon para sa mas personal na pag-uusap. Habang umuupo kami sa isang maliit na table, sinubukan kong obserbahan si Aubrey—ang paraan ng kanyang pagngiti, ang ligaya sa kanyang mga mata. Ang lahat ng ito ay nagbibigay sa akin ng pakiramdam na ang lahat ng pag-aalala ko ay wala na, at natutuwa akong makita siyang masaya."Alam mo, Adon," sabi niya habang umiinom ng espresso martini, "sa kabila ng lahat ng mga pagsubok at stress, parang ang saya saya ko na kasama ka.""Ganun din ako, Aubrey," sagot ko, hinawakan ang kanyang kamay sa ibabaw ng mes
Adon's POV Kinabukasan, maaga akong nagising. I couldn’t help but glance over at Aubrey, still peacefully sleeping beside me. Ang gaan sa pakiramdam na makita siyang ganito, walang iniintindi, walang stress—just pure serenity. I brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face and planted a soft kiss on her forehead before carefully getting out of bed.I headed straight to the shower, letting the warm water wash away the remnants of sleep. Today was going to be a tough one. The meeting with Monteros was just hours away, and I needed to be at my best. There was no room for mistakes, especially now na malapit na kami sa closing ng deal na ‘to. This could make or break our plans for expansion.As I dressed up, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease. Monteros had a reputation for being ruthless when it came to negotiations. They wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of any sign of weakness. But I was prepared. I knew their tactics, and I wasn’t about to let them get the upper hand.Buma