Chapter 7: Renz's POV

#### **Chapter 7: Renz's POV**

Renz sat quietly at the corner of the bar, nursing a glass of whiskey while his friends played pool at the far end of the room. He had always been the calm one in their group, the type of guy who preferred to observe before speaking. As Jarren’s best friend since childhood, Renz had seen him go through all kinds of situations—business triumphs, heartbreaks, and now, this strange tension with Keisha Joli.

From where Renz was sitting, he could tell something was off with Jarren. Usually, Jarren would be dominating the conversation, cracking jokes or barking orders like he did in the office. But tonight, he was unusually quiet, staring off into space as if his mind was far from their usual hangout spot.

_"Bro, you good?"_ Renz called out, raising an eyebrow as he sipped his drink.

Jarren snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at Renz. _"Yeah, I'm fine."_

But Renz knew better. He had seen this look on Jarren’s face before—back when he first started taking over the family business and had been overwhelmed by the pressure. Only this time, Renz suspected it wasn’t the business that had him so distracted.

_"Let me guess,"_ Renz said, setting his drink down. _"Keisha Joli."_

Jarren's jaw tightened, and Renz could almost see the frustration boiling just beneath the surface.

_"I don’t know why she gets under my skin,"_ Jarren admitted, running a hand through his hair. _"Everything about her irritates me, pero... hindi ko maialis sa isip ko."_

Renz leaned back in his chair, observing his friend. _"You’re used to being in control, Jarren. You run a company, people listen to you. Si Keisha, hindi siya tulad ng ibang babae na nakasanayan mo. She’s strong, independent, and she’s not impressed by your money or power."_

Jarren exhaled sharply. _"Exactly. She challenges me, and I don’t like that."_

_"But at the same time, you do,"_ Renz pointed out, a small smirk forming on his lips.

Jarren didn’t respond, but the look in his eyes confirmed what Renz already knew. Keisha Joli had managed to get under Jarren’s skin in a way no one else ever had.

_"Listen, bro,"_ Renz said, his tone turning serious. _"You need to learn to control your temper around her. Kasi every time you lose it, you’re just pushing her further away. Kung gusto mong magkaroon ng chance to understand her, stop fighting her at every turn."_

Jarren sighed, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. _"Easier said than done. Every time I try to talk to her, we end up arguing."_

_"Then stop trying to win the argument,"_ Renz advised, shrugging. _"Sometimes, the best way to get through to someone is to listen. Maybe instead of trying to prove yourself right all the time, try to see where she’s coming from."_

---

**The next day at the office, Jarren took Renz’s advice to heart, but fate had other plans.**

Keisha had been in meetings all morning, juggling deadlines and reports when suddenly, everything started to fall apart. One of the company’s biggest contracts was on the verge of collapsing, and the entire team was in crisis mode.

_"Keisha, we need to fix this. Now,"_ one of her colleagues said, panic evident in his voice. _"Kung hindi maayos 'to, we’re going to lose millions."_

Keisha felt her heart race as she tried to stay calm. She was already on her way to the boardroom when she bumped into Jarren.

_"What’s going on?"_ Jarren demanded, sensing the tension in the air.

_"One of our biggest clients is threatening to pull out,"_ Keisha explained hurriedly, handing him the latest report. _"We need to renegotiate terms, but it’s not looking good."_

For a brief moment, their rivalry was forgotten. This was bigger than their personal conflicts—this was about saving the company from a potential disaster.

Without another word, they both rushed into the boardroom, where the rest of the team was gathered. As they worked together, discussing strategies and formulating a plan, Keisha noticed something strange. Despite all the tension between them, there was a certain flow to their collaboration. Every time she suggested an idea, Jarren would build on it. Every time he raised a concern, she had a solution.

They were in sync, even if they didn’t want to admit it.

_"We need to present a new proposal by the end of the day,"_ Keisha said firmly, addressing the team. _"No excuses. Let’s get it done."_

Jarren glanced at her, impressed by how quickly she had taken charge of the situation. He could see why she was so well-respected by her peers—she wasn’t just smart, she was a natural leader.

---

**Hours later, after a grueling day of negotiations, the crisis was finally averted.**

The client had agreed to new terms, and the company was safe—for now. As the team celebrated the victory, Keisha found herself standing alone in the hallway, catching her breath. She leaned against the wall, exhausted but relieved.

Jarren appeared beside her, his expression surprisingly calm.

_"Good job today,"_ he said, his voice softer than usual.

Keisha blinked, taken aback by the compliment. It was the first time Jarren had ever acknowledged her efforts without a hint of sarcasm or annoyance.

_"Thanks,"_ she replied, unsure of what else to say.

For a moment, there was an awkward silence between them. But instead of the usual tension, there was something different—something unspoken that lingered in the air.

_"You really surprised me today,"_ Jarren admitted, leaning against the wall next to her. _"I didn’t expect you to handle the situation the way you did."_

Keisha crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. _"Why? Because I’m not you?"_

Jarren chuckled softly. _"No, because I underestimated you. I thought you were just all talk, but today... you proved me wrong."_

Keisha didn’t know how to respond. She had spent so long thinking of Jarren as the enemy, as the person she had to beat. But in this moment, it didn’t feel like that anymore. It felt like they were finally seeing each other for who they really were—flawed, but capable.

_"You’re not so bad yourself,"_ Keisha said quietly, surprising even herself with the admission.

Jarren glanced at her, and for the first time, he didn’t have a witty comeback. Instead, there was something vulnerable in his eyes, something that made Keisha’s heart skip a beat.

But just as quickly as the moment came, it was gone. Jarren straightened up, his usual confident demeanor slipping back into place.

_"Don’t get used to it,"_ he said, flashing her a teasing grin before walking away.

Keisha watched him go, her mind swirling with conflicting emotions. She couldn’t deny the connection they had today, but at the same time, she knew that nothing had really changed. They were still rivals, still on opposite sides of the battlefield.

But deep down, a part of her couldn’t help but wonder—what if?

---

**Later that evening, Renz received a call from Jarren.**

_"So, how did it go?"_ Renz asked, knowing full well that the work crisis had been resolved. But that wasn’t what he was asking about.

_"It went... better than expected,"_ Jarren admitted, though his tone was hesitant.

_"I’m guessing that means you didn’t fight with her the whole time?"_ Renz teased, already knowing the answer.

_"We didn’t fight,"_ Jarren said slowly. _"But it was... weird. For a second, it felt like we were on the same team."_

_"And how did that feel?"_ Renz asked, genuinely curious.

Jarren was silent for a moment, and Renz could practically hear him thinking on the other end of the line.

_"It felt... good,"_ Jarren finally said, sounding almost surprised by his own admission.

Renz smiled to himself. _"Told you, bro. Sometimes, all it takes is to stop trying to win."_

---

That night, as Jarren lay in bed, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between him and Keisha. They still had their unresolved issues, still had a lot of tension between them. But today, for the first time, it felt like maybe—just maybe—they could be something more than just rivals.

But even as that thought crossed his mind, he quickly pushed it away. He couldn’t afford to get distracted, not now. There was too much at stake—both in his career and in his personal life.

And yet, despite his best efforts to forget, the memory of Keisha’s smile, the sound of her voice, and the way she had looked at him today lingered in his mind long after he closed his eyes.