Chapter 3

Bandang alas-singko ng hapon, isa-isang nagsipagtayuan ang mga empleyado matapos makatanggap ng internal email mula kay Sir David:

"All staff are requested to proceed to the 18th floor conference room for a special announcement. Please be punctual. Thank you."

Lynell stared at the email, heart thudding louder than usual. Hindi niya alam kung bakit gano’n na lang ang kaba niya. In theory, normal lang dapat ito — bagong CEO, bagong direction. But something in her gut twisted uncomfortably.

“Mars, tara na,” tawag ni Chinky, already clutching her notepad and pen, kahit pa wala namang required na notes. “First impression is everything, ‘di ba?”

Lynell forced a smile and nodded. “Sige, let’s go.”

Pagdating sa 18th floor conference room, halata agad ang effort ng admin team — may bagong flowers sa side table, nakalatag ang branded bottled water at personalized name tags sa lamesa, at may projector na naka-on na sa harap, showing only the company logo in dark blue against a white background.

Lynell sat beside Chinky sa pangalawang row. She scanned the room — halos lahat ng department heads and senior staff ay nandoon na. Tahimik ang paligid pero may tensyon sa ere, parang lahat naghihintay ng fireworks.

A few minutes later, dumating si Sir David, ang VP for Operations. Nakasuot ito ng charcoal gray suit at may bitbit na tablet. Lumapit siya sa podium at tumikhim.

“Good afternoon, everyone,” panimula niya, ang boses kalmado pero may excitement. “Thank you for coming on short notice. We appreciate your flexibility.”

Lynell felt Chinky subtly nudge her, as if saying, eto na ‘yun.

“We’re gathered here today to officially welcome a new chapter in our company. As you all know, our previous CEO, Mr. Antonio Ruiz, has officially stepped down after more than a decade of service. His leadership has been instrumental in where we are today.”

May konting palakpakan. Lynell clapped politely, though her mind was already racing toward the next part.

“And now,” Sir David continued, “I have the honor of introducing the man who will lead us forward. A strategic thinker, a visionary, and someone who knows this company inside out — please welcome our new Chief Executive Officer…”

This is it. This is it. Lynell’s breath caught.

“…Mr. Shaun Hernandez.”

Everything stopped.

The polite applause around her blurred into the background noise. Lynell’s heart skipped, then thudded heavily in her chest like an echo from a past she thought she’d already buried.

No. It can’t be…

Then, the door to the side opened.

And there he was.

Shaun.

Still tall, still composed, but somehow different. Mas mature na ang features niya — sharper jawline, slight stubble, and wearing a perfectly tailored navy suit that made him look every bit the powerful executive he had become. His posture screamed confidence, but his eyes — those familiar dark eyes — were calm, almost unreadable.

He walked to the front with steady steps, acknowledging the claps with a polite nod.

“Good afternoon,” he said, his voice deeper than Lynell remembered — smooth, commanding. “Thank you for the warm welcome. I’m truly honored to be back.”

Back? Lynell nearly flinched.

“You might not know this,” Shaun continued, “but I actually started my early years with this company as a junior analyst. I owe a lot of my growth to the foundation I built here. And now, I’ve returned, not just to lead, but to rebuild — stronger, leaner, and more innovative than ever.”

Lynell barely heard the rest. Her mind was spinning, her fingers numb against the table.

Shaun.

The man who once held her heart — and shattered it.

The man she avoided for years, convinced she’d never have to face again.

The man who was now her boss.

Chinky leaned toward her and whispered, “Uy… hot naman pala si CEO! Parang artista!”

Pero hindi na sumagot si Lynell.

She kept her eyes on the man at the front, who at that exact moment… looked right at her.

Just for a second.

Their gazes locked — and though his face remained unreadable, Lynell’s stomach dropped.

Because in that one fleeting second, she knew:

He recognized her.

And suddenly, everything made sense — the restlessness, the unease, the instinct screaming at her since morning.

She wasn’t ready.

Not for this.

Not for him.

“Hoy.”

Isang mahinang tapik sa braso ang pumukaw kay Lynell mula sa pagkakatulala.

Napapitlag siya, agad na bumaling kay Chinky na may kunot-noong nakatingin sa kanya.

“Anong nangyari sa’yo? Parang kang nawalan ng kaluluwa bigla,” bulong nito, may halong biro.

Lynell blinked, trying to steady her breath. “Ha? Wala… sorry, napaisip lang ako.”

“Grabe ka, girl. Ang intense ng tingin mo sa bagong CEO. Akala ko nga bigla mong na-in love sa first sight,” natatawang sabi ni Chinky, sabay kibit-balikat. “Can’t blame you though — pogi talaga. Tsaka may dating. ‘Yung tipong mayaman na cold pero secretly may soft heart.”

Lynell forced a small laugh, pilit na tinatago ang nanlalamig niyang mga palad. “Ikaw talaga… masyado kang mahilig sa K-drama.”

There was something in that gaze.

Not just recognition — but memory. A weight of things left unsaid. Unfinished.

Unforgotten.

Pagkatapos ng announcement, unti-unti nang nagsialisan ang mga empleyado. May ilan pang lumapit kay Shaun para bumati, nagpakilala, o nakipagkamay. Lynell, on the other hand, stayed in her seat, hoping she could blend into the background.

“Let’s go?” yaya ni Chinky habang tumatayo.

“Sige, sunod ako. May kukunin lang ako sa bag,” palusot niya.

“Okay. Pero bilisan mo ha — baka maabutan pa tayo ng trapik.” At lumakad na si Chinky palabas, naglalakad paatras habang kumakaway. “Basta girl, manifesting: pogi, single, at mabait ang bagong CEO!”

Lynell let out a breath the moment she was alone.

She slowly stood, clutching her notebook tightly, at handang tumakas palabas ng conference room nang—

“Long time no see.”

The voice behind her made her freeze.

Low. Calm. Familiar.

Too familiar.

She turned slowly.

And there he was.

Shaun. Standing just a few steps behind her, arms casually crossed, but his eyes—sharp, unreadable—locked directly on hers.

Lynell’s throat went dry.

“Hi,” was all she could manage, barely above a whisper.

Shaun offered a small smile. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

She swallowed hard. “Neither did I.”

There was a beat of silence. Heavy. Electric.

Then Shaun took a slow step forward.

“Well,” he said, eyes still on her. “Looks like fate has a funny way of working.”

Lynell tightened her grip on her notebook.

She didn’t know what scared her more — the past catching up to her…

…or the possibility that it never really left.

Shaun studied her for a moment — not with the cold detachment of a CEO to an employee, but with something quieter. Softer.

Then, with a breath that sounded almost reluctant, he said, “I owe you an apology.”

Lynell’s brows drew together. She wasn’t sure she heard him right. “What?”

“For before,” he said, voice lower now. “For the way things ended between us.”

Lynell blinked. Her heart pounded, and the knot she’d carried for years twisted tighter.

“That was a long time ago,” she said, trying to keep her voice neutral.

Shaun gave a faint smile, almost sad. “Doesn’t make it right.”

She hated how her chest tightened at that. How a part of her wanted to let the apology in, while the other part wanted to build walls even higher.

“You disappeared,” she said, surprising even herself with the sudden steel in her voice. “No explanations. No goodbye. You just… left.”

Shaun looked down for a second, then met her eyes again. “I know. And I regret it every day.”

Silence stretched between them like a fragile thread.

“I was young. Immature. I thought I was doing the right thing by walking away… by not dragging you into the mess I was about to face.”

“You didn’t give me the chance to decide if I wanted to be dragged in,” she said quietly.

Shaun nodded, clearly absorbing her words. “You’re right.”

Another pause. Then:

“I’m not here to rewrite the past, Lynell,” he said gently. “I just… didn’t want to pretend we didn’t know each other. Not after everything.”

Lynell’s gaze flickered away, her grip still tight on the notebook in her hand. This is too much. Too soon.

“I appreciate the apology,” she said eventually, her tone clipped. “But I’m not sure what you want me to say.”

Shaun hesitated before answering. “Nothing. I just wanted to acknowledge it. To acknowledge you.”

Lynell bit the inside of her cheek, steadying herself.

Then, before things could get any heavier, she straightened her spine and shifted back into work mode. “Well, welcome back to the company, Mr. Hernandez. I hope your transition goes smoothly.”

A flicker of something crossed Shaun’s face — disappointment? Acceptance? She couldn’t tell.

But he nodded. “Thank you… Miss Gibbs.”

And just like that, the wall was up again.

She turned to leave without looking back.

And he let her.

Pagkasara ng pinto ng conference room, Lynell walked briskly toward the elevator — hindi na lumingon, hindi na nagdalawang-isip. Parang may hinahabol siya kahit wala naman. Ang bigat ng dibdib niya, parang may nakadagan.

Pagdating niya sa elevator, she slammed the “down” button with more force than necessary.

Ding.

Agad siyang pumasok, siniguradong siya lang ang laman bago humarap sa salamin sa loob. The doors slid shut quietly.

Then, the moment she was alone, she let out a shaky breath.

“Put—” she whispered, pressing her palm against her forehead. “Anong nangyari?”

She closed her eyes, leaning back against the wall, breathing deep.

He said sorry.

He looked at me like… like he still knew me.

Like nothing changed.

Pero ang totoo, everything changed.

Lynell felt her chest tighten. Pilit niyang pinipigilan ang luha na namumuo sa mga mata niya. Not here. Not now.

She opened her eyes and looked at her reflection.

“Pull yourself together,” she muttered. “Hindi na ikaw ‘yung dating Lynell. Hindi na.”

Ding. Bumukas ang elevator sa ground floor. Lynell quickly wiped the corners of her eyes, composed her face, and stepped out.

As she made her way through the lobby, she fished her phone from her bag.

One unread message from Martin:

"Sabihin mo lang kung gusto mong sunduin kita. Miss you."

Her fingers hovered above the keyboard. She wanted to reply with a simple yes, or please pick me up, or even just okay.

But her thumb froze.

Hindi niya alam kung anong sasabihin.

Hindi dahil hindi niya mahal si Martin. Mahal niya. Totoo ‘yon. Pero ngayon, ang puso niya ay hindi mapakali — and she hated it.

Sa labas ng building, huminga siya nang malalim habang inaantay ang Grab. The city noise buzzed around her, pero para kay Lynell, everything felt muffled. Lahat naging background noise sa bigat ng isipan niya.

Sa isip niya, nagre-replay pa rin ang boses ni Shaun.

“I owe you an apology.”

“I regret it every day.”

“I just wanted to acknowledge you.”

She clenched her jaw.

Acknowledged?

After all these years? After everything?

Her ride arrived. Lynell got in, finally replying to Martin:

"Yes, please. Can we just go somewhere quiet? Kailangan ko lang magpahinga."

At habang papalayo ang sasakyan mula sa gusali, Lynell kept her gaze on the rearview mirror.

"Seriously? My ex-boyfriend is now my boss."

Napapikit siya, pinipigilang mapailing.