-=Atilla's Point of View=-"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm okay? I had a few drinks and decided to go to a nearby hotel to be safe," I made an excuse to Nicole.As I planned before going home, I already thought of an alibi so she wouldn't worry. I knew it wasn't her fault that she couldn't answer my calls, and I'm sure she didn't mean to bail out on our meeting.That's just how Nicole is, the jetlag really hit her hard, making her fall into a deep sleep last night."Are you sure? Maybe you're not telling the truth because you don't want me to feel guilty. I promise, I'll accept it," she kept insisting."I told you already, Nicole. I had a few drinks and felt dizzy, so I decided to sleep at a nearby hotel. That's all," I exclaimed, feeling exasperated since she still looked skeptical."Ahh, okay. So how was your 'me time' yesterday?" She asked me, smiling and going back to her bubbly attitude.I finally breathed a sigh of relief, as I'm really bad at lying. "It was fun.
-=Atilla's Point of View=-"Are you sure we're ready, Atilla?" I heard Nicole's question from behind me as I checked myself in the mirror, making sure I looked presentable.We spent almost two weeks preparing and planning for our supposed application to Henry's company, which is based in Australia. Henry taught us everything we needed to know to pass the interview and get hired, so we could find out who was embezzling money from my brother's company.I thought this only happened in the government, but it seems that there are still people like that in the business world."Am I ready?" That was also my question to myself on the day of the interview.Nicole and I planned to apply for jobs at the company to make it simpler for us to figure out who was responsible for the embezzlement at my brother's company.I had to take Henry at his word when he said we were ready, and we don't have to worry about getting caught, and whoever that person is, he will pay the price for messing with my brot
-=Atilla's Point of View=-"Ok, so we'll start on Monday. Any tips or suggestions that could help us find whoever is embezzling from the company?" I asked Henry over the phone, trying to gather any information that could be helpful."Hmmm... there are three possible people who could be the root of the company's losses," he began, which really caught my attention."First is the head of finance, Robert Downey..." but before he could finish, he was rudely interrupted by my friend Nicole, who was also listening since I had her on speakerphone."No way!" Nicole screamed, and I felt my eardrums almost shatter from the loudness of her voice."Hi Nicole, and no, he's not Ironman; he just has the same name," he replied, and I could see the disappointment on her face.If I wasn't nervous, I would have laughed at my best friend's reaction; she seemed disheartened, and why would a famous celebrity like Robert Downey Jr. work as an employee in my brother's company?"Ok, the next suspects are Leona
-=Atilla's Point of View=-I decided not to go to work the following day, because, honestly, my mind is in a whirlwind about what I learned about Ang.I still can't believe that the person who helped me could do something so shady just to earn money."Are you sure you're not going to work yet? Ang will surely wonder if you don't show up," Nicole asked, already dressed for work while I remained in bed, still keeping her in the dark about what I learned about Ang. I didn't want to ruin his image in my best friend's eyes."I'm quite sure, Nicole. Sorry, I don't think I can face Ang in this situation. Please tell him that I'm not home because of an emergency if he asks," I pleaded, and after that, she bid me goodbye.I was left alone in my unit, unable to understand the reality that someone like Ang would accept a bribe for a large project from a firm, despite the fact that it would not benefit the company due to the second-rate materials supplied by Raymundo Mendez's company."Why Ang, o
-=Ram's Point of View=-"So, you're back already?" I heard someone speak from behind me as soon as I arrived from my trip to the US and went straight to the minibar at my dad's house."Hello to you too, Miranda," I replied, even though I hadn't faced her yet and knew her voice very well.I heard her let out a deep sigh and felt her sit down in the chair beside me on my left.She asked me gently, "How long will you look for Atilla, Ram? It's been two years, and I'm sure she's already moved on. I think it's time for you to move on," and I gave her a bitter smile.I never thought that the woman I loved would be gone from my life for two years, and I could only blame myself and my stupid pride for making her leave me."I'm worried about you, and your dad is worried about you," her voice was full of concern as she said those words."There's nothing to worry about, Miranda, because I'm fulfilling all my duties. Within these two years, I've already paid off the company's debt to Henry," I ex
-=Atilla's Point of View=-Yes, I know that, but we already made our decision... are you saying that I'm a liar? Excuse me, but we just weighed our options, and it's just too bad that we found a better deal, so if you'll excuse me, I have a lot more things that I need to do. Good day to you."I didn't wait for him to respond and ended the call. I had a lot of things to do that day and no time to listen to someone complain."Sour loser much?" I heard Vanessa say this as she entered my office.Ever since I started working at Henry's company, Vanessa has become one of my closest friends. After our fake mission with Nicole, my best friend had returned to the Philippines.Fortunately, I became close to Vanessa, who taught me and Nicole everything when we first joined the company."You got it right, Vanessa; I can't believe that they are taking it too personally; I mean, it's just business," I said, closing my eyes briefly to calm myself."No one can deny that you did a great job after you
-=Atilla's Point of View=-As soon as the plane landed, I quickly got into a taxi that had a passenger already waiting in front of me.I requested to be taken to the hospital where Henry was being treated. I couldn't stop worrying about Henry's situation during the journey. Ellaine's tale of what happened to her spouse was unclear, so I was even more worried because I didn't know what was waiting for me."Relax, Atilla, nothing will happen if you let fear wrap your chest," I whispered to myself, trying to calm my nerves. I tried to focus my attention on other things so that I wouldn't think about anything else.I focused my attention on the window of the taxi, noticing how much had changed since I left the Philippines. Just like the changes I saw, there had been many changes in me over the past two years."How is he doing?" I thought to myself, but quickly pushed the thought away.I shouldn't be concerned about him anymore. Although there was the possibility that I'd run into him agai
-=Ram's Point of View=-I was just silently staring at the woman I've been yearning for for years, the person I love and who I hurt so much because of my darned pride. If only I had just accepted her apology, she might not have left or disappeared from my life.My heart wants to run and hold her in my arms, never letting her go, but every time I look at her face, something stops me from doing what my heart wants.She still looks like the girl I met two years ago, but as I keep looking at her, I can tell that something has changed about her. The way she moves, the way she carries herself, it's full of confidence, unlike the old Atilla, who was shy and timid. The Atilla in front of me is very different from the young girl I love, but still, my heart pounds while looking at her."Hi Ram, long time no see," she greets me with a smile as if she's just greeting an old friend she hasn't seen in a while, instead of the person she loved so much. Aside from her appearance, her way of speaking h
-=Atilla's Point of View=-"Lord, I pray that he finds the peace he needs, and I hope he forgives me for everything," I whispered in prayer. It hurts me to lose him, but I have to let him go.How do you let go of someone who has been a big part of your life, someone who has been there for you in times of need? I can't help but cry because of the pain I feel.I just hope he finds the peace he deserves."Come on, Atilla," I heard my best friend Nicole call me. I can see that she's affected by what I'm going through, but we need to let him go.Nicole and I walked together towards the room. My feet felt heavy as we walked because, even though I've decided, it still hurts me to lose him.I took a deep breath before I opened the door to the room, and a wide smile appeared on my lips as I saw that he was awake. When he saw me, he returned the smile."Atilla..." Ram said as he kept his gaze on me. I could see the love in his eyes.Honestly, it felt like I died when he lost consciousness in my
-=Atilla's Point of View=-The family decided to take Anthony home and hire two private nurses to take care of him 24/7.Everyone is still in shock over what happened, the accident, and the possibility that Anthony may not wake up.Ang was the most affected by the events, so I couldn't leave him, especially with what he's going through. I made a decision, even though it hurts me, but Ang needs me more, and it hurts me to let Ram go.Just thinking about Ram has already made my eyes water with emotion. It feels like my heart is going to explode from the pain I feel at the thought of losing Ram, the man I love the most.It has been two days since we took Anthony out of the hospital, and I haven't received any news from Ram yet. I know I need to tell him my decision, but I don't think I can meet him in person. So, even though it's not right, I decided to call him and let him know.Hello, Atilla, how are you?" I heard him say it on the other end. He answered my call immediately, which mean
-=Atilla's Point of View=-Hours passed as Anthony remained in the operation room; no one spoke amongst us; our thoughts were focused on the patient whom the doctors were attempting to save.Perhaps the procedure lasted more than six hours before the doctor emerged, exhausted by what had happened."How's my husband?" Miranda asked the doctor as she approached him."The operation was successful, but he's not yet safe; the next forty-eight hours will be critical; he must wake up within that time or else he may end up in a coma," the doctor said. I could see the sadness on the faces of the patient's family, especially Miranda's, who appeared really concerned.Anthony was taken to the intensive care unit (ICU) following the procedure for thorough monitoring. Ang and I decided to keep an eye on him because their mom appeared to be overburdened. Despite her protests, Ang's stepfather refused to let her continue watching over her son."Everything will be okay, Ang, and you need to be strong
-=Atilla's Point of View=-It was as if I were frozen in place while looking at the pain etched on Ang's face. I never knew he would find out this way.Yes, I have already made my decision, and I will follow my heart. Even though it's hard for me, I have to be true to Ang. I hate to hurt Ang because he is very kind to me, but I don't think I can deceive him and myself anymore, although not in this way."Atilla, what does this mean?" He asked in a trembling voice. I could see the bitterness in his eyes when he found out that I was being unfaithful. It breaks my heart to see Ang like this.Ram quickly stepped in to protect me from Ang, but I immediately pushed him away because I knew that Ang wouldn't hurt me. He's such a kind person."Ang... I just want to say..." but I was interrupted by the sudden sound of his cell phone ringing. Ang didn't want to answer it, but it kept ringing, so he had no choice."Anthony... I don't have time right now... Who is this?" He asked, sounding surprise
-=Atilla's Point of View=-The following day, I woke up with a smile on my face after learning the good news about Henry's condition.My chest felt lighter now that I knew he was improving. I went immediately to the kitchen, where my breakfast was already cooked, but dining alone was extremely depressing, so I only ate a small amount. It didn't, however, dampen my spirits, especially since I knew Henry was on the mend.I didn't need to go to the office early that day because I had meetings in the afternoon, so I decided to call Samantha to let her know of my plan. However, being a workaholic, I couldn't resist opening my laptop and checking my emails. I received various documents that didn't need urgent attention, so after making sure there were no important emails, I turned off my MacBook.I turned on the TV in my room, but I couldn't find anything I wanted to watch, so I turned it off after a while.I took some time to think before deciding to take a bath. I filled the bathtub with
-=Atilla's Point of View=-Until now, I am still shocked about what I learned about Miranda and Ang. I mean, who would have thought that Miranda's husband is actually Ang's brother, Anthony? I haven't met the guy yet, even though Ang and I have been in a relationship for over a year. I felt Ang's love for his brother even though he never said it.If I'm not mistaken, Miranda has been married three or maybe four times since marrying Anthony. I'm not sure about the details because I don't like to gossip, but it's inevitable to hear about these things from other friends.Miranda's last marriage was with a wealthy Filipino businessman who died suddenly. His wealth went to Miranda, leading to rumors of foul play in his death. Miranda was blamed, but it was never proven.Ang remained quiet during our drive, and his expression was the same when he saw Miranda. I didn't want to ask questions and add fuel to his already raging fury.I still can't believe that Miranda is a gold digger. She's al
-=Atilla's Point of View=-Even though a lot was going through my mind, I had to go back to work because I promised Ellaine that I wouldn't neglect Henry's businesses, and that's what I intended to do.It had been three days since we returned to Manila, and I had not seen Ram for three days. I missed him so much. During those three days.Ang had not left my side and continued to take care of me. I feel that I don't deserve Ang because he is such a good person, and he deserves someone who loves him wholeheartedly."Are you sure you want to go to work? Your brother will understand if you need to rest for a few more days," Ang tried to convince me, and I could see the concern on his face as he looked at me.I was already dressed for work when I entered the office. I informed my temporary secretary that I was now in charge of Henry's businesses. I couldn't afford to be absent because I was sure that there were piles of papers that needed my attention and signature.He couldn't do anything
-=Atilla's Point of View=-I was greatly surprised when I saw Ang getting off one of the boats I saw earlier not far away. Actually, I just woke up to get some water when I noticed the five boats approaching the island. I thought they might be coming for us after realizing Ram and I were missing, but I didn't expect to see Ang with them, considering I knew he was still in the US."Oh my God, Atilla!" Ang exclaimed, hugging me tightly as he reached me. His embrace felt nice, but I didn't feel any special connection from it. However, I admit I missed him a lot because we haven't seen each other for so long due to recent events.Honestly, I didn't know what to say at that moment because I was still in shock that we were finally found on this island. I let myself be embraced by Ang, feeling like I could always count on him no matter the situation, but I was surprised when he released me after a while."You must be Ram," I was surprised to hear Ang say that, and when I turned around, I saw
-=Ram''s Point of View=-"Please don't do this, Ram," she begged me with pleading eyes when I didn't let her move away from me, because I wanted to hear from her once and for all that she still loved me.I tried to stand my ground, but eventually I gave in."Well, I guess I don't have any choice but to wait. I waited for almost two years, and it will not kill me to wait for a few more days, weeks, or even months, what's important is now," I said seriously, and when I noticed that she wasn't comfortable, I smiled at her.We went back to the beach to share a meal together. I had followed her earlier, when I noticed that she had been in the forest for quite some time, and to my surprise, I saw her swimming in the lagoon without wearing anything. That was when I decided to join her, and the inevitable happened between us.To be honest, when we made love for the first time ever since we arrived on this island, I didn't know how to treat her, especially since I knew she would feel guilty af