Aira Jane's Point of View"Wait! Stop right there!" I tapped Miguel who was driving.I opened the door and quickly got out. "Hi, can I buy 6 pieces?""Do you want them wrapped in plastic or are you going to eat them here?" the vendor asked me. I nodded in response. I was surprised when Raven nudged me. "So particular with your 'can I buy,' huh?" Raven teased. I just rolled my eyes at him and took out the money."Lumpiang gulay is your favorite?" Miguel asked when I got back into the car. "Yes, you know your mom's version of lumpiang gulay tastes better," I proudly replied."Do you want some?" I offered to Raven. He accepted it."You're rich and yet you're giving away just lumpiang gulay for free," Raven teased. I immediately snatched back what he was holding. He immediately moved away."You're complaining, but you're going to eat it anyway. How about you?" I also offered it to Miguel. "I can't eat, I'm driving!" he replied."Oh well, bite!" I brought the lumpiang gulay I had bitten to
I just shrugged and watched him. "Oh yeaaaaaah! Got it! One monkey, yeheeeey. So where's my kiss, baby?" he teased me with a pout. I gave him a quick peck, nothing serious for public display. His exaggerated reaction made it seem like it was our first kiss."Hey! That's enough of your antics. You shouldn't have taken that if it wasn't for me," I pretended to be upset.He looked at it and was disappointed with what he got. "Hahaha, your mood changes so quickly. Let's go over there. Our tokens are running out because of that rigged machine," I pulled him towards the basketball machines."Stay here. You go there," I instructed him. He furrowed his brow. "Oh? Why again?" I asked him."I want us to be together there," I pulled him again and inserted two tokens. The balls came out, so I quickly shot, and so did he until we ran out and ended up playfully competing for balls with Miguel."Isn't this fun?" he asked me as we ate turon he bought from the mall. Turon with jackfruit."This is alwa
I woke up early feeling refreshed from a good night's sleep. After my morning rituals, I went downstairs to eat and head to the office."Good morning," I almost stumbled when I heard Miguel's voice. He frowned as he approached me. "What are you doing up so early?" he greeted me, and I welcomed him."I wanted to have breakfast here," he held my hand and led me into the dining area. "Wow, you look so cheerful. What's going on?" I asked him."Nothing. They say the food here is delicious today," he pulled out a chair and helped me sit down."Who told you that?" I teased."Guess who!" Before he could answer, Ken walked in, heading towards the dining area."What are you doing here?" They exchanged gestures that showed they were really close."Don't pretend. Sit down and eat. You two are always close, so I bet you suggested he have breakfast here," I looked sharply at Ken."Hehehe, of course, it's always just us eating here, almost every time. Even Kuya Jan and Shane don't join us. I wonder
"Let's have lunch? What time is your break?" I read from Miguel's text.I didn't reply because I hadn't opened his message. I just read it from my locked phone. There were many Finance budget and everyday sales items I needed to check. I'm auditing them because I've been away for a while. I do have trust issues and I don't easily trust Raven's audits. Don't get me wrong. Raven is smart, I just have my own quirks. Hahaha."You have a pick-up!" Raven pouted towards the person waiting at the door."Lunch? Looks like you're busy. I brought lunch here instead." He lifted the paper bag he was carrying."Come in. Kind of busy though. Unlike you, it seems. If your work isn't up to par, I'll definitely tell Ate May to scold you and not give you special treatment." We walked into the small pantry inside the office."Veen! Come join us for lunch," I invited Raven. It was just the two of us in this room, while outside were our HR and developers."Looks delicious. Do you do this every day?" Miguel
"Go ahead, you guys go first. I'll be fine. I just need to finish this and I'll go home too. Don't worry about me," Raven assured me.Miguel had been waiting outside the office for a while now, and I couldn't leave because I was worried about Raven. I know she's a strong woman, and I know this isn't the first time she's been heartbroken."Are you sure? Miguel and I can take you wherever we're going," I insisted for the fifth time.He stood up, walked over, and leaned on my shoulder. "I don't want to be a third wheel. I know you're worried about me, but I really am okay. You don't need to worry. Besides, I already have a plan—I'm going to attend the wedding to get closure. For me to move on. Come with me!" He faced me, raising his eyebrows.I sniffed and pretended to think. "I'll talk to Miguel. If he agrees, that would be our first trip together as a couple."He let go of my arm and sat down again. "Don't accompany me. You'll just make me a third wheel." He frowned while saying those
"Ms. Aira, someone wants to talk to you," one of our employees knocked on our door.It was just me in the office with Raven. She didn't come in, but I messaged her to rest, and I'll handle things here for now."Ah, who is it?" I asked without looking up."It's me!" I was startled by the familiar voice, so I quickly looked up. It was the man behind everything. The man greedy and hungry for power. I felt nervous but immediately fought it off. I didn't want him to see that I was still afraid of him, after almost a year."Leave us, Mau. Please lock the door. Thank you." He left immediately and as I told him, he locked the door."What's the reason for this visit?" I asked without respect. Since the day he threatened me, I've lost all respect and regard for him, even though he's Miguel's father.Mr. Martin Santiago was now standing in front of me."I heard you and my son are back together. Aren't you ashamed? What if he impregnates you again and leaves?" I could see he was just trying to pr
"Have you taken your leave yet?" I asked Miguel."Not yet. I need approval from your sister, and it looks like it might be difficult because Ken filed his leave at the same time," he replied, taking my hand and looking at me. "If I'm not allowed, I'll bring Mama along. You know I need your sister's trust.""I'm just sad; I thought this would be our first trip together. Even though they're with us," I referred to Raven and Ken. "Well, this wouldn't be our first flight together, because—oh, never mind. I just imagined you sitting next to me on the plane. Sleeping on your shoulder and listening to music together with one headset. Simple, right? But sweet." I looked into the distance, lost in thought."Let's just hope your sister approves. How many days are we going for?""It depends on Raven. If she needs to come back soon, we need to accompany her. I hope you understand that. Raven is important to me. I'm ready to support her through whatever she's going through because she's my friend,
"Ah, is that so? I'll ask Mom and Dad for permission first. If they agree, I'll come, but if not, there's nothing I can do. Hopefully, you'll understand. Thank you very much for the invitation," I politely responded to my mother."Yes, of course. I understand. I just wanted to formally introduce my children to each other. I'm sorry if I'm asking this of you," she held my hand and looked into my eyes.I saw sincerity in her eyes, and I had no right to judge her. She just wanted her children to get to know each other well. "Thank you for coming here. It means a lot that you've forgiven me. I'm sorry for everything, my child. I know it's late, but let me make it up to you. Whatever you need, I'm here to help," I simply nodded in response.She returned from DUBAI. She told me how she applied as a domestic helper until she met a Filipino businessman who is now her husband and the father of her children. She also shared how scared she was when she left me; she never expected me to be this u
**Miguel’s Point of View**I don't know if I should be happy that Aira agreed to marry me, even though we won't be getting married this year. Her parents want a grand wedding since it’s also a celebration of the merging of two major companies, the Villanueva Group of Companies and Santiago Enterprises. What can I do if that’s what they want? They also don’t want any negative comments about our wedding because of Abby’s post about our supposed wedding. That would get more attention than our actual wedding.“Don’t be sad! We’ll still get married, not now but I’m sure I’ll marry you and no one else,” Aira cheered me up.I smiled at her. “Just promise me you'll marry me and no one else, okay?” I reassured her.She raised her hand with the ring. “This is not just a simple ring. This is a promise ring. This symbolizes our promised wedding.” She kissed me, probably to stop me from worrying.Aira and I are currently at a resort in Palawan. We have the island to ourselves, so we have plenty of
**Miguel's Point of View**Aira and I were lying on my bed. She was resting her head on my arm as I gently stroked her hair. I never imagined I would feel this way again. I never thought we would reach this point in our lives again, where we could be together without worrying about other problems.Some people might say our relationship is too typical. Coming from feuding families, both products of broken homes, and both children born out of wedlock, but none of that became a hindrance. Instead, it allowed us to understand each other better."How many children do you want?" Aira asked me while looking at me.I smiled at her and thought for a moment. "I want more than four, I think. I want them to have many siblings so they won't feel lonely and will have playmates. I want them to be each other's best friends," I answered happily.She frowned, making me raise an eyebrow. "I already told you that I don't want to have many children. Besides not being sure if my womb can handle it, I don't
**Miguel's Point of View**I was happy to go home after bringing Abby to a facility. I took her child to her mom. I didn't tell Aira what was happening because I wanted to surprise her.Auntie was shocked when I arrived with Abby's child. They thought I had taken the child without permission, so they immediately went to check on her. Auntie was very thankful because, finally, her daughter came to her senses. She chose to get better and free herself and others.Even though it was a bit difficult, I was always thankful that it was finally over. Now, all I need to focus on is my dad's company. I don't know what's going on within his family. The only thing Cheska told me was the frequent fighting between Daddy and his wife, and even she doesn't know the reason.Dad prepared everything before he surrendered to the police. He also arranged to transfer his shares to my name. Cheska was also left with some shares. Dad's buildings, farms, and small businesses were divided among us. Dad left ma
**Miguel Ice's Point of View**"Finish that later, eat first," Abby said as she entered my office at her house.I didn't want to, but for my mother's peace of mind, I did what she wanted. Mama has a soft heart, especially for children who beg."I'm not hungry." Since I started living here, I couldn't even look at her. She could touch me, but I wanted to push her away, yet I couldn't because of pity.She's fine at home, attentive, and caring for her child. I used to enjoy playing with her child, who she introduced to me as "Tito-Daddy." Playing with the child made me happy, but when I married her because of her threats, their affection for me disappeared. Let's just say the child shouldn't be involved, but he's a significant reason why Mama pleaded with me."How long will you be like this? I'm your wife, but you treat me like a mere pawn!" She started arguing again.She's often like this, but I ignored her. I let her say whatever she wanted."You won't talk to me again, and then what?
**Aira Jane’s Point of View**After what happened between Miguel and me, we haven't seen each other again. I left that night while he was asleep and didn't say goodbye to Mama."What if your half-sister finds out? It'll just cause more trouble, Aira!" Raven told me. I had a headache when I arrived at work; it's tough pretending everything is okay."How would she know if no one tells her? Miguel probably won't say anything either," I replied, resting my head on the table."Oh, come on! You never learn! If you're not going to fight for Miguel, then stop giving in to your feelings. Honestly, you're being unfair.""Why me? Why am I the one being unfair? Isn't it him?" I asked her, surprised."Tsk." Raven rolled her eyes, leaving me confused about what she meant."Imagine, you just accept their explanations without expressing how you feel inside! Do you think that's right? Do you think that's not unfair to Miguel? He's fighting and doing what he can to solve the problems. While you, you ju
**Aira Jane’s Point of View**I didn't go back to the mansion. They wouldn't look for me anyway. I'll sleep here at Mama's house. She doesn't have anyone with her, and besides, we were both tired from shopping and wandering around the mall. It was already 11 PM when we got home."Sigh, this is my third day in this room, the second time I'll sleep here," I whispered to myself as I flopped onto the soft bed."Aira, dear?" Mama knocked on the door of the room. I got up, but Mama had already entered the room. "I just want to know if you're going to eat. If you are, I'll cook something for you. What do you want? Miguel is coming home, and I cooked some soup since he called drunk." I quickly sat up."Ma, can I go home?" I asked Mama."Why? Are you avoiding Miguel?" Mama's question left me speechless. I didn't know, but I couldn't be with Miguel when someone else was watching. I felt like Miguel and I were using them to deceive Abby, which I didn't want. I didn't want to use others just to b
Aira Jane’s Point of View“What time is it?” I heard Miguel ask.“It’s afternoon, almost five. How did you sleep? Are you hungry?” I asked with concern.I dozed off while watching him, but the heat made it hard to sleep again. Miguel, on the other hand, was deeply asleep; he looked exhausted. “I’m sorry if I disturbed you,” he said, asking for my forgiveness.“It’s nothing, just make sure this doesn’t happen again.” I stood up from the tent, but he stopped me. “Sit down first; let’s talk.” I looked at him and started to sit back down.“Can you go home and stay with Mom?” He surprised me with that question.“Why? Did something happen to Mom?” I asked worriedly.“Nothing happened; I’m just worried she’s alone there. I’m always at work, and when I come home, it’s usually to Abby's house. You know her, right? She always exhausts herself.”“Sounds like you.” I whispered, raising an eyebrow at him. “Alright, I’ll try to bring her to the condo. I’ll do my best.” I replied simply.“Thank you
**Aira Jane’s Point of View**“It looks like you’re in a good mood today. Have you and Miguel reconciled?” Meriam asked me with enthusiasm.I continued walking towards the dining area, ignoring her because I didn’t want any commotion to disturb my beautiful morning. I woke up feeling light, as if all my worries had vanished. I wasn’t sure if it was because I realized Miguel truly loves me and I’m still his safe haven, or if it was because I had spent almost the entire night with him.“Did you know you’re trending again? Ever since you started dating Miguel, you’ve never left social media. You’re always the topic of conversation.” She followed me while saying all this. I turned to her and replied, “You know, Meriam, after all this time we’ve been living, aren’t you used to being talked about by others? Their opinions don’t matter to me, unlike yours.” I said it sharply without even looking at her.“Really? What if the topic now is your boyfriend marrying his fling? Doesn’t that matter
**Aira’s Point of View**Three weeks later,"What did you say?" I asked Ken again. He had shared some news that I could hardly believe."Yes. My brother-in-law left the company to help his sister Cheska run their own business because their father surrendered to the police. I don't know the other reasons, but one thing is certain: my brother-in-law has left us," Ken said sadly."I can't do anything about that. If he wants to go, then let him be. It might even be good for him; he knows a lot about our company that he could use for theirs or to undermine us.""That's not how my brother-in-law is, ate. You know that!" I shrugged and walked out of the mansion.He has no gratitude. After being fully accepted by Dad, he just leaves for the person who caused our problems before. I might be trying to forget what happened, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven him. They say you can’t truly forget until you learn to forgive."Here you are again," Raven commented when she saw me in the bar."As far