Chapter: Chapter 7Echoes in the Dark(Andra’s POV)The newsroom felt heavier after everyone else went home. Even the hum of the servers sounded cautious, like the machines knew something was wrong.Leo was still at his desk, the blue light from his monitor reflecting off the half-empty mug beside him. I dropped the folder on the table—every printout, every copied log from the CCTV system.“Tell me you found something,” I said.He didn’t look up. “Not yet. The footage is corrupted halfway through—someone tampered with the digital feed before the blackout.”“Meaning?”“Meaning whoever broke in had admin access.”My jaw tightened. “So, it really came from inside.”He finally glanced at me, eyes shadowed by exhaustion. “We can confirm that after I clean the analog copy. Ms. Valerio said she’ll give us another hour before security sweeps the floor.”We worked in near silence. Only the soft clicking of keys and the low hum of the air conditioner filled the room. I replayed the moment in my head—the silhouet
Last Updated: 2025-10-26
Chapter: CHAPTER 6Inside the Walls(Andra’s POV) The newsroom felt colder that morning. Not because of the AC, but because of the silence—the kind that sits heavy, like everyone knew something was about to explode.The coffee machine sputtered in the background, printers hummed softly, and the faint click of keyboards echoed through The Daily Truth’s open floor. But for the first time since I joined the publication, I felt watched. Paranoid, maybe pero hindi ako ganito dati. Leo arrived minutes later, dark circles under his eyes, laptop bag slung loosely over his shoulder. “Didn’t sleep?” he asked. “Barely,” I admitted. “I kept replaying the dock recording. May narinig akong pangalan ko sa dulo.” He froze mid-step. “As in, literal— ‘Andra Enriquez, stop digging’?” I nodded. “Barely audible, pero malinaw.” Leo exhaled sharply. “Then we move fast before whoever that was realizes we still have the file.” Inside the glass-walled office, our editor, Ms. Valerio, was waiting. She was in her early fift
Last Updated: 2025-10-16
Chapter: CHAPTER 5Man Behind the Silence(Andra’s POV)The morning after the call felt heavier than any deadline hangover. Sleep was optional. Paranoia wasn’t.Ginugol ko ang kalahating gabi sa pag-replay ng boses na iyon, analyzing the static, the pauses, even the subtle hum in the background. When I finally gave up on rest, dawn had already crawled through the blinds—gray, quiet, accusing.Coffee, recorder, notebook, and phone logs. Routine became survival.Pagsapit ng 8:30 a.m., nakabalik na ako sa The Daily Truth newsroom, pretending to look composed while my insides buzzed like live wires. The glass doors slid open with their usual hiss, at ang pamilyar na amoy ng tinta, papel, at nasusunog na caffeine ay pumuno sa hangin.“Enriquez,” Leo called out from his cubicle, not looking up from his screen. “Mukhang nakipagbuno ka sa laptop mo kagabi.”“Laptop won,” I muttered, dropping my bag on the chair beside him.He finally turned, frowning. “Hindi ka natulog, di ba?”“Define sleep.”He sighed. “May n
Last Updated: 2025-10-15
Chapter: CHAPTER 4Whispers Beneath the Noise(Andra’s POV)The newsroom was quieter than usual the next morning. Walang nag-aasaran sa coffee station, walang tunog ng stapler o halakhak ng interns sa likod. Instead, the air hummed with something heavier—anticipation.My monitor glowed with the same headline draft from last night, cursor blinking after the words Montenegro Group’s Silent Expansion. Hindi pa tapos, but the weight of what we found was already pressing hard against my chest.Leo dropped a cup of black coffee on my desk before I even looked up. “You didn’t go home again, ‘no?”“Technically, I did. Three hours ago,” sagot ko, barely glancing at him. My eyes stayed on the waveform loaded on my screen—an enhanced version of the audio from the conference. “May narinig ka na ba?”He leaned in beside me, arms crossed. “We filtered out the background static and mic distortion. There’s something underneath Zayne Montenegro’s response—barely audible. Pero tao ‘yon, not ambient noise.”My pulse quicke
Last Updated: 2025-09-30
Chapter: CHAPTER 3Chapter 3Echo After Dark(Andra’s POV)The next morning, the newsroom was buzzing again—phones ringing, printers spitting out drafts, caffeine running through everyone’s veins like fuel. For most reporters, it was just another day chasing headlines. For me, it felt like walking into a minefield.I hadn’t slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard that voice again—You dig too deep, Ms. Enriquez. —followed by the metallic click from the recording.“Hey,” Lester called from his desk, lifting a cup of coffee. “You look like you wrestled with a deadline and lost.”“Something like that,” I muttered, setting my bag down.He smirked. “Montenegro piece?”I nodded. “Need to talk to Ms. Cora. Urgent.”“She’s in her office. But heads-up—she’s not in her best mood.”When was she ever?Inside the editor’s office, Ms. Cora was hunched over her monitor, scanning line edits with the sharp precision of someone who’d seen too many lies printed as truth. “Sit,” she said without looking up. “What do you
Last Updated: 2025-09-29
Chapter: CHAPTER 2Chapter 2Shadows of San Pascual(Andra’s POV)“Andra, to my office. Now.”I barely had time to set my coffee down when I heard the voice of Ms. Corazon Dela Peña, our editor-in-chief. Her tone was sharp enough to slice through the newsroom chatter.The Daily Truth newsroom was always busy—phones ringing, keyboards clacking, editors talking over each other—but today, the energy felt heavier. Everyone had seen the live coverage of the Montenegro press conference. Everyone knew what I did.My question had trended on social media overnight. Some called me brave. Others, reckless.I straightened my blazer, squared my shoulders, and walked to Ms. Cora’s glass office. Heads subtly turned as I passed, whispers trailing behind me.“Siya ‘yung nagtanong kay Montenegro, ‘di ba?”“Grabe, gutsy ng babae.”“Gutsy? Or suicidal?”The door closed behind me with a soft click.Ms. Cora didn’t waste time. “What the hell was that stunt, Andra?” she said, her hands flat on the desk. “Do you realize what ki
Last Updated: 2025-09-29
Chapter: CHAPTER 29CHAPTER TWENTY-NINEStorms CollideLucy’s POVThe words hung in my chest like a blade.“Then I’ll take my place by force.”I didn’t answer Felix. Couldn’t. My throat had closed, my thoughts a whirlpool.He left soon after, without slamming the door, without raising his voice again. But his vow lingered, filling every corner of my apartment until even the walls seemed to echo it.By the time I finally crawled into bed, my body trembled with exhaustion I couldn’t fight.Sleep brought no rest—only dreams of courtrooms, Max’s cries echoing, Felix and Elias standing on opposite sides of me, each pulling while I broke apart in the middle.The next morning, Max padded into the kitchen still in his pajamas, hair sticking up like little wings.“Mommy,” he said, rubbing his eyes, “why does Uncle Felix come here a lot?”My hand froze on the coffeepot.Max tilted his head, waiting for my answer.I crouched, forcing a smile, tucking his hair behind his ear. “Because he cares about us.”Max blinked
Last Updated: 2025-09-29
Chapter: CHAPTER 28CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHTShadows at the DoorLucy’s POVMorning sunlight bled through the curtains, but it didn’t chase away the heaviness in my chest.Felix’s words from last night echoed still, looping endlessly in my mind.“I don’t want to take him. I want to be his father. I want him to know me.”For the first time, I believed him.And that terrified me more than his anger ever did.Because if Felix Creed really meant it, then the walls I’d built for five long years weren’t just cracking—they were already rubble beneath our feet.Max bounded into the kitchen, dragging his stuffed toy by one arm. “Mommy! Pancakes?”I forced a smile, reaching for the mixing bowl. “Pancakes it is.”But before I could even crack an egg, another voice answered from behind me.“I’ll handle it.”I froze.Felix stood by the counter, sleeves rolled up, moving with a confidence that didn’t belong in my kitchen but somehow fit anyway. He pulled the pan from the rack, setting it on the stove like he’d done it a h
Last Updated: 2025-09-29
Chapter: CHAPTER 27CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVENThe Edge of SurrenderLucy’s POVThat night, the walls of my apartment seemed smaller than ever. Every creak of the pipes, every hum of the refrigerator pressed down on me like a weight.But heavier than the silence was Felix’s vow, still ringing in my ears.“Max is my son. And I will fight for him.”I lay awake, staring at the ceiling long after midnight, afraid of closing my eyes. Because in the darkness, his face returned—furious, broken, determined—and there was no running anymore.I thought I had been strong. I thought I had been clever, building this life in secret, shielding Max from the Creeds’ world.But Felix had found us.And the truth was out.A soft rustle pulled me from my spiraling thoughts.“Mommy?”I turned. Max stood by my bed, hair rumpled, clutching his stuffed toy. His lower lip trembled.“I had a bad dream.”My heart clenched. I pulled him into my arms, tucking him against my chest. His small body was warm, fragile, so achingly precious.“Wha
Last Updated: 2025-09-29
Chapter: CHAPTER 26CHAPTER TWENTY-SIXWhen the Walls BreakLucy’s POVThe hallway light flickered, buzzing faintly above us. I stood frozen at the building’s entrance, Max clutching my hand, while Felix’s shadow stretched across the tiles.He wasn’t moving. Wasn’t leaving.“I’m not going anywhere,” Felix said again, low, steady. His eyes locked on mine, relentless. “Not until you tell me the truth.”The air between us pressed heavy, suffocating.Max tilted his head up at me, confusion clouding his wide eyes. “Mommy? Who is he?”My heart squeezed.I forced a shaky smile. “A… friend, Maxie. Mommy just needs to talk with him.”Felix’s jaw clenched at the word friend, but he didn’t argue. Not in front of Max.I fumbled with my keys, every nerve screaming against this, and pushed the door open.“Come inside,” I whispered.The apartment smelled faintly of garlic and rice from last night’s dinner. The ordinary scent made the tension even sharper, like Felix’s presence didn’t belong in this fragile, hidden worl
Last Updated: 2025-09-29
Chapter: CHAPTER 25CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVEThe Weight of SilenceLucy’s POVThe moment Felix walked away from the park, my legs gave out. I sank onto the bench, trembling so hard my teeth clattered.His words echoed in me like a brand.He’s my son. I won’t let him grow up thinking I don’t exist.I had run for so long. Buried the truth under work, distance, and silence. But Felix’s eyes—raw, broken, furious—had shattered all of it in one blow.The walls I built weren’t just cracking anymore. They were collapsing.That night, I tucked Max into bed with hands that wouldn’t stop shaking.“Mommy, why are your eyes red?” he asked, his small fingers brushing my cheek.I forced a laugh, kissing his forehead. “Just tired, baby. Mommy’s fine.”He studied me with an earnest frown that looked too much like Felix’s. My throat tightened until I thought I would choke.When he finally drifted off, clutching his stuffed toy, I lingered at his side. My son. My everything.And the one secret I could no longer protect.In the
Last Updated: 2025-09-29
Chapter: CHAPTER 24CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURShadows of BetrayalFelix’s POVFor a moment, I couldn’t breathe.The park blurred around me—voices, footsteps, the hum of the city—all muffled, drowned beneath the single truth roaring in my skull.He’s mine.The boy on the swing—Max—laughing, legs pumping clumsily against the air, was my blood. My son.And Lucy—God.Lucy had kept him from me.I staggered back a step, fists trembling at my sides. Every detail I had ignored before, every flicker of familiarity, fell into place like cruel puzzle pieces.The way Max’s eyes crinkled when he smiled. The stubborn crease between his brows. Even his laugh—sharp, unpolished, but carrying an echo I recognized from old home videos of myself as a child.I had looked at that boy once and thought, he feels like mine.Now, there was no doubt.“Lucy.” My voice came out low, hoarse, dangerous even to my own ears.She flinched, guilt carved into every line of her face. “Felix—”“How old is he?” I demanded.Her lips parted, but no
Last Updated: 2025-09-29
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