Novel-novel oleh Miss Rayi

PAIGENapatigil ako. Ang lakas ng tibok ng puso ko. It was just my name—spoken softly—but I knew exactly whose voice it was.“I was here. Kanina pa…” may halong panunumbat ang boses niya, kaya dahan-dahan akong lumingon sa kaniya.And there he was half-shadowed by the dim light spilling from the end of the corridor. He looked the same, maddeningly calm and unreadable, but his eyes burned with something sharp.“W-why?” Hindi ko napigilang tanungin. “Kung gusto mo lang pala akong makausap, hindi mo na ‘ko kailangang i-prank!” Naiinis na dagdag ko.Napaatras ako nang humakbang siya palapit sa ‘kin.“Why?” ulit niya. “And for the record, I don’t do pranks, Paige.”“Huwag kang lalapit,” banta ko sa kaniya.“Then what? Sisigaw ka?” Hindi siya nagpatinag, patuloy lang siya sa paghakbang.Napatigil ako sa pag-atras nang maramdaman kong pader na ang nasa likod ko.“I don’t like seeing you lingering with another man.” Nagsalubong ang kilay ko sa sinabi niyang ‘yon or more likely mas nainis ako.

PAIGE “Great! You look absolutely gorgeous, Paige,” Papa greeted me with a proud smile. I was wearing no less than an Alexena Chavez gown—a dark red evening dress that flowed elegantly with every step.“Thank you, ‘Pa!” nakangiting sabi ko.They originally wanted me to wear white, but I chose red—to show my boldness, to show that I’ve grown, that I’m no longer the little girl they used to protect.“Anyway, someone’s waiting for you by the grand staircase,” he said, his tone turning serious. “Is he your suitor?” His expression shifted instantly—protective, just like Kuya Trace. Honestly, they’re exactly the same in that way.“No, Pa. That’s Beckett—he’s just my escort for tonight,” I explained at napatango naman siya.“Good to hear that!” Pagtapos ay humakbang siya palapit sa ‘kin. “Happy birthday, Paige! I know you’re at the right age to start accepting suitors—just promise me you’ll introduce the guy to me first before anything else.”“Don’t worry, Pa! ‘Yan naman talaga ang gagawin

PAIGEThe mansion smelled like fresh flowers and polished wood. I walked from room to room, checking every detail—tables, chairs, floral arrangements, even the little name cards. My fingers itched to fix everything myself, pero sabi ni Louisianna, it’s supposed to be stress-free for me.“Paige, we need to finalize the catering menu,” Louisianna said, holding her tablet like it was a shield.I glanced at the list again.“Okay, we go with La Première for the appetizers and Casa Celestia for the main course. But I want the dessert tasting tomorrow. I need to try the chocolate soufflé myself.”Harriet piped up, “I’ll schedule the tasting. And the cake—Ms. Joanne already has the sketch for the final design.” Then pinakita niya rin sa ‘kin ang phone niya kung saan nando&rsq

DAMIRA“Hey, have you heard the news?” Tanong sa ‘kin ni Kate. Nandito kami ngayon sa condo niya, having girl’s night out.“What news is that?” tanong naman ni Guia. “‘Yong about sa engagement ni Damira at Jeru? Eh, hindi ba tayo nga ang naglabas no’n in public.”“No! Not that one, syempre hindi ‘yon ang tinutukoy ko.” Naiiling na sabi naman ni Kate kaya napatingin kaming lahat sa kaniya. “Jeru will finally speak about the engagement issue. At ang daming naghihintay ng side niya regarding sa issue.”“Wait. Which channel?” excited na tanong ni Mau at mabilis niyang kinuha ang remote ng TV “Saka saan mo ba ‘yan nalaman?”“Kay Jacob, syempre nasa news industry siya tapos sa kaniya pa galing yung scoop about sa engagement, so nakabantay talaga sila sa bawat galaw ni Jeru. Then finally nga, sabi ay magsasalita na nga raw siya.”“So, saang channel nga?” tanong ulit ni Mau.“Walang channel, sa L.A. kasi siya nagpa-interview hindi naman dito sa atin kaya link lang ang binigay sa ‘kin.”“Wait,

JERU“Are you kidding me?” buntong-hininga ko habang hawak-hawak ‘yong phone ko. Walang tigil ang patunog ng phone ko dahil sa notification — reporters, managers, sponsors. Lahat nagtatanong. Lahat naghahanap ng sagot tungkol sa kumalat na engagement namin ni Damira.Napipikon ako. Tāngina. Hindi ko talaga alam na ‘yong paglapit ko ulit sa mga Esquivel ay magbibigay pa ng mas malaking problema sa ‘kin.If I have to burn everything to get what I want, I will. But not without taking down whoever started this.Kaya sisiguraduhing kong tatapusin ko kung ano man ang sinimulan nila.Binaba ko ‘yong cellphone ko sa lamesa, nagsasawa na ko sa walang tigil na tunog at vibrate no’n.Napatingin ako sa malaking salamin sa harap ko, pero parang hindi ko na kilala ‘yong taong nando’n. Nakasuot ako ng dark red suit na pinili ng stylist ng PR team—pero kahit anong ayos nila, hindi no’n natatakpan ‘yong pagod sa mata ko.Halos wala pa akong tulong mula nang bumalik kami dito sa L.A. Dahil paglapag nami

DAMIRA“WHAT happened, Damira?” Naguguluhang tanong ni Dad. “Bakit ang lumabas sa news ay engage na kayo ni Mr. McBride? Saan naman kaya galing ang balita na ‘yon?”“I’m not sure, Dad,” pagsisinungaling ko. “Alam mo naman na hindi ko gusto ‘yong idea nang pagpapakasal naming dalawa. Malamang ang Jeru na ‘yon ang may kagagawan nang lahat. Since siya naman ‘tong nasa showbiz industry.”“No, imposible na siya ang gumawa niyan. Mahigpit na bilin sa amin nang assistant niya na huwag munang sasabihin kahit kanino ang tungkol sa deal na ‘yon hangga’t hindi tuluyang pumapayag si Mr. McBride, dahil hindi pwedeng may ibang taong makaalam,” nag-aalalang sabi naman niya. “Ang inaalala ko baka lalo lang siyang hindi magpakasal sa ‘yo nang dahil sa news na ‘yan.”“Don’t worry, Dad. I’m sure na pakakasalan ako ni Jeru McBride kahit na anong mangyari. Lalo ngayon kalat na kalat na ang tungkol sa relasyon naming dalawa,” sabi ko naman then I look to my phone.Kanina ko pa nga hinihintay ang tawag ni J

DRAKE’S POV"I think this is the right time to discuss the month-end profit," Uncle James said, his voice calm but commanding, as he addressed the conference room filled with the heads of every department. I remained in the corner, quiet, listening, trying not to let my mind drift too far from the numbers and projections being displayed on the screen. Almost every department head was present—it had become a tradition for the Ashford Group to have a month-end meeting for updates, reports, and discussions about areas that required attention."Yeah, James is right," Dad added, his voice carrying the authority of someone who had built an empire from nothing. "Well, since everyone is here, I think it’s time to report on the figures." With that, the head of the accounting department stood and cleared his throat."Drake, you should pay attention to this," Dad said, turning to me and giving a s

KEIRA’S POVTHE NEXT morning, even though my body feels heavy and my head throbs faintly from yesterday’s rain and exhaustion, I force myself out of bed. I can’t afford to miss work. Not when I know Sabina is just waiting for me to slip. I take a long breath, straighten my shoulders, and walk toward the office with my damp hair tied into a low ponytail.The moment I step inside, something feels off.Everyone is looking at me.Not subtly — not with curiosity — but openly, directly, with the kind of stares that make the air feel thick and heavy. I slow down, confused, glancing at each set of eyes. Whispering starts almost immediately, but it’s Drei’s glare that cuts the deepest. His expression is dark, almost furious, and I don’t even understand why.“What… what did I do?” I ask, confused.&n

SABINA’S POV“What did you say?” I asked Drei, my voice sharp with disbelief. Even though we were only talking on the phone, I felt my heartbeat accelerate. The words felt like a shockwave running through me.“You really want me to repeat it?” he replied sarcastically, his tone dripping with amusement. “Drake is here. And he’s with Keira.”I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to calm the surge of frustration that threatened to boil over. “They still haven’t stopped!” I exclaimed, my voice rising. “You have to—trigger him!”“Trigger him? Are you serious, Sabina? You want me to provoke Drake?” Drei’s tone was incredulous.“Yes! Annoy him using Keira. You know his patience is short when it comes to her!”“Are you kidding me?

KEIRA’S POVIT WAS already past eight in the evening, and Drake still wasn't back. With nothing else to do and nowhere else to go, I decided to take a bath and soak in the jacuzzi inside the bathroom. I put on a two-piece bikini and prepared some wine. I thought I could drown my sadness this way.I didn't even feel hungry because of the loneliness eating away at me. Being alone in such a beautiful place wasn't making me happy at all. I pulled back the curtain beside the jacuzzi, and to my surprise, I could also see the beauty of Erstonia through the transparent glass behind it.I admired the view for a moment before getting into the jacuzzi and pouring myself a glass of wine. I sipped it while looking outside, with the dark sky above and colorful lights below. As I gazed at the view, I couldn't help but wonder what the people beneath those lights were doing. I was

KEIRA’S POVI WOKE up because of a gentle tap on my cheek."We're here," Drake said, and that's when I became aware of our surroundings. We were on a helipad atop a building."Is this The Peninsula Hotel?" I asked in disbelief, and he nodded as he helped me descend from the private plane. The journey to Erstonia took a little over an hour, but it felt surprisingly quick.Hotel attendants welcomed us, which surprised me."Good morning, Sir Drake," the attendants said respectfully."Please take our luggage to the hotel room," Drake instructed them. The attendants followed his orders, and after that, we entered the hotel premises while they trailed behind us."Do they know you?" I asked him incredulously."Aizer is the owner of The Peninsula Hotel across the country," he replied, which shocked me even more. I looke

KEIRA’S POVI Woke up because of the light coming from the window of our house. When I opened my eyes, Trisha was standing in front of me, trying to hold back her laughter. I wondered why she was looking at me like that.When she noticed that I was awake, she signaled me to be quiet, which made me raise an eyebrow and follow her gaze. I quickly got up because of Trisha's reaction. But even I wanted to laugh because Drake and Ethan were facing each other and tightly hugging."Take a picture, quick!" Trisha whispered, giving me an order."You do it! Here," I said as I handed her my cellphone. I also stood up slowly, realizing that it looked awkward with the two of them hugging while I was standing there.After Trisha took a picture of the two, they both woke up at the same time. They were equally surprised and wide-eyed, still not letting go of each other fro