Chapter 5

AFTER finishing his work at the office, Alas went home to share dinner with his father. It was the first time they would have a proper meal together since his return to the Philippines; he had been far too busy lately to visit his father at their residence.

 

“Good evening, Dad,” he greeted as he walked in, finding his father already seated at the dining table.

 

“Good evening to you too, son. Please, have a seat and let’s eat,” Eduardo replied, beaming with a wide, warm smile.

 

The table was already fully set. “Wow — you really know me well, Dad. All of these are my favorites,” Alas said with a happy grin, quickly taking a plate and helping himself generously to the dishes he loved most.

 

“Of course I do! That’s exactly why I instructed our chef to prepare every single one of them,” Eduardo said. “Now, let’s enjoy our meal first — we can talk later.”

 

“Sounds perfect, Dad.”

 

For a moment, silence settled over the room. To ease the quiet, Alas decided to speak up, his thoughts turning to the favor his father’s old friend Jonathan had asked for.

 

“Dad, when will Yna start working at the company as my secretary?” he asked. He felt a quiet excitement building inside him — it had been so long since they last saw each other.

 

Eduardo paused his eating and looked directly at his son. “I haven’t formally told Jonathan yet that you’ve agreed to it. I’ll let him know tomorrow so he can speak to his daughter as well.”

 

“That’s a good plan,” Alas nodded. “But is it really true that she has changed so much now?” he asked, his curiosity growing.

 

“From what Jonathan told me, yes — she has become quite different,” Eduardo answered gently. “But I have a feeling that once she sees you again, the old Yna Maria will surely find her way back.”

 

“I truly hope so. I really want to help Uncle Jonathan.”

 

“I know you do, son — and you have more than enough ability to do it,” Eduardo said proudly. “We are right here supporting you, even if things get difficult. But knowing how capable and charming you are, I doubt you will have any trouble winning her heart and changing her ways.”

 

Alas smiled at his father’s confidence. He could hardly wait to see Yna again, though he wondered if she even remembered him. Would she be angry, or would she be happy to meet him once more? But above all else, his main goal remained clear: he wanted to help his father’s friend.

 

“Are you already full? Why have you stopped eating?” Eduardo noticed that his son was no longer adding more food to his plate.

 

“Yes, Dad. I don’t eat excessively — I work hard to keep my body fit and strong, just the way it is now,” Alas replied with a soft chuckle, speaking with simple honesty rather than arrogance.

 

Eduardo laughed warmly at his son’s words. “You truly take after me, son — always so disciplined about your appearance! I remember myself at your age: tall, well‑built, and attractive enough to catch the eyes of many women. And the luckiest one of all was your mother.”

 

“Of course, Dad — I am your son, after all, so I inherited those good qualities from you,” Alas said with a smirk before taking a sip of water.

 

“Is that so? Then why is it that until now, I have never heard a single word about you having a girlfriend or going on dates?”

 

Alas nearly choked on his drink when he heard the question. He cleared his throat quickly, thinking of the best way to respond. It seemed his father had cornered him.

 

“Well… right now, having a relationship is not my top priority,” he explained smoothly. “I am fully focused on expanding and managing our growing business. Perhaps romance and marriage can wait until everything is more stable.”

 

Eduardo smiled, acknowledging his son’s logic. Yet he could not help but think that Alas was no longer a young boy. He was already twenty‑eight — the age when a man should also begin thinking of building his own family. Eduardo secretly hoped to live long enough to hold his grandchildren one day.

 

“You have a valid point, but listen — you are already twenty‑eight years old, so it is time you considered finding a partner, or even a future wife. But if after two years you still haven’t found anyone, I will personally arrange a suitable match for you.”

 

Alas chuckled at his father’s firm words. “No need to worry, Dad — I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

Eduardo only wanted the best for his son; he did not want Alas to let the years slip by alone. He had never seen Alas involved in casual flings or dating anyone, and sometimes he had even wondered if his son preferred men — though there was never any real sign of that.

 

He did recall, however, that Alas had once had a quiet crush on his childhood friend, Yna Maria — but that was many years ago. When they moved to the United States, they lost contact completely, and the two had not crossed paths again until now.

 

Twenty years had passed in the blink of an eye, and they were both fully grown adults now, capable of taking on life’s responsibilities… though the same could not be said for Yna, who still acted as if she had no care in the world.

 

Suddenly, Alas’s phone buzzed with an incoming message.

 

“Dad, I’m afraid I won’t be able to stay any longer. There is an urgent matter I need to attend to right away — my apologies for leaving so soon.”

 

“Of course, go ahead — I understand completely,” Eduardo said with a knowing smile. “I was just as busy and on the run when I was still CEO. Now that I’ve handed everything over to you, I finally get to rest and sleep peacefully.”

 

Eduardo walked him to the garage where his car was parked. “Drive safely, son — and whenever you have free time, do not hesitate to come home.”

 

“Thank you, Dad. I’ll visit again soon.” Alas got into his vehicle, started the engine, and drove off.

 

Eduardo waved until the car disappeared from view, then returned inside. He felt truly blessed to have such a responsible and capable son. He had no complaints whatsoever — after his wife passed away, they had lived together in the United States and built a close, trusting bond.

 

 

 

Later that evening, Alas presided over an emergency meeting with their new business partners and investors from South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore. He refused to delay the discussion, knowing this partnership offered a golden opportunity to expand their reach and attract even more investors. If successful, both sides stood to gain millions of dollars in revenue.

 

The meeting concluded quickly and smoothly — a complete success. The representatives from each country agreed to all the terms and conditions laid out by the company. It was another milestone for him, and so far, his day had been remarkably productive.

 

He left his staff to handle the remaining arrangements, ensuring their guests were escorted to their hotel accommodations for the night. It was vital that their partners felt well‑cared for and satisfied, so they would leave with a lasting positive impression.

 

Feeling every muscle in his body ache from exhaustion, Alas headed straight back to his condominium. It was already past ten o’clock when he arrived. He removed his suit jacket, loosened his necktie, and tossed them into the laundry basket.

 

He sank onto his bed and closed his eyes, completely drained after a long, non‑stop day.

 

He had spent years dreaming of becoming CEO, yet only now did he fully understand the immense weight of the responsibility. It was far from easy, but every small achievement made the hard work feel worthwhile.

 

Then his eyes snapped open — a faint, familiar scent drifted through the air, clinging to the bedsheets. It was the same soft, intoxicating perfume from that drunken night a month ago. He cursed under his breath as the memory rushed back to him.

 

“Damn it…”

 

He stood up abruptly, stripped off the covers, and threw them aside. He marched straight to the bathroom to take a long, hot shower, frustration rising within him.

 

Why won’t that night stop haunting me? he scolded himself silently, letting the water wash over his skin. But what good was there in being angry? It had already happened, and there was no turning back time.

 

Once he was fresh and clean, he lay back down, his thoughts drifting to the future — and to the moment he would finally meet Yna Maria again. He found himself missing her more than he had expected.

 

Staring up at the ceiling, a soft smile touched his lips. Is it really true that you’ve changed, Yna? he wondered, furrowing his brow slightly before rubbing his forehead. He closed his eyes once more, needing to rest his mind and body — it was already far too late.