Chapter 6

The familiar hum of keyboards and the faint chatter of reporters filled the newsroom. The scent of coffee clung to the air, mixed with the ink-and-paper aroma of freshly printed broadsheets piled at one corner. Dito ako komportable, dito ako masaya—dapat. Pero ngayong araw, kahit anong pilit kong itago, ramdam ko pa rin ang bigat ng gabing nagdaan.

I tried to look presentable, a cream blouse, simple slacks, light makeup. Pero kahit gaano ko itago, halata pa rin ang pamumugto ng mga mata ko.

“Phoebe, you okay?” tanong ng seatmate kong si Liza, hindi inaalis ang mga mata sa screen.

“Yeah, just… puyat lang. Deadline kasi kagabi,” sagot ko, forcing a weak smile.

Before she could press further, a deep, warm voice called my name.

“Good morning, Miss Jimenez. Hindi ka yata natulog?”

I turned, and there was Luca—tall, broad-shouldered, with that casual charm he always carried. Effortlessly good-looking, the kind of man people couldn’t help but notice.

“Good morning,” I greeted, adjusting the pile of papers on my desk. “Ano naman sayo kung natulog ako o hindi?”

“Because you look like you’ve been carrying the weight of the world,” he teased, leaning slightly closer. “Mamaya libre kita ng coffee. My treat.”

I rolled my eyes, trying to keep it light. “Luca, wag ka masyadong malapit! Baka akala na naman ng iba may namamagitan satin.”

“So what? We’re friends. Walang masama sa free coffee.”

I tried to laugh it off, but deep down, I felt something else—relief. Comfort. Luca had this way of making me forget, kahit sandali lang, yung bigat na dinadala ko. His presence reminded me what it was like to be seen, to be heard.

We were still talking when the doors opened.

The air shifted instantly. Conversations faltered, keyboards stopped. Sage.

Tall, sharp in his dark suit, commanding every space he entered. His presence was impossible to ignore. My heart plummeted to my stomach. What is he doing here?

Our eyes met. For a brief moment, the world stilled. His gaze—cold, controlled — bore into me. But I knew that look. Beneath it was anger, raw and biting. And then, his eyes moved to Luca. Standing too close. Smiling too easily.

Sage’s jaw tightened.

I panicked internally, but on the outside, I forced myself to stay composed. To everyone else, he was just Sage Carden, the elusive billionaire. To me… he was the man I went home to every night. The man who could destroy me with a single word.

“Uy, bigatin ah,” Luca whispered beside me, oblivious to the tension wrapping around my chest. “Sage Carden mismo. Do you think he’ll let me interview him?”

I managed a tight smile, but my palms had gone cold.

Sage moved through the room like a storm waiting to break. He exchanged polite words with the editor, but I felt his eyes return to me again and again.

Then, finally, he approached.

“Miss Jimenez,” he said, voice deep, clipped. “We need to talk. Now.”

Dozens of eyes turned to us. My chest tightened.

“Uh, is there a problem, Mr. Carden?” Luca asked, brows knitting.

Sage’s gaze flickered to him briefly, sharp and dismissive, before settling back on me. “It’s confidential. Urgent. The kind that can’t wait.”

My throat felt dry. I stood quickly, clutching my notepad like a shield. “Y-Yes, of course.”

“Follow me.” His tone brooked no argument.

Luca gave me a questioning look, concern in his eyes. I forced a small smile, silently assuring him I was fine. But I wasn’t. Inside, I was trembling.

I followed Sage out of the newsroom, every step heavier than the last. Whispers rose behind me—speculations, curiosity. To them, this was business. To me, it was walking straight into a storm.

The moment we were alone in the corridor, Sage stopped. He turned to me, his expression carved from stone.

“What the hell was that?” His voice was low, dangerous.

I flinched. “What do you mean?”

“You were laughing. With him.” His eyes narrowed, sharp enough to cut. “Too close. Too comfortable.”

“He’s my colleague, Sage. My friend. Walang masama sa—”

“Friend?” He spat the word like poison. “Do you think I didn’t see the way he looked at you? Like he had a right?”

My chest tightened. “You’re overthinking. He was just trying to cheer me up. Wala kang dapat—”

“Don’t tell me what I should or shouldn’t feel.” He stepped closer, towering over me, his presence suffocating. “You’re my wife. Mine. And I won’t tolerate you smiling at another man like that.”

My lips parted, but no words came. Fear tangled with anger inside me. Anger at his unreasonable jealousy. Fear of the storm in his eyes.

“You’ll come with me,” he ordered, his voice low, controlled. “We’re having a private meeting. And trust me, Phoebe…” His breath ghosted close to my ear. “…we are far from done talking about this.”

I felt my knees weaken, but I forced myself to nod.

Sage straightened, mask back in place, as if nothing had happened. He opened the door to the VIP lounge, his hand firm on the handle.

I glanced back once, just once—and caught Luca watching from the far end of the hallway, his concern plain.

Someone else saw me. Someone else noticed.

But I had no choice. I stepped into the lion’s den.

Ang mabigat na pinto ng VIP lounge ay sumara sa likod namin, na nagpatahimik sa ingay ng newsroom. Tahimik. Malamig ang aircon, pero mas malamig ang titig ni Sage sa akin. Parang bawat segundo ay may hatol na kasunod.

I stood there clutching my notepad to my chest, as if that thin piece of paper could shield me from him.

“Explain.” His voice was low, deliberate. Dangerous.

I swallowed hard. “Wala naman talagang mali. Luca’s just a friend, a coworker—”

“A friend who touches your arm like he owns you? Who looks at you like–” He stopped, his jaw flexing, fists tightening at his sides. “Like you’re his.”

“He doesn’t look at me like that,” I said firmly, kahit ang boses ko nanginginig. “And even if he did, Sage, I can’t control how other people see me.”

“Pero kaya mong kontrolin kung paano ka magre-react,” he snapped, stepping closer until I had to tilt my chin upward just to meet his eyes. “And you were smiling. Laughing. With him.”

My lips parted, my chest tightening. God, why does he always twist it like this?

“What do you want me to do?” I whispered, my frustration breaking through. “Magmukha akong bato sa harap ng lahat? Hindi na ako tatawa? Hindi na ako magsasalita?”

“Yes.”

The single word sliced through the air like a blade.

My heart stopped.

“Yes, Phoebe. I want you to remember that you’re mine. And you don’t give that part of you to anyone else. Not even with a smile. Not even in a laugh.”

I pressed my back against the wall, his words digging deeper than I wanted to admit. My anger flared, colliding with the raw ache of being unwanted yet possessed all at once.

“Mine.” He said it again, softer this time, leaning closer, his breath warm against my cheek. “Do you understand me?”

Dapat lumaban ako. Dapat sinabi ko sa kanya na wala siyang karapatan. Pero ang katawan ko, tinalo ng proximity niya. Kung paano kumapit sa akin ang kanyang pabango—leather, musk, at isang bagay na kakaiba sa kanya.

“Yes,” I whispered, hating myself for the weakness in my voice.

For a moment, his eyes darkened, a flicker of something else beneath the anger. Want. Desire. Control. Then he pulled away, mask sliding back into place.

“We’re leaving,” he said flatly. “Now.”

My throat tightened, pero this time, I shook my head. “No. Hindi pa ako tapos. Hindi ako pwedeng umalis ngayon.”

Napuno ng mapanganib na katahimikan ang silid. Tinitigan ako ni Sage na parang hindi makapaniwala sa sinabi ko.

“What did you just—”

“I said I can’t leave.” I cut him off before my courage slipped away. “May assignment ako. Deadline. My job doesn’t stop just because you say so.”

His jaw flexed, his nostrils flaring. For a moment, akala ko talaga hihilahin niya ako palabas kahit ayaw ko. Pero he didn’t. Instead, his fists unclenched, then clenched again—like he was fighting himself.

Finally, he exhaled, sharp and cold. “Fine.” His voice was low, clipped. “Stay. Work. Pero wag mong isipin na aalis ako.”

My pulse raced. I expected him to storm out, to leave me in humiliation. Pero hindi. Sage Carden, the man everyone in this building whispered about, settled into one of the leather chairs in the VIP lounge, his phone in hand, mask of composure back on.

Parang sinabi niya sa buong mundo.

Kung ayaw mong sumama, then I’ll make sure I’m here to watch.

I walked back to the newsroom, my chest heavy. Liza raised a brow at me, silently mouthing, Are you okay? I forced a nod and slipped back into my chair, typing furiously just to keep my trembling hands busy.

Pero kahit busy ang lahat, I could feel him. His presence lingered, powerful and oppressive, sa kabilang pinto lang.

“Phoebe.” Luca’s voice jolted me. He stood by my desk, holding out a warm cup. “Cappuccino. Extra shot, alam kong kailangan mo.”

I blinked, stunned for a moment. Then I accepted it with a small smile. “Thank you, Luca.”

“No problem. You look like you need it.” He leaned against the divider, lowering his voice. “So, about the assignment—Mr. Ramos wants us to cover the upcoming summit. Big event. International delegates, security detail, all that. You’ll be with me, right?”

I nodded slowly. “Yes. It’s a two-person coverage. We’ll need to prepare questions, research the panels…”

“Exactly.” His grin widened, boyish and earnest. “I’ve already started compiling some background data. Maybe later, we can brainstorm over lunch?”

I opened my mouth to reply—pero then, my skin prickled. That feeling again.

My eyes darted toward the VIP lounge glass wall, and there he was. Sage. Sitting like a king in exile, his phone untouched now, his gaze trained on us.

On me.

My stomach twisted.

I cleared my throat and turned back to Luca. “Lunch sounds good. We’ll need all the prep time we can get.”

Ang ngiti ni Luca ay umabot sa kanyang mga mata, at sa unang pagkakataon ng umagang iyon, nakaramdam ako ng init, ng pagiging normal.

But across the room, I could still feel Sage’s stare cutting into me. Watching. Waiting. Possessive.

And for the first time, I didn’t shrink away. I sipped my coffee slowly, lifted my chin, and let him see, na kahit nandiyan siya, I had a life he couldn’t fully control.