CHAPTER 3 – The Confidential Task

“Some truths come wrapped as warnings — and some warnings, as promises.”

RHEA'S POV:

For a few seconds, I just stood there, frozen. The sound of rain against the glass filled the silence between us. His words echoed in my head, soft yet heavy.

“This isn’t an offer, Ms. Santos. It’s an opportunity… and a warning.”

I blinked.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked, trying to sound confident even when my voice wavered a little.

Lucas didn’t answer right away. He leaned back on his chair, hands clasped in front of him, eyes fixed on me like he could read every thought I was trying to hide. His silence was maddening — calm, calculated, the kind that made you question your every move.

“You want revenge, don’t you?” he finally said. “For what he did to you.”

I felt my stomach twist. “Revenge?”

“I don’t—”

“Don’t lie to me, Rhea.”

The way he said my name—steady, almost intimate—made me flinch. I hated that it sent a shiver down my spine.

He stood, walked slowly toward the window. The city lights glowed behind him, reflecting faintly on the glass. “People like Jake Ramirez don’t just cheat,” he said quietly. “They destroy. You’ve seen that firsthand.”

I crossed my arms, trying to guard myself. “You’re talking like you know him.”

“Oh, I do.” He turned slightly, his jaw tightening. “Better than you think.”

That caught my attention. “What are you saying?”

He faced me fully now, his gaze piercing. “Let’s just say… we’ve crossed paths in business before. And not in good ways.”

Something in his tone made me uneasy. This wasn’t about jealousy or pride—it was deeper, darker.

“So you want me to help you get back at him?”

He smirked faintly. “Help? No. You’ll lead him to me.”

My breath hitched. “Excuse me?”

Lucas stepped closer, close enough that I could smell his cologne again—clean, expensive, with that same sharp undertone that somehow fit him too well. “You work in marketing, Rhea. You have access to campaign records, client files, and the people Jake still keeps close contact with. Use that.”

My pulse quickened. “That’s illegal,” I said, but my voice came out small.

He tilted his head slightly. “So is betrayal.”

The words hit me harder than I expected. He wasn’t just manipulating me—he was holding a mirror up to my pain.

“What do I get out of this?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

“Closure,” he said simply. “And truth.”

I almost laughed, but my throat was tight. “You think truth can fix everything?”

“No,” he said. “But it can set you free.”

I stared at him, searching his face for some sign of guilt or mercy. There was none. Only quiet certainty. The kind of conviction that came from someone who’s seen too much.

Finally, I looked away. “What exactly do you want me to do?”

Lucas walked to his desk, opened a drawer, and took out a small flash drive. He slid it across the table toward me.

“Inside that is a contact list and one encrypted folder. Your job is to find the missing link—someone who connects Jake’s recent transactions to Monteverde Holdings. Don’t open the folder yet. You’ll know when it’s time.”

I stared at the flash drive like it was a loaded weapon. “Why me?”

He smiled faintly. “Because he still trusts you.”

My heart sank. The truth stung because it was real. Jake still messaged me sometimes—short, fake-sincere texts asking if I was okay. I never replied. But I always read them. Always.

Lucas’s voice softened slightly. “You can walk away right now if you want. But once you plug that drive in, there’s no turning back.”

I looked up at him, and for a fleeting second, I thought I saw something—something human behind those cold eyes. Maybe guilt. Maybe pity. I couldn’t tell.

“Why are you doing this?” I whispered.

He hesitated. Then, almost too quietly, he said, “Because someone has to.”

When I got home that night, I couldn’t sleep. The flash drive sat on my bedside table, mocking me. Every time I tried to close my eyes, I saw Lucas’s face—calm, unreadable, but with that one flicker I couldn’t shake off.

I poured myself a glass of wine, sat by the window, and watched the rain again. Manila looked beautiful from up here—wet streets glimmering under streetlights, cars rushing past like restless ghosts.

I thought about Jake. His smile. His lies. The way he said “you’re the only one” when he was already touching someone else.

Revenge. Closure. Truth.

They all sounded the same now.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I picked up the flash drive.

Plugged it in.

The screen lit up, revealing one folder: “PROJECT SERPENT.”

And beneath it, one note:

When you see what he’s done, you’ll understand why you had to be part of this.

My heart pounded. I clicked open the contact list—mostly names I didn’t recognize, until one made my chest tighten.

Jake Ramirez – Partner: ARIELLE MONTEVERDE.

My hand froze. Monteverde. Lucas’s last name.

Was that a coincidence? Or…

I scrolled further down, and the pattern became clear. Jake wasn’t just cheating emotionally—he was in bed with Lucas’s family business. Literally.

My stomach turned. No wonder Lucas wanted him taken down.

And me? I was just a piece in his plan.

But why me specifically?

I closed the laptop, pressing my palms against my face. Maybe this was wrong. Maybe I should delete everything and forget this happened.

But then, one thought whispered louder than reason—

He deserves this.

LUCAS POV:

From his penthouse office overlooking the city, Lucas watched the storm clouds gathering again. The skyline shimmered under flashes of lightning, the night air humming with quiet electricity.

He knew she’d opened the drive. He could almost feel it.

“She’s taking the bait,” said Adrian, his right-hand man, walking in with a tablet. “Are you sure about this, boss? She’s not trained for this kind of work.”

Lucas didn’t turn around. “She doesn’t need to be trained. She just needs to be hurt enough to care.”

Adrian sighed. “You’re using her pain, Lucas. You always swore you wouldn’t—”

“She’s not a pawn,” Lucas cut in, voice sharp but low. “She’s… the key.”

Adrian frowned. “The key to what? Revenge?”

Lucas’s gaze darkened. “Justice.”

He picked up the same photograph again—Rhea laughing under the afternoon sun. A candid moment, unguarded. There was something in that picture that haunted him. Maybe it was how alive she looked. Or how untouched by betrayal she still was then.

“She deserves the truth,” he murmured. “Even if it breaks her first.”

Adrian shook his head. “And what about you? What happens when she finds out who really started all this?”

Lucas’s jaw clenched. “Then she’ll hate me. And I’ll let her.”

He set the photo down, turning back to the window. The rain started again, harder this time.

“Jake Ramirez destroyed my sister’s life,” Lucas said, his tone steady but his hand tightening around the glass. “He left her when she got pregnant, took company money, and made it look like she was the one who stole it. She’s gone now. And I’m not letting him ruin anyone else.”

Adrian lowered his head. “And Rhea?”

Lucas closed his eyes for a moment. “She’ll understand someday. When it’s over.”

But deep down, he wasn’t sure he believed that.

Because every time he saw her—her fire, her sadness, the way she tried to hold herself together—he saw pieces of the sister he couldn’t save. And that scared him more than anything.

RHEA'S POV

The next morning, I woke up with the weight of something new pressing on my chest. Not guilt. Not fear. Purpose.

At work, I kept glancing at Lucas’s office, half-expecting him to look my way. But he didn’t. He was busy, or pretending to be.

Fine. Two can play that game.

During lunch, I sneaked into the records room, my hands trembling slightly as I searched through files matching the contacts from that flash drive. It felt like crossing a line I couldn’t uncross.

Halfway through, my phone buzzed.

A new message.

Unknown number again.

Don’t get caught.

I looked up sharply. The camera above the file shelves blinked once. He was watching me.

I bit my lip and typed back.

Then stop watching.

No reply came. But I could almost imagine his smirk.

When I left the room, the air outside felt heavier, like everyone knew something I didn’t.

Back at my desk, I tried to focus on reports, but my mind kept replaying the look on his face when he said “warning.” Maybe this wasn’t just about revenge. Maybe it was about testing how far I’d go before breaking.

And the scariest part?

I wasn’t sure I wanted to stop.

Later that night, I received another message.

This time, there was an address.

And a time: 11:30 PM.

No context. No explanation. Just that.

I stared at it for a long while before replying.

What happens if I show up?

A few seconds passed. Then—

Then you’ll finally see the truth.

I exhaled shakily, staring out the window again. The city was quiet, the streets wet from the rain. Something inside me said I shouldn’t go. But another voice—the one that’s been whispering ever since Jake betrayed me—said I had to.

Because maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t just about revenge anymore.

Maybe it was about finding who I was after everything fell apart.