Chapter 5

Elizabeth's POV

***

He raised his one eyebrow. He stared at me as if I had just said something completely wrong. Why? Did he actually think I would get into a relationship with a man like Marcus? The hell? Over my dead body!

"So you're not?"

"Of course not! Do you honestly think I would get into a relationship…" I glanced sideways at Marcus, whose eyes were still fixed on me, then back at the man with the blue eyes. "…with someone like him? Hell, no." I rolled my eyes after saying it.

Because we were clearly enemies, he suddenly turned to face Marcus, and my eyes widened in shock at what he said next.

"Bud, you better find someone who actually wants you. Don't settle for less. You deserve someone better," he said, then smiled at me like he had just won.

I was so stunned that I couldn't even speak. He held my gaze for a few seconds, a wide grin plastered across his lips, before walking away—passing right by me and continuing on as if he hadn't just humiliated someone.

It felt like he was screaming at the top of his lungs that he had won in embarrassing me. Shit. Why did I even expect him to take my side? We are enemies, right? Why didn't I think about that?

That guy is my ultimate enemy after our first encounter at the restaurant yesterday.

I clenched my fists. I wanted to follow him and hurl insults so everyone around us could see exactly what kind of person he truly was.

But when my father's face flashed through my mind, I just let out a heavy sigh. Fuck this.

"Hey, Eliza…"

I turned to face him. "I'm full, Marcus. I'm sorry, but I'd like to excuse myself," I said without even looking at him.

At that moment, I didn't want to see Marcus's face. I was disgusted by him, and I knew he would start asking what the blue-eyed man meant, and who he was. Of course, I had no intention of answering. Whatever connection existed between me and that blue-eyed man was none of his business.

I quickly grabbed my bag and marched out of the restaurant, hoping to catch up with that shameless man, but he was already gone.

My chest was burning with frustration by the time I reached my office. Mr. Peter wasn't outside, and when I checked the time, it was around 12:35 PM, so I assumed he was with Janet and the others having lunch.

I didn't wait for him to carry out what I had in mind. I quickly sat in front of my laptop and immediately typed the name of the man who had done nothing but irritate me beyond reason.

"Victor Samaniego…" I whispered that demon's name while biting my nails.

I refuse to lose to someone like him. I refuse to let him show the world that I am the loser between the two of us. I need to find something wrong with that man, because if there's nothing… shit! I don't want to lose! In my entire life, I have never lost!

I'm so competitive—whether it's about studies, contests, quiz bees, or even Mr. and Ms. events back when I was still in school! I don't want to lose, so I always do my best to get first place or win the championship! And I'm supposed to just accept defeat from a jerk like him?! No way!

No way in hell!

I didn't find any negative news articles about him, and for the most part, very few people even knew who he was! He was so secretive—why did he want to hide his image in this kind of industry?

Does he really think his business will grow if he hides himself from the public? No. Because that's what my father did when he was still young—he wanted more connections, more friends that would link him with other powerful people!

And this guy? He wants to keep himself hidden?

"Is Uriel Samaniego's Son One of the Secretive Billionaires in the World?" I read the title of an article aloud and couldn't help but laugh. Uriel and my father had a connection before, but all of a sudden he vanished, and my father never even mentioned his name until today.

Right, I only just remembered. They had connections before, but now, I don't know what happened between them. But regarding the title of that article—isn't it ridiculous that this demon is considered one of those secretive billionaires? Is that even a thing? How laughable.

I closed my laptop the moment I heard Mr. Peter knock on my office door. He said someone wanted to speak with me. I let them in and immediately put on my professional face.

If it's about business, then it's about business.

Hours passed quickly, and the next thing I knew, Marcus was barging into my office without any courtesy while I was packing up my things since it was already five in the afternoon. I wanted to roll my eyes in frustration—did he really not get that I couldn't care less about him?

Did he want me to slap that fact right across his face?

"Do you have any meetings after this?" he asked.

I already knew what he meant. He wanted to ask me to have dinner with him—a typical move by guys like him.

"I have none. I just want to go home and rest."

"Let me drive you?" he offered, which made me stop and turn to look at him.

I let out a heavy sigh. "Marcus, please, I'm tired. Save your nagging for another day," I pleaded, because what little patience I had left today was about to snap.

"Is it because of that bastard?"

Who? Victor? What does Victor have to do with this?

"Who? I don't know what you're—"

"The man with blue eyes. That's who I'm talking about," he asked, his voice taking on an unfamiliar edge.

"What about him?" I really didn't want to talk about Victor right now. I don't want to think about him because I couldn't find any negative articles about him!

That… that hamster!

"Don't talk to him again."

And that was my cue to look at Marcus. His face was serious enough to make my eyebrows furrow. What the hell was he saying?

"What do you mean?"

"He is our enemy in the business world. Victor Samaniego."

Oh… right.

Marcus kept insisting on driving me home because he didn't want to see me with or even talking to Victor. So the end result was us playing cat and mouse in the basement parking lot until I managed to lose him and slip into my car.

I didn't even bother looking back to see where he was. I had already rejected him countless times, so why was that jerk still so stubborn?

Instead of going home, I went to a bar. I knew Marcus would follow me to my house even late at night. I had no intention of dealing with him. And me and Victor? He didn't want us together or talking? Well, I had no plans to be with or talk to that man either! We were enemies, remember?

The moment I stepped into Sip and Savory Bar, loud upbeat music and a crowd of different people welcomed me. Disco lights, smoke, and the mingling scents of alcohol, cologne, and perfume filled my nostrils.

I went straight to the counter to order a ladies' drink and immediately downed it. I scanned my surroundings, hoping to find the person I came here for—and I wasn't wrong. I spotted him dancing with a guy in the middle of the dance floor, and I even saw them kissing and touching each other!

Geez! Our sweetpie really has nothing better to do! He just goes around kissing and touching whoever he wants!

"Hey, girl!" a voice called out as someone slapped my shoulder.

When I turned around, it was Nadine, carrying a bottle of beer in one hand and a glass of beer in the other. What was this? Was this woman turning into a drunkard too?

"We've been waiting for you forever!" she shouted, taking the empty seat beside me. She set her drinks on the counter and faced me, swatting my arm.

"Wow, really? I just got here and you're already hitting me?" I complained.

I took the beer she had brought and drank it. I wanted to get drunk tonight. I didn't want to go home because I knew Marcus would be there waiting for me.

"Why are you only here now, huh? We've been waiting since you were the one who invited us to go to a bar tonight!"

I looked at her and leaned closer so she could hear me clearly. "Marcus is at my house. I don't want to go home. I know he'll force me to go out with him again."

I set the bottle down on the counter and saw Nadine roll her eyes. I laughed a little. "For sure, girl. Stay away from that guy, Eliza. I really don't like the way he treats you. Anyway, it's good you invited us because…" She glanced toward the dance floor where we could see Ben—or "Benny"—now dancing with some random guy. "…our sweetpie is already wasted." We both laughed and shook our heads.

We chatted for a while. I pushed Marcus out of my mind because tonight, I had no intention of going home. I had no intention of seeing that man, and I absolutely did not want to hear any sermons from Mr. Buenaventura.

I've had enough today, and I don't want to add more.

A few minutes later, we decided to move to a different spot because the crowd was getting thicker as midnight approached. I ended up shutting off my phone; I didn't want anyone disturbing me tonight.

Nadine and I dragged Benny to an empty booth on the side, which had actually been their spot earlier.

We both sighed because Benny was completely wasted. Honestly, I came here to get drunk so that the two of them would be the ones taking care of me. But what happened? Benny was already drunk before I even got started. So I didn't have a choice. If none of us stayed sober, we'd probably end up lying on the side of the road.

"Girl! You're already here! Aren't you—hic!—aren't you going to pick a fight with the guys here? Your attitude stands out when you're drunk, you know!" Benny screamed, making me roll my eyes in annoyance.

I know that. I have this shitty attitude when I'm drunk, but I have my reasons, okay! One time, Marcus picked us up from a bar and forced me to go home when I didn't want to. So I shouted, screamed at him, and cursed him in front of everyone there. And the consequence? My father talked to me and told me I was ruining his name in front of an heir of the Dela Cruz family.

I know my father. He already knew I didn't like that asshole, but I still couldn't understand him. I couldn't understand why he kept pushing me toward a man I didn't even want.

"Stop saying nonsense, Benny. You're drunk, so stop drinking," Nadine ordered before drinking from the glass I had filled with alcohol.

Benny's reddened face twisted into a pout when he saw what Nadine did. "Y-you're telling me to stop drinking, but you just—you just drank straight from that?!" he complained dramatically, pointing at the now-empty glass.

"Duh? Because I'm not drunk like you, Benny."

Our drinking session continued until I finally forgot about everything weighing on my mind. I eventually got drunk too. I didn't know what time we finished or how we got out of the bar; all I knew was that I was extremely frustrated from pressing my password door lock.

"Fuck this! Why won't you open!" I hissed in front of the door.

I kept trying a hundred times before it finally opened. My lips stretched into a wide smile, and I heaved a sigh of relief! Finally, I can lie down!

And when I was about to step inside, a sudden wall stopped me in my tracks.

My eyes were blurry and my head was spinning from the alcohol, but I was so curious why there was a wall right in front of me. I was about to push it when I heard someone's voice.

"Why are you in front of my house?" a deep baritone voice asked.

I followed the voice and looked up to identify who it belonged to. But the moment I saw his face, I didn't know why my vision suddenly cleared, and I saw the person I least wanted to see right now.

Oh damn. Why is Victor Samaniego inside my own house?