the revelation

​Standing at the corner of the elevator was the same man in the blue suit. But this time, he wasn't alone.

He was surrounded by three other men in black suits, all looking very serious. He looked even more intimidating now that he was in a controlled environment.

​His eyes dropped to my chest, specifically to PAPA PIOLO, and then back to my sweaty, messy face.

​"do you follow me around, or are you just naturally this unfortunate?" he asked, his voice echoing in the small space.

​"kapal mo," bulong ko, pero sapat na para marinig niya.

"nagtatrabaho ako rito, okay? hindi kita sinusundan. as if naman type kita."

​One of the men in black suits gasped.

Tumingin silang lahat sa 'kin na parang nakakita sila ng alien.

​"miss, do you know who you're talking to?" tanong nung isang assistant.

​"a thief?" i offered, raising an eyebrow.

​His face expression didn't change, pero ramdam ko ang tension sa loob ng elevator.

ting!

Bumukas ang pinto sa 25th floor—ang floor ng office namin.

​"i'll see you around, Xyloise," he said, using my name with a chilling smoothness.

"enjoy your meeting."

Lumabas siya kasama ang mga tauhan niya, leaving me stunned inside the elevator. teka, paano niya nalaman ang pangalan ko? Doon ko lang napansin... my ID was hanging from my neck the whole time.

​"paktay na talaga," i whispered to myself.

​Paglabas nya sa elevator kasama ang squad niya, naiwan akong nakatayo lang doon, tulala at pigil ang hininga.

Lord, joke ba 'to? Bakit sa dinami-dami ng building sa Makati, dito pa siya pumasok?

​I scrambled out of the elevator bago pa muling magsara ang pinto. Takbo ako papunta sa dulo ng hallway, diretso sa meeting room. My lungs were burning, at ramdam ko ang bawat butil ng pawis na gumagapang mula sa hairline ko pababa sa leeg.

​"you're late, miss xyloise."

Boses pa lang ni Mr. Cruz, alam kong bad trip na siya. Napatigil ako sa may pintuan, pilit na inaayos ang buhok kong mukhang dinaanan ng buhawi.

​"sorry po, sir. nagka-aberya lang po sa mrt," hingal na hingal kong sagot.

​"mrt? again? fix yourself and sit down. our guest speaker is already here," Mr. Cruz whispered harshly while pointing to the only vacant seat at the far end of the long conference table.

​I ducked my head and walked as fast as I could. Nakayuko lang ako, clutching my tote bag like it was a shield. Pagkaupo ko, doon ko lang dahan-dahang itiningala ang ulo ko.

​And there he was.

He was standing at the front of the room, leaning casually against the podium. He had already removed his suit jacket, and his white button-down shirt was hugging his shoulders in a way that should be illegal in a professional setting. Gusot pa rin ang kurbata niya, yung kurbatang hinila ko kanina pero imbes na magmukhang haggard, he looked like a god who just survived a war.

The air in the room felt heavy. or maybe it was just my guilt?

​"as i was saying," He started, his voice echoing with authority. his eyes scanned the room until they landed squarely on me.

He paused, a slow, predatory smirk forming on his lips.

"integrity is the foundation of any business. even down to the smallest things... like returning what isn't yours."

​Nabilaukan ako sa sarili kong laway. I looked down at the table, suddenly finding the wood grain of the conference table extremely fascinating.

lupa, lamunin mo na ako. please. now na.

​"Mr. Waeren is here to discuss the potential partnership between his firm and ours," Mr. Cruz explained to the group, looking like a fanboy.

"He is the CEO of Stary Global, one of the leading names in the industry."

​stary global?! as in, 'yung kumpanyang balak naming apply-an ng merger?!

​"i believe one of your employees already had the chance to meet me this morning," Waeren added, his tone conversational but sharp.

"very... energetic approach to problem-solving."

​The whole room turned to look at each other, confused. Ako? I was busy trying to hide behind my hoodie. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks. Hindi lang ako late, binastos ko pa 'yung taong pwedeng bumili ng kumpanya namin, pati na siguro ng buong buhay ko.