The Introduction

Amelia

Pagdating ko sa firm, limang minuto na lang bago magsimula ‘yung meeting na pwedeng magpanalo—or magpabagsak—sa career ng boss ko. At kung siya bumagsak, kasama ako ro’n.

“Cruz!” sigaw agad ng supervisor ko pagkapasok ko. “Conference room three. Blackwood Corporation proposal. Don’t screw up.”

Great. No pressure.

Kinuha ko agad ‘yung mga files sa mesa ko, muntik ko pang matapon ‘yung kape. Habang nagmamadali ako sa hallway, nag-e-echo ‘yung tunog ng heels ko sa marble floor—masyadong malakas, parang nang-aasar.

Just hearing the name Blackwood Corporation was enough to make anyone nervous. Lahat ng nasa industry kilala si Adrian Blackwood — the youngest CEO in the Fortune 500. Brilliant. Ruthless. At sabi ng iba, walang konsensya.

Ilang linggo na naming pinaghahandaan ‘tong bid. Kapag nakuha ng firm namin ang contract, siguradong safe ang lahat. Pero para sa akin, mas simple lang ‘yung dahilan — makabayad kahit konti sa hospital bills ni Mama. Kahit kaunting pahinga lang mula sa stress.

Pagpasok ko sa conference room, punong-puno na. The senior partners stood in a row like soldiers — perfect suits, fake smiles, rehearsed charm. Umupo ako sa pinakalikod, tahimik lang. Hindi naman ako dapat magsalita. I was just there to assist, observe, and blend in.

Tapos bumukas ‘yung pinto.

At pumasok siya.

Adrian Blackwood.

Walang nagsalita. The moment he walked in, the whole room shifted — parang may biglang lumamig sa hangin. Even the most confident partners straightened up like students caught cheating.

Mas matangkad siya kaysa sa in-expect ko. Suot niya ang authority, hindi lang ang suit. Black tailored perfection — every line, sharp; every move, precise. Dark hair, clean cut, and a face built for control.

Pero ‘yung mata niya… doon ako napatigil. Cold. Calculating. Parang kaya niyang basahin ka, tapos desisyunan kung worth noticing ka ba o hindi.

Ako ang unang umiwas ng tingin.

Umupo siya sa dulo ng mesa, surrounded by his executives. Walang smile, walang “good morning,” just a single nod. The meeting began. The managing partner started his pitch — halatang kinakabahan. I kept my head down, writing notes, pretending na hindi ko nararamdaman ‘yung presensya niya sa kabilang dulo ng mesa.

Tapos napansin ko ‘yung mali. Mali ‘yung percentage sa slide. Maliit lang na error — pero sa taong tulad ni Blackwood, fatal ‘yun. Nakita kong kumunot ang noo niya, konting flicker ng irritation.

Bago ko pa napigilan sarili ko, nagsalita ako.

“Excuse me,” I said softly, pero umalingawngaw sa room. “There’s a small discrepancy in slide five. The projected ROI should be 12.7%, not 11.2. It accounts for the updated tax adjustment from last quarter.”

Tahimik. As in tahimik na tahimik.

Tumalikod sa akin ang boss ko, halatang galit. “Cruz.” he hissed. Warning na ‘yun.

Pero si Adrian… tumingin sa akin. Diretso. Parang tinitimbang niya kung may karapatan ba akong magsalita.

“Correct,” sabi niya, calm pero mababa ang boses. “Continue.”

Wala na. ‘Yun lang. No praise, no thank you. Pero ramdam ko — hindi siya sanay na kinokorekta siya.

After that, parang mas mabigat ang hangin sa kwarto. Pagkatapos ng presentation, tumayo siya, shook hands, and said, “We’ll review your proposal. Expect a decision within the week.”

Pagkaalis niya, sabay-sabay kaming bumuntong-hininga.

Then my supervisor snapped. “Next time you want to play genius, Cruz, maybe don’t correct a billionaire in front of his board.”

Gusto kong sumagot — pero wala ring saysay. Tama naman ako, at alam kong alam ni Adrian ‘yun. Pero sa loob ko, may kung anong kumislot. Hindi guilt, hindi pride. Something else.

Kasi noong tumingin siya sa akin… hindi lang ako nakita niya.

Parang binasa niya ako.

At ‘yun ang mas delikado.

---

Adrian

It was supposed to be another boring meeting. Another firm trying too hard. Another round of flattery and fake confidence.

I’d already decided I wouldn’t hire them.

Blackwood Corporation doesn’t settle for mediocrity. I wanted precision, strategy, control. Instead, I got panic in expensive suits.

Then she spoke.

Amelia Cruz.

Young. Quiet. Almost invisible. Until she opened her mouth.

Her correction was fast, calm, and accurate. No pretension, no fear. Just facts.

And the way she said it—steady, confident—caught me off guard.

When I looked at her, she didn’t look away immediately. May konting pag-aatubili, pero bumalik din ang tingin niya, diretso.

Interesting.

Pag-alis ko ng meeting, dala ko pa rin ‘yung pangalan niya. Cruz, Amelia. Paralegal. Two years out of law school. Top of her class. Scholar. No connections. No safety net.

A fighter.

I skimmed through her notes from the proposal. Perfectly written. Clear. She’d done more than half the people who presented.

I should’ve moved on. Maraming merger na kailangang tapusin, maraming crisis na dapat ayusin. Pero hindi ko siya maalis sa isip ko.

That voice. That calm defiance. The precision.

Fearless, but not reckless.

Someone like her either breaks early… or learns how to survive.

Habang nakatingin ako sa mga ilaw ng Manhattan that night, I poured myself a drink. Scotch. The burn grounded me.

I’d built my empire by controlling every variable, every risk, every person. But Amelia Cruz? She was an unknown variable.

And I don’t like unknowns.

Still… I wanted to see what she’d do next.

And I will.

---

Amelia

By the time I got home, pagod na pagod na ako. Law notes on the bed, instant noodles sa mesa, and my brain refusing to shut off.

Pero kahit anong pilit kong iwasan, bumabalik pa rin sa isip ko ‘yung meeting. ‘Yung moment na nagtagpo ‘yung tingin namin.

‘Yung boses niya.

‘Yung paraan ng pagsabi niya ng “correct” — simple, pero parang may bigat.

It should’ve scared me.

Dapat scared ako.

Pero ang weird — kasi instead, may ibang naramdaman ako. Something close to curiosity… or worse, fascination.

It was stupid. He was a billionaire. I was one rent away from eviction. Our worlds weren’t just different — hindi talaga dapat magtagpo.

And yet, deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling…

Na ‘yung araw na ‘yon?

Hindi lang basta meeting.

It was the beginning of something.

Something I wasn’t ready for.