Chapter 3

Kaella arrived at the office extra early the next morning—half to prepare for the client presentation, half to avoid a certain clumsy trainee. Pero mukhang malas siya.

“Morning, mentor!” Jerome’s voice chirped from behind her as she stepped into the break room. He was wearing a navy polo shirt that fit just right, hair slightly damp, at may hawak na dalawang cups of coffee.

“Seriously?” Kaella crossed her arms. “Did you camp outside just to ambush me?”

Jerome grinned, offering a cup. “Nope. Thought I’d start the day right—peace offering para sa lahat ng kasalanan ko kahapon.”

She eyed the cup suspiciously. “You didn’t poison this, did you?”

He laughed, a sound that made the sleepy room feel brighter. “Try it. Baka magustuhan mo.”

Kaella took a cautious sip… then froze. It was exactly how she liked her coffee—two sugars, light cream. She hadn’t even told him her preference.

“Paano mo nalaman?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Jerome smirked. “Observant ako, mentor. Saw your sugar packets yesterday.”

Kaella hated to admit it, but she was a little impressed. “Fine. You get one point. Pero wag kang magpaka-confident.”

By mid-morning, the office was buzzing with activity. Kaella was guiding Jerome through the sales software when his elbow accidentally knocked over her water tumbler—diretso sa keyboard ng company laptop.

“Jerome!” Kaella yelped, lunging for tissues.

“Oh shoot! Sorry, sorry!” Jerome scrambled to help, their hands brushing in the chaos. For a split second, both of them froze—her fingers against his, the proximity suddenly electric.

Kaella pulled her hand away quickly. “Focus, rookie. Laptop muna.”

They managed to save the device, but the commotion drew the attention of two gossipy coworkers, Trina and Mel.

“Uy,” Trina whispered loudly. “Mukhang may chemistry ah.”

Kaella shot them a death glare. “Back to work, please!”

Later, during a lunch meeting with a prospective client, Kaella was mid-pitch when Jerome, attempting to assist, accidentally shared a draft slide that wasn’t supposed to be in the presentation—complete with a meme Kaella had inserted as a private joke. The room went silent… then erupted in laughter.

The client wiped tears from his eyes. “I like your team’s sense of humor. It makes this pitch memorable.”

Kaella forced a polite smile, but under the table, she stomped Jerome’s foot. “You’re so dead,” she hissed.

After the meeting, Jerome trailed after her like a guilty puppy. “Hey, technically, it worked. The client laughed!”

“You’re unbelievable,” she muttered, but there was a reluctant curve at the edge of her lips.

As they returned to the office, a sudden blackout swept the building. Emergency lights flickered on, plunging the halls into a dim amber glow. The IT team announced a power issue that would take at least an hour to fix.

“Great,” Kaella sighed, heading for the stairs. But as she reached for the railing, she slipped on someone’s forgotten folder. Before she could tumble, Jerome’s arm shot out, steadying her.

“Gotcha,” he whispered, his breath warm against her ear.

Their faces were inches apart, the world around them muted in the emergency light. For a heartbeat, Kaella felt her defenses crumble. Jerome wasn’t just the clumsy trainee—he was attentive, steady, and unexpectedly charming.

She quickly straightened, clearing her throat. “Thanks. Don’t read into it.”

“Too late,” he teased softly.

Back at her desk, Kaella tried to refocus on the reports. But when she opened her drawer for a pen, she found a sticky note:

“To the best mentor (kahit suplada). Thanks for not giving up on me. – J”

Her cheeks warmed despite herself. He’s just being nice, she told herself. Don’t overthink it.

The power returned, and the office resumed its noisy rhythm. But Kaella couldn’t shake the feeling that Jerome’s note—and the way he caught her—meant something more.

As she packed up to leave, her phone buzzed with another unknown message:

“Ms. Ponce, mag-ingat ka. Jerome Roque is not who he says he is.”

Her eyes widened. She scanned the office, but Jerome was already outside, talking on his phone with a serious expression she’d never seen before.

Who’s warning Kaella, and how much more is Jerome hiding behind that charming trainee smile?