Chapter 4

The morning after the blackout, the Roque Snacks sales floor buzzed like a beehive. Kaella Ponce stood at the center, flipping through a stack of sales reports while the team scrambled for an impromptu strategy huddle. Their biggest wholesale client, J&L Mart, had suddenly threatened to pull out after a competitor offered a massive discount.

“Listen up, team,” Kaella announced, voice crisp but steady. “We need a counter-proposal before lunch. Kung wala, goodbye three-month supply order.”

From the corner, Jerome—the rookie—raised his hand. “Uh… suggestion lang… what if we—”

Kaella shot him a warning glare. “Jerome, huwag muna ngayon. Serious meeting ’to.”

But Jerome didn’t lower his hand. “Hear me out. What if we bundle our bestsellers and throw in a limited-edition flavor para ma-excite ulit sila? Short-term loss, long-term gain.”

The room went silent. Trina, the assistant manager, frowned. “Limited edition? We don’t even have a prototype.”

Jerome grinned sheepishly. “Actually… may test batch sa R&D. I overheard the kitchen staff talking about it yesterday.”

Kaella blinked. Wait… he’s right. She’d dismissed that experimental flavor as too risky, pero kung gagamitin nila as a limited-edition perk… it could work.

“Okay,” she said slowly, trying not to sound impressed. “Draft the proposal. Now.”

Everyone gaped. “Si Jerome?”

“Yes,” Kaella snapped. “Let’s see if our newbie can back up his big ideas.”

An hour later, Jerome presented a mock-up bundle pitch so creative that even Kaella’s critical eye softened. When she emailed the proposal to J&L Mart, she added a bold subject line: “An Offer You Can’t Resist.” By 11:45 a.m., the client called back—excited and fully on board.

The office erupted in cheers. Someone high-fived Jerome, while Trina muttered, “Wow, beginner’s luck.”

Kaella found herself smiling despite her pride. She caught Jerome’s gaze across the room. He winked—subtle but undeniable. Her stomach did a ridiculous little flip.

Later, as everyone dispersed for lunch, Kaella stayed behind to tidy her desk. Jerome approached quietly.

“Hey, mentor,” he said, leaning casually on the partition. “You owe me lunch for saving that deal.”

She snorted. “Excuse me? You almost tanked my laptop yesterday.”

“But today I saved your quota,” he teased.

Kaella rolled her eyes. “Fine. One sandwich. Walang dessert.”

They ended up at the food court, trading light banter. Jerome’s playful humor disarmed her more than she wanted to admit.

On their way back, rain began to drizzle. Jerome opened the small umbrella he’d stuffed in his bag. “Share tayo?”

Kaella hesitated before stepping under it. The umbrella was tiny—forcing them shoulder to shoulder. Her perfume mingled with the scent of his freshly laundered shirt.

“Stop smiling like that,” she muttered.

“Like what?”

“Like you’re winning something.”

“Maybe I am,” Jerome said softly.

Back at the office, as Kaella placed her reports on the copier, she overheard two senior executives whispering near the hallway.

“…Hector Roque’s son is supposedly here incognito,” one said.

“Really? Roque Jr. undercover? Crazy.”

Kaella’s heart skipped. Johnny Roque? As in the big boss? She peeked around the corner—but the men had already left. She glanced toward Jerome’s desk, where he was laughing with another staffer.

A strange chill crawled up her spine.

Could her clumsy trainee actually be the billionaire heir everyone’s whispering about?

She peeked around the corner—but the men had already left. A weird chill crawled up her spine. She thought back to Jerome’s initiative, the way he’d known about R&D batches, and his strange confidence.

No… that’s impossible, she told herself. He’s too clumsy… right?

Jerome’s laugh rang across the room, warm and careless, and Kaella felt her pulse quicken.

She sat at her desk, but her focus was shot. Trina passed by, smirking. “Parang close na kayo ni Jerome ah.”

Kaella shot her a look. “We’re not.”

“Hmm,” Trina hummed knowingly. “ Yang rookie na ’yan, Kaella. Baka big time pala.”

As the afternoon wore on, Jerome stopped by her cubicle, holding two steaming cups of tea. “Peace offering ulit,” he said.

“You’re bribing me with drinks now?” Kaella asked, raising a brow.

“Not bribing. Just… thanking.”

She took the cup reluctantly but couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at her lips.

Before leaving for the day, Jerome passed by her desk again. “Hey, thanks for trusting my idea earlier.”

Kaella looked up, startled. “I didn’t say I trusted you.”

He grinned, backing toward the elevator. “Your actions did.”

As the doors closed behind him, Kaella exhaled, resting her chin on her hand. Her heart was still unsteady—a traitor against her better judgment.

She tidied her workspace, but when she opened a drawer to put away the extra reports, she found a small sticky note she didn’t remember placing there. It read:

“Sometimes the rookie sees what the experts miss. – J”

Her chest tightened—not unpleasantly, but enough to unsettle her.

The fluorescent lights flickered briefly, and Kaella caught her reflection in the window: composed on the outside, but her thoughts were anything but.

She remembered the whispered rumor—Roque Jr. undercover. She recalled the mystery phone call the night before that had been abruptly cut off. She thought of Jerome’s sudden cleverness.

Could her clumsy trainee actually be the billionaire heir everyone’s whispering about?

Her phone buzzed with a new text:

Unknown Number: “Watch closely. He’s not who he seems.”

Kaella swallowed hard, the tea suddenly tasting too sweet.

If Jerome really is Roque Jr., what game is he playing?