Adrian’s POV
The sky was still overcast when I arrived at the office that morning. The city's skyline looked more grey than gold—clouds hanging low like the weight in my chest.My mind wasn’t fully on the company today, but I had to be sharp. I had a name to live up to, and a team who relied on me.The sound of polished shoes echoed across the marble floor as I stepped into my office—my sanctuary, my battlefield.Blaster was already inside, tapping away on his tablet while humming some old anime theme song under his breath.Pagpasok ko sa loob ng opisina, tahimik. That’s how I like it—structured, controlled. But of course, there’s always one exception.“Three minutes and seventeen seconds late, Boss Sir,” Blaster called out from behind my desk, smirking while scrolling on his tablet. “Do I need to file a report with HR?”I shot him a look. “Remind me why I haven’t fired you yet?”“Because I’m brilliant, charmingAdrian’s POVI left the company early for a business inspection in one of our malls. I've received some complains about the staffs attitude and I wanted to check for myself. It was supposed to be a regular business inspection.No drama. No distractions. Just a quick walkthrough of the new luxury retail wing, check on the progress, talk with a couple of store owners, nod here and there like a proper CEO, observe and leave.That was the plan.But fate has a habit of slapping me in the face with the very thing I try to avoid.And this time, it came in the form of laughter.Her laughter. It felt like I'm hallucinating but I heard it.I heard it—clear, soft, genuine. It wasn’t the kind of laugh you forget. That melodic sound had once been the background music of my mornings.Nagpalinga-linga ako sa paligid.And there she was.Yvon.Standing outside the play area with her son—our son—Kaze. B
Vience’s POV The city was still slowly waking up—light traffic, sleepy faces in jeepneys, sidewalk vendors starting to open shop. The sky was tinted a soft blue, with golden streaks stretching from the east. It was a peaceful morning.But my mind was nowhere near peaceful. Hindi ko maipapiwanag kung bakit ginugulo ng mga isipin na hindi dapat sa akin ang utak ko.I was behind the wheel of my black SUV, driving towards one of my construction sites in Quezon City. Usually, this part of the day was when I got to breathe. Just me, the road, and my playlist of old OPM rock classics at kpop songs playing in the background.Pero ngayon, kahit ilang ulit ng Eraserheads at Rivermaya, hindi ako matahimik. Kahit ilang kanta ng Super Junior at EXO ang patugtugin ko, hindi nito magawang iwaglit ang mga bagay na gumugulo sa isip ko.Too many things were running through my mind.Adrian.Kaze.Lily.I tightened my gri
Llilieth’s POVThe soft clinking of utensils, the gentle murmur of customers enjoying their late lunch, and the smell of freshly grilled salmon wafting from the kitchen—these were usually comforting to me. This restaurant had always been my quiet haven. My anchor.But today, even the calming rhythm of the place couldn’t soothe the chaos inside my head. Napakarami ng mga bagay na tumatakbo sa isip ko pero ang dahilan? Iisang tao lang. Sino pa ba kundi ang lalaking minsang itinibok ng puso ko to the point na halos nakalimutan ko kung sino ba talaga ako.“Lily?”"Huh?"Nag-angat ako ng tingin at kumurap. Vience was staring at me from across the table, concern etched in his eyes. “You’ve been stirring your coffee for five minutes, hindi ka pa rin umiinom.”Napakunot ang noo ko. “Oh,” I murmured, finally noticing the untouched cup in front of me. “Sorry, I wasn’t really paying attention.”Vience leaned forward, resting his el
Dia’s POV I walked out of Nana’s tea room with my heels clicking against the hallway tiles, but they might as well have been thunderclaps in my ears. Everything felt too loud—my breath, my heartbeat, my shame.How could she say all that… and still be so calm? It scares me how she looks so gentle yet her aura screams authority. I used to be her favourite but ever since that Yvon came into their lives, everything changed. She took everything for me.I wanted to scream. I wanted to run. I wanted to curl up and cry. But instead, I held my head high, straightened my back, and walked like nothing just shattered inside me.I was raised to be confident. I was raised to be beautiful. I was raised to believe that if I wanted something badly enough, I could have it if I do everything to get it. And yet, here I was… still chasing a man who never really looked at me.Adrian…Ang tagal ko na siyang mahal. I met him when we were youn
Nana’s POV Tahimik ang hapon. Ang mga kurtina ng veranda ay marahang sumasayaw sa pagdampi ng malamig na simoy ng hangin. The scent of jasmine and warm tea filled the air, a soothing mix of comfort and memory. Kahit matanda na ako ay malinaw ko pang naaalala ang kabataan nina Adrian at Blaster. Bata pa lang ay makulit at palabiro na si Blaster samantalang si Adrian naman ay mana sa kanyang ama na laging composed at seryoso kaya takot ang ibang batang lapitan siya, due to that, he had no friends. Only Blaster had the guts to be friends with him. Ngayon, malalaki na sila at may kanya-kanya ng buhay pero nandiyan pa rin lagi si Blaster para sa kaibigan."Rigour, I hope your son is brave enough to choose what you didn't before." Bulong ko sa hangin na tila ba kausap ko ang namayapang ama ni Adrian.Nasa maliit akong sala, hawak ang isang tasa ng tsaa. My hands were steady, but my heart? My heart was beginning to tremble. I always feel this way when something bad is about to happen.Tumu
Adrian’s POV The floor-to-ceiling windows of my office welcomed the late morning sun, casting a soft glow across my desk. I had just wrapped up a video call with the Tokyo branch—nothing new, just another progress report that confirmed everything was on track. Numbers, charts, future projections. All perfectly aligned. Wala na gaanong ginagawa dahil natapos naman na ang pirmahan sa iba pang mga kontrata. Sino ba naman ang magdadalawang-isip kapag narinig ang pangalan ng kumpanya? Lanes Corporation is the biggest and most successful company in the country. Halos lahat ay gustong makipag-collaborate sa amin but only those who are exceptional are qualified.Huminga ako ng malalim at tumitig sa itim na screen ng laptop ko habang marahang nilalaro ang swivel chair kung saan ako nakaupo. Despite the seamless update, my mind wasn’t fully in it. I was still thinking about the beach. The sound of the waves. Kaze’s laughter echoing through the salty air as he