Chapter 5

“DO YOU HAVE AN ID?” Hero asked when the both of them settled into the sofa after cleaning the unit.

Vivian blinked twice. “Huh?” 

“An ID. Birth certificate. Resume. Any document that proves you exist.” He leaned back against his chair. “Give them to me and I'll have my secretary process your application. So that you can start as soon as possible.” 

Napakamot nalang sa ulo si Vivian sa tinuran ng binata. She doesn’t have all of those. Well she had. Pero di niya dala. The smile on Vivian's face slowly stiffened.

“You don’t have any?” Hero asked, immediately catching her reaction.

Vivian laughed awkwardly. “It’s a long story.” 

Hero raised an eyebrow, studying her expression. “Don’t tell me you ran away from home?” He said jokingly.

Vivian's smile froze.

Hero blinked, his eyes almost widening in realization. “Wait…” he sat up straighter. “Did you?” 

“No!” Mabilis niyang sagot at kinakbahang tumawa. “Of course not! Why would I?” She let out a nervous laugh before clearing her throat. 

He stared at her for a moment. He narrowed his eyes on her. He’s trying to get into her mind. 

He just knew one thing. She’s lying. But Hero didn't push the matter any longer. He just leaned back and hummed knowingly. 

“Right,” he said, clearly unconvinced.

Napaiwas ng tingin si Vivian. 

There was a long silence between them. Hero was thinking. When he hit Vivian months ago, he hadn't seen any wallet or phone with her. Wala itong dala ni isa. Ngayon lang niya napagtanto iyon. 

At the time, he hadn't cared enough to investigate who she was. All his attention had been on keeping her alive.

But now… It felt strange and suspicious.

If she really had run away from home out of rebellion, she should’ve at least brought something with her. A phone. A wallet. Or a bag maybe.

Something she could use. A necessity.

Unless—

“Hello? Are you still with me?” Vivian snapped out of his reverie. 

Napakurap siya at nagtatakang tinapunan ng tingin ang dalaga.

“Di ba pwedeng magtrabaho ng wala ang mga iyon?” She asked.

Tumikhim si Hero at napahilot sa kanyang sentido. “I can make that work. I can pull up some strings, just at least give me your name, date of birth, and age.” 

Once again, she scratched the back of her head. She can’t do that. She has to remain hidden as long as possible. 

“Wala rin,” he said. It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

“I only know your name, other than that wala na. If you really want me to help you, then help me make things easier first.” Dagdag ng binata.

Vivian hesitated. For a moment, she thought about telling him. Her real name. Her birthday. The life she left behind.

But the moment those details left her mouth, she knew there would be a trail. Records. Documents. People asking questions. Her relatives, looking for her.

And the last thing she wanted was to be found.

“I can’t,” she admitted softly.

Hero frowned. “You can’t or just won’t?” 

Vivian lowered her gaze. There was no way to answer that question without telling him the truth. She can’t just trust anyone. Masyadong mahalaga sa kanya ang kalayaang natamo niya. 

She remained quiet for a couple of minutes. The silence between them grew heavier with each passing second. Mukhang napansin din ng binata na wala siyang balak magsalita kaya siya nalang ang bumasag sa katahimikan.

He cleared his throat first before speaking. “Fine,” he muttered as he stood up. “We’ll figure something out.”

Hero walked toward Ramses' bedroom, but before closing the door, he glanced back at her.

She was staring at the floor, brows knitted together, as if the simplest question in the world had become a problem she couldn't solve.

Though he wanted to squeeze some information from her, he chose not to. Alam niyang may tinatago ang dalaga. It was obvious. 

Well, everyone has secrets to hide. He said at the back of his mind. But he has no right to demand answers from her. Not when he was keeping secrets of his own.

Hero looked away first and quietly closed the door behind him.

VIVIAN SIGHED HEAVILY. Paano siya makakahanap ng trabaho kung wala siyang ni isa sa mga dokumentong nabanggit ni Hero. 

Can I just make a fake one? 

Napailing siya sa sarili niyang ideya. That’s illegal! Pero paano siya makakahanap ng trabaho, anong gagawin niya? Gano’n ba talaga ka hirap maghanap ng trabaho? 

When she was on her grandfather’s side, finding a job was not that hard. Hindi naman siya hinanapan ng kung ano-anong papeles. Isang tawag lang at may nakaabang na kaagad na bakanteng posisyon para sa kanya.

Napabuntong-hininga nalang siya. So this is what having no connections feels.

Nakaupo lamang siya sa sofa habang si Hero naman ay may pinagkakaabalahan sa loob ng kwarto ni Ramses. She didn’t bother to pry into whatever he’s doing.

Napasimangot nalang si Vivian habang nag-iisip ng paraan kung saan siya pwedeng magtrabaho. Yung hindi sana hinahanapan ng ID. 

Bakit ba kasi kailangan pa ng mga papeles o kung ano pang mga dokumento. Isn't it skills that’s important? Can't I just prove to them that I am competent even without those identification cards and documents?

She has skills, she’s sure of that. She had spent years learning beside her grandfather. She knows how businesses work. She has experience in managing large corporations. 

Kaya niya din namang magtrabaho sa ilalim ng araw. She’s a fast learner. Isn't that what matters?

Vivian stared blankly at the floor. Paano ba mag-apply ng trabaho? She had absolutely no idea how to do that. She had never experienced applying for a job the way ordinary people did.

HERO HAD AN emergency call from his company. Nagpatawag daw ang board members ng biglaang meeting. Sa halip na kabahan ay hinanda niya nalang ang kanyang sarili. 

If they already found out about the losses, so be it. He’ll take responsibility. After all, there’s no one else to blame. For months, he had neglected board meetings, postponed negotiations, and left most of the company’s affairs to his executives. All because he was distracted and couldn’t focus on his duties.

Malalim siyang napabuntong-hininga at napahilot sa kanyang sentido. 

My father would be really disappointed in me. He trusted him with the company and believed he was ready, but lately… he’s not sure anymore. 

He then wore simple and formal clothing, tucked in his white button-down shirt paired with a straight fit gray chinos. Lumabas siya sa kwarto ni Ramses at natagpuan ang dalagang nagbabasa ng libro. 

Tumikhim siya para kunin ang atensyon nito. Nang mag-angat ito ng tingin sa kanya ay kaagad siyang nagsalita. 

“You’re coming with me,” aniya sa babae. Before Vivian could protest or ask, he added. “Be ready in ten minutes, I’ll be waiting here.” 

He can see how she wanted to ask but instead, she closed her mouth and just nodded. 

When she left the living room, he let out a heavy sigh and massaged his temple. Pabagsak siyang umupo sa sofa. Sumasakit na ang ulo niya sa lahat ng problemang dumarating sa kanya. Being bestowed with a huge responsibility is a big pain in the ass. 

He has to meet everyone’s expectations since he just obtained that position because of his father. Hindi niya naman talaga ito pinaghirapan. Thinking of that, he’s starting to remember Vivian’s words. 

"CEO," he muttered.

The title still sounded borrowed.

He shook his head, trying to get those thoughts away from his mind.  

“I’m ready!” That was Vivian’s voice, pulling him back from his thoughts.

He looked up and saw her smiling at him. 

She’s wearing a simple white sheath dress, paired with nude flats. He scanned her from head to toe. She holds this kind of intimidating but elegant aura. The way she carried herself, the way she spoke, even the way she stood, there was refinement in every little movement. He knows she’s a well educated woman.

Her face… “Are you wearing makeup?” he asked as he stood up and went closer to her. 

He went up close to stare at her face. There’s something about her looks that he couldn't quite place. Nang matitigan na niya ito ng malapitan, he finally understood.

Her features were striking. Her skin was almost flawless. Not the kind achieved by expensive skincare, but the kind of complexion of someone who had always taken good care of herself. Hindi ito ‘yong tipong sanay sa trabaho o gawaing bahay. Yet she said she could do cleaning stuff as her job.

She didn't look like someone who had spent her life doing household chores. If anything, she looked like someone people worked for, not the other way around.

She has this natural elegance. Not the elegance money could buy overnight, but the kind that came from growing up in a completely different world.

Her face could easily belong on magazine covers or luxury brand advertisements.

He found himself nodding almost unconsciously, as if confirming a suspicion he couldn't quite explain.

Vivian’s eyes widened as she stepped backward, starting to get conscious on the way he stared at her. She let out a nervous laugh. “Just sunscreen and powder. Why?” 

Hero blinked, finally realizing how closely he had been staring. and noticed how he made her feel uncomfortable. “Sorry,” he apologized, taking a step back to give her space.

He turned away and took his keys but before walking out, he glanced back at her. 

“You look nice, by the way.” He did not wait for her response. By the time Vivian recovered from her flustered state, he was already outside the unit.