Chapter 7

“PASENSYA NA, medyo natagalan.” Hero said as he stepped into his office. Vivian stood up from the couch and went near him.

“How was it?” She immediately asked. 

Hero shrugged and let out a sigh. “I’m still alive.” 

He loosened his tie before dropping onto the couch with a sigh that sounded far heavier than he intended. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

"So... I guess it went well.” Dagdag ng binata.

Vivian smiled faintly and sat beside him, leaving enough distance between them. She might not know what the meeting was all about, at least he’d gone through it. 

“I think you did good,” she might not know anything about running a corporation, but she understood the pressure. Whatever had happened inside that boardroom, she knew it hadn't been easy.

Hero laughed quietly. "You've got pretty low standards.”

“I don’t,” she shook her head. “I just know what pressure feels like.” 

That made him open his eyes. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Silence fell between them. But it wasn’t deafening or awkward. It was comforting.

Then Vivian spoke again, “I’m proud of you.” She absentmindedly said pero hindi na siya nag abalang bawiin iyon.

She rested her head at the back of the couch and looked at the ceiling. 

Hero turned his head and quietly looked at her. No one had told him those words in years. The last person who had was his mother, back when he was still a child.Somewhere along the way, I'm proud of you had been replaced by a lot of expectations. 

The boards wanted results. The executives wanted answers. 

His father never questioned his abilities. If anything, his father believed in him more than he believed in himself. But that faith came with responsibility. Being entrusted with an empire meant he had to prove, not to his parents, but to everyone else that he deserved to stand where he was.

Even his mother, who always smiled at him, carried silent expectations. They never pressured him with words. Their confidence in him was pressure enough.

But hearing those words from her…the weight on his shoulders felt just a little lighter.

A strange warmth bloomed in his chest, slowly climbing to his face before he even realized he was already smiling. 

“Ganyan ka ba mag-encourage ng tao?” He said, breaking a sudden silence. “Do I look that miserable for a moment?” Biro niya dito.

Vivian shrugged. “I think everyone deserves to hear it.”

Hero looked away, hiding another small smile.

“Thanks, I needed that.” Aniya sa mababang boses.

There was a long pause of silence before Hero spoke again. 

“Hey, do you wanna work here?” He suddenly asked, making her back straightened.

With eyes full of excitement and a wide smile, she faced and asked him. “Can I?”

Hero opened his eyes and glanced at her. He chuckled. Tinitigan niya ang mukha ng dalaga na puno ng pag-asa. She really wanted to work and earn something with her own hands. He silently shook his head with a subtle smile.

“Will you?” Pabalik nitong tanong. 

Vivian’s eyes glistened. “Of course, I will! I’m a very reliable employee, you can trust me, I can do everything you ask me to do with hard work and my skills.” 

Natatawang napailing nalang si Hero sa ulo niya. 

“But I don’t have documents…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.” Hero gently said with assurance. 

THE TWO OF THEM went to the nearest restaurant after Hero toured her around the company. Mukhang napagod ata ang dalaga kaya dinala niya ito sa malapit ng restaurant. 

“Anong gusto mong kainin? Or are you craving for something?” Hero asked the moment they stepped inside one of the city's most exclusive restaurants. “They serve Mexican, Italian, and Arabic dishes here.”

It was a seven-story restaurant owned by a Michelin-starred chef. Its elegant interior, soft lighting, and refined atmosphere made it clear that this wasn't the kind of place most people casually walked into.

Hero glanced at her. “Are you comfortable if we dine here?” tanong niya.

Vivian met his gaze and smiled before giving a small nod. “I'm okay.”

Hero found himself studying her for a brief moment.

She wasn't looking around in amazement. That was his first observation.

She even thanked the waiter with the kind of calm politeness people rarely noticed anymore. Nothing about her looked forced. She didn't seem impressed by luxury. She seemed... accustomed to it.

Kalmado at simple lang itong naglakad sa tabi niya, as if she had been to places like this before.

Another quiet question settled in Hero’s mind. Who really is she? Pero isang bagay lang ang nasisigurado niya, she came from a stable family. Whatever life Vivian had before, it certainly wasn't an ordinary one.

Curiosity lingered in Hero's mind. He wanted to know who Vivian really was. But come to think of it, he has no rights to invade her life and privacy. 

Napabuntong-hininga nalang si Hero at iginiya si Vivian sa kanilang upuan. Right after they sat down, the waiter came and handed them their menus.  

Napansin niyang bahagyang napasimangot ang dalaga habang binabasa ang bawat pahina ng menu.

This restaurant wasn't cheap. Even the appetizers started at two thousand pesos, while some of the premium dishes cost more than thirty thousand.

Dinala niya dito ng babae hindi para ipressure ito sa karangyaan at kamahalan ng mga presyo. It was simply the nearest restaurant to the company, and one he frequented whenever meetings ran late.

Still… hindi niya mapigilang obserbahan ang reaksyon ng dalaga.

But her expression remained calm as she quietly flipped through the menu, occasionally reading the descriptions as if she was deciding based on the food itself rather than the amount written beside it.

Hero rested his chin on one hand.

She's really used to places like this… The thought came to his mind almost effortlessly.

"What would the chef recommend today?" Vivian asked politely.

"The Wagyu tenderloin, ma'am."

"Sige, I'll have that.” She smiled politely. “With roasted asparagus on the side, if that’s alright.” 

The waiter nodded with a professional smile before turning to Hero.

Tinitigan niya muna ang babae ng ilang segundo bago tinapunan ng tingin ang waiter. “The usual please.” 

He stared at her for a moment. There wasn't even a hint of hesitation in her voice when she ordered. She hadn't even asked how much it cost.

Nang makaalis na ang waiter, nag-angat ng tingin ang dalaga sa kanya. “I’ll pay you back the very first time I got my salary.” 

Hero stared at her for a moment before a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Hindi naman kita sinisingil.” 

Vivian just gave him an awkward smile. “Basta, babayaran kita. Pangako 'yan.” 

Natatawang tumango nalang ang binata. Mukhang hindi niya mababago ang isip ng dalaga. She wanted independence that much, he let her that way.

The both of them ordered and shared their meals quietly. Paminsan-minsan ay nagtatanong ang dalaga tungkol sa trabaho na papasukan niya. He never told her what position she was going to be working. 

When they finished their meal, they stepped out of the building. 

“Basta ihanda mo nalang ang sarili mo. I’ll interview you myself,” sabi niya pagkalabas nila. 

Vivian nodded politely. “Yes, sir.” Sang-ayon nito at nagtatanong na tiningnan siya. “Ngayon na ba?” She asked, her eyes slightly widened. She let out a shaky chuckle. 

Hero silently shook his head at her reaction. “Kinakabahan ka?” 

Tumikhim ang dalaga at napasimangot. “Medyo?” 

Natatawang napailing si Hero sa reaksyon niya. “You were so confident a while ago.” 

Vivian scratched the back of her head. “Eh kasi…” 

Hero let out a short and deep chuckle. “Come on, let’s go back to the company first, and you’ll find out what position is waiting for you.”