Chapter 4

Pagkatapos ng hapunan, dumiretso si Eloise sa hardin na nasa likod ng bahay. Hindi na siya nagpaalam, kailangan lang talaga niya ng hangin. Her chest felt tight, as if every glance from Elias during dinner had been a weight pressing down on her ribs.

The moment she stepped out, malamig ang simoy ng hangin, pero hindi iyon sapat para mapawi ang tensyon sa katawan niya.

The garden was beautiful—manicured hedges, white stone paths, and lantern lights flickering like fireflies. Pero kahit gaano ito katahimik, hindi rin iyon naging sapat para pakalmahin siya.

Because she could still feel it.

The eyes.

She didn’t even need to turn around to know he had followed. Ramdam na niyang susunod ang taong dahilan kung ba’t siya naroon.

At hindi nga siya nagkamali.

“I figured I’d find you here,” Elias said, voice too smooth, too casual. May dala-dala itong isang baso ng brandy. Lumapit ito na para bang wala siyang tinatago, pero sa likod ng magaan nitong ngiti, Eloise could feel the sharpness.

“So...girlfriend ka ni Estevan?” kaswal ang tanong, pero may dating.

“Mm-hmm.” Tumango lang siya ng bahagya at muling tiningnan ang koi pond sa gilid, pretending she wasn’t startled. Pretending she wasn’t preparing herself.

“You seem different.”

“How so?”

“Just… different. Not the usual type.”

She shrugged. “Maybe that’s why it works.”

Ngumiti ito pero hindi umabot sa mga mata.

He took a slow sip of his drink, then leaned slightly against the pillar. “You know,” he said, almost like a whisper, “people around here don’t always come as they seem.”

Eloise gave him a sideways glance. “Are you talking about me, or yourself?”

He chuckled, but didn’t answer. And somehow, that silence said more than any response could.

“How long have you two been together?” tanong ni Elias, tone too polite to be harmless.

“Not that long,” she said, short but firm.

He smiled. “And how did you meet again?”

Here it comes.

She repeated the version she and Estevan had agreed on. “He once went in my cafe to buy a coffee."

Hindi niya ipinakitang kabisado niya ang linya. Pero sa loob-loob niya, lumalakas na ang tibok ng puso niya. Her palms started to sweat, though the air was cold.

Elias tilted his head, almost like he was studying her. "What do you see in my brother?”

Hindi siya agad sumagot. Sinusubukan niyang hayaan itong magsalita pa at mag isip ng kung ano-ano.

“Estevan isn’t exactly the easiest man to be with,” he added. “A little…difficult, don’t you think?”

“I like difficult,” sagot niya, trying to steady her tone.

“Do you?” His smile widened, but his eyes narrowed. “That’s good to know.”

Hindi niya alam kung bakit, pero bawat tanong nito, kahit gaano kasimple, ay parang may nakatagong ibang layunin. And every time she answered, she felt like she was being measured. Or worse—anticipated.

They stood there for a few more moments, the silence between them buzzing with something unspoken. And then Elias gave a small nod. “Well then. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

At iniwan siya sa ilalim ng mahina at malamig na ilaw ng hardin, the echo of his footsteps fading behind her. Ngunit kahit wala na ito sa paligid, nanatili pa rin ang kilabot.

She took a shaky breath, arms wrapping around herself as if to shield from something deeper than cold.

That’s when another voice reached her.

“You held up better than I expected.”

Mabilis siyang napalingon. Estevan.

Nakatayo ito sa lilim ng isang puno, his arms were crossed, and his expression was unreadable.

“Were you watching me?” she asked, trying to sound annoyed, pero alam niyang halatang may bahid ng kaba ang boses niya.

“Elias isn’t just charming for show,” sagot ni Estevan. “He doesn’t ask unless he’s digging for something.”

“And you think I said something wrong?”

“No,” he said calmly, stepping closer. “But he already suspects something. That’s how he operates. He pokes and waits for the cracks.”

“You two don’t get along, do you?” tanong niya, halos pabulong.

Estevan didn’t answer right away. His jaw clenched. Then, quietly, “Let’s just say...I know the games he plays.”

She looked at him, eyes shadowed by the garden lights, his face was calm but guarded. And in that moment, she realized something.

They were both watching each other. Both were trying to figure out how much they could trust the other.

And yet here they were, still playing the part.

“You brought me here,” Eloise murmured. “You threw me into the fire.”

“I didn’t throw you,” sagot ni Estevan. “I brought you to see who’s already burning.”

For a second, neither of them spoke. The wind rustled through the hedges, and the koi pond made soft ripples beside them.

Eloise stared at him. “You didn’t warn me. You didn’t even tell me I’d be meeting your entire family.”

Estevan stepped closer, voice low. “Because warning you wouldn’t have changed a thing. He would’ve sniffed you out no matter what. Better to let it play out.”

“You used me as bait,” she said bitterly.

“I gave you a role,” he countered. “And you played it well. Now we both know what he’s sniffing around for.”

“You said this was a game, but you didn’t say it was war.”

Estevan met her eyes. “It is. You just didn’t know what kind of battlefield you were stepping into.”

Silence fell again. This time heavier.

And then he added, softer this time, “But I didn’t bring you here to hurt you, Eloise. I brought you here because I need someone who can stand the heat.”

Umiwas siya ng tingin, hindi alam kung ano’ng mararamdaman sa sinabi ng binata.

“Next time,” she said, chin raised slightly, “don’t throw me in blind.”

Estevan smirked faintly, the first real expression since dinner. “Next time, you’ll be ready.”

And just like that, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the estate.

Eloise stayed still.

All she knew was that after tonight, nothing about this deal felt simple anymore.