Chapter 3

Anastasia’s POV

I adjusted my oversized sunglasses before pushing open the heavy glass doors of ‘AURA NOIR’, the jewelry boutique Kate and I built from the ground up. The familiar scent of white tea, polished mahogany, and high-end elegance greeted me, but for the first time in years, it brought me zero comfort.

Sinubukan kong maglakad nang diretso, pretending that my knees weren't trembling, that my throat didn't burn from crying all night in my car. But the moment I reached my glass-walled private office, I collapsed onto my leather swivel chair, throwing my designer bag haphazardly onto the desk.

"Late night?"

I flinched as the door clicked open. Kate walked in, holding two cups of iced Americano. She took one look at me, set the coffee down, and walked straight toward my desk. Before I could stop her, she reached out and pulled the sunglasses off my face.

"Woah," she gasped, her eyes widening in genuine concern. "Ana, anong nangyari sa’yo? Parang pinagsabungan 'yang mata mo. You look like you haven't slept a wink."

Napaiwas ako ng tingin at agad kong kinuha ang mirror compact sa desk ko. God, I looked like a mess. Swollen lids, bloodshot eyes, and a pale face that even my highest-coverage concealer couldn't fully mask.

"I'm fine, Kate," I lied, my voice slightly raspy. "I... I just put in an all-nighter."

"An all-nighter?" Kate raised an eyebrow, leaning against the edge of my desk with her arms crossed. "Doing what? Crying your eyes out?"

"No! Of course not," mabilis kong sabi. I swallowed hard, trying to force a neutral tone into my voice. "Nag-overtime ako sa pag-draft ng new designs for the upcoming fall line. High-strung lang ako lately. You know how important this collection is. Ayoko lang mag-lag sa timeline."

Kate stared at me for a long, grueling moment, searching my face for any slip-up. I kept my chin up, praying she wouldn't push further. How could I possibly tell her the truth? How could I explain that I spent the night breaking my own heart, ending a two-year-long dirty, passionate affair with my baby boy? A paid male escort who had somehow managed to crawl under my skin and tear down every wall I built around my heart?

She didn't know about him. No one did. To the world, I was Anastasia, the ruthless, pristine businesswoman, the unbothered wife of a wealthy man who didn't give a damn about her broken marriage. Kapag nalaman ng kaibigan ko na may gusto ako sa kinuha kong exclusive boy toy, iisipin niyang nawawalan na ako sa katinuan, and maybe I had.

"Ana, workaholic ka, alam ko 'yon. But you need to take care of yourself," bumuntong-hininga siya, her voice softening. She pushed one of the iced coffees toward me. "Hindi mo kailangang patayin ang sarili mo sa trabaho."

"I know," I murmured, taking a slow sip of the cold liquid. "Salamat, Kate. Promise, babawi ako ng tulog mamaya."

"You better. Kasi kung hindi, ako mismo ang magla-lock sa'yo sa kwarto mo," she gave me a gentle smile before checking her tablet. "Anyway, the sapphire shipment from Bangkok just arrived. Inspect natin mamaya."

"Sure. Give me thirty minutes, susunod ako sa vault."

Once Kate left, I leaned back and closed my eyes, letting the silence swallow me. My mind traitorously drifted back to last night. To the warmth of his skin, the dark hunger in his eyes, and the absolute tenderness of his hands. “Do you not love me?” His voice echoed in my head, ripping through me all over again.

“I do…” sabi ko sa aking sarili while clutching my chest dahil nararamdaman ko ang isang dull ache na bumabalot dito. “God help me, I do. But you deserve a real life, baby boy. Not a shadow of mine.”

Para mawala sa isip ko ang lalaking ‘yon, nilunod ko ang aking sarili sa trabaho. I checked every single loose gemstone, revised three different custom engagement ring sketches, signed supplier contracts, and nag-conduct pa ako ng emergency floor meeting with our sales associates. I filled every second of my day with noise, numbers, and sparkles, desperate to leave no room for my thoughts to wander.