Chapter 4: Back in the Philippines

“Yes! Wherever Mommy goes, I’ll follow!” Brent’s joyful shout filled the air as he bounced up and down, his excitement palpable.

Rosa watched her son with pure delight as he spun and leaped around in front of her. Every time she saw him, her heart brimmed with happiness, and whatever burdens she carried seemed to momentarily disappear.

Since the day he was born nearly four years ago, Brent had been her beacon of hope and her strongest motivation. With his angelic face, kind heart, and bright personality, he easily charmed everyone he met.

People often praised Rosa for raising him so well, but deep down, she always felt that her efforts were lacking—especially because Brent had grown up without knowing any family aside from her, or even his father.

What surprised her most was that he had never once asked about his father. But Rosa knew the question would come one day, likely when she least expected it. That’s why she had already prepared herself to tell him the truth when the time came.

“Alright, sweetie, let’s go pack now. We’re flying tomorrow afternoon, and you wouldn’t want to miss our flight, right?” She playfully pinched his chubby cheeks before pulling him into a hug.

“Y-yes, Mommy,” Brent replied, his voice muffled as she smothered him affectionately.

Rosa released him, laughing, and he ran off to his room, where he began slowly packing his small clothes into a suitcase. She leaned against the doorframe, watching him with a bittersweet smile.

If her father hadn’t disowned her, she wouldn’t have been forced to leave the country in the first place. She’d be living a peaceful life abroad instead of constantly fighting to stay afloat.

While there were times she missed the warmth and familiarity of her old family mansion—and even the people in it—those memories were always tainted by the betrayal of her sister and her father’s refusal to hear her side of the story.

Anger often followed that sorrow.

After giving birth overseas, Rosa had decided not to inform anyone from her family about her child. Now, however, work had brought her back to the Philippines, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she crossed paths with her estranged relatives.

After all, the world was small, and they had spent years living under the same roof.

+++++

Three days later, Rosa and Brent arrived at the international airport, pulling their luggage behind them. Brent sat quietly beside her in the waiting area, sipping from a juice box while slowly munching on a snack.

Rosa reached for her phone to book a taxi when two tall men in suits approached her. Their polished leather shoes and imposing demeanor immediately told her who had sent them.

“Miss Rosa,” one of the men on the left began politely, “we’ve been sent by Madame X to escort you. The car is ready outside, and you don’t need to worry about accommodation or expenses.”

Rosa met his gaze firmly and replied, “Thank you, but I have to decline. Please let your Madame know that I appreciate her gesture, but my son and I are fine on our own.”

“Miss,” the other man interjected, pulling out a red envelope, “she wishes to meet you in person.”

Rosa hesitated but eventually accepted the envelope. Flipping it over, she saw an address and a time written neatly on the back. While she could sense Madame X’s genuine kindness and sincerity, Rosa was determined not to accept charity. She had always believed in standing on her own two feet, no matter how difficult the circumstances.

“Look, please tell her—again—that I cannot accept any of this. My mother saved her life long ago, and that debt was repaid a long time ago. There’s no need for anything more.” Rosa grabbed her luggage, took Brent by the hand, and began walking toward the exit.

As the two men watched her leave, the one on the left pulled out his phone and made a call. “Madame, Miss Rosa has refused our offer.”

+++++

Outside the airport, Rosa was greeted by the stifling heat of the Philippine afternoon. Despite the discomfort, she found herself strangely nostalgic for the familiar warmth.

A line of three sleek black Rolls-Royce cars stood parked nearby, their engines humming softly.

In the second car, Trojack Yddro sat scrolling through his phone when he overheard the message over the radio: the woman they had been waiting for had refused the pick-up.

Curious, he looked up and out of the tinted window, catching sight of a woman dressed in a simple white shirt and jeans. Her long hair was tied back, revealing her radiant face.

But his attention quickly shifted to the little boy walking beside her—a child about four or five years old, wearing a gray shirt and shorts. The boy sipped from a juice box, his eyes wide with wonder as he took in the sights around him.

A faint smile tugged at Trojack’s lips as he observed the boy. There was an undeniable cuteness about him, and his innocence seemed to shine brightly even from afar. Trojack’s chest stirred with a strange warmth, and his curiosity deepened.

“Who is that boy?” he asked his driver.

“I’m not sure, sir,” the driver replied, glancing briefly at the child. “But it seems like they hold some importance to your family.”

Trojack frowned slightly. Is she already married?

If so, perhaps he didn’t need to follow through with his grandmother’s demands to marry Rosa. That would give him more time to focus on the one woman who had consumed his thoughts for years—the girl from Room 808.

He resolved to find out more, his mind already working on how he could win over both Rosa and his grandmother. Whatever it took, he would make sure the woman he was obsessed with became an undeniable part of his life.