Chapter 6

Madison stared into her coffee cup, the swirls of cream and espresso echoing the confusion in her head. The soft lighting of the roadside café, the distant hum of a ballad playing from the speakers, and the occasional clink of cups felt too intimate. Too quiet. Like the world had slowed down just for them.

Sebastian didn’t push. He just sat there across from her, sipping his coffee slowly, watching her with that frustratingly unreadable expression. For once, the intensity in his eyes wasn’t intimidating—it was patient. Steady. It made her heart beat louder than she wanted it to.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Madison admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Sebastian replied. “Not until you’re ready.”

“But you’re still here,” she said, lifting her gaze to meet his. “Waiting.”

He smiled faintly. “You said you’re not sure about what you want anymore. That’s okay. I can wait. I just don’t want you to run away from it just because it’s complicated.”

She let out a breath, biting her lower lip. “It’s more than complicated. This could ruin my job. My reputation. Your reputation. And I’m not the type of girl who wants to be known as the CEO’s... whatever.”

Sebastian didn’t flinch. “You wouldn’t be just anything to me.”

Madison looked away, unsure how to respond to that. The way he said it—quiet, sincere—made her chest ache a little.

The waiter came over to refill their cups, breaking the moment. Madison thanked him softly, then wrapped her hands around her mug again like it could somehow anchor her to reality.

She took a sip, letting the warmth settle her nerves.

“Have you always been this... persistent?” she asked after a long silence.

Sebastian chuckled. “Only when it matters.”

Madison gave him a side-eye, trying not to smile. “You’re really not making this easy.”

“I’m not trying to,” he said, more serious now. “I know this is messy. But I also know what I felt that night wasn’t one-sided.”

Her stomach flipped.

“Maybe it was just the alcohol,” she said, more to convince herself than him.

“You weren’t drunk,” he said quietly. “Neither was I.”

Silence stretched between them again. The kind filled with questions neither of them had the courage to ask yet.

After a while, Madison sighed. “I think I need time.”

Sebastian nodded. “Take all the time you need.”

The drive back to Manila was quiet, but the tension had changed. It wasn’t suffocating anymore—it was softer. Charged, yes, but no longer unbearable.

When Sebastian dropped her off at her apartment building, he didn’t try anything. No lingering stares, no sudden confessions. Just a simple “Goodnight, Madison,” before driving off.

Madison stood at the curb for a long while after the SUV disappeared down the road, heart thudding as she tried to make sense of everything.

Monday came with its usual chaos. Back-to-back meetings, client emails, and a presentation she barely had time to prepare. Madison buried herself in work, grateful for the distractions. She kept things strictly professional—no lingering eye contact, no stolen glances.

But Sebastian was always there. Present, composed, utterly professional... and yet somehow always aware of her.

It was maddening.

Even more maddening was the fact that her body betrayed her every time he entered a room—her pulse jumped, her breath hitched, her thoughts scrambled.

She hated it. And yet, she didn’t.

Later that week, her team was invited to a formal dinner hosted by one of their major partners. It was one of those high-stakes networking events Madison usually excelled at—polished, pleasant, full of small talk and careful charm.

She wore a sleek navy dress, minimal makeup, and heels that made her feel like she could take on the world. For a while, everything went smoothly. She mingled, laughed, even scored a possible lead for their next campaign.

But then Sebastian walked in.

Dressed in a tailored black suit, with a calm presence that seemed to command the room, he immediately drew attention. Madison saw the way people turned, how eyes followed him, how a few whispered behind their champagne flutes.

She straightened, forcing herself not to react.

They didn’t speak most of the night, though she felt his presence like a gravitational pull. During dinner, they ended up seated at the same table—of course—and though they didn’t exchange more than a few polite words, their proximity was enough to rattle her.

After dinner, she stepped out onto the balcony for air. The night was cool, the city lights stretching out like a sea of stars. She exhaled, letting the wind cool her cheeks.

“Beautiful view,” came a voice behind her.

Madison didn’t have to turn to know it was him.

“I needed a break,” she said instead.

Sebastian stepped beside her, not too close, but not far either. “I get that. These events can be exhausting.”

She nodded, eyes still on the skyline.

They stood in silence for a moment before he said softly, “I wasn’t going to come over. But you looked like you needed air... and I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Madison closed her eyes for a beat. “You make it hard to keep things professional.”

“I know,” he said. “But I’m not trying to complicate your life. I’m just trying to be honest with how I feel.”

She finally turned to face him, her expression unreadable. “And what do you feel?”

He held her gaze, steady and unwavering. “I feel like I met someone who surprised me. Someone who challenges me. And it’s not something I can ignore.”

Madison’s throat tightened. “I don’t want to be your regret.”

“You won’t be,” he said instantly.

Her chest ached at the certainty in his voice.

“I’m scared,” she admitted.

“I am, too,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean we have to run from it.”

She looked at him for a long time, as if trying to find the catch—the red flag, the warning sign. But all she saw was a man being honest.

Madison didn’t say anything more. Instead, she turned back to the city lights, heart pounding. She wasn’t ready to leap—but maybe, just maybe, she was ready to step closer to the edge.

The next few days blurred into a strange rhythm—work, reports, coffee runs. Glances exchanged in the hall. Lingering looks in meetings. Brief touches when passing documents. Nothing anyone else would notice, but to Madison, it felt like electricity crackled between them every time they were in the same room.

Then came the text.

From: Sebastian

I’m heading to a site visit in Tagaytay tomorrow. If you're free, I'd like you to come along. Just you. Let me know.

Madison stared at it for a long time.

She didn’t have to say yes.

But she did.

They left early the next morning. The drive was quiet at first, the foggy roads winding through lush greenery. But this time, the silence wasn’t awkward. It was... calm.

When they reached the site—a developing resort property overlooking the cliffs—Madison was struck by the view. The lake shimmered below, clouds rolling gently over the hills. It was breathtaking.

After the tour, they sat on a bench near the edge, sipping coffee from a small kiosk nearby.

Sebastian spoke first. “This place... I’ve always wanted to build something here. Not just a project. Something lasting.”

Madison glanced at him. “You think in legacy terms, huh?”

He smiled. “You don’t?”

“I don’t know. I’ve always just been trying to survive. Pay the bills. Make my parents proud. I don’t think I ever stopped to wonder what kind of legacy I want to leave.”

“You should,” he said quietly. “You deserve more than just surviving.”

She looked at him, and for a moment, the world felt too quiet. Too fragile.

“Do you see me, Madison?” he asked softly. “Beyond the money. Beyond the position.”

Her breath caught.

“I see you,” she whispered.

He reached out, slow and careful, taking her hand. His grip was warm. Solid.

“And I see you,” he said.

And in that moment—high above the world, surrounded by clouds and coffee steam—something shifted.

It wasn’t a declaration. It wasn’t a promise. But it was a beginning.

And maybe, that was enough.