Chapter 1

“You're late.”

Three words..Maikli. Walang sigaw. Walang emosyon. Pero sapat para magnerbyos at mapalunok si China habang nakatayo sa harap ng glass office ng pinaka-makapangyarihang lalaking nakilala niya sa buong buhay niya.  Si Gabriel Buenavista.

Noong una niyang marinig ang pangalan nito sa HR orientation, akala niya masyado lang exaggerated ang mga chika. Ruthless. Walang puso. Sinisisante ang employee over a wrong coffee. But now, standing in front of him, napagtanto niya—they didn’t exaggerate enough.

“Five minutes late,” dagdag pa ni Gabriel habang hindi man lang siya tiningnan. Busy pa rin ito sa pagpirma ng mga dokumentong parang ang bawat letra ay may kabayaran ng isang milyong dolyar. Tila binubusisi at walang puwang sa pagkakamaling may makaligtaang detalye.

“I’m sorry, sir,” mahinang sagot ni China, trying to steady her voice kahit na ang lakas ng kaba niya sa dibdib.

“Don’t be sorry. Be invisible.” At doon lang siya tumingin—diretso sa mga mata niya. Malamig. Matalim. Parang blade na pwedeng maghiwa ng kaluluwa.

Four weeks ago, hindi niya maalala kung paano siya napadpad dito. From being a struggling freelance writer to suddenly becoming the personal assistant to the Gabriel Buenavista. Desperation? Yes. Her mother is confined. Stressed by hospital bills? Absolutely.

Hindi niya rin maintindihan kung bakit siya natanggap. May limang Ateneo graduates na nag-aagawan sa posisyon. Lahat fluent sa apat na wika. Lahat may karanasan. Si China? Wala. Pero nung nakita siya ni Gabriel sa final interview, tumahimik lang ito, tapos nagtanong:

“Do you lie?”

“Only when I need to protect someone.”

Tumango lang ito, hindi man niya pinansin ang taning na iyon.binakewala as if not a big deal at all tapos kinabukasan—may kontrata na siya.

Weird.

Ang unang araw niya savtrabaho ay di niya lubos maisip. It  was a living nightmare. Epic-fail talaga.

"Coffee. Black. No sugar. No soul."

"Fire the florist. The orchids were trembling."

"Cancel my 3 PM. I need silence. You're interrupting it."

China survived that day with a blank face, aching heels, and a heart pounding like a drum. Pero the weirdest part? She wasn’t scared. She was... intrigued. Nawiwirdohan siya sa bago niyang boss. 

Every movement ni Gabriel ay calculated. Parang chess master. Pero minsan, nakikita niyang nakatulala ito sa bintana ng ilang segundo—parang may hinahanap na hindi niya mahanap. Parang topak na nakatulala.

At sa mga gabing overtime sila, doon niya naririnig ang mga bulong ng totoo: staff whispering about the scandal that broke Gabriel ten years ago. The betrayal. The woman who almost ruined his empire.

“He doesn’t trust anyone.”

“He doesn’t love. He owns.”

Isang araw, habang abala si China sa pag-aayos ng files, biglang tumunog ang intercom Gabriel’s voice—deep and unbothered.

“To my office. Now.”

Pagdating niya roon, walang introduction. Gabriel threw a tablet on the desk.

“Fix this.”

China blinked. “Sir?”

“The presentation. One hour. Boardroom. Impress me.”

Without another word, umalis ito. Naiwan si China, hawak ang tablet, and the biggest client pitch in Buenavista Corp history. Hindi siya marketing, hindi siya strategist, pero... she had one skill: she could read people. She could tell what someone wanted before they said it.

Her analytical intuitive was activated. So she rewrote the slides.She analyzed every bit of details.

She removed all the empty buzzwords. Made it sharp, human, direct. Took a risk.

Sa boardroom, walang nagsalita habang nakatayo si Gabriel sa harap, hawak ang tablet na nirevise niya. Five seconds in—he stopped reading.

“Who did this?”

Everyone looked at each other.

China stood. “I did, sir.”

Dead silence.

Then... a slow clap. From the CEO of another company.

“I like this version. It actually makes sense.”

Gabriel didn’t say a word. But when the meeting ended, at naglalakad na siya palabas, tinapik siya ni Gabriel sa balikat.

“Next time, don’t wait for my permission.”

That night, hindi siya makatulog. Not because she was scared—but because she saw something strange.

Sa reflection ng glass wall, nang akala niyang naka-uwi na ang lahat, nakita niya si Gabriel—nakatayo sa harap ng isang locked drawer. Binuksan nito, at may inilabas na photo frame.

A woman.

May luha sa mata ni Gabriel.

The Cold King... cried?

Makalipas ang isang linggo, doon na nagsimula ang pagbabagong hindi niya inasahan.

Si Gabriel nagsimula ng tumingin sa kanya sa ibang paraan. Hindi na lang boss-to-assistant. May mga sulyap na mas matagal. Mga utos na may halong pag-aalalang hindi halata. One time, may nagdeliver ng coffee na maling brand, at nagalit ito hindi sa barista—kundi sa security.

“Don’t let anyone touch her again.”

Her? Hindi ba dapat “the assistant”?

Sa elevator, minsan nagkakaroon sila ng stolen moments. Shoulder brushes. Silence charged with electricity. Pero walang humigit sa pagitan nila. Wala pang confession. Wala pang halik.

Hanggang sa dumating ang Ravenstone Summit.

Isang exclusive business conference sa isang private island sa Batanes. Gabriel was one of the keynote speakers. And China? First time niyang isasama sa isang business trip. Dahil daw she’s “efficient”. But everyone in the office saw through it.

“Si Ice King, may crush?!”

Pagdating nila sa island, parang ibang tao si Gabriel.

He wore white. He laughed once. He even offered her his jacket when it rained.

Sa isang gabi ng conference, may gala dinner. China wore a silver dress—one she borrowed from the stylist team. Gabriel couldn’t stop looking.

“You look... inconveniently stunning,” he murmured.

Sa garden, habang nagsasayawan ang mga elite guests, naiwan silang dalawa sa ilalim ng fairy lights. Tahimik. Malamig ang hangin. Parang may puwersang nagtutulak sa kanilang maglapit.

“Why do you stay?” tanong ni Gabriel bigla.

Chinalooked up. “Because I see something in you others don’t.”

“And what’s that?”

“A man who’s forgotten how to be loved.”

Boom.

Silence.

Then Gabriel leaned forward. Inches from her lips.

“Leave now, or I won’t stop.”

She didn’t move.

So he kissed her.

Fierce. Possessive. Desperate.

And she kissed back.

The next morning? Everything changed.

Hindi sila nag-usap buong flight pauwi. Pero pagkadating nila sa Manila, Gabriel gave her an envelope.

Inside: a marriage certificate.

China froze.

“What is this?”

“A choice,” sabi ni Gabriel habang nakatayo sa harap niya na parang businessman pa rin. “Marry me. Secretly. No press. No prenup. Just you and me.”

“Why?”

“Because I need you safe. And I don’t trust anyone else.”

“That's not love.”

Gabriel paused.

“It’s all I can give.”

China walked away.

But three days later, she came back. Holding the signed certificate.

“I’m not doing this for safety,” sabi niya. “I’m doing this because I think... you’re worth saving.”

They married in a private yacht. Walang testigo kundi ang abogado at ang buwan. Gabriel smiled—truly smiled—for the first time.

But as the wind blew that night, China had no idea what storm was about to follow.

Because Gabriel wasn’t the only one with secrets.

And someone—somewhere—just saw their wedding.

And took a photo.