Chapter 4 Step down

2:28 a.m.

The silence of the night was shattered by the shrill sound of a phone ringing.

Gabriel bolted upright, instantly alert.

He never got calls at this hour—unless someone was dying or a secret was exploding.

"Hello?"

“Sir, we have a situation,” the voice on the other end said. It was Jared, his most trusted bodyguard.

Gabriel s body tensed. “China?”

“She’s safe... but someone tried to break into her apartment.”

Nakuyom niya ang kanyam kamao. Halos mamuti ito at mawalan ng dugo.His blood ran cold. Tila sasabog siya sa galit.

Earlier that night…

China was half-asleep, curled under a light blanket on the couch of her temporary unit. She had chosen this small, quiet building far from the business district to avoid attention. The curtains were drawn. The lights dim.

She was trying to go unnoticed.

But someone noticed anyway.

A click.

A small creak.

The knob of her front door turned—once, twice—slow, deliberate, testing.

She held her breath. Heart racing. Dumagundong ang kaba sa kanyang dibdib.

Then a louder sound: metal against metal—someone was picking the lock.

Without thinking, she grabbed the kitchen knife and bolted into the bathroom, locking herself inside.

Her phone—forgotten on the dining table.

Trapped. Terrified. Powerless.

Until flashing red lights outside the window made the intruder vanish.

Now…

Gabriel stood in the hallway of the secured safe house he moved her to—an exclusive property under an alias, hidden even from Buenavista Corp’s registry.

China sat on the bed, arms crossed over her knees, eyes wide and bloodshot. She hadn't said a word since he arrived.

He slowly approached, kneeling in front of her. "You’re safe now."

“No, I’m not,” she said hoarsely. “You said hiding me would protect me. But they found me anyway.”

Gabriel clenched his jaw. “I’m handling it.”

“Your ‘handling’ almost got me killed.”

She stood, pacing.

“What if they came five minutes later? What if they had a gun? Gabriel, I almost—” She choked on her words. “I can’t do this if I’m just going to be your secret forever.” hindi niya mapigilang sabihin habang hilam ng luha ang kanyang mga mata 

He grabbed her hand. Hinuli nito ang kanyang mga mata at pinakatitigan siya nabpuni ng pagsusumamo,katapangan at pagmamahal-pagmamahal nga ba ang nasa mga matang nakatitig sa kanya ngayon?  “You’re not just my secret. You’re my life.”

“Then why don’t you act like it?” Mapait na sambit niya.Her voice echoed in the room. Angry. Broken.

Gabriel’s silence was heavier than any scream.

The next morning...

A press conference was being held at the lobby of Buenavista Corp. Gabriel, dressed in a steel gray suit, strode to the podium.

Reporters fell silent.

Flashes. Microphones. Eyes.

“I’m here today not as a CEO, but as a man protecting what matters most to him.”

He held up a photo.

Not a scandalous one—but a wedding picture.

China, in a simple white dress, barefoot on a boat. Him, smiling in a way no one had ever seen.

Gasps.

"My name is Gabriel Buenavista. And the woman the world has been speculating about? She’s not my mistress. She’s not my secret lover."

Pause.

"She is my wife."

The room exploded in chaos.

Reporters screamed questions.

“Since when?”

“Why hide it?”

“Is she pregnant?”

“Is this a PR stunt?”

Gabriel raised a hand.

“We married in secret to protect her from my enemies. But hiding her only placed her in more danger. From now on, I will no longer protect her in the shadows.”

Back at the safe house…

China watched the press conference from the TV, her hands shaking.

Tears welled in her eyes.Hindi siya makapaniwala.Hindi siya nananaginip.

He finally chose her. Publicly.

But at what cost?

A second later, her phone buzzed. Dozens of missed calls. Hundreds of messages.

Some sweet. Most venomous.

“Wife daw siya? Anong credentials niya?”

“From assistant to asawa? Gold digger spotted!”

“She’s ruining Buenavista Corp!”

Then another anonymous message came in.

“You should’ve stayed hidden. Now you’re a target with a price tag.”

Later that day…

At Buenavista Corp’s private intelligence division—yes, the company had one—Jared stormed into Gabriel s office.

“Sir, we have a trace.”

Gabriel stood. “Where?”

“An offshore hacker based in Macau sent that photo to the gossip site. But the real hit came from a backdoor access through Chiu Group’s shell company.”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “My father’s widow?”

“Yes. And there’s more.”

Jared tossed a file on the desk.

China's name was highlighted in red.

Every detail of her life was inside: address, school records, medical history, even a scanned diary entry from high school.

Gabriel s hands clenched into fists. “She’s digging into China to destroy her publicly.”

“She’s starting with a narrative: ‘social climber manipulates billionaire heir.’”

Gabriel snapped. Nakuyom niya ang kamao nuya sa ngitngit “Then let’s give her a war.”

Elsewhere…

In a luxurious estate hidden in the hills of Tagaytay, Paulina Buenavista, widow of the late Alfredo Buenavista, sipped wine while scrolling through the press photos.

Her manicured nails tapped the glass slowly.

“So she’s real,” she muttered.

Behind her, a man in a dark suit approached.

“Do we proceed?”

Paulina smiled wickedly. “Yes. Let’s remind Gabriel who truly built his empire… and what happens to those who dare claim a piece of it.”

Meanwhile…

Gabriel brought China back to the penthouse.

The entire floor was now guarded. Tech systems upgraded. No entry without triple verification.

But China no longer felt safe anywhere.

“I don’t want to be a burden,” she whispered.

Gabriel walked to her, cupping her face. Pinajatitigan siya sa mata ng buong damdamin at may paglalambing “You’re not a burden. You’re my vow.”

Napabunting hininga si China ng malalim. “But now, I’m your vulnerability. Everyone’s watching me. I can't even breathe without wondering if I'm being followed.”

Gabriel pulled her close na para bang gusto na lamang nuya itong ikulong sa mga bisig niya at doon manahan sa kanya “Then don’t run. Stay close. Fight beside me.”

She looked into his eyes. “Are you sure you’re not just trying to control the narrative?”

“I'm trying to protect the only woman I've ever wanted to live and die with.”

That silenced her.Wala na siyang nasabi pa.

Sa kalagitnaan ng gabi...

Gabriel was in his private study when the encrypted message arrived.

> “You have 72 hours. Step down as CEO, or your wife’s real past goes public.”

Attached: a blurry image from six years ago.

China—barely 18—arguing with a man outside a hotel. He looked older. Familiar.

Gabriel’s eyes widened. That man was linked to Paulina’s underground investments.

China didn’t know what was coming.

And now, he had 72 hours to either surrender… or declare war.