2 - Settle

VERENA CIELLE LEE

“Excuse me?” I spat, eyes narrowing like daggers. “Mukha naman kasing kapalit-palit ‘yang pagmumukha mo! No wonder your boyfriend kissed me. Mas maganda kasi ako sa’yo!”

There it is. Full name, full power. I am Verena Cielle Lee. I don’t run from fights—I set them on fire and walk through the smoke in heels.

Muli ako nakarinig ng mga pagsinghap sa paligid The bystanders ate it up like it was prime-time television.

She went red—faced with anger or embarrassment, at wala akong pakialam. She made the first move, and now she’s choking on the consequences.

“Oh, and by the way,” I added with a mocking smile, “next time you get cheated on, aim your claws at your man’s wandering mouth. Not at the girl he begged to kiss.”

I flipped my hair—well, what’s left of it from her grip and smirked. “Blaming the other woman won’t make you prettier, darling. Nor smarter.”

At dahil parehong matigas ang mga bungo naming dalawa, they took us to the police station. Kasama ang boyfriend niyang puno’t dulo ng lahat ng kaguluhang ito.

“Miss Cielle, ayaw sagutin ng daddy mo ang tawag,” kinakabahang wika ni Reina, ang assistant ko habang mahigpit ang hawak sa cellphone niya. She’s sympathetically looking at me.

My gosh! I hate that stare!

Gustong-gustong makipag-areglo ng dalawa, but not that dumb to settle things that easily. 

Natamo ako ng mga daplis sa balat ko, nagkapasa rin. And now what? They want to settle? No. Not until they talk to my lawyer.

Binalingan ko ng tingin ang dalawa. The woman is bowing her head, avoiding my gaze, while her hands are shaking.

And the man looked at me apologetically. As if maawa ako sa tingin niyang ‘yon. Really? Gano’n na lang? A look of pity? He’s the reason why I’m in this mess! The reason why my dress is ripped, my heels are broken, and my hair—don’t even get me started. 

Reina scratched her nape awkwardly at my command, her eyes darting to the side, avoiding mine entirely. Mas lalong kumunot ang noo ko. Something was off.

Just like that wretched woman kanina who dared to raise her hand at me, Reina couldn’t even meet my gaze. Guilt was written all over her face. And I knew my assistant better—she only looked like that when she was hiding something.

Tila kumulo ang dugo ko sa ginawa niya. I could feel it—boiling beneath my skin.

“Don’t tell me…”

Hindi ko na natapos ang sasabihin ko. Tumango si Reina, mahina, waring nagdadalawang-isip pa kung dapat ba niya akong sabihan ng totoo.

Napamura ako nang malakas sa inis. “Fvk,”

Even my lawyer? Maging siya, pinaalis ni Daddy? He’s trying to isolate me, isn’t he? Strip me of every ounce of defense I have left. Fvk. Does he want to put his daughter in jail? For what? For defending myself? Wala naman akong kasalanan!

I grabbed my phone from my purse and dialed his number with shaking fingers, but my heart was ice cold. Isang ring pa lang—pinatay na niya agad. Dmn you, Rouge!

Napakagat ako sa ilalim ng labi ko habang muling nagtangis ang panga ko. Not from pain this time, but from the way that man dismissed me—again. But I refused to back down. I wasn't raised to surrender, especially not to cowards who hid behind silence.

“Why don’t you just settle, Miss?” wika ng lalaki, his tone oozing impatience, like he was the one inconvenienced.

I slowly turned to face him and smirked. A dark one.

My eyes gleamed with something far from fear—it was fire. My fury twisted into something far more dangerous: thrill. My spine straightened, chin raised. I saw the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

“Do you realize who I am?”

Hinila ng babae ang braso ng lalaki, clearly trying to stop him from digging his grave deeper. Maybe she realized it—maybe she’d finally connected the dots.

“Settle?” I chuckled, the sound sharp and chilling. “I have a photoshoot tomorrow. That project alone pays me five million pesos for a single day.”

The man’s face paled slightly.

“And the day after tomorrow,” I continued, voice sweet and venomous, “I have an endorsement shoot. That deal? Six million.” I took a slow step forward, watching him shrink back unconsciously. “And next week, I’m walking the runway for a luxury fashion house. Ten million pesos, one night.”

I narrowed my eyes, lips curled in menace. “So you want to settle? Then pay me that amount. Cash. Right now. No checks, no installments. Hindi ako bangko.”

“Miss! Masyado naman—” the woman tried to appeal, but I raised a hand, silencing her with a single commanding gesture.

“Masyado?” My voice dropped, dangerously calm. “You’ve just destroyed my skin, woman. Do you even know how much this face is insured for?” I stepped closer, pinning her with a glare. “You think I’ll settle just like that—after what you did?”

I leaned forward slightly, lowering my voice to a venomous whisper. “You’re lucky I’m giving you the option to settle. If not, I’ll see you both in court—and trust me, your pockets won’t survive that war.”

“Kasalanan mo naman talaga, ha! Kung hindi mo lang hinalikan ang boyfriend ko, hindi tayo aabot sa ganito!” she snapped, her voice rising as if courage would save her now. May kaunting kumpiyansa sa tono niya, pero hindi niya maitatago ang panginginig ng mata. Her eyes—they won’t lie. She was bluffing. And she knew it.

Once again, I let out a low, dark chuckle that sent chills through the room.

“He kissed me, lady,” I said with venom-laced calm. “I simply returned the favor.” I tilted my head slightly, watching her crumble with every word. “And from what I remember… your man didn’t exactly hate it.” I paused, letting the moment thicken with tension.

“If anything…” I leaned back slightly, casting a smug glance toward the man whose face had gone ghost-white. “His naughty little hands found their way up to my breast… and even gave it a good squeeze.”

I let out a mock gasp and spun slightly toward the police officer nearby, my lips curling into a wickedly amused smile. “Ow,” I said, gently brushing my chest for dramatic effect. “Sir, can I file a case about that one, too? Sexual harassment in public? Or maybe assault? You pick.”

Isang nakakabinging katahimikan ang namayani sa loob ng presinto. The woman looked ready to lunge again, but the officers were more alert now. And the man? He couldn’t even look me in the eye.

They messed with the wrong woman. 

Just as I was about to call Rouge’s number again—planning to beg him to get me out of this mess—the door opened, and someone walked in with a familiar scowl on his face.

Napakagat ako sa loob ng pisngi ko nang makita kung sino iyon. My lips curled into a playful smile.

Rouge.

Naka-gray cotton robe lang siya na bahagyang nakabukas, revealing his silk gray pajamas underneath. 

He was wearing those soft house slippers I always teased him about. Basa pa ang buhok niya, medyo magulo, and judging from the way he looked—halatang kakalabas lang niya ng banyo at dumiretso agad dito.

I glanced down at my phone and blinked. “You—”

He already answered the call.

“Don’t you know how to wait?” he said, his voice low and lazy, as if he just rolled out of bed but didn’t miss a single detail about what was going on.

My gaze raked over his face. The audacity of a man who looked like sin in a bathrobe. 

His thick, clean-cut brows were drawn in a subtle furrow, sharp and precise. And yet, his eyes, those godforsaken icy eyes, bore into me with nothing but cold detachment. No trace of worry. No hint of softness. Just frost.

Makakapal ang pilik-mata niya—bastos sa kapal. Minsan naiinggit ako, kasi kahit hindi siya mag-effort, mukhang may filter. His nose was straight and sharp, and his lips—damn those lips—rosy and perfectly shaped. The kind you want to slap and kiss in the same breath.

Chiseled jawline, taut and clenched. Broad shoulders framed by the gray robe he wore like a prince in exile, and he towered at what—6’3? Maybe more if you count the arrogance.

I raised a brow at him. “Don’t you know how to put on real clothes before barging into a police station?”

He shrugged, maddeningly casual, as he ran a hand through his still-wet hair, each strand falling into place like it was choreographed by the gods of seduction. “You called. I came.”

Simple. Effortless. As if my life wasn’t currently a raging dumpster fire with flashing lights, police reports, and ego bruises.

And maybe… with Rouge—it always was that easy.

Napaismid ako. “How noble of you. Next time, bring pants. And a less judgmental face.”

His lip quirked. Just a little. “Noted.” He looked me up and down with that slow, assessing stare that made me want to slap him and melt into him at the same time.

Then came the inevitable.

“What did you do this time, Verena Cielle?”

Ah, there it is—the signature Rouge tone: bored, irritated, and mildly entertained.