Chapter 5 — Shattered Glass Hearts

The Fracture Beneath the Mask

Isang linggo matapos ang engagement, magkasama na sina Celestine at Lysander sa Vale estate — isang tahimik na mansion overlooking the city.

Hindi ito romantic setup. It’s an agreement, plain and cold.

Tuwing gabi, halos di sila mag-usap.

Si Celestine abala sa trabaho, si Lysander naman sa mga business calls.

Pero sa mga sandaling tahimik, parang may kakaibang kuryente sa pagitan nila — a pull neither of them wants to name.

One night, bumuhos ang ulan.

Celestine came home from the newsroom, pagod, may bahid ng luha sa mukha na hindi niya inamin.

Pagsara niya ng pinto, nandoon si Lysander, tahimik, may hawak na wine glass.

“You missed dinner.”

“I wasn’t hungry,” sagot niya, habang hinuhubad ang heels.

He studied her quietly.

“You’ve been crying.”

“I wasn’t.”

“You were.”

Napa-upo siya sa gilid ng couch, parang biglang naubusan ng lakas.

“Do you ever get tired, Lysander?” bulong niya, halos hindi marinig.

“Of pretending you’re fine?”

Matagal bago siya sumagot.

“Every day.”

Doon na bumigay si Celestine.

Ang luha na kaninang pinipigilan, tuluyan nang bumuhos.

“I’m so tired…”

“I try so hard, but no matter what I do — I’m always wrong. I work, I behave, I follow — but they still look at me like I don’t belong.”

Hindi siya agad nilapitan ni Lysander.

Tahimik lang siya — pero ‘yung tahimik na may presensyang kalma.

Pagkatapos ng ilang sandali, marahan siyang lumapit, ibinaba ang wine, at inilagay ang coat niya sa balikat ni Celestine.

“Let them look,” sabi niya, mahina.

“People like them — they feed on your reaction. Stop giving them the pleasure.”

Celestine looked up at him, eyes swollen.

“Easy for you to say. You don’t have a family like mine.”

Lysander chuckled bitterly.

“No, I had worse.”

“What happened?”

He looked away.

“They sold my name. My trust. My heart. I built empires just to prove I didn’t need anyone.”

“But when the plane crashed three years ago…” — his jaw tightened — “no one came looking. Not one of them.”

Celestine looked at him, really looked — at the loneliness behind his walls.

“You pretend you’re untouchable,” sabi niya, mahinahon,

“but deep down, you’re just like me.”

Lysander met her gaze, eyes dark, softening just a little.

“Careful, Miss Alaric,” he whispered.

“You’re starting to sound like you care.”

“Maybe I do,” sagot niya, halos pabulong.

For a second, they were inches apart — no words, no armor.

But before either could say more, tumunog ang phone ni Celestine.

Callista.

She froze, wiped her tears.

“Duty calls,” she muttered, trying to stand.

“Be careful,” sabi ni Lysander. “People like your stepmother don’t call just to talk.”

The next morning, nasa Alaric Holdings HQ si Celestine.

Papasok pa lang siya sa boardroom, ramdam na niya ang tensyon — naroon sina Lucienne, Callista, at Leandro, kasama ang ilang investors.

“Well, look who decided to show up,” sabi ni Callista, nakatawa ng peke.

“How does it feel being the family’s charity case turned fiancée?”

“Don’t start,” sagot ni Celestine, pagod na.

“Oh, we’re just curious,” sabat ni Lucienne.

“You’ve suddenly become so important. Does Mr. Vale know you’re just an anchor pretending to be an heiress?”

Celestine clenched her jaw.

“You can insult me all you want, but at least I earn my place.”

“Earn?” singhal ni Callista.

“Please. You got engaged to a billionaire to save the company! That’s not earning — that’s selling yourself!”

The room fell silent.

Leandro didn’t even look up.

Celestine turned to him, eyes trembling.

“Dad,” she whispered,

“are you just going to stand there?”

Wala pa rin.

“Dad!”

Her voice broke.

“Anak mo rin ako! Bakit ka ba ganito sa’kin?

I’ve done everything to make you proud, pero bakit parang kasalanan kong mabuhay?”

Finally, Leandro looked at her — but not with love, only guilt.

“This isn’t the place, Celestine.”

She let out a bitter laugh, tears falling.

“Right. Because for you, there’s never a right place for me.”

Lumabas siya ng boardroom habang naiwan si Lucienne na nakangisi, whispering,

“Pathetic, just like her mother.”

Paglabas niya ng building, bumuhos ang ulan.

Walang payong, walang direksyon — naglakad lang siya, hanggang sa biglang huminto sa tabi ang itim na kotse ni Lysander.

Bumaba si Mr. Han, agad siyang inalalayan.

“Sir insisted I find you.”

Pagpasok niya sa kotse, nandoon si Lysander, tahimik.

Basang-basa si Celestine, nanginginig, at pinilit ngumiti.

"You really shouldn’t keep following me around.”

“You keep running into storms,” sagot niya. “Someone has to make sure you don’t drown.”

Hindi na siya sumagot. Tahimik lang silang dalawa habang bumabagsak ang ulan sa windshield.

Maya-maya, si Lysander ang nagsalita,

“Next time they try to break you, don’t let them see you cry.”

“You sound like you’ve practiced that line before.”

“I have,” sagot niya. “On myself.”

Celestine turned to look at him — and for the first time, nakita niya ‘yung tunay na Lysander Vale.

Hindi ang arrogant billionaire, hindi ang actor sa wheelchair — kundi ‘yung lalaking marunong masaktan.

“You’re not as heartless as you pretend to be,” sabi niya.

Ngumiti siya, at may lungkot sa mata.

“And you’re not as strong as you pretend, Celestine.”

She looked away, voice trembling.

“Maybe we both just got good at pretending.”

Lysander stared at her quietly — longer than he should’ve.

Then, softly:

“Maybe it’s time we stop.”

Pero bago pa siya makasagot, biglang nag-vibrate ang phone ni Lysander.

Message alert from an unknown number.

“You think she’s different? Wait ‘til she betrays you like the rest. —E.”

His hand tightened around the phone.

Celestine noticed the change in his face.

“What’s wrong?”

He forced a smile, sliding the phone into his pocket.

“Nothing. Just another reminder… that some ghosts don’t stay dead.”

Celestine frowned.

“What do you mean?”

Lysander turned to her, eyes dark again.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

The car rolled forward under the rain — two broken hearts sitting inches apart,

both pretending not to be afraid of what comes next.

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End of Chapter 5 — Shattered Glass Hearts

⚡ To be continued… ⚡