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CHAPTER 5: THE CHOICE

Author: MANSANASs
last update publish date: 2026-09-09 18:21:27

Alison Carter had to choose. Right now.

In the hospital hallway, two billionaires were holding her hands. Two powerful men who owned half of Manila. Both waiting for her answer.

Her mother, Elena, was sleeping again inside the VIP room. Stable. The nurse said Elena needed complete rest for 24 hours, no stress.

But Alison was full of stress.

"Alison, you don't need to decide now," Noah Walker said, his blue eyes soft. He saw she was about to cry. "Your Mama is more important. We can talk about this tomorrow."

"No," Agustin Montefalco said, his black eyes serious. "She needs to decide now. Because if she doesn't decide, she will work for both of us, and that will be more stressful for her. Alison, just choose. We will both respect your choice."

Alison looked at their hands.

Noah's hand: clean, soft, warm, with an expensive watch. The hand of a man who pretended to be poor to find someone who would love him for real.

Agustin's hand: big, rough, with a scar on the knuckle, with a gold ring with a wolf head. The hand of a man who killed people in Italy but saved her mother without asking for anything.

Both hands were offering her a future.

"Alison," Noah whispered, "If you choose me, I promise I will never lie to you again about my identity. I will be honest. I will protect you from everyone, even from my cousin. I will make you my personal secretary and... maybe someday... more than secretary."

Alison's cheeks turned red.

"Alison," Agustin whispered on her other ear, his voice deep and dangerous, "If you choose me, I promise I will give you everything. Money, power, protection. No one will ever bully you again. No one will ever look down on your old shoes again. I will buy you 100 new shoes. And I will also protect your mother for life. And... maybe someday... you will be Mrs. Montefalco."

Alison's heart was beating so fast she thought it would explode.

She pulled her hands away from both of them.

She stood up.

"I... I have decided," she said, her voice shaking but clear.

Noah and Agustin both stood up too. Both tall. Both handsome. Both holding their breath.

"I will choose..."

She looked at Noah.

"I will choose Sir Noah as my boss."

Silence.

Noah's face lit up like a Christmas tree. His blue eyes sparkled. He wanted to hug her.

Agustin's face turned dark. His black eyes became cold like ice. His fists clenched.

"Why?" Agustin asked, his voice low and dangerous. "Why him and not me? I saved your mother. I gave you a necklace. I gave you everything."

Alison looked down, guilty. "Sir Agustin, thank you for saving my Mama. I will never forget it. I will pay you back, even if it takes 10 years. But... Sir Noah... he was the first one who was kind to me. He was a janitor when I met him. He didn't have money then. And I was kind to him. And he was kind to me. I want to work for someone who knows what it's like to be poor... even if he was just pretending."

Noah smiled. A real, happy smile. Not a CEO smile.

Agustin stared at Alison for a long time. Then he laughed. A cold, mafia laugh.

"Okay," Agustin said. "You choose him. As your boss. But remember, Alison Carter, I am still the owner of 49% of this company. So I am still your boss too, technically. And I don't give up easily. I never give up on something I want. And I want you."

He walked closer to Alison, ignoring Noah.

He took the gold necklace box from his pocket and put it in Alison's small hand.

"Keep it," Agustin whispered. "Even if you are not my secretary, keep it. As a gift from a man who will wait for you."

Then he turned to Noah.

"Cousin, take care of her. If you hurt her, I will break your legs. Even if you own 51%."

Noah put his arm around Alison's shoulder protectively. "I will take care of her more than you ever will."

Agustin looked at Alison one last time. His eyes were hurt, but he hid it with his mafia face.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Alison Carter. On the 59th floor. Even if you work on the 60th floor, you will still see me every day. Because I will make sure of it."

He walked away. His black suit disappeared into the elevator. The elevator door closed.

Alison felt relieved but also... something else. Like she lost something.

"Alison, are you okay?" Noah asked, turning her to face him.

Alison nodded. "Sir Noah, thank you for understanding."

"Don't call me Sir Noah anymore," Noah said softly. "Just call me Noah. When it's just the two of us."

"But you are my boss..."

"And you are my... my special secretary. So just Noah."

Alison blushed. "Okay... Noah..."

Noah smiled and looked at her lips for a second, then looked away. He wanted to kiss her, but he controlled himself.

"Let's go back to the office. You need to start training. And your mother has nurses, she will be fine."

They went back to Walker & Montefalco Tower.

60th floor.

Alison's new office was beautiful. It was right outside Noah's big office. Glass table, new computer, a small plant, and a name plate that said:

ALISON CARTER - PERSONAL SECRETARY TO CEO NOAH WALKER

Alison touched the name plate. Tears in her eyes. This was her dream. From jobless to personal secretary of a billionaire CEO in one day.

"Do you like it?" Noah asked from behind.

"Yes! It's beautiful!" Alison turned.

Noah was standing so close. Too close. She could smell his expensive perfume.

"Good," Noah said. "Because you will be here every day. With me."

He handed her a folder. "Your first task: Arrange my schedule for tomorrow. And cancel all my meetings at 6 PM. I want to have dinner with you. To celebrate your first day."

"Dinner? With me?" Alison was shocked.

"Yes. Just dinner. As boss and secretary."

Before Alison could answer, her new phone rang. It was a message.

From: Agustin Montefalco

Message: Good choice working for my cousin. But remember, my offer still stands. 150k, necklace, and me. My office door on the 59th floor is always open for you. Especially at night. - A

Alison gasped and quickly hid her phone.

Noah saw it. "Who's that?"

"It's... it's Mama's nurse," Alison lied. Her first lie as a secretary.

Noah frowned. "Your face is red. Are you lying, Alison?"

"No!"

Noah walked closer and took her phone gently. He saw the message. His blue eyes became jealous again.

He typed a reply on her phone, pretending to be Alison:

Thank you, Sir Agustin, but I already chose Sir Noah. Please don't message me again.

He sent it and gave the phone back.

"There," Noah said, satisfied. "Now he will stop."

But upstairs, on the 59th floor, Agustin received the message and smiled darkly.

He knew Noah typed it. Because Alison would never say "Sir Noah" - she would say "Sir Agustin".

"So you want to play, cousin?" Agustin whispered to himself, looking at the city. "Let's play. Let's see who Alison will really choose in the end."

He typed a new message:

I know that's not you, Alison. That was Noah. Tell him I said: Game on. I will steal you from him in 30 days. - A

On the 60th floor, Alison received it. She read it. Her hands shook.

The love triangle war was not over. It had just begun.

And she, Alison Carter, a simple girl from Tondo, was now the prize of two billionaire CEOs.

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