Chapter 3

It's been two weeks since Avern started her job. Sineryoso niya ang babala ni Ma'am Salvador, kaya tuwing nagkakatagpo ang landas nila ng Boss ay agad siyang umiiwas o nagtatago. Ayaw niya din malagay sa alanganin, kakasimula pa lang niya. Nakakahiya at makokonsensya siya dahil may pamilyang umaasa sa kanya. So as much as possible gusto niyang limited ang interaction nila ni Cairo. Hapon na, marami ng umalis ng maaga kaya tahimik ang building. 

Mabilis na nagtitipa si Avern, nakatutok ang mata sa screen. Nagsimula ng dumilim at lumamig. Ganito pala ang pakiramdam kapag nag-oovertime siya. Mag-aala siete na pero parang walang katapusan ang mga papel na nakalagay sa desk. Para sa pamilya gagawin niya lahat. Di bale ng siya ang mapapagod dahil at the end of the day ang tanging gusto niya ay makitang masaya ang pamilya lalo na ang mga kapatid niya. Kapag nangako siya ay sisiguraduhin niya tutuparin niya ito. Bawat piso mahalaga. 

"Sa wakas malapit na. Malapit na akong maduling sa monitor." Kinusot ni Avern ang mata at bahagyang natigilan nang marinig ang pagtunog ng elevator. 

No. It was too late for him to still be here. Baka guni-guni niya yun o talagang kumakalam na ang sikmura. Tangek, di magkatunog yun. Kung talagang ang boss niya, bakit ito nandito? Ano siya lang ang overtime? Impossible. 

But then I heard it — that unmistakable low voice greeting one of the security staff. Smooth. Confident.

Napatuwid siya sa pag-upo. Mahirap na, baka sabihan pa siyang slacking at work. Cairo Villagracia was still in the building. Lakas ng karisma ses. Napayuko si Avern at taimtim na pinagdarasal na hindi ito hihinto sa— eto na nga ba ang sinasabi niya. 

"Ms. Dela Cruz." 

My soul nearly escaped my body.

Marahas siyang napasinghap, forcing professionalism into my voice.

“Yes, sir?”

He was only a silhouette from the corner of my eye, yet somehow he filled the entire floor.

“Bring those files to my office,” He said. “Now.” 

Aba demanding. Di bale kapag guwapo, abusado! Tila abot hanggang tenga ang pagpintig ng puso niya. Nervous? Sige kape pa. Mabilis kong inipon ang mga folder, iniiwasan niyang salubungin ang tingin habang nilalagpasan ito.

Ramdam niya ang pagtitig nito. Nakakapanghina ang paraan ng pagtagpo ng tingin. The exact stare I was trying to avoid.

Napabuntong hininga si Avern, sa wakas mag-isa na siya sa elevator. A time to be alone and be peaceful. 

Doors closing—

Isang kamay ang pumigil. Kung assumera lang siya ay iisipin niya sinadya nito para makita siya. Tumabi ito sa kanya. 

Paano niya ba ito tatakasan? Cairo pressed a button. The doors sealed us inside.

Pinilit niyang umusod sa pinakadulo, mariin na napahawak sa mga papeles na dala.

"You’ve been hard to catch lately." Cairo said, voice low enough to be dangerous. Aba sir hindi kita obligasyon. 

"Naging abala lang, sir."  Tipid niya sagot. 

"With what? Avoiding me?" Muntik niyang mabitawan ang hawak. Di makapaniwalang napalingon siya sa binata. 

Sa lakas ng kabog ng puso pakiramdam niya aatakehin siya. At ito ang dahilan. Nakatutok ang tingin niya sa pag glow ng floor number.

"Ginagawa ko lang ang trabaho ko." 

He stepped closer. Not touching — just near enough for my pulse to misbehave.

"Cairo," He corrected softly. "Call me Cairo."

"H-hindi po pwede, sir."

"Try."

“Ayoko. That's against work ethics. We need to be professional.”

His chuckle sent shivers down my spine.

Kumikislap ang mga ilaw. Gumawa ng kakaibang tunog ang elevator at biglang huminto.

Nilamon ng dilim ang paligid bago umilaw ang mga ilaw na pang-emergency sa itaas. Bahagyang humina ang paghinga ni Avern. Tila sumikip ang dibdib niya sanhi para napahawak siya doon. 

"You alright?" Tanong nito. His voice was deeper in the semi-dark, almost gentle.

"Ayos lang po, Sir." Bulong niya kahit nangangatog na ang mga tuhod. Signs of aging na ata 'to. 

He shifted closer, slow, intentional. Avern felt his presence first. Kumiliti sa kanya ang mainit at mabangong hininga nito. 

"Relax." Cairo murmured. "I’m here."

Too close. Too much. Lucky for her, muling bumalik sa normal ang elevator. 

Dahan-dahan itong bumukas. Tumakbo si Avern at napasinghap. Nanginginig ang kamay niyang napahawak sa dibdib, mismong tapat ng puso. Perfect! Napaluhod si Avern para pulutin ang mga dokumentong nahulog— only for him to kneel at the same time. Our fingers grazed.Tila nakukuryente siyang napaatras. He saw it. Felt it. Knew it.

"What's wrong, Avern?" First name basis. Close ba kita? Gustong tanungin ni Avern ang boss. 

Kinuha niya ang isang folder, iniabot sa akin — mabagal. Talagang nanadyang pinangahasan nitong hawakan muli ang kamay niya para abutin. Alam niya ang intention kaya hindi niya ginawa.

A sinister smirk said he knew exactly what effect he had on me.

Cairo shouldn’t have asked her inside his office. He knows himself well enough.

But the way she flinched at his nearness. The way she swallowed hard when the elevator went dark. The way her breathing stuttered…

It did something to him.

He closed the door behind them— gently, but she still froze.

She stood stiffly in front of my desk, like she was trying not to touch the air.

"Relax, Ms. Dela Cruz." I said, walking past her. "I don’t bite." 

Silence.

Cairo leaned against his desk and crossed his arms. She still didn’t look at me.

"You’re scared of me." 

Her eyes shot up — finally.

"I’m not." Avern said too quickly.

"Then look at me when you say it." 

Avern hesitated. Dahan-dahang umangat ang tingin nito. 

And God. The effect was instant.

Heat punched low in his stomach. Her eyes were soft but trembling. Strong but terrified. Wanting but resisting.

Cairo gripped the edge of his desk to keep control.

She had no idea what she was doing to him. 

No idea how dangerously close he was to losing the restraint I’d always prided himself on.

Tinakasan ni Avern si Cairo. Kulang nalang liparin niya ang distansya para nakaalis sa opisina. 

Ang biyahe ng jeep pauwi ay malabo ilaw ng buong ka Maynilaan. Ang mga kamay ko ay hindi tumitigil sa panginginig.

I hated how weak I felt.

I hated how aware I was of him.

And I hated that a single line from him kept replaying in my head. Then look at her when he say it.

Avern pressed my forehead against the window, silently promising. 

"You cannot fall for him. You cannot destroy yourself. Or your family."

But deep down, alam niya kung ano ang naramdaman para sa binata. I already had.

The city glittered below my penthouse balcony, but Cairo saw none of it.

All he saw were her eyes.

All hw heard was her breath.

All he felt was the electric space between them — that damn space that drove him insane.

Why does she run? Why does she resist? Why does she look at me like she wants me but refuses herself?

Women didn’t avoid me. Women didn’t tremble in my presence — not like that. Not from fear. From a different kind of tension.

And Avern Dela Cruz had it burning in her like a fuse.

Cairo finished his drink and set the glass down.

Fine.

If she wouldn’t come to me…

I’ll make her want to.

The kind of goal I never lost.

The kind I never backed down from.

Even if it meant stepping into dangerous territory— even if it meant undoing every rule I lived by.