Chapter 4

Lumabas kami sa terrace na nakaharap sa hardin. Ang hangin ay malamig, may halimuyak ng gabi at mamahaling jasmine. Sa di-kalayuan, tanaw ko ang mga ilaw ng siyudad na parang mga bituin na bumaba sa lupa, mga bituin na minsang pinangarap kong abutin, pero ngayon ay tila paalala na may mas mataas pang mundo.

“You didn’t have to agree to this,” Damian said suddenly, breaking the silence. “You could’ve said no.”

“Could I?” I turned to him, my tone level. “Because last I checked, saying no wasn’t an option.”

“You always have a choice,” he replied quietly.

I met his gaze head-on. “Not when you’re trying to save a hundred people’s jobs. Not when your father’s legacy is hanging by a thread. Not when every investor you’ve ever trusted turns their back on you.”

Tahimik siya. For once, wala siyang tugon. His jaw tightened slightly, but his eyes softened, just a little. Enough to make me wonder what kind of walls he built around himself, and how high they were.

“You think this deal makes you the hero,” he said eventually. Ganun ba ang tingin nya sa akin? Nagpapakitang gilas lang? Na pure business lang lahat, para makita nang mga tao na hero ako?!

“No!" sagot ko agad. “It makes me the last one standing.” Eh kung asarin ko kaya to.

A faint smirk appeared on his lips. “Fair enough.”

I straightened, not wanting to let his gaze pull me into whatever game he was playing. “Don’t mistake my cooperation for submission, Mr. Cruz. We both know what this is.”

“And what is it?” he asked, stepping closer. His voice was low now, almost dangerous in its calmness.

“Business,” I said firmly. “Nothing more.”

For a moment, neither of us moved. The night air hung thick between us. It was tension, yes, but the kind that came from two people used to fighting for survival.

He finally nodded, stepping back. “Then let’s keep it that way.”

Pag-uwi ko, ibinagsak ko ang bag sa sofa at halos sabay akong napaupo. The silence of my apartment was deafening. Parang kahit ang mga dingding ay nakamasid, naghihintay kung kailan ako bibigay.

I slipped off my heels, feeling the ache travel from my toes up to my legs. The kind of exhaustion that wasn’t just physical, it was emotional and mental. Yung pakiramdam na kahit anong tulog mo, hindi mo maibabalik ang bigat na naubos sa loob ng araw.

Lumapit ako sa bintana at hinayaan kong hampasin ng hangin ang mukha ko. The city lights glittered outside, each one reminding me of how small I really was in a world that revolved around power and control. Once, I used to think I was born to belong there, to sit at the table, to lead, to be respected.

But that was before everything fell apart.

Naalala ko ang unang beses na nalaman kong nalulugi na kami. The calls, the sleepless nights, the humiliation of facing creditors who used to call me “Ma’am Liana” with respect. Biglang naging utang na loob ang dati ay karangalan. And when I looked for comfort, I found nothing but silence.

That was when I learned: no one saves you.

You save yourself.

At ngayon, heto na naman ako. Pretending again. But this time, it wasn’t about hiding heartbreak, it was about survival. I wasn’t pretending to be okay; I was pretending to be untouchable.

Sa mesa sa tabi ng bintana, nakapatong ang maliit na box na ibinigay ni Damian, ang singsing. Binuksan ko ito, at tinignan ko ang simpleng diamond ring na parang simbolo ng lahat ng kasinungalingan na kailangan kong isabuhay. Simple, elegant, understated, just like the lie itself.

I slipped it on my finger.

It fit perfectly.

Of course it did. Damian Cruz doesn’t make mistakes.

“This is not love,” I whispered. “This is business.”

Ngunit kahit ilang beses ko pang ulitin ‘yon, hindi nawawala ang bigat sa dibdib ko. Hindi dahil gusto kong magustuhan siya. Hindi dahil may nararamdaman akong kakaiba.

Kundi dahil ayokong mabigo.

Ayokong makita nilang mahina ako.

Ayokong makita nilang natalo ako.

Gusto kong patunayan sa kanila, sa mundo, sa sarili ko na kahit durog ang Monteverde, hindi durog si Liana.

I went to my desk and opened my laptop. The screen glowed faintly, showing a dozen unread emails from creditors, partners, and lawyers. Each message was a reminder of what was at stake.

Damian’s proposal wasn’t just a deal, it was my last card to play.

And I was determined to play it well.

Tumunog bigla ang phone ko. A new message flashed across the screen.

Press event. Tomorrow. 7 PM. Wear something neutral.

— D.C.

Napaikot ko ang mga mata ko, a quiet sigh escaping my lips. “Of course,” I muttered. “Another performance.”

Pero kahit gano’n pa siya kasungit, may maliit na bahagi sa akin na gustong makita kung hanggang saan ko kayang dalhin ito. Not because I cared about him, but because I cared about me, about proving that I could stand beside someone like him and not disappear.

I closed the laptop and walked toward my bedroom. The city lights filtered through the curtains, casting soft shadows on the walls. My reflection in the mirror caught my attention again, same face, same eyes, but something had changed.

Maybe it was the way I looked at myself now. Not as a woman who lost everything, but as someone learning how to rebuild. Slowly. Painfully. But with purpose.

Humiga ako, pero hindi ko pa rin mapigilang mag-isip. Damian’s words echoed in my head. You always have a choice.

Maybe that was true for people like him, born into power, trained to control it. But for people like me, choice was a privilege you had to earn.

And I was willing to earn it. Even if it meant pretending until it became real.

Kinabukasan, maaga akong nagising. Hindi dahil sa alarma, kundi dahil sa ugong ng isip kong ayaw tumigil. Habang nag-aayos ako, pinagmamasdan ko ang mga damit na nakahilera sa aparador, iniisip kung ano ang dapat kong suotin.

Pinili ko ang beige dress na may maayos na cut. “Neutral,” sabi niya. Siyempre. Damian Cruz lives in balance ,everything measured, everything controlled.

Habang isinusuklay ko ang buhok, tumingin ako sa salamin. The woman staring back looked composed, confident, maybe even cold.

Pero sa ilalim ng makeup, alam kong pagod pa rin ako. And yet, there was something fierce in my eyes. The kind of fierceness that comes from knowing you have nothing left to lose.

Before leaving, I slipped the ring back onto my finger. It gleamed under the morning light, fake or not, it was mine to wear now. My armor, my weapon, my reminder.

Sa elevator pababa, tinignan ko ang sarili kong repleksyon sa salamin ng pinto. “You’ve done harder things,” bulong ko. “This is just another deal.”

Pagdating sa venue ng press event, agad kong naramdaman ang bigat ng mga mata sa paligid. Reporters, photographers, investors, lahat naghihintay ng bagong headline. Damian arrived shortly after, poised as ever, exuding that same quiet dominance that made people move out of his way without a word.

He looked at me once, just once and gave a short nod. No words, Just acknowledgement.

And somehow, that was enough.

Because I knew what that nod meant: Play your part.

At sa sandaling ‘yon, naramdaman kong bumalik ang lakas ko. I straightened my posture, lifted my chin, and smiled that practiced Monteverde smile, the one that never cracked, even in front of vultures.

The cameras flashed. Questions flew in the air. Damian placed his hand lightly at my back, polite, formal, perfectly staged.

We looked like the perfect couple.

We looked like power.

But inside, I knew the truth.

This wasn’t love.

This was war and I intended to win.

After the event, habang papalabas kami, Damian leaned slightly and said, “You did well.”

“Did I?” I asked, arching a brow. Pero Alam ko sa sarili ko na I really did. I am used to doing this, ofcourse.

“You didn’t hesitate,” he said. “That’s rare.” This is what I always hear even sa mga investors ng monteverde, but I don't find it rare.

“I don’t have the luxury to hesitate,” sagot ko. “Not anymore.”

He looked at me for a moment, then gave that faint, unreadable smile again. “Then maybe we’ll get along after all.”

I didn’t respond. I just kept walking. Every step felt heavier. Because for the first time in a long while, I wasn’t running away from the ruins, I was walking through them, one step at a time.

Pag-uwi ko, tinanggal ko agad ang heels at tinignan ang mga kamay kong pagod na pagod. I sat by the window again, letting the city lights wash over me. Same view. Same air. But I was no longer the same.

I was tired, yes, but not defeated. Sanay ako sa ganitong pagod dahil ako lagi ang sinasalang nang ama ko noong maayos pa ang Monteverde Group. They are always impressed on the way I talk and make deals.

Pinagmamasdan ko ulit ang singsing na nasa daliri ko. A reminder that I chose this path, not because I was forced, but because I refused to be helpless. Alam kong kaya ko to, kakayanin ko to. Dahil I don't accept defeat.

“This is not love,” I whispered again. “This is business.”

And yet, somewhere in the quiet, I felt that strange mix of fear and determination. Tatapusin ko lang etonng kontrata and once its done. I will walk away and will never look back. Aayusin ko lang ang kompanya namin at papalaguin. Hindi para sa sariling kapakanan kung hindi dahil sa dugo at pawis na nilaan ng ama ko dito at dahil sa mga taong sa amin lang umaasa.

I wasn’t here to fall.

I was here to rise.

I didn’t come into this pretending to fall in love.

I came here to win back our life, and our company.

And if Damian Cruz was the way to do it…

Then so be it.

I stood up, fixed my hair, and straightened my dress, meeting my reflection’s steady gaze.

“Let’s play your game, Mr. Cruz,” I whispered,

“But this time, I’m not playing to lose.”

I am just hoping, jared will be there once I succeed in this mission. Alam kong nakasakit ako dahil wala akong sinabi kung ano ang dahilan, pero eto lang ang tanging paraan para ayusin ang lahat. Alam kong maiintindihan niya. Alam ko...