Prologue

THE glass doors of Velmore Holdings slid open silently, and for a second, I actually forgot how to breathe.

Nakatingala ako habang nakatayo sa gitna ng grand lobby, my head tilting all the way back just to see where the ceiling even ended. It was nothing like the small, cramped offices I used to apply to before. Nothing like the quiet, simple life I’d been trying so hard to build for myself over the last few years. The floors were polished marble so clean I could see my own reflection staring back—nervous, clutching my folder tight against my chest, wearing the nicest blazer I owned, the one I’d saved up for months just to buy. Chandeliers hung high above, sparkling like scattered stars, and everywhere I looked there were people walking around in sharp suits and designer dresses, talking in low, confident voices.

This was it. My last resort.

I bit the inside of my cheek, swallowing the lump that formed in my throat. “Kaya mo ‘to, Audrey.” I repeated the words in my head like a prayer, over and over again. “Just one month. Just get through this, and everything will be okay. Para sa Mama. Para sa sarili mo.”

I never thought I’d end up here. Never in a million years did I imagine I’d be walking into the headquarters of the most powerful, most feared family in the entire country. But life had a funny way of knocking you down when you thought you were finally getting back up. The bills were piling up, the hospital fees weren’t getting any cheaper, and every other job I’d applied to had either turned me down or paid way too little to make ends meet. So when I saw the opening for a Personal Secretary at Velmore Holdings—even with the ridiculously high qualifications and the terrifying reputation of the company—I took a deep breath, sent in my resume, and prayed for a miracle.

And somehow… they called me back.

“Ms. Aquino?”

Lumingon ako agad, at nakita ko ang isang babaeng naka-uniporme na nakangiti nang bahagya sa akin. “Yes, that’s me po,” sagot ko, straightening my posture.

“Good morning. I’m Elena, Head of Administration. Please follow me—Mr. Velmore is expecting you.”

My heart skipped a beat. Mr. Velmore. The name alone was enough to make everyone in the city shiver. Simon Rafael Velmore. Twenty-seven years old, heir to the Velmore empire, and the most ruthless businessman anyone had ever heard of. People said he was cold as ice, sharper than a blade, and that he fired people before they even got the chance to finish their sentences. Walang sinuman ang nagtatagal sa tabi niya. Walang sinuman ang sapat na matapang para harapin siya nang diretso.

Pero kailangan ko ‘to. Kailangan ko ang trabahong ito. Kahit nakakatakot, kahit ano pa ang mangyari.

Sumunod ako kay Elena papunta sa private elevator, and as the doors closed, my hands started trembling inside my blazer pockets. “Don’t be nervous. Just do your job, keep your head down, and you’ll be fine. You’ve dealt with worse people before, Audrey. You survived Montebello University, didn’t you?”

The thought of that school made my stomach twist painfully.

Montebello. The place where my life had turned into a living nightmare. The place where every single day felt like walking on eggshells, waiting for the next insult, the next laugh, the next way I’d be made to feel small and worthless. I’d spent years trying to forget those days. Years running away from the memories, from the whispers, from him. I’d changed cities, changed routines, changed everything just so I wouldn’t have to hear that name ever again.

Simon.

I shook my head quickly, pushing the thought away. Hindi siya ‘yun. Impossible. Simon was just a rich, spoiled kid who got everything he wanted without lifting a finger. He was nothing but a bad memory from high school—nothing more. This was Simon Rafael Velmore, the CEO. A grown man. A legend. They were two different people.

Right?

The elevator dinged softly, and the doors opened to reveal the top floor. The Executive Floor.

It was quieter up here. Deader. The air felt colder, heavier, like even the walls were holding their breath. Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched across the entire space, overlooking the whole city, and the office was so big it could’ve easily fit three of our old house inside.

“Wait here for a moment,” Elena said, stopping in front of a massive double door made of dark mahogany. “I’ll inform him you’ve arrived.”

She knocked once—sharp, precise—then stepped inside. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. Calm down, Audrey. Breathe. You can do this.

A few seconds passed. Then Elena stepped back out, nodding at me. “You may go in. Good luck, Ms. Aquino.”

I took a deep breath, gripped the handle, and pushed the doors open.

The office was dimly lit, only the golden morning light streaming through the huge windows illuminating the space. And there, behind the desk—an enormous slab of dark wood that looked more like a throne than furniture—was a figure sitting perfectly still. His back was to me, broad shoulders clad in a tailored black suit, one hand resting casually on the armrest while the other held a pen between his fingers.

He didn’t turn around. Not at first.

“Close the door,” he said.

His voice.

That voice.

It was deeper now, richer, rougher around the edges—but I knew it. I would know that voice anywhere, even in a crowd of a thousand people. It was the same voice that used to mock me in the hallways, that whispered cruel things loud enough for everyone to hear, that made my name sound like a curse every time it left his mouth.

My blood ran cold. My feet felt like they were glued to the floor.

Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he turned the chair around.

And our eyes met.

Dark, stormy eyes. Eyes that I’d dreamt of—and woken up screaming from—for years. Eyes that used to look at me like I was nothing but trash beneath his shoes. But now… they were different. Harder. Colder. But there was something else there too, something I couldn’t quite place—something that flickered for just a split second when he saw my face, before it was swallowed up by ice.

His lips parted, and he spoke my name. Not “Ms. Aquino.” Not “Audrey.” Just…

“Audrey Lorraine.”

It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. A recognition. A blow straight to the chest.

My folder slipped from my fingers and hit the floor with a loud thud, papers scattering across the marble floor. I didn’t move to pick them up. I couldn’t move at all.

Because standing right there, behind the desk of the most powerful company in the country—my new boss, the man I’d be working for every single day—wasn’t just some scary, rich CEO.

It was him.

Simon Rafael Velmore.

The boy who made my life hell at Montebello University. The one who bullied me, humiliated me, broke my heart without even knowing it. The one I’d spent every day of the last ten years trying to escape from.

And now… I was trapped. In his office. Working for him. At his mercy.

He leaned forward, elbows on his desk, steepling his fingers under his chin, watching me with that unreadable, terrifying gaze. A slow, sharp smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth—the same smirk that used to make me want to disappear.

“Well, well, well,” he said, his voice low and smooth and deadly. “Look who finally walked through my door.”

My breath hitched, tears pricking at the back of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I swallowed hard, lifted my chin, and met his gaze—for the first time in my life, not looking away.

This wasn’t just a job anymore. This was war. And the worst part was… I had a feeling neither of us was going to walk away from this unscathed.