LOGINDolly’s POVI woke up with a jolt.As in yung tipong biglang gising na parang may exam ka in 5 minutes.My eyes shot open. Ceiling. Familiar ceiling. White. Elegant. Malinis.Wait… my ceiling.Teka, ha? Nasa kwarto na ako? P-pero, paano nangyari 'yon?I blinked hard. Kumurap. Lumunok. Tumingin sa paligid.My room.MY ROOM.“Paano ako—”I shot up from the bed so fast na parang may multong humila sa kumot ko. I checked the door, window, bedside table. Lahat nasa tamang pwesto.“Wait. WAIT. Paano ako nakapunta dito?!”Last memory ko was… Shopping. Lipstick. Harwinn being allergic to the word “girlfriend.” Energy bar na sinubo niya sa akin. Then car ride…Oh God. Oh. My. God.I slapped my cheeks lightly. “Dolly, breathe. Huwag kang magpanic. Kailangan mo mag-isip.”I tried to remember. Drooling. I vaguely remembered drooling. Leaning. Someone warm. Someone matigas. Someone… expensive-smelling?“OH GOD PLEASE HINDI SI HARWINN YON,” I whispered-shouted, mortified.Before I could spiral
Dolly’s POVI walked past the home section, still clutching that stupid lamp like it was my lifeline. Harwinn was right behind me, silent pero parang hawak niya ang gravity sa paligid ko—too close, too aware, too much.“Okay, next stop,” he said after a while, tono niya calm pero firm.“A-anong next stop?” I asked, trying to sound casual but may halong curiosity na hindi ko ma-control.“Follow me,” he said simply. Hindi siya nagdagdag pa.I tried not to trip over my own feet habang sinusundan siya. Parang every aisle we passed, naramdaman ko yung tingin niya sa likod ko. Hype man ako sa shopping trip, pero grabe, nakakakaba siya minsan.Then we stopped in front of the makeup store. My heart skipped. “Sir…interesado ka ba dito?” I asked, glancing at him.“Not really,” he admitted, eyes scanning the surroundings. “But efficiency. Kung dadalhin kita dito ngayon, matapos tayo mas mabilis.”I blinked. “Efficient lang? Parang… parang may hidden motive yan ah,” I teased, but deep down, I fel
Dolly’s POVI prepared myself—hair fixed, face washed, and confidence fully loaded. Lalabas kasi ako ngayon. Remember the plan? Magsho-shopping ako. Bibili ako ng small additions para sa room ko.Sobra kasing boring ng aura. Parang soul-less hotel room. I want to turn it into something curated for my taste and my aesthetic. Something warm. Something… me.After almost two hours of fixing myself—simple lang naman, but cute enough—lumabas na ako ng silid and headed straight to the kitchen para mag-almusal.Pagdating ko sa kusina, I paused.Nandun si sir Harwinn. Nakaupo sa counter, sleeves rolled up, eyes glued to his laptop. Mukhang mid-work mode na siya kahit ang aga pa.He glanced up the moment he sensed me.“Good morning,” he greeted, voice low, composed.“You too, sir,” I replied casually, walking toward the fridge like I owned the place—kahit hindi pa.Pero I could feel his eyes on me. Observing. Calculating.As if he knew I was up to something.“I looked at him and said, ‘Kukuha l
Harwinn’s Office — EveningHarwinn’s POVThe rain tapped faintly against the tall windows as I arranged the papers on my desk. The contract lay at the very center—crisp, precise, non-negotiable. Exactly as it should be.Brighton stood beside me, hands clasped behind his back. “Sir, all the terms have been finalized. The clauses on confidentiality, financial support, duration, the—”“Good,” I cut off, eyes still on the document. “She’ll sign it.”Brighton hesitated. “Miss Mendoza… seems unpredictable. Are you sure about this, boss?”“She needs the money,” I replied, voice cold. “Need makes people cooperative.”Even as I said it, something tugged in my chest—an irritation, a memory of her face earlier. Those sharp eyes that wouldn’t bow to me even when I ordered her. That stubbornness was grating.And annoyingly intriguing.Before I could shove the thought away, Brighton opened the door. “Sir, Miss Mendoza is outside.”“Let her in,” I said.The door opened again a moment later.Dolly st
Dolly’s POV Isang katok mula sa pinto ang gumising sa mahimbing kong pag-idlip. Nuba, inaantok ako, oh. Nakakapagod kaya yung naging byahe ko kanina. Nakakainis naman. Napakamot ako sa aking ulo at padabog na bumangon. Magbubukas pa lang sana ako ng ilaw nang biglang bumukas ang pinto pumasok si Mr. Damonier sa silid ko. “H-Hey! Ano ba? Hindi ka ba marunong kumatok?” sigaw ko, mabilis na tinakpan ang sarili ko ng kumot kahit hindi naman ako naka-hubad. Wala man lang abiso. Kahit simpleng “Can I come in?” hindi man lang nagawa. Ano bang nakain ng mokong na ‘to? He didn’t even flinch. Nakasalpak lang ang mga kamay niya sa bulsa, seryoso ang mukha, parang hindi niya ako naririnig. His eyes scanned the room before landing on me—messy hair, half-asleep, mukhang bagong s***k sa panaginip. “You’re awake.” he said in a calm tone. Himala. “DUH?! Obviously oo. Napagod kaya ako sa byahe ‘no.” inis kong sagot. “You can’t just walk in—” He exhaled sharply this time—hindi na soft, kundi yu
“Is everything settled?” tanong ko sa isa sa mga personal organizers ko. Tumango siya, pero halatang abala pa rin sa final touches. Clean, modern interior. Warm lighting. Neutral palette. Subtle gold accents. Black frames. And—unfortunately—pops of pink everywhere. Ang intended “subtle feminine touch”, parang nauwi sa Barbie world. Not ugly. Just… unexpected. “Why is there so much pink?” tanong ko, trying not to sound irritated. “Sir, ang instruction niyo po ay lagyan ng subtle pink accents.” Napapikit ako sandali. Right. That one’s on me. Pero kahit napasobra ang pink, mukhang maayos naman. Hindi cartoonish — more like soft blush tones against modern walls. Tasteful… enough. I checked my watch. Zeen should be calling any minute. “I want everything finished before she arrives,” sabi ko. “No clutter. No noise.” Tumango ang team. Sila na ang bahala. I had other things to prepare. This is stressing me out to be honest. All for a girl. Habang paakyat ako sa kwarto ko, tumun







