CHAPTER 1: The Unwanted Arrival

Hindi maganda ang pakiramdam ni Serena Vale pagdating niya sa bahay nila.

Maybe it was the rain. Maybe it was the way the house looked unusually quiet despite the lights being on. Or maybe it was because her mom had called her three times that afternoon, insisting na kailangan niyang umuwi as soon as possible.

Whatever it was, something felt off.

She dragged her suitcase toward the front door and pressed the doorbell. Wala pang isang minuto, bumukas na ang p***o.

“Serena!”

Her mother greeted her with a smile and immediately pulled her into a hug.

“Hi, Mom.” She hugged her back, then stepped away to look at her. “Okay, what’s going on? You sounded like someone died over the phone.”

Vivienne’s smile faltered.

“Pwede bang ‘wag kang magsalita ng ganyan?”

“Then stop sounding like you’re about to announce something terrible.”

“Come on, get inside. Basang basa ka sa ulan.”

“I’m fine,”

“Serena…”

“Okay, fine! Papasok na ‘ko.”

Pagpasok n’ya, napansin agad ni Serena ang pagbabago sa bahay. May bagong paintings sa hallway, ibang flowers sa center table, at may dalawang baso na naiwan sa coffee table. Nothing unusual on its own, except that her mother had always been particular about keeping the living room spotless.

Then she saw the shoes beside the stairs.

Men’s shoes.

Hindi ‘yon sa tatay nya. She knew every pair her father used to wear, even the old leather ones he refused to throw away.

These were different.

Expensive. Well-maintained. Definitely not a guest’s shoes left by accident.

Serena slowly turned toward her mother.

“Mom, may kasama ka ba dito?”

Vivienne took a deep breath. “Actually, ‘yun nga ang gusto kong sabihin sa’yo.”

“Okay??”

“There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

Before Serena could ask another question, a man stepped out of the living room.

Matangkad. Broad-shouldered. Naka-dark button-down shirt with sleeves at naka-fold sa forearms nya. Hindi sya mukhang nasurpresa nung nakita nya si Serena. In fact, mukhang inaasahan nya talaga ang pagdating nito.

His eyes settled on her.

“Serena Vale.”

Napakunot ang noo ni Serena.

“Have we met??”

“No,” he answered. “Not officially.”

Not officially??

Anong klaseng sagot ‘yun?

She looked at her mother, silently demanding an explanation, but Vivienne only reached for her hand.

“Serena, this is Damian Cross.”

The name meant nothing to her at first.

Then she remembered something from the documents na aksidente nyang nakita sa office table ng nanay nya few months ago. Pero, hindi s’ya sure kung tama ba s’ya sa naalala n’ya basta parang pamilyar ang pangalan na ‘Damian Cross’ sa kanya. Na parang narinig o nakita n’ya ito somewhere.

Gustong gusto nyang tanungin si Vivienne tungkol dito, pero nakabalik lang si Vivienne from a business trip bago pa ito ma-bring up ni Serena. Then the documents disappeared soon after.

And now the man was standing in their living room.

“Damian,” her mother continued, “is my husband.”

For a moment, Serena thought she had heard wrong.

Tumingin sya kay Vivienne.

Then kay Damian.

Tapos kay Vivienne ulit.

“Ano?? Ano mo sya??”

“Asawa ko.”

“I’m sorry, pero parang yung utak ko biglang nag-lag, pakiulit nga?”

“Serena, please.”

“Hindi, Mom. I just want to make sure na naintindihan ko ng tama.” She pointed between them. “Kasal na kayo? Sa kanya? And ngayon ko lang nalalaman lahat ‘to?”

Vivienne looked down briefly before meeting her eyes again.

“Nagpakasal kami two months ago.”

“Two months??”

The words came out louder than she intended.

“Two months ago, at wala man lang kahit sino ang nakaisip na sabihan ako tungkol dito?”

“Gusto kong sabihin sa’yo in person, anak.”

“Well, congratulations. Andito na ako.”

“Serena–”

“Did you even consider calling me bago yung kasal nyo? Or sending a message? Kahit text man lang, Mom. Na ‘Hi anak, by the way, mag-aasawa na ako or may asawa na ako.’ Something like that?!”

Damian remained silent.

Nainis si Serena. Somehow, he seemed perfectly comfortable watching the entire conversation unfold, as though this were an ordinary family gathering and not the most ridiculous surprise of her life.

She turned toward him.

“And you? Wala ka ring balak magsalita man lang ng kahit ano?”

“What exactly do you want me to say?”

Serena stared at him.

“WOW! You’re really going with that?”

“With what?”

“‘Yan pa-inosente, na para bang ikaw pa ang confused. Does it usually work on people?”

His expression remained unreadable.

“Hindi naman ako pa-inosente.”

“At least we’re making progress here.”

“Serena!” Vivienne snapped.

She turned to her mother, surprised by the sudden sharpness in her voice.

“Sorry ha, pero ano ba ang ineexpect mo na gawin ko?? Mag-smile? I-congratulate kayo? Tanungin kayo if bakit hindi nyo ako ginawang maid of honor or baka may next wedding kayo, pwede akong maging bridesmaid man lang??”

“Tama na!”

For a few seconds, walang nagsalita ni isa sa kanila.

Serena felt her anger rise, but underneath it was something she hated admitting: hurt.

Her mother had always been the person she could ask anything. Kahit nung namatay ang tatay nya, even when grief had made their home feel unfamiliar, naniwala si Serena na meron mga bagay na hinding hindi itatago ni Vivienne sa kanya.

Apparently, she had been wrong all along.

“Gaano katagal mo na s’yang kilala?” she asked her mom quietly.

Vivienne hesitated.

“Mom?”

“Long enough para malaman na mahal ko sya.”

Serena let out a humorless laugh.

“Hindi yan sagot.”

“‘Yun ang totoo.”

“Then why does it feel like everyone knew about this except me??”

Vivienne’s eyes softened, “Dahil natatakot ako na ganito ang magiging reaksyon mo.”

“So you just decided not to tell me?”

“I wanted a chance to explain everything properly.”

“There’s nothing proper about finding out na ang nanay mo eh may secret husband na naghihintay sa living room.”

Damian finally moved away from the sofa.

“Hindi ginawa ‘to ng nanay mo para saktan ka.”

Serena turned toward him so quickly that her hair brushed her cheek.

“‘Wag kang magsalita para sa kanya.”

“I wasn’t.”

“Edi ‘wag mo i-try sabihin sakin kung ano ba ang intensyon nya. Ni hindi mo nga ako ganoon kakilala, at isa pa hinding hindi mo alam kung anong pakiramdam nito para sa’kin.”

For the first time, something shifted in Damian’s expression.

Hindi galit. Not exactly.

It was as if she had said something he understood a little too well.

“Tama ka,” sabi ni Damian. “Hindi ko talaga alam kung anong pakiramdam nito para sa’yo.”

His calm response caught her off guard.

She had prepared herself for an argument, hindi acknowledgment.

And somehow, mas nainis sya lalo.

“Great. Then, tapos na tayo dito.”

She picked up her suitcase.

“Where are you going?” Vivienne asked.

“Sa kwarto ko. I need time to process this before I say something na baka i-regret ko.”

“Hindi mo kailangan magustuhan lahat ng set-up ngayon, Serena. But I hope you’ll give Damian a chance.”

Serena looked at the man standing beside her mother.

A chance.

Para saan? To get used to seeing him at breakfast? To pretend na normal lang na may isang stranger na biglang naging parte ng pamilya without her knowledge?

“I’m not promising anything.”

Umakyat na sya ng hagdan, pero napatigil s’ya nung narinig na ang boses ni Damian.

“Your room is still the same.”

Serena looked back.

“Excuse me?”

“Sinigurado ng Mommy mo na walang nagbago sa kwarto mo.”

Kumunot ang noo ni Serena at tumaas ang kilay. “At paano mo naman nalaman??”

“Dahil dito ako nakatira.”

Right.

Of course he did.

She shook her head and continued upstairs, muttering under her breath.

“Unbelievable.”

By midnight, Serena still hadn’t unpacked.

Her suitcase remained beside the bed, and her phone was full of messages from her best friend, Mika, asking if she had survived the mysterious family emergency.

Serena finally typed a reply.

SERENA: Nagpakasal si Mommy.

Mika responded almost immediately.

MIKA: Wait, WHAT???!!

MIKA: TO WHO?

SERENA: Damian Cross.

This time, the typing indicator appeared and disappeared several times before a message arrived.

MIKA: Serena, listen to me. Saan mo narinig o nakita ‘yang name na ‘yan?

Serena sat up on her bed.

Something about Mika’s reaction made her stomach tighten.

SERENA: He’s literally downstairs. He’s my new stepdad. Why?

Matagal bago nagreply si Mika.

Then Mika sent a screenshot.

Screenshot ng mga document with several lines blacked out. Blurred yung image, pero may isang detalye na visible: her father’s company name.

Sa ibaba nito was a reference to an investigation at pangalan na associated sa bagong asawa ng nanay nya.

DAMIAN CROSS.

MIKA: Nakita ko ‘to while looking through the documents you sent me. Naisip ko baka business record lang na connected sa company ng dad mo.

Serena stared at the screen.

SERENA: Anong investigation?

MIKA: Hindi ko alam? Pero, I remember you saying na parang ang weird ng mom mo kapag nagtatanong ka about your dad’s last business trip.

A chill crept up Serena’s spine.

She opened the screenshot that Mika just sent and zoomed in. Most of the text was unreadable, but one phrase stood out.

FIELD UNIT 07 – OPERATION CLOSED.

Binasa nya ito paulit-ulit.

Then a sound came from the hallway.

Footsteps.

Ni-lock agad ni Serena ang cellphone nya at binuksan ang p***o ng kwarto nya just enough to look outside.

A strip of light shone beneath the study door downstairs.

Damian was awake.

She should have gone back to bed. She knew that.

Pero, dahan dahan syang bumaba ng hagdan, at huminto bago ang study room.

Naririnig ang boses ni Damian sa bahagyang nakabukas sa p***o.

“No. The file was compromised before the operation was closed.”

A pause.

“I am fully aware of that. I’m also aware that someone has started asking questions again.”

Serena held her breath.

Another pause.

“Keep Vivienne out of it for now.”

Her fingers tightened around the railing.

Then may nabanggit si Damian na pangalan that made her blood run cold.

“Serena Vale is back in the house. Nobody approaches her without my authorization.”

She stepped back.

Lumagitnit ang sahig na inaapakan n’ya.

Natigil ‘yung usapan.

Makalipas ang ilang minuto, bumukas ang study room door.

Nakatayo si Damian sa doorway, hawak ang kanyang phone. His expression had lost every trace of the polite composure he’d shown earlier.

“Nakikinig ka?”

“Hindi,” Serena answered too quickly. “Kukuha sana ako ng tubig.”

“Dito sa tabi ng study room door?”

“Apparently, the kitchen moved.”

He didn’t smile

“Bumalik ka sa kwarto mo.”

“Not until you tell me why you were talking about me.”

“It’s not something you need to worry about.”

“Funny. People usually say that when there is exactly something I should worry about.”

His jaw tightened.

For a moment, Serena thought he might tell her the truth.

Instead, he glanced toward the front windows.

“Starting tomorrow, ‘wag na ‘wag n’yong bubuksan ang p***o sa kahit sino na hindi nyo kilala. And if may magtanong sa’yo about your mom or your dad’s company, you tell me immediately.”

Her anger faltered.

“Bakit??”

“Dahil hindi ko alam kung sino pa ang nagmamatyag dito sa bahay na ‘to.”

Before she could respond, his phone vibrated.

Damian looked at the screen.

Whatever he saw made his face go completely still.

Serena caught a glimpse of the message before he turned his phone away.

SUBJECT LOCATED, SERENA VALE CONFIRMED AT RESIDENCE.

Her mouth went dry.

“Damian,” she whispered. “Anong ibig sabihin nyan?”

He looked at her, and for the first time that night, she saw something in his eyes that unsettled her more than his secrets.

Fear.

Not for himself.

For her.

Then Serena’s own phone vibrated.

Unknown number.

A photograph appeared on the screen.

Picture ng bahay nila, taken from across the street. A red circle marked the window of her bedroom.

Beneath it was a message.

WELCOME HOME, SERENA. YOUR DAD WASN’T THE ONLY ONE WHO DIED KEEPING A SECRET.

She stopped breathing.

Somewhere behind her, Damian swore under his breath.

And suddenly, Serena understood one thing with terrifying clarity.

Her mom’s secret marriage was the least of her problems.

Because someone has been actually waiting for her to come home.