Chapter 2

Chapter #02

SIENNA POV

Three days later.

12:47 A.M. – East Crest Medical Center, Emergency Room

Blood. Noise. Monitors. Calls for "O2 stat" echoing across the walls.

Gabi na, pero parang di natutulog ang ER.

I had just finished stitching a little boy’s forehead when the automatic glass doors burst open. May mga nurse agad na sumalubong.

"Code yellow incoming! Multiple patients, vehicular accident along South Bay!" sigaw ni Nurse Jessa.

I took off my gloves, quickly grabbed a new pair, and fixed my coat. I was already walking toward the trauma bay when__

"Doc Sien!" tawag ni Jessa, catching up. "May naghahanap po sa inyo."

"Huh? Sinong__"

"Si Mr. Dorian Valencia po. CEO ng__"

I froze.

"Anong ginagawa niya dito?"

But I didn’t wait for an answer. I rushed to where she pointed, and there he was standing by the wall, sleeves rolled up, hair messy, a small cut on his right temple.

But he wasn’t the one bleeding.

My eyes followed his arm… he was holding a man, older, limp, duguan.

“Lolo…” he muttered. His voice cracked, tense, unfamiliar. “Help him. Please.”

My heart dropped.

"Trauma 3, now!" sigaw ko. "Clear the hallway! Bring the stretcher!"

I didn’t have time to think. In seconds, we were moving. Vitals were unstable. Internal bleeding. Chest injury. Dorian never left his Lolo's side, kahit pilit siyang pinapalabas ng ER tech.

“Sir, kailangan niyo pong lumabas muna.”

“No,” matigas niyang sagot. “Hindi ko siya iiwan.”

"Let me do my job," I said, stepping between him and the bed.

Napatingin siya sa akin. Not like the first time. Not cold. Not distant.

Puno ng takot. Pagod. At… tiwala?

After a long pause, he finally stepped back.

“I’ll wait outside,” bulong niya. And then softer. “Miss. Diaz… please.”

Hindi ko na siya pinakinggan.

3:09 A.M. – ER Waiting Area

Lumapit ako sa bench. Nakatulog na siya nakasandal sa pader, lukot ang damit, hawak pa rin ang sugat sa sentido. He looked so… human.

“Mr. Valencia,” mahinang tawag ko.

Nagmulat siya ng mata. Agad siyang tumayo.

“Kamusta siya?”

“He’s stable. Wala nang internal bleeding. Fractured ribs, but he’ll be okay.”

Bumuntong-hininga siya. Ilang segundong katahimikan.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

I shook my head. “It’s my job.”

“No. Thank you for saving the only family I have left.”

Nagkatitigan kami. Pareho lang ba kami? Lolo, too is one of my family left for me.

At sa unang pagkakataon mula nung una kaming nagkita… hindi ko na alam kung ayaw ko pa rin sa kanya.

Because in that moment, I saw him not the CEO, not the arranged fiancé. My arrange future husband. Just a man. Worried. Alone. Real. But, hindi pa rin sapat para maging totoo ang lahat.

Arrange fiance… hanggang ganun lang. Hindi maging totoo ‘yon. Never. O maging future husband ko, pero ‘yon ang malabong hindi mangyari.

The Next Morning. Hospital Garden Café.

I barely got two hours of sleep. Pero kahit pagod ako, hindi ko mapigilang mapatingin sa bench sa kabilang dulo ng garden.

Nandoon si Dorian. Tahimik. Nakaupo. Nakasuot pa rin ang kahapon niyang damit, ngayon ay mas gusot at may bahid ng dugo sa sleeve.

May hawak siyang styro cup ng kape. Tila malalim ang iniisip. At sa gilid niya… isang tray na may isa pang cup.

Para sa’kin?

Napabuntong-hininga ako.

"Sienna," tawag ni Lolo, lumalapit kasama ang Lolo niya, ngayon ay may benda na sa dibdib pero alerto na’t nakangiti.

"Good job, iha," sabi ng Lolo ni Dorian habang inabot ang kamay ko. "You saved an old man’s life. I guess this means… you passed the first test."

Napatawa si Lolo. "Ako rin, natutuwa sa ‘yo, hija. You kept calm under pressure. Doctor na doctor talaga."

"Salamat po," I said softly, conscious of Dorian watching from a distance.

"Hay naku," hirit ni Lolo. "Magka-asawa na nga kayo! Bagay kayong dalawa. Parehong seryoso, parehong malamig. Baka pag pinagsama, magkatunaw!"

Napasinghap ako. "Lolo!"

Pero tawa lang sila nang tawa. I glanced at Dorian again he wasn’t laughing, but he looked… amused. His lips curved just slightly.

At that moment, our eyes met. And instead of turning away, he lifted the second cup of coffee, at marahang iniabot sa akin habang nakatayo na siya sa tabi ng mga Lolo namin.

"Black. No sugar," he said. "Nakita kong ganon ka kagabi."

Nagulat ako. "You noticed that?"

"Doctor’s coffee. Saka… I stayed up the whole night. May oras akong manood."

Tahimik. Kinuha ko ang cup. "Thanks."

He nodded. Then he leaned in, voice just low enough para kami lang ang makakarinig.

"Let’s not rush anything… but I’d like to repay what you did. One dinner. Just… dinner."

Nagulat ako. Sa tono. Sa offer. Galing no'n a.

I stared at him for a moment, heart unsure of what it wanted to say.

Then slowly, I smiled.

"Let’s see if you survive a week without being cold first."

Napatawa siya as in, totoong tawa. Mababa, soft. Unang beses kong marinig ‘yon.

And for the first time since this arranged mess began…

I didn’t want to run from it.

Napag usapan na ang kasal at nakaayos na kung kailan. Nalaman ko sa assistant ni Lolo. Dahil pinaalam na rin sa'kin. Expected ko na ‘yon. Parang ang bilis. Ano bang minamadali nila?