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The Rival She Can’t Avoid
publish date:
2025-10-31 22:56:58Annika POV
Hindi ko alam kung kailan eksaktong nagsimulang maging kakaiba si Rafael Montero. Siguro noong araw na bigla siyang tumigil sa pang-aasar. O baka noong nagsimula siyang makinig sa akin sa halip na basta kontrahin ang lahat ng sinasabi ko. O baka noong kinuha niya ang lapis sa kamay ko dahil napansin niyang kinakabahan ako. Hindi ko alam. At ayaw kong alamin. Dahil si Rafael Montero ay ang huling taong dapat hindi ko pagtuunan ng pansin. Sa loob ng maraming taon, malinaw sa akin kung ano siya sa buhay ko. Karibal. Iyon lang. Siya ang taong lagi kong gustong talunin. Ang taong lagi kong gustong maunahan sa klase. Ang taong nakakainis kahit wala namang ginagawa. Ang taong kayang sirain ang tahimik kong araw sa isang simpleng ngiti. At ngayon, mas malala pa. Dahil nakatira na kami sa iisang bahay "Annika." Napalingon ako sa tawag ng kaklase ko. "Bakit?" "Kanina ka pa nakatitig sa papel mo." Tumingin ako sa hawak kong notebook. "Nag-iisip lang ako." "Kinakabahan ka ba?" Umiling ako. "Hindi." "Sigurado?" "Oo." Ngumiti siya. "Ang proyekto niyo ni Rafael ang pinakaabang-abangan ngayon." Napabuntong-hininga ako. "Huwag mo nang banggitin." "Bakit, totoo naman ah," Tumawa siya. Dati palagi kaming naglalaban. Kung may tanong ang propesor, pareho kaming nagtataas ng kamay. Kung may pagsusulit, pareho kaming naghahabol ng pinakamataas na marka At kung may debate, siguradong magkatapat kami. At kapag nagkataong pareho kaming tama? Mas lalo kaming nag-aaway. Kaya nang sabihin ng propesor na kami ang magiging magkagrupo para sa pinakamalaking proyekto ng semestre, alam kong magiging mahirap iyon. Ang hindi ko inaasahan... magiging madali pala kong pareho kaming magtutulungan. At iyon ang mas nakakatakot. "Annika." Napatingin ako sa pintuan ng silid-aralan. Nandoon si Rafael. Nakasandal siya sa gilid ng p***o, may hawak na folder at laptop. "Ready?" Tumango ako. "Oo." Lumapit siya sa akin. "Sigurado ka?" "Oo." "May dala ka bang kopya?" "Dalawa." "May backup?" Ngumiti siya. "Alam kong mapagkakatiwalaan kita." Napatingin ako sa kanya. Parang kakaiba ang pagkakasabi niya noon. Hindi niya ako inaasar. Hindi siya nangungutya. Seryoso siya. "Ikaw?" tanong ko. "Ako?" "May dala ka bang sarili mong kopya?" "Meron." "Ilan?" "Isa." Napapikit ako. "Rafael." "Ano?" "Isa lang?" "May laptop ako." "At kapag nagloko ang laptop mo?" "May kopya ka naman." Napailing ako. "Napakaresponsable mo." "Salamat." "Hindi iyon papuri." "Tinanggap ko pa rin." Napangiti ako nang bahagya. At bago ko pa mapigilan ang sarili ko, ngumiti rin siya. Mabilis kong inalis ang tingin ko. Bakit ba ang hirap nitong mga nakaraang araw? Nang tawagin ng propesor ang pangalan namin, sabay kaming tumayo. Huminga ako nang malalim. "Huwag kang kabahan," bulong ni Rafael. "Hindi ako kinakabahan." "Kinakabahan ka." "Hindi." "Pinipisil mo ang folder mo." Napatingin ako sa kamay ko. Totoo nga. Agad ko itong binitawan. "Salamat." "Walang anuman." Tumingin siya sa akin. "Kayang-kaya natin 'to." Tumango ako. At sabay kaming humarap sa klase. Nagsimula ako sa unang bahagi ng presentasyon. Ipinaliwanag ko ang konsepto ng aming proyekto, ang dahilan kung bakit iyon ang napili naming negosyo, at ang mga problemang kailangan naming lutasin. Tahimik ang buong klase. Nakikinig sila. Maging ang propesor ay nakatutok sa amin. Nang matapos ang unang bahagi, si Rafael naman ang nagpatuloy. At doon ko muling napansin kung gaano siya kahusay magsalita sa harap ng maraming tao. Ibang Rafael siya kapag seryoso. At alam niya kung paano kunin ang atensyon ng mga nakikinig. Napatingin ako sa kanya habang nagpapaliwanag siya. Nang mapansin niya ako, bahagya siyang ngumiti. Agad maman akong umiwas ng tingin. Huwag kang tumingin sa kanya. Karibal mo siya. Paulit-ulit kong sinabi iyon sa sarili ko. Pero bakit parang hindi na sapat ang salitang iyon? Pagkatapos ng presentasyon, nagsimula ang tanungan. Isa sa mga kaklase namin ang nagtanong tungkol sa aming financial projection. Ako sana ang sasagot. Pero nauna si Rafael. Ipinaliwanag niya ang computation. Pagkatapos, may isa pang tanong. Ako naman ang sumagot. Nagpatuloy iyon nang ilang minuto. At sa bawat tanong... parang alam na namin kung kailan sasagot ang isa't isa. Hindi kami nagkakatinginan para mag-usap. Nang matapos ang huling tanong, tumango ang propesor. "Very good." Napatingin ako kay Rafael. Ngumiti siya. Napangiti rin ako. "Salamat po," sabay naming sinabi. Natawa ang klase. Napatingin kami sa isa't isa. "Gayahan," bulong niya. "Ikaw ang nanggaya." "Nauna ako." "Hindi." "Oo." "Rafael." "Annika." Napailing ako. At muling nagtawanan ang mga kaklase namin. Pagkatapos ng lahat ng presentasyon, sinabi ng propesor na iaanunsyo niya ang mga marka bago matapos ang klase. Umupo ako. Tahimik akong naghintay. Sa totoo lang, gusto kong malaman ang resulta. Hindi dahil gusto kong matalo ang ibang grupo. Gusto kong malaman kung sapat ba ang ginawa namin. At higit sa lahat... gusto kong malaman kung nalampasan namin ang inaasahan ko. Humawak ng papel ang propesor. "Mayroon akong sasabihin bago ko ibigay ang inyong mga marka." Natahimik ang lahat. "Ngayong semestre, maraming grupo ang gumawa ng magandang proyekto." May ilang estudyanteng ngumiti. "Pero may isang grupo na talagang namukod-tangi." Naramdaman kong bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko. Napatingin ako kay Rafael. Nakatingin din siya sa akin. "Ang pinakamataas na marka para sa proyekto..." "ay napunta kina Rafael Montero at Annika Rodriguez." Biglang nag-ingay ang buong silid. May pumalakpak. May sumigaw. May ilang nang-asar. "Expected!" "Alam na!" "Pinakamalakas talaga!" Napangiti ako. Napatingin muli ako kay Rafael. Ngumiti siya nang malawak. "Sinabi ko sa'yo." Napakunot ang noo ko. "Ano?" "Mananalo tayo." "Mananalo tayo dahil pinaghirapan natin." Napailing ako. "Ang yabang mo." "Pero tama ako." "Isang beses lang." "Isang beses na naman." "Rafael." Tumawa siya. At sa pagkakataong iyon, tumawa rin ako. Hindi ko alam kung bakit. Pero masaya ako. Hindi lang dahil mataas ang marka namin. Masaya ako dahil... maganda ang naging resulta ng pinaghirapan namin. At marahil... masaya rin ako dahil kasama ko siya.
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SAPPHIRE POVI could hardly believe it had been a full month since our honeymoon, a month that had begun as a simple, seven-day escape and somehow stretched into thirty days of stolen mornings, endless nights, and absolute indulgence. Time had passed without us noticing, each day filled with touches, whispers, and moments we couldn’t or didn’t want to waste. And now, reality was creeping back. We were no longer in a secluded villa, no longer shielded from schedules, deadlines, board meetings, and calls. Back in the penthouse, the city skyline outside reminded me of the responsibilities waiting for us Rafael’s company, mine, and all the meticulous, high-stakes work that came with being CEOs. The weight of those duties pressed against me, but the heat of our last month lingered, reminding me that the hunger between us hadn’t faded not even slightly. Rafael sat across from me, sharply dressed in a tailored suit, tie slightly loosened, reviewing documents on his laptop. He looked e
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I blinked at the sunlight streaming through the curtains, and for a split second, I forgot what day it was. The warmth against my chest, the faint scent of her hair, the softness of her skin pressed against me it all felt like the honeymoon hadn’t ended. And then it hit me. One week. That had been the plan. Just a week. A short escape from the world. From responsibilities. From everything that reminded us of control, schedules, meetings, and deadlines. One week to steal each other entirely, without the world intruding. Except… one week had turned into a month. Thirty days of stolen mornings, endless nights, and hours that blurred into one another. Thirty days of Sapphire, of hunger, of teasing, of laughter and moans echoing in the suite. Thirty days that had ended far too suddenly when reality crashed back in. And now, here I was, fully dressed in a suit that was too crisp, a tie that felt constraining, hair perfectly styled, but thinking only of her. I pushed myself off the be
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The soft, golden light of dawn spilled through the curtains, brushing across my face and nudging me awake. For a moment, I lingered in the warmth of the bed, eyes tracing the curve of Rafael’s sleeping form beside me. His chest rose and fell in steady rhythm, the faint rumble of his breath vibrating against the sheets. The room smelled like him warm, familiar, intoxicating and my pulse quickened at the thought that he was mine, fully and irrevocably. Careful not to wake him, I slipped from the bed, letting the cool floor send a shiver through me. My bare feet padded softly across the suite, past the soft rug and toward the bathroom. The distant hum of waves outside was a quiet serenade. My hand reached for the shower handle, turning it on and letting the hot water flood the space, steam curling around me, warming my skin. I pressed my back against the cool tile wall, savoring the contrast of heat and chill, reaching for the soap to start my shower… And then I felt it. A hand
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Lyra’s POV His eyes locked on mine defiant, furious, burning And my whole body froze. I should’ve stepped back. I should’ve looked away. But I didn’t. Because the truth was… I wanted him to come closer. And he did. In one breath, he crossed the room, grabbed my waist, and pulled
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