Semua Bab Love in Beta: Bab 21 - Bab 30

AVAS POVPagkatapos ng ilang araw na tahimik, nagdecide akong makipagkita kay Liam. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang aasahan ko, o kung anong magiging reaksyon ko kapag makita ko siya ulit. Pero isang bagay ang sigurado-gusto kong tapusin ang lahat ng tanong na nagpapalabo sa isipan ko. Hindi ko na kayang magdalawang-isip pa.Sinabi ko kay Maya na magkikita kami ni Liam. She wasn't exactly thrilled about it, but she understood. "Ava, just be careful, okay?" she reminded me before I left. "Alam ko na may pagkakamali siya, and maybe he's changed, but please... don't let him hurt you again."I smiled at her, trying to calm myself. "I promise, I'll be okay. I just need to see him. I need to hear him out, Maya."She just nodded, though I could tell she was still worried. But I needed this. For me. Hindi ko na kayang maging stuck sa isang lugar kung saan puro tanong lang ang sumasakop sa akin.Pagtapak ko sa cafe kung saan kami magkikita, I couldn't help but feel the weight in my chest. Para bang

AVAS POVHindi ko alam kung anong nararamdaman ko. Parang may mabigat na bagay na bumagsak sa dibdib ko, but I couldn't cry. Hindi ko kayang umiyak sa harap ni Liam. Kung kaya ko lang magpanggap na okay lang ako, I would. Pero hindi ko na kayang magsinungaling.The whole walk back to my apartment felt like I was carrying the weight of the world. Ang laking pagbabago ng nararamdaman ko. Gabi na, at parang ang lamig sa labas, but it felt like the coldness inside me was worse. Hindi ko alam kung anong nangyari kay Liam. Was he really sincere? Or baka ako lang yung tanga na nahulog na naman sa manipulation niya. Pero kung may natutunan man ako mula sa lahat ng ito, it's that I can't keep lying to myself. I had to be strong. I couldn't keep falling for someone who would only bring me pain in the end.Pagdating ko sa apartment, I threw my bag on the couch and collapsed on the bed, trying to shake off the feeling that something was missing. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang nararamdaman ko. But one

Maya's POVMaya sat quietly in the corner of the cafe, fingers absentmindedly tracing the rim of her coffee cup. Her mind was a whirlwind, swirling with thoughts she couldn’t quiet. The words Ash had said earlier that night—“Maya, I need you to trust me.”—kept echoing in her head, but they felt like a distant plea, one that she wasn’t sure how to respond to anymore.Naalala ko pa nung una, when we first matched on SoulLink. Back then, everything felt so effortless, so simple. Ang saya ko pa nga nung may nakakausap akong someone who seemed to understand me, without the baggage of being the "CEO" or "rich kid" na laging hawak ng mga tao kay Asher. But now, everything was different. Now, there were secrets, expectations, betrayals... and a future neither of them could ever fully control."Hey, are you okay?" Ava’s voice broke through the fog of her thoughts. Maya looked up to find her best friend standing in front of her, concern etched on her face. Ava, ever the empath, must have sense

The days after their conversation at the café felt like a blur. A part of Maya was still processing everything that had happened, but she couldn’t deny the small flicker of hope that had sparked inside her. She had agreed to give Ash a chance—to let him prove that his feelings for her were genuine. Pero, as much as she wanted to believe him, she couldn’t just forget everything so easily. Hindi siya ganoon. Hindi siya ganoon ka-bilis magtiwala ulit.It wasn’t just about him being a CEO. It was about the lies, the secrets, and the fact that, at one point, he had hidden his true self from her. And now, she was supposed to pick up the pieces and pretend like nothing had happened? Hindi. Hindi pa siya handa para doon. Not yet.She had been avoiding him for a few days after their talk, not because she was mad, but because she needed space. Hindi niya kayang magdesisyon agad-agad. Every time she thought of him, she felt the weight of his promises, but also the weight of the past. The trauma

Maya sat at her favorite café, the warm aroma of freshly brewed coffee mixing with the slight crispness in the air. The past few weeks had been a whirlwind of emotions, but in the best way possible. Every time she saw Ash, she felt both grounded and elevated at the same time. They were taking things slow, yes, but there was no denying that something deeper was beginning to grow between them. As she stirred her coffee absentmindedly, her phone buzzed on the table. It was a message from Ash. “Good morning, Maya. I’ve been thinking about last night... dinner was great. I enjoy every moment I spend with you. You make everything feel light. I’m really happy that we’re doing this.”She smiled, her fingers hovering over the screen as she typed her response.“I’m happy too, Ash. I didn’t think I could feel this comfortable with someone again, but here we are. Let’s keep this going, one day at a time.”As she sent the message, a warm feeling spread in her chest. It was crazy to think how far