جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 190

What is he doing out at this hour? At nang magtama ang mga mata namin.. Ay putik.Yung expression niya?Worry.Frustration.At isang bagay na mas masakit: Disappointment.Parang ako pa talaga ang nagkulang.Parang ako pa ang mali sa lahat ng nangyari.Parang ako pa ang nagkasala. Nanuyo ang lalamunan ko. Pinilit kong pinakalma ang sarili. Dang! Kanina ok na ako ‘e.“Rosie.” sambit niya ng makalapit na sa akin. Nope. Hindi muna ngayon.I shook my head and stepped back. “Kuya, please. Not right now.” He froze. Kita ko agad ang pagbabago ng mukha niya…parang nasaktan siya sa sinabi ko. “Rosie…” His voice softened for a second. “Let’s talk. Please.”“I said not right now,” ulit ko, this time mas firm. “Hindi ko pa kaya makipag usap, Hindi ko pa kaya, kuya. Baka kung saan lang ulit mapunta ang usapan natin.” “Let’s settle this now,”“No,” I breathed out. “Kuya, isang oras pa lang mahigit ang nakakalipas, hindi ko pa kaya makipag usap sa’yo ngayon, Please… give me a moment. Give

Caleb's point of view The executive floor was quiet when I returned. Too quiet… as if the entire building had slowed its breathing just to listen to the chaos inside my head. Isinara ko ang pinto ng office nang malakas, rinig na rinig ang ingay nito sa buong floor dahil sa katahimikan pero wala akong pakialam. Dumiretso ako sa glass wall at tumitig sa siyudad, halos lahat sa ibaba ay abala, buhay na buhay. Samantalang ako tila nawalan ng buhay. Kinalma ko ang sarili, Damn it! Akala ko magiging ok na ang lahat kapag binigyan ko ng oras si Rosie. Pero hindi pa rin pala, iba ang naging tama ng pag aaway namin. At hindi ko matanggap na humantong kami sa ganito. Rosie’s face earlier wouldn’t leave my mind. The way she stepped back. The tone in her voice…something I had never heard from her before.“Please… let me breathe.”Napapikit ako.Doon ko naramdaman ang bigat, sakit at higit sa lahat. Takot.Takot na sa kagustuhan kong protektahan siya… ako pa ang unang taong nagtulak sa kan

CALEB’s point of view Continuation.. She didn’t look at me. She remained silent… as if she hadn’t heard me, or more accurately, As if I weren’t even here. Bumuntong-hininga ako saka dahan-dahang naupo sa dulo ng bench, may malaking pagitan sa amin. Hindi muna ako nagsalita. Pinili kong makiramdam muna, gaya ng ginagawa ko noon kapag may hindi kami pagkakaintindihan.. kapag alam kong kailangan ko munang hintayin siyang kumalma. The breeze gently brushed against our skin, carrying the scent of flowers all around. The garden was quiet, as if it were deliberately making space for words that had long been held back. Yet despite all the calm, the nervousness in my chest was overwhelming. Damn… how do I even start? This is the first time I’ve struggled like this.. sa kanya pa. Sa sarili kong kambal. At sa totoo lang, sobrang kinakabahan ako. Nah… never mind. Wala nang atrasan.“Rosie,” muli kong tawag, mas mababa ang boses, mas mahinahon. “Can we talk? Please…?” Nanatili siyang

Cataleya’s point view Matapos naming pag-usapan ang project na hahawakan namin ni Kael Montgomery, biglang may kumatok sa pinto tapos bumukas 'yon at humahangos na pumasok si Lucas tapos dumiretso kay kuya. He moved quickly. It was obvious he had urgent news. “Sir,” sabi niya kay Kuya, bahagyang yumuko, “there’s an urgent meeting in the boardroom now. They need you right now.” Saglit lang nagbago ang ekspresyon ni Kuya…mula sa kalmadong CEO mode, naging alerto at seryoso agad. Tumingin siya sa relo niya, saka bumuntong-hininga.“Alright,” sagot niya. “I’ll be there.” I wonder what it is. It seems like there’s a problem.Humakbang siya palapit sa akin.“Rosie,” mahina niyang sabi, “I’ll leave you the rest of the files. Review them first, then start coordinating with Montgomery. I’ll check in later. Kailangan ko lang pumunta sa boardroom for urgent meeting.” Tumango ako. “Got it, Kuya.” sambit ko. Gusto ko sanang magtanong kaso nagmamadali na si kuya. Mamaya na lang siguro p

Isang linggo na rin ang lumipas mula noong unang araw namin ni Kael sa project, at parang isang kisapmata lang ang lahat. Hindi ko namalayan kung paano lumipas ang mga araw. A lot happened during that week. We were in the meeting room almost every day.. sometimes sitting side by side, sometimes across from each other, always with a laptop and documents between us, yet I could feel his presence. There were days when it was all just data crunching, quiet, focused on our screens. There were nights when we stayed late because of the endless back-and-forth of emails and revisions. Strategic discussions that sometimes grew heated, sometimes filled with long silences before one of us spoke again. Ngayong gabi, naiwan na naman kaming dalawa sa opisina ni Kael. The surroundings were quiet. The kind of silence that sinks deep into the skin..cool, undisturbed. In the distance, you could still occasionally hear the elevator dinging on its way down, a sign that others who stayed late wer