جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 70

Kaella stared at the ceiling that night, her blanket twisted around her legs as she lay wide awake. It had been days since the shocking announcement of Jerome as the new CEO, days since he vanished from her personal orbit. Pero habang nakatitig siya sa dilim ng kwarto, unti-unting bumalik sa isip niya ang mga huling oras bago siya biglang mawala—mga detalyeng dati’y hindi niya binibigyan ng pansin, pero ngayon, they carried a strange weight.Naalala niya ang gabing iyon. They had stayed late at the office, working side by side as usual. Wala namang kakaiba sa umpisa. Jerome had been his usual self—may mga biro, may pilyong ngiti, at mga pasimpleng hirit na nagiging dahilan ng kanyang tawa kahit pagod na pagod na siya. Pero habang lumalalim ang gabi, may mga sandali na nahuli niya itong nakatingin lang sa kanya, hindi na gaya ng dati. Hindi playful. Hindi rin biro. It was the kind of look that lingered, almost memorizing her face.“Bakit ganyan ka makatingin?” she had asked, half-laugh

Kaella stared at the screen, blinking hard as though the text would finally start making sense if she glared at it long enough. Pero kahit anong pilit, wala talaga. Her mind was elsewhere, floating back to that night when Jerome’s smile seemed a little heavier, his tone a little different. And now—silence.“Hoy, earth to Ma’am Kaella!” biglang singit ni Trina, kumakaway pa sa harap ng mukha niya. “Kung may staring contest ka dyan sa monitor, talo ka na.”Kaella startled, eyes snapping wide. “Ha? Hindi ah! Busy lang.”Trina raised a brow, the kind that screamed I don’t buy it. At syempre, hindi siya nag-iisa. A couple of officemates peered over from the other side of the cubicles, mga nakikiramay sa pamamagitan ng kunwaring trabaho habang malinaw na nakikinig sa usapan.“Busy? Eh kanina ka pa nasa parehong page,” sabat ng isa. “Kung textbook yan, baka memorize mo na yung table of contents.”Napapikit si Kaella at dumaing. “Guys, please, I’m fine.”“Fine daw oh!” Trina clapped her hands

Nagsimula ang lahat nang mapansin nina Trina at ng iba pang officemates na parang hindi na nagbabago ang timpla ni Kaella. Oo, nagtagumpay siya sa sales campaign at lahat ay humanga sa kanya, pero sa personal na usapan, obvious na may lungkot na hindi matanggal. Ang mga mata niya ay parang laging pagod, at ang mga ngiti ay pilit. Kaya bilang mga kaibigan—at medyo tsismosang kakampi—nagplano sila ng isang bagay: ang pagpipilit na maibalik ang kilig sa buhay ni Kaella.“Girl, kailangan mo lang ng bagong makakausap. Hindi puwedeng puro trabaho at kape lang,” bulong ni Trina isang hapon habang sabay silang kumakain ng sandwich sa pantry.“Trina, hindi ako interesado,” sagot ni Kaella, nakataas ang kilay. Pero sa loob-loob niya, alam niyang hindi titigil ang mga ito.At hindi nga.Unang Attempt: Blind date sa coffee shop.“Kaella, may makakasabay tayo sa merienda,” casual na sabi ni Trina, habang tila walang malisya. Pero pagdating nila sa café, may nakaupo nang lalaki sa mesa—isang junior

Kaella rubbed her temples as she stared at the glowing monitor. Hours had already passed, yet her sales campaign slides remained half-finished. She told herself she just needed focus, but her heart was stubborn—every pause, every silence in the office, seemed to echo Jerome’s absence.“Get it together,” she whispered to herself, clicking through her draft slides. But just as she was adjusting a chart, a small notification pinged at the corner of her screen.New email.Her eyes drifted to the sender. She froze. The name was impossible to miss.Jerome RoqueHer chest tightened, air catching in her throat. For a second, she thought her mind was playing tricks. But no—the subject line stared back at her in stark, black letters: Follow-up on Pending Proposal.Formal. Businesslike. Nothing unusual. And yet, her hands trembled as she clicked it open.Good day, Ms. Ponce,I trust this finds you well. Please see attached notes regarding the adjustments on the campaign budget. Ensure these alig

Maingay ang buong office floor ng sales division—phones ringing, keyboards clacking, reports being printed left and right. Pero sa gitna ng lahat, nakaupo si Kaella, focused at hindi nagpapadaig sa pressure.“Miss Kae, kailangan ng client presentation ng Region IV bago 3PM!” tawag ng isa sa kanyang team.“On it,” sagot niya, mabilis na tinapik ang laptop keys. In less than ten minutes, she polished the slides, added the missing numbers, and sent it back. Her leadership was sharp, efficient, and everyone knew she was the backbone of the team.Hindi siya pinanganak na competitive, pero natuto siyang maging ganito. Hard work, resilience, and discipline ang naging armas niya sa corporate jungle.After months of late nights, overtime, and countless client meetings, dumating din ang araw na hindi niya inaasahan.“Ms. Ponce,” tawag ng kanilang Division Head sa gitna ng meeting. “We’ve been reviewing performance reports across all regions. And we’re pleased to announce… effective immediately,