Semua Bab Bound by Honor (Montenegro Series 1): Bab 1 - Bab 8

Prologue(Andra’s POV)Truth is loudest when spoken in silence and at the exact moment everyone else chooses to stay quiet.That line echoed in my head the moment I stepped into the hall. Isa ako sa mga unang dumating.As expected, the Montenegro Group of Companies never did anything halfway. Lahat ng nasa paligid ay sinadyang magpabilib. From the towering chandeliers dripping with light to the gilded hotel walls na tila kumukutitap sa bawat flash ng camera, every corner of the five-star venue in Makati screamed one thing—power.Even the music, a refined classical piece playing softly in the background, felt orchestrated not for ambiance but for control. This wasn't just a press conference. This was theater. This was a performance. And this was my moment.I adjusted the press badge hanging around my neck, the weight of it reminding me of my purpose. Sa kamay ko, mahigpit kong hinawakan ang recorder—my weapon. My pulse beat faster, not from intimidation, but because of one singular reas

Chapter 2Shadows of San Pascual(Andra’s POV)“Andra, to my office. Now.”I barely had time to set my coffee down when I heard the voice of Ms. Corazon Dela Peña, our editor-in-chief. Her tone was sharp enough to slice through the newsroom chatter.The Daily Truth newsroom was always busy—phones ringing, keyboards clacking, editors talking over each other—but today, the energy felt heavier. Everyone had seen the live coverage of the Montenegro press conference. Everyone knew what I did.My question had trended on social media overnight. Some called me brave. Others, reckless.I straightened my blazer, squared my shoulders, and walked to Ms. Cora’s glass office. Heads subtly turned as I passed, whispers trailing behind me.“Siya ‘yung nagtanong kay Montenegro, ‘di ba?”“Grabe, gutsy ng babae.”“Gutsy? Or suicidal?”The door closed behind me with a soft click.Ms. Cora didn’t waste time. “What the hell was that stunt, Andra?” she said, her hands flat on the desk. “Do you realize what ki

Whispers Beneath the Noise(Andra’s POV)The newsroom was quieter than usual the next morning. Walang nag-aasaran sa coffee station, walang tunog ng stapler o halakhak ng interns sa likod. Instead, the air hummed with something heavier—anticipation.My monitor glowed with the same headline draft from last night, cursor blinking after the words Montenegro Group’s Silent Expansion. Hindi pa tapos, but the weight of what we found was already pressing hard against my chest.Leo dropped a cup of black coffee on my desk before I even looked up. “You didn’t go home again, ‘no?”“Technically, I did. Three hours ago,” sagot ko, barely glancing at him. My eyes stayed on the waveform loaded on my screen—an enhanced version of the audio from the conference. “May narinig ka na ba?”He leaned in beside me, arms crossed. “We filtered out the background static and mic distortion. There’s something underneath Zayne Montenegro’s response—barely audible. Pero tao ‘yon, not ambient noise.”My pulse quicke

Inside the Walls(Andra’s POV) The newsroom felt colder that morning. Not because of the AC, but because of the silence—the kind that sits heavy, like everyone knew something was about to explode.The coffee machine sputtered in the background, printers hummed softly, and the faint click of keyboards echoed through The Daily Truth’s open floor. But for the first time since I joined the publication, I felt watched. Paranoid, maybe pero hindi ako ganito dati. Leo arrived minutes later, dark circles under his eyes, laptop bag slung loosely over his shoulder. “Didn’t sleep?” he asked. “Barely,” I admitted. “I kept replaying the dock recording. May narinig akong pangalan ko sa dulo.” He froze mid-step. “As in, literal— ‘Andra Enriquez, stop digging’?” I nodded. “Barely audible, pero malinaw.” Leo exhaled sharply. “Then we move fast before whoever that was realizes we still have the file.” Inside the glass-walled office, our editor, Ms. Valerio, was waiting. She was in her early fift