Bound by His Promise のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 10

Rhea Pov:Akala ko ba… mahal mo ako?”The words came out soft, halos pabulong lang, pero sa loob-loob ko, parang sumabog ang dibdib ko.I was standing in the middle of Jake’s condo — the place that used to feel like home. Ngayon, parang bangungot na gusto kong takasan. Ang lamig ng aircon, pero pawis na pawis ako sa kaba at sakit.Sa harap ko, si Jake. Half-naked, his hair messy, at sa likod niya — a woman wearing nothing but his oversized white shirt. The same shirt I gave him last Christmas.“Rhea, please… let me explain—”“Explain?” natawa ako, pero ramdam ko ‘yung panginginig ng labi ko. “Anong gusto mong i-explain, Jake? Na nalasing ka lang? Na hindi mo sinasadya?”Tahimik siya. He couldn’t even look me in the eye. The silence between us was louder than any excuse he could’ve made.“You said you were busy with work,” tuloy ko, pilit na pinapakalma ‘yung boses ko kahit parang gusto ko nang sumigaw. “I believ

“Sometimes, the silence between two people is louder than any promise ever broken.” Recap I can still hear the soft click of his office door closing behind me. My hands were cold, gripping that brown envelope like it was the last thing holding me together. Lucas Monteverde’s words replayed in my head—steady, unreadable, almost cruel. He told me that every choice comes with a price. I didn’t even know what choice he meant. All I knew was that when I stepped out of that office, the world suddenly felt heavier. RHEA POV: The hallway smelled faintly of coffee and toner—ordinary things that somehow felt strange tonight. I walked faster, afraid that if I slowed down, I’d break down. My heels echoed on the tiles, each step reminding me of everything I was trying to escape. I hated that man. Or maybe I hated how calm he looked when I was falling apart. “Keep your head high, Ms. Santos.” That’s what Lucas said before I left. No emotion, no sympathy—just that. Outside, the city lights bl

“Some doors aren’t meant to be opened—but curiosity makes us turn the knob anyway.”RHEA'S POV:The city was quiet that night.Maybe too quiet.Even the rain had stopped—as if the sky itself was holding its breath.I looked again at the address on my phone. Montevista Tower, Penthouse 3.Figures. Of course he’d live that high up.It was almost midnight when I stepped out of the taxi. The driver gave me a look that said, are you sure? but I just nodded and paid him. The building loomed over me, all glass and cold steel. A place that screamed power and secrets.My heels clicked softly against the marble floor as I entered the lobby.The receptionist didn’t even ask my name.She just glanced at her screen and said, “Mr. Monteverde is expecting you.”Then she pressed the elevator button.Of course he was.The elevator ride was silent, except for the faint hum of jazz playing through hidden s

“Some truths whisper long before they explode.”RHEA'S POV:I woke up to the smell of coffee and rain.For a moment, I thought it was a dream—the kind where everything feels too calm to be real. Then my phone buzzed, dragging me back to the mess we’d started.1 new message from Lucas:> Meet me at the office. Urgent.My heart skipped. It wasn’t even 8 a.m. yet.I threw on a white blouse, tied my hair, and rushed out. The city was still half-asleep, streets slick with rainwater, traffic lights blinking lazily. I barely noticed any of it. All I could think of was the tone in his text: short, cold, no trace of last night’s softness.When I reached the building, the elevator ride felt longer than usual. I tried to steady my breath, rehearsing what I’d say if he decided to distance himself again.But when I stepped into his office, Lucas was pacing—phone in one hand, coffee in the other, eyes

“Not all ruins are tragedies. Some are just the places where we start again.”RHEA'S POV:The city didn’t look the same after the headlines.Posters torn down, security guards whispering, people pretending not to stare whenever I passed by. It wasn’t fear anymore—it was curiosity. The kind people have for stories they half-believe and half-envy.The “whistle-blower” label followed me everywhere.Some said hero.Some said traitor.All I really felt was tired.Three weeks since Jake’s arrest. The board dissolved the old project, replaced it with an “ethical division,” which sounded nice but felt hollow. Lucas was still in and out of hearings. Adrian kept sending short, encrypted updates—“Progress. Keep quiet. He’s holding up.”Me? I stayed invisible. No social media, no interviews, no friends except my notebook and the late-night hum of the city. But silence has a way of showing you what matters. And what mattered