All Chapters of Entangled: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The call came just before lunch, right when the office felt sluggish and half asleep. Sofia had been staring at her monitor for so long that the screen saver had popped up twice and disappeared again. Her cold cup of coffee sat abandoned beside her, a sad little relic of her earlier attempt to function like a normal human. She was halfway to giving up on the entire day when her phone buzzed.Unknown number.Her instincts told her to let it ring. Hide. Pretend she was in a coma. Something inside her, maybe stubbornness or the last scraps of hope, nudged her to answer.“This is Sofia Reyes,” she said. Her voice trembled just enough to betray her.“Miss Reyes, this is Patricia Ong from Jacinto Group Communications.” The voice sounded polished and practiced, each word wrapped in a perfect corporate bow. Sofia pictured a woman in a suit worth more than her rent, smiling with teeth too white to be relatable. “I am reaching out regarding the situation circulating online.”For a split second,

The Lorenzo name opened doors. It always had. People pretended that modern Manila ran on credentials, on clean résumés and quiet competence, but the truth lingered under every polished surface. Old families still shaped the city. A surname like Lorenzo tilted the world. It signaled history, wealth that had cloned itself across generations, and influence that never needed to announce itself. It simply existed, and people adjusted accordingly.Andrew understood that. He did not abuse it, but he did not deny it either. Power meant responsibility, and he carried both with an elegance that irritated his rivals. His office in Bonifacio Global City reflected that same precision. It was all glass and marble, sunlight sharpening the edges of the room, the skyline rising like a promise behind him. Assistants moved quietly outside, briefcases and papers and polished shoes slipping past in a rhythm that matched his calm authority.He placed the call in the middle of the afternoon, his posture str

The dossier landed on Tristan Jacinto’s desk with a quiet thud. It was the kind of sound that barely registered in most offices but somehow felt heavy in his, as if paper alone had decided to gain weight in the presence of his reputation. His assistant, Paolo, set it down with exaggerated care, like he was afraid the folder might explode into another scandal the moment Tristan touched it.“This is the woman. Sofia Reyes. Assistant Editor, Echelon Magazine. She was on the editorial team that ran your feature last quarter. That is the only direct connection we can find.”Tristan did not reach for the folder at first. He leaned back in his leather chair, the supple material sighing beneath him as he swirled the crystal glass in his hand. His whiskey moved like a lazy current, catching the afternoon light as if mocking the seriousness of Paolo’s tone. Tristan had half a mind to toss the file straight into the trash without opening it. Scandals passed through his life like weather patterns

Thursday morning arrived like a verdict.Sofia barely tasted her breakfast, her nerves souring everything she swallowed. The cab ride to Taguig felt endless, every traffic light a reminder of the minutes ticking down. When Nova Technologies finally rose into view, the glass tower glittered against the skyline like a blade.Inside, everything gleamed with precision. Polished floors, glass walls, furniture so minimalist it seemed to hover in place. Employees moved briskly, their ID lanyards swinging, eyes sharp and professional. Sofia clutched her temporary badge, feeling like an intruder in a world not built for her.The elevator carried her up in silence, each floor that ticked by tightening the knot in her chest. When the doors opened, an assistant was waiting.“Mr. Jacinto will see you now,” she said with a practiced smile.The office was vast, flooded with sunlight from floor-to-ceiling windows. Manila sprawled below, small and distant. At the center sat a sleek desk, more command

By the time Sofia reached the office the next morning, the whispers had already started. It felt like they bloomed the moment she stepped through the glass doors, spreading from cubicle to cubicle like vines. Heads tilted as she passed. People pretended to be busy, but their screens refreshed suspiciously often, fingers tapping updates like they were tracking a stock crash. She felt the weight of their eyes clinging to her skin, heavy and uncomfortable, as if she had sprouted a second head overnight.Her phone buzzed nonstop, the vibrations rattling in her bag like a swarm of angry bees. She already knew before she checked. Tristan Jacinto’s name had erupted online again, rising fast and loud across every platform like a tidal wave.PR STATEMENT: Tristan Jacinto Addresses Viral ScandalHer stomach plunged as she tapped open one of the articles, bracing herself with a shallow breath.Nova Technologies, through the Jacinto Group’s communications office, clarified today that recent rumor