All Chapters of Entangled: Chapter 71 - Chapter 76

Elias and Lia’s apartment in Ang Mo Kio was the kind of space Sofia’s Tomson Road flat could never compete with. The living room was wide and welcoming, its walls painted in warm neutrals, a decorated Christmas tree standing proudly in the corner. The smell of adobo and lechon kawali drifted from the kitchen, mingling with the sweetness of bibingka baking in the oven.Her roommates settled in as if they had been coming here for years. Lani staked out a corner of the couch with a plate piled high with pancit, while Marco and Pia gravitated toward the stereo to queue up music. Sofia’s nieces darted in and out of the crowd, shrieking with delight every time one of their titas tossed them a candy from the dessert table.Elias had gone all out, inviting not only family but a small circle of Filipino friends and colleagues. Some were couples, others single, and the living room buzzed with the familiar cadence of Tagalog laughter, the kind that filled every corner until it felt like Manila h

The living room was suffocating with silence. Tristan Jacinto stood inside Elias’s apartment like a storm that had broken through the door, and no one could look away.“Balcony,” Elias said, his tone brooking no argument. His hand gestured firmly toward the glass door. “You two. Talk.”“Kuya—” Sofia’s voice was sharp, panicked.“Now,” Elias cut her off.The command was final. Reluctantly, she rose from her chair, fury boiling under her skin. Tristan followed, his shadow stretching long across the floor.Behind them, the crowd of family and guests pretended to busy themselves with food and drinks, though every eye tracked their steps. Elias noticed immediately. With a sharp tug, he drew the curtains shut. “Respect my sister,” he announced. “She doesn’t need an audience.” His voice carried weight, enough to snuff out the whispers.Outside, the December air hit Sofia like a blade. The balcony lights cast a faint glow over the city skyline, Christmas lights blinking far below. She gripped

When the balcony door finally opened, the room fell quiet again. All eyes turned toward Sofia and Tristan. They didn’t hold hands, didn’t exchange looks, but their calm faces were enough. Whatever storm had raged between them was over.Elias studied them with the sharp eye of an older brother, then gave a single, approving nod. “Well. The roasted pig is waiting,” he said simply, breaking the tension. Laughter rippled through the guests, though everyone kept sneaking glances at Tristan as if he might disappear if they blinked too hard.Tristan cleared his throat and turned to Elias. “Mr. Reyes… may I bring in the Christmas tokens I prepared?”Elias arched a brow, wary but polite. “Christmas token?”“They’re downstairs,” Tristan replied, almost sheepishly. “I’m… not good at this. My family never really made much of it. But I didn’t want to come empty-handed.”Minutes later, his driver reappeared, arms stacked with identical yellow-ochre boxes stamped with the unmistakable gold Louis Vui