جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 20

WINSTON POVPeople often misunderstood what made a CEO effective. It wasn't intelligence alone. It was the ability to read a room before anyone else realized what was happening inside it.That was why I disliked charity galas. Too many conversations. Too many smiles. Too many people pretending to care about causes they would forget the moment the cameras disappeared. And yeah, that's the fucking reality.I stood near the center of the ballroom with a glass of water in hand, listening to a foreign investor explain why his company deserved a partnership with Domingo Group. Halfway through his presentation, I already knew the answer was no.His numbers were inflated. His confidence exceeded his leverage. And his assistant had been checking market updates every three minutes, meaning they were desperate for this deal.Desperate people made poor negotiators."Mr. Domingo?"I looked at him at pinapakita ko talagang I'm not interested."You haven't answered.""Because you've already answered

Winston's POVControl had never been a preference.It was a necessity.Long before the Domingo Group became one of Southeast Asia's most influential corporations, I had already learned that success was never built on talent alone. Intelligence could open doors, but discipline was what kept them from closing. Every achievement I had earned, every company I had acquired, and every person who worked under my name shared one common foundation, order.Schedules were followed to the minute. Meetings began exactly when they were supposed to. Contracts were reviewed with precision and employees understood their roles before they even stepped into the office.There was no room for unnecessary improvisation.Chaos was costly but discipline, on the other hand, always produced results.Even my home reflected that philosophy.The mansion wasn't simply a place to live. It was an extension of the standards I had imposed upon myself for years. Every employee knew their responsibilities. Every corner

Windy's POVSabi nila, kapag tahimik ang bahay, ibig sabihin payapa. Anong payapa ang sinasabi nila? Basta ako, hindi ako naniniwala don. Imposible yang sinasabi nila.Kasi sa bahay namin sa probinsya, kapag tahimik ang bahay namin, ibig sabihin may kalokohang ginagawa ang mga pinsan ko o kaya naman may manok na naman si Mang Berting na nakapasok sa taniman ni Aling Nena.Kapag nangyari iyon, siguradong maya-maya lang may maririnig ka nang..."Hoy! Berting! Hulihin mo nga ang manok mo!"Tapos si Mang Berting naman..."Eh, hindi ko na nga makita! Baka gusto na ring manirahan diyan!"At pagkatapos ay magtatawanan na silang lahat. Tapos sasabihin nilang payapa? Nasaan ang kapayapaan don, aber?Ganun kasi sa probinsya. Maingay, magulo, pero may buhay talaga. Nakakamiss nga ang kaingayan don. Kailan kaya ako makakabalik samin?Napabuntong-hininga ako habang nakatayo sa kusina ng Domingo Mansion. Pinaikot ko pa ang mga mata ko sa loob.Ang laki-laki ng kusina. Mas malaki pa yata ito kaysa s

WINSTON'S POVThe ride to the Domingo Group Headquarters was unusually quiet.Not that I minded.After spending most of my morning listening to Windy complain about dresses, skirts, zippers, and her apparent need to run during a corporate emergency, the silence should have been a welcome change.And yet, after almost fifteen minutes inside the car, I found myself glancing in her direction.She was sitting beside me, her body slightly turned toward the window as she watched the city pass by. Her canvas tote bag was gone, thankfully. The small cream handbag the old woman had chosen for her rested on her lap, both of her hands loosely wrapped around it.I had expected her to be nervous.Perhaps intimidated.The Domingo Group was a name that carried weight in the business industry, and its headquarters stood at the center of one of the busiest business districts in the city. Most people visiting the building for the first time made an effort to hide their uneasiness.Windy, however, looke

Winston's POVHindi ko pa rin maalis sa isip ko ang nangyari sa conference room kanina. Akala ko talaga ay matatagalan pa bago maayos ang sinasabi nilang problema. At sa isang iglap ay maayos lang ng ilang segundo. Isang maluwag na power cable lang pala ang problema.At naisalba ni Windy ang isang meeting na maaaring ikapahamak ng milyon-milyong pisong deal. Napanganga na lang talaga ako sa kababalaghan na ginawa ni Windy kanina. Parang hindi ko talaga ma-imagine na naisip pa niya na silipin ang cable samantalang lahat ng tao don ay panay tingin sa computer at baka sakaling makita kung ano ang problema.At nakakatawa pa ang rason kung bakit naisip niya yon. Dahil naalala lang niya ang rice cooker nila sa bahay.Like what the fuck? Siya lang talaga ang makakaisip ng ganon.Kung tutuusin… Wala naman talaga iyong espesyal. Pero ewan ko ba.Mula nang dumating si Windy sa buhay ko, pakiramdam ko, lagi niyang napapansin ang mga bagay na hindi nakikita ng ibang tao. Katulad nga nong ginawa n