جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 50

I had never understood why people hated goodbyes. To me, departures were simple.You left. You arrived. Life continued.There was nothing sentimental about it. At least, that was what I used to believe.Morning arrived much earlier than I wanted.The faint sound of roosters echoed through the quiet neighborhood while soft rays of sunlight slipped through the curtains.I checked the time. Six-thirty. Kusang naglapat ang aking mga labi kasabay ng aking pagbuntong-hininga. Bakit ba kasi parang ang bilis ng takbo ng oras?Our return to Manila had been scheduled for eight. Normally, I would have already been reviewing emails before leaving for any trip. Instead, I found myself standing outside the small wooden house, coffee in hand, quietly watching the peaceful surroundings.The province woke up differently. There were no honking cars. No rushing executives. No endless phone calls.Only birds singing and a cool breeze. And the smell of breakfast drifting from nearby homes."Aga mong nagis

The moment I entered the living room, I saw her. She was standing beside the grand piano, dressed in a cream-colored designer dress paired with pearl earrings. Elegant. Sophisticated.Everything the high society expected a Domingo to be associated with."Hello, Winston."Her smile was graceful. It was the same smile she had worn for years. Predictable smile, polite at the same time. At masasabi mong ang ngiti na yon ay parang na practice niya na nang paulit-ulit."Veronica." I stopped a few feet away. "I wasn't informed you were coming."Hindi talaga. Hindi ko aakalain na makikita ko pa siya ulit."I wanted it to be a surprise.""I don't enjoy surprises."She chuckled softly. "Yeah, I remember."Benjamin quietly excused himself, leaving the two of us alone. Silence settled between us, ibang-iba kapag si Windy ang kausap ko. Pakiramdam ko kapag si Windy ang kasama ko, parang walang oras na magiging tahimik ang buhay ko eh.Finally, Veronica spoke. "You look different.""I do?"She nodd

Winston's POVDinner with Veronica was never supposed to be complicated. At least, that had been my expectation but I was wrong.At exactly seven in the evening, the three of us were seated inside one of Manila's finest restaurants. Private dining room, minimal noise, and excellent service. Everything was exactly the way I preferred.Except Windy looked completely out of place. Not because of the way she dressed. She still wore the same simple blouse and a light cardigan.It was because she looked uncomfortable. She kept looking at the different forks and spoons on the table. Then at the crystal glasses and then back at the menu.I quietly noticed everything.Veronica smiled warmly before taking a sip of her wine."So, how's married life?"Biglang napatingin sa kanya si Windy."Married?" Napakurap pa siya. "Hindi pa po."Napatigil si Veronica."I'm sorry?"Napakamot si Windy sa batok. "Hindi pa po kami kasal. We're just..." Napalingon siya sakin na para bang hindi alam kung anong sasa

Winston's POVThere was a saying my grandfather used to repeat whenever I was younger."Watch how a person treats those who can offer them nothing."At the time, I believed he was talking about employees, business partners, or even people beneath our social standing. Now, I realized he meant something entirely different.He meant kindness and somehow, Windy possessed more of it than anyone I had ever met.For the next three days, the mansion transformed into an unexpected training ground. Every morning, Veronica arrived shortly after breakfast. Every afternoon, Windy learned something new.Walking gracefully, greeting distinguished guests, maintaining conversations, and understanding formal dining etiquette.At first, I assumed Windy would grow tired of it. Instead, she approached every lesson with the same enthusiasm she showed toward everything else. Even when she failed.Especially when she failed."Again."Veronica smiled patiently. Windy inhaled deeply before trying once more. Sh

Winston's POVMy grandfather had always believed in timing. When I was twelve, he refused to teach me how to negotiate."Not yet," he had said.At sixteen, I asked him why he trusted certain executives more than others. Again..."Not yet."Even the day he officially appointed me as the company's future CEO, he only smiled and said,"You'll understand when the time comes."I hated those words. Because to me, timing was just another excuse to delay the truth. Yet as I stared at the old brown envelope resting on my desk… I found myself wondering if this was the "right time" he had always been talking about.The charity gala rehearsal ended nearly an hour ago. Instead of returning to the mansion immediately, I came straight to my office alone. The envelope hadn't left my hands since Veronica gave it to me. It looked ordinary and old. The edges were slightly worn, as though it had been sealed years ago.On the front, written in my grandfather's unmistakable handwriting, were the words that