THE SHIFT

The whole resort was busy. It was only seven in the morning, but everyone was already cleaning. Wiping the windows, sweeping sand off the walkway, arranging fresh flowers in the lobby. Even the gardeners were working double time. There was a visitor coming. Not just any visitor. "The owner's only son is coming," Ate Marie from housekeeping whispered. "Sir Elias Montenegro. From Manila. He rarely comes here." The plane carrying Elias Montenegro landed at Coron Airport. It was 10 in the morning. The kind of heat that hits you in the face the moment you step out of the plane. A black van was already waiting outside. Hotel service. It belonged to their family too — they owned a hotel in mainland Coron and a resort on the island. "Good morning, Sir! Welcome to Coron!" the driver greeted him, smiling nervously. Elias didn't answer. He just nodded and went straight to the van. The driver quickly closed the door. Silence. "To the pier, Manong," Elias said quietly. Those were his first words since this morning. "Yes, Sir. The speedboat is ready." The ride was fast. Tricycles, tourists with big backpacks, souvenir shops. Everything felt slow for Elias. He was used to the fast pace of Manila. When they arrived at the pier, a white speedboat was already waiting. Clean and smooth. PARADISE RESORT was written on the side in gold letters. It was theirs. His family's. Two boatmen approached. "Welcome, Sir Elias! Welcome to Coron!" Elias only nodded again. No smile. He climbed onto the boat and sat at the very front — where the wind was strongest. He took off his sunglasses for a moment and looked far into the sea. "Let's go," he ordered. The speedboat sped off. In the middle of the sea, he could see everything. Every island they passed had white sand — so white and so fine, like flour. Small hills full of trees. No houses. No noise. Like they had never been touched. There were other boats too. Island-hopping boats. Tourists wearing orange life vests, shouting, laughing, taking pictures. Coron was famous for its beautiful islands — that's why there were so many tourists even though it was burning hot. At Paradise Resort, everything was almost perfect. The entire resort had been cleaned and polished for hours. El, the head of security, announced on the radio. "All units, all units. The big boss, Sir Elias Montenegro, is on his way. Stay alert on all your posts." "Eagle Post — this is El. Stay sharp up there. Keep your eyes on the binoculars." "Copy that, Sir," the guard on Eagle replied. "Roving Guard, clear the docking area. Make sure no other boats are blocking the way." "Copy, Sir!" A few moments later, the radio crackled again. It was Eagle Post. "Sir, I spotted the speedboat. Sir Elias is on board. Estimated arrival — ten minutes." "Copy, Eagle," El answered. He immediately called the front desk. "FO, Mira on duty. Sir Elias is ten minutes out." After ten minutes, the speedboat carrying Elias finally docked. Everyone was already at the docking area — the managers, the staff, and the guards on duty. They were all smiling, standing properly, like they had been preparing for this the whole day. As soon as Elias stepped off the boat, they all greeted him in unison. "Good afternoon, Sir! Welcome to Paradise Resort!" They placed a garland of fresh flowers around his neck. It was something they did for every guest, but for Elias, it felt different. Their smiles were more respectful, more nervous. Because he wasn't just a guest — he was the owner. Elias smiled back — a small, polite smile, but enough to ease the tension. "Thank you," he said in a calm, gentle voice. The female staff couldn't help but admire him. Tall, handsome, well-dressed, clean and sharp. He had that natural charisma — the kind that makes you turn your head even if you don't know him. The managers quickly escorted him to his villa, with El carrying his luggage personally. Elias walked quietly, just nodding occasionally while the manager talked. His villa was right by the beach. As soon as the door opened, the view was breathtaking — white sand, blue sea, fresh air. Quiet and peaceful, like a different world compared to the noise of Manila. Inside, El placed the luggage to the side and spoke respectfully. "Sir, this is your villa. If you need anything, just call me anytime." Elias nodded and smiled. > El smiled too, straightened his posture, and gave a firm salute. "I'll go back to my post now, Sir. Have a good day, Sir." Meanwhile, the female staff still couldn't stop talking about Elias. They were all giggling like teenagers. "Oh my God, Sir Elias is so handsome! I swear my whole world stopped when I saw him," one of them whispered. Another one laughed. "Do you think Sir Elias even noticed me?" They all burst out laughing. "Of course he noticed you — your eyebrows were crooked!" another one teased. They laughed even louder, holding their stomachs. Mira was just smiling quietly while listening to them. She didn't join in, she just listened. Suddenly, her phone buzzed. A new message popped up. "See you later, love." Mira couldn't hide her smile as she typed back. "Yes, love. See you later." "I love you." "I love you too."