My First Love's Son

Chapter 42

THE BLACK BAR at Aman Tokyo was a sanctuary for the elite, wrapped in dim amber lighting, the scent of expensive Cuban cigars, and the soft, melancholic hum of a live jazz saxophonist. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a breathtaking, glittering view of the Tokyo skyline at night. It was the perfect stage for a predator.

Kate stood by the monolithic basalt stone counter, stealing a glance at her reflection in the polished surface. She had spent exactly three hours perfecting this look. Hindi siya pwedeng magmukhang typical supermodel—she needed to look like an elegant, heartbroken aristocrat. She wore a midnight-black silk slip dress that hugged her curves flawlessly, draped with a delicate cashmere shawl. Her makeup was soft, her eyes slightly red as if she had been crying, thanks to a careful dab of menthol stick she applied in the restroom.

In the secluded VIP corner of the lounge, sitting alone with a glass of Yamazaki 25, was Arthuro Velasco. He looked dignified, his silver hair perfectly styled, his bespoke Tom Ford suit immaculate, but the heavy slump of his shoulders gave away his loneliness. He was a billionaire king without a queen, nursing the fresh sting of his highly publicized breakup.

Showtime, Kate thought, her pulse steadying into a lethal calm.

Holding a crystal glass of champagne, Kate walked slowly toward the exit, her path strategically designed to brush past his table. As she neared his leather armchair, she feigned a stumble, her heel perfectly catching the edge of the plush carpet.

With a soft, startled gasp, her glass tipped just enough to splash cold champagne onto her own wrist, and her vintage Chanel clutch slipped from her fingers, spilling a silver compact mirror and a silk handkerchief right at Arthuro's feet.

"Oh, no! Stupid, stupid," Kate whispered under her breath, her voice trembling just loud enough for him to hear. She immediately knelt on the carpet, her cashmere shawl slipping off one shoulder to reveal her flawless skin, her face a portrait of helpless frustration.

Arthuro blinked, snapped out of his deep thoughts. Without hesitation, the gentleman in him took over. He set his whiskey down and leaned over, picking up her silk handkerchief before she could reach it.

"Here, let me help you with that. Please, be careful," Arthuro said, his deep, authoritative baritone smooth and reassuring.

Kate looked up slowly through her thick lashes, her eyes widening in perfectly acted surprise. She let a single, crystalline tear slip down her cheek. "I-I'm so sorry, Sir. Nakakahiya. Masyado lang talaga akong lutang ngayon."

Arthuro's gaze softened immediately. The stunning, tragic beauty kneeling before him was a jarring contrast to the loud, demanding supermodel he had just broken up with. He stood up, offering his hand to help her.

"It's quite alright. There's no need to apologize," Arthuro said, his eyes scanning her tear-stained face. "Are you hurt? You look like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders."

Kate took his hand, letting her soft, delicate fingers linger against his warm, calloused palm a second longer than necessary as she stood. "I'm fine. Just... just trying to escape my reality back in Manila. Akala ko Tokyo would give me some peace, pero it seems I can't even walk straight without making a mess." She let out a fragile, self-deprecating laugh, wiping her cheek gracefully.

"Tokyo can be isolating if you're carrying a heavy heart," Arthuro murmured, gesturing to the empty leather seat across from him. "I know a thing or two about escaping. Please, sit down. Let me order you a fresh drink. It's the least I can do."

Kate hesitated, biting her lower lip as if unsure. "Are you sure? Ayoko po sanang maka-istorbo. You look like you want to be left alone."

"Nonsense," Arthuro insisted with a gentle but firm smile. "I insist. I'm Arthuro."

Kate sat down gracefully, crossing her legs. She took a deep breath, her acting reaching its climax. "Thank you, Arthuro. I'm Kate."

"Kate," he repeated, the name rolling off his tongue. He signaled the waiter for another champagne. "So, Kate. What brings a beautiful woman like you to a quiet lounge in Tokyo all by herself, crying?"

Kate looked down at her hands, her voice dropping into a breathless, vulnerable whisper. "Heartbreak. Betrayal. The kind that destroys you publicly. I trusted someone completely, and he humiliated me in front of the whole world just to protect his... his other woman."

Arthuro frowned, a wave of paternal and masculine protectiveness washing over him. "That is utterly unforgivable. Any man who would do that to a woman like you is a fool."

Kate looked up, locking her piercing gaze with his. She paused, letting the silence stretch before delivering the killing blow.

"I thought we were going to get married," Kate said, her voice cracking perfectly. "I loved him so much. I gave up everything for him. But Derek... he didn't care."

Arthuro's whiskey glass halted halfway to his mouth. His posture went completely rigid. "Derek? Did you say Derek?"

Kate's eyes widened in sheer, manufactured panic. She brought a trembling hand to her mouth. "Wait... Arthuro? Arthuro Velasco? Oh my god... You're his father."

She immediately grabbed her clutch, standing up in a frantic rush, playing the humiliated victim to absolute perfection. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't be here. Nakakahiya! You must think I'm pathetic, or worse, that I'm just here to— I need to go."

"Kate, wait. Please, sit down," Arthuro commanded softly but firmly, his hand shooting out to catch her wrist.

Kate stopped, looking down at his hand gripping her wrist, then up into his intense eyes. The bait was taken. The hook was set deep.

"You don't need to run away," Arthuro said, his voice dropping into a lower, more intimate register. "My son and I... we don't exactly see eye to eye. And if what you're telling me is true, then Derek has made a colossal mistake. Please. Stay. Tell me everything."

Kate slowly sat back down, letting out a shaky breath while her mind screamed in absolute victory. She looked at Arthuro, flashing him a fragile, devastatingly beautiful smile.

"Okay," she whispered softly. "I'll stay."

THE WAITER served a fresh glass of vintage champagne, placing it gently in front of Kate. She barely touched it. Instead, she kept her gaze fixed on the crystal rim, her shoulders slumped in the perfect picture of defeat.

"Ginawa ko ang lahat para sa kanya, Arthuro," Kate whispered, her voice trembling with manufactured pain. "I protected his image, I embraced his past, and I was fully prepared to love his son, Drake, like my own. Pero noong bumalik si Sapphire, bigla na lang akong itinapon na parang basura."

Arthuro leaned forward, his protective instincts fully awakened by her tears. "And this Sapphire, she is the mother of the child?"

Kate nodded slowly, dabbing the corner of her eye with the silk handkerchief. "Yes. And I respect that. Pero sana, Derek was man enough to talk to me in private. Instead, he went on national television and branded me a liar. Pinalabas pa niyang ilusyunada ako sa napabalitang malapit na kaming ikasal, just to make Sapphire look like a saint to the media."

With every tear she shed, Kate meticulously planted seeds of doubt and anger in Arthuro's mind. She knew exactly which buttons to push to manipulate a powerful, proud patriarch.

"I always admired your family. I just couldn't understand how a Velasco—someone raised by a man as honorable and distinguished as you—could be so ruthlessly cruel to a woman. Sirang-sira na ang career ko sa Manila. That's why I ran away to Tokyo. Wala na akong kakampi."

Arthuro's jaw clenched tightly, his fist resting on the table. The anger in his eyes was palpable, but it wasn't directed at Kate—it was directed at his son.

"Derek has always been reckless and rebellious, but to publicly destroy a woman's reputation?" Arthuro's voice rumbled with deep disappointment. "That is a blatant disrespect to the Velasco name. Wala siyang karapatang gawin iyon sa'yo."

Arthuro reached across the table, his warm, strong hand gently covering hers. Kate's breath hitched—this time, not acting, but out of pure, thrilling triumph. The billionaire was exactly where she wanted him.

"You don't have to face this humiliation alone anymore, Kate. You have my word. You are a remarkably strong and beautiful woman," Arthuro said softly, his thumb lightly brushing her knuckles. "It takes grace to survive what you went through. Ayokong isipin mo na mag-isa ka rito sa Tokyo. Are you free tomorrow evening?"

Kate looked up, her eyes widening in feigned innocence and slight hesitation. "I-I don't have any plans, but I don't want to intrude on your—"

"Nonsense," Arthuro cut in smoothly, a charismatic smile finally breaking across his dignified face. "Let me take you to dinner. Allow me to apologize on behalf of my family, and perhaps... show you that not all Velasco men are fools."

Kate let a shy, breathtaking smile touch her lips. "I'd love that, Arthuro. Thank you."

Beneath the table, Kate's free hand curled into a tight fist of victory. The game had officially begun.