Terms & Conditions of Love

Disclaimer: This novel is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents in this book are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. This story contains strong language and scenes that could be disturbing to certain readers. Read at your own risk. · · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • SINGAPORE. 6:14 A.M. The city had already awakened. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows of the presidential suite, the skyline shimmered beneath the soft glow of dawn. The towering glass buildings reflected streaks of gold across Marina Bay, while the morning traffic below moved with practiced precision, as though the city had already signed another contract with time. Inside Suite 3708... is a deafening silence. The air conditioner hummed quietly. An empty champagne bottle rested on the coffee table beside two crystal glasses, one still stained with lipstick. A folder labeled ENRIQUEZ HOSPITALITY GROUP × AM LUXE CREATION lay neatly on the marble countertop. The contract inside had been signed weeks ago, and it officially ended today. Alysson Marie dela Cruz stirred beneath the white duvet. A dull ache pulsed through her temples. "...Ugh..." Napa kunot ang noo niya pagmulat niya ng mga mata. The unfamiliar ceiling greeted her first. Then the expensive chandelier. The scent of cedarwood and bergamot lingered faintly in the room. She pushed herself upright too quickly. A sharp pain shot through her head. "W-What the..." Her voice came out barely above a whisper. She pressed two fingers against her temple, squeezing her eyes shut as scattered fragments flashed across her mind. The hotel ballroom, the loud applause, the VIP investors. The followed by laughter and disco light, a glass of champagne. Hunter. Then another glass. His voice. An argument. Then... nothing, just a total darkness. Napapikit siya ng mariin, pagkaraan ay napayuko siya. The blanket slipped slightly from her shoulder. Her breath caught in her throat. She can feel that she wasn't wearing anything beneath it. The realization struck her all at once. She immediately clutched the duvet tighter around herself, panic replacing the lingering haze of alcohol. Her eyes darted across the room. A black evening gown lay folded over the lounge chair. Hunter's suit jacket rested on the sofa. Two champagne flutes. A loosened necktie. One pair of high heels beside the bed. His wristwatch. Her earrings. Pieces of last night scattered across the suite like evidence from a crime scene. Her gaze slowly drifted toward the windows. Someone stood there. Tall, motionless, hands inside his pockets. Hunter Dominic Enriquez. He's still wearing yesterday's white dress shirt. Its sleeves were rolled carelessly to his forearms. The first two buttons remained undone. He looked exhausted not physically, but emotionally. The sunrise painted half of his face with warm light while the rest remained hidden in shadow. He hadn't noticed she was awake. Or perhaps... he simply didn't know how to face her. Alysson swallowed hard. "Anong nangyari sa atin kagabi?" The question stayed inside her head; she wasn't sure she wanted the answer. As though sensing her gaze, Hunter slowly turned around. Their eyes met. Everything became painfully still. Wala sa kanila ang kumilos o nagsalita agad. Neither knew where to begin. "You're awake." His voice sounded unfamiliar. Alysson looked away first. "What happened?" The words escaped before she could stop them. Hunter's jaw tightened. He opened his mouth but closed it again. His eyes briefly dropped to the floor. He remembered everything, every second passed, every confession. Every tear she shed while trying to convince herself she hated him. Every trembling smile she gave after admitting she didn't. Every kiss she initiated. Every promise whispered between their breaths. Every moment they willingly crossed the line they had both spent months pretending didn't exist. He remembered her reaching for his hand. He remembered her saying his name as though it had always belonged on her lips. He remembered the way she looked at him—not as the president of Enriquez Hospitality Group. Not as her business partner. But simply...Hunter. Nothing about it felt like a mistake, nor did any part of it feel forced, as if their souls were finally aligning. Yet as he looked at her now, her eyes searched his, completely clouded with confusion. The memories belonged entirely only to him as she remembered nothing. Hunter lowered his head. "I'm sorry," just three words offered with no explanation, defense, or excuse—leaving behind nothing but the heavy weight of pure guilt. Alysson stared at him as her hope for answers shattered into pure regret, tightening her chest with a devastating, nameless ache of anger, fear, embarrassment, and confusion until she was forced to look away before the tears could fall. "I..." The word died in her throat. She carefully slipped from the bed, wrapping the blanket tightly around her chest. When her feet met the freezing marble, a sudden soreness rippled through her, forcing her to freeze; her body was already confirming the truth her mind desperately fought against. Silent and numb, she gathered her clothes from where they had been carelessly scattered across the suite. She didn't dare ask how they got there. She didn't want to know. Minutes later, the bathroom door clicked softly shut, leaving him alone in the quiet. Staring at his own reflection in the window, Hunter listened to the running water without once looking at the bathroom door. "You idiot," he whispered to the empty room. He should have stopped her the moment she broke down, confessing through tears how tired she was of pretending. He knew she wasn't thinking clearly, but instead of walking away, he had held her, kissed her, and loved her. Every decision felt right last night—and absolutely unforgivable this morning. When the bathroom door finally opened thirty minutes later, Hunter turned instinctively. Alysson had rebuilt herself into someone untouchable. In her black tailored trousers, ivory silk blouse, and low, neat bun, she looked perfectly composed; only the slight redness rimming her eyes hinted at the tears she had shed in secret. Ignoring him, she walked straight to her suitcase, zipped it closed, and locked the handle into place. Hunter took a cautious step forward. "...Alysson." Her movement ceased, but she refused to face him. The silence that followed was heavy and agonizing, expanding until it filled every corner of the room. "As agreed, the contract ends today." Her voice was flat, professional, completely restored to the boundary lines they had spent months building. Hunter’s fingers dug into his palms as a flood of unspoken truths choked him. Gusto niyang isigaw ang lahat ng nakalimutan nito—that she had laughed more freely than he’d ever seen. That she’d confessed she hated how safe she felt around him, that she’d kissed him first. He wanted to tell her she wasn't alone, and that he’d never once regretted loving her. But what right did he have to burden her with memories she no longer possessed? She deserved the choice to remember. So, he chose silence. Alysson reached for the door, pausing only long enough to drop the final anchor. "...Thank you for your cooperation throughout the partnership." It sounded like the closing statement of a business meeting, nothing more. The door opened, clicked closed, and just like that, she was gone. Hunter remained standing in the center of the suite. The silence she left behind felt unbearable. Minutes passed, pero hindi pa rin sya kumilos at nanatili pa rin na nakatayo. Outside, Singapore continued as though nothing had changed. Pero sa loob niya ay tahimik na gumuguho ang mundo niya. Eventually, he walked toward the coffee table. The contract folder remained exactly where they'd left it before attending last night's gala. Binuksan niya ito, and the final page stared back at him. Probationary Partnership Agreement Status: Completed Completed. There's a hollow pain he felt, the word felt almost cruel. His thumb brushed absentmindedly across both their signatures. A legal partnership. Beginning. Duration. Expiration. Everything clearly written. Everything accounted for. Maliban sa pagmamahal na hindi nila sinasadyang naramdaman. His phone vibrated inside his pocket—a message from his executive assistant. Ethan: Good morning, sir. The car is ready. Flight departs in two hours. Hunter locked the screen. Hindi pa siya handang umalis. Hindi pa siya handang bitawan ito. Unconsciously, he opened another application. Their conversation. Alysson Marie dela Cruz. Empty. Professional. Their entire chat history consisted of meeting schedules, revised proposals, supplier approvals, venue layouts, and budget confirmations. Nothing personal. Nothing beyond work. He stared at the blinking cursor. His fingers began typing. I'm sorry. He read it once. Then erased every word. Can we talk? Deleted again. Typed again. I remember everything. Deleted. Again. I think... I fell in love with you long before Singapore. His thumb hovered above the send button. For a long moment... he almost pressed it. Pero sa huli, pumikit siya. He selected every word. At kagaya kanina, binura niya ang lahat. The conversation returned to its familiar emptiness. Hunter slipped the phone back into his pocket. He looked around the suite one last time. There's the empty champagne bottle. The untouched breakfast menu hanging on the doorknob. The second room key lying forgotten beside the lamp. Kinuha niya ito at mahigpit na hinawakan, bago tahimik na ibinaba sa ibabaw ng kontrata. Some contracts expire because both parties fulfill every obligation written on paper. Others expire because two people are too afraid to ask for an extension. This... was the latter. At hindi nila alam... that this would be the last morning they would see each other for the next six months. · · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • •