The journey from Tagum City to Manila began under a heavy cloud of anticipation. Joule Gozon and his mother, Selena, sat in a private vehicle speeding towards the Davao International Airport. The roads of the city faded behind them as they raced past rows of palm trees and vast fields that stretched into the horizon. The midday heat shimmered off the asphalt, but the atmosphere inside the car was cool and quiet, punctuated only by the occasional hum of Selena’s phone.
Joule gazed out of the window, his thoughts a tangle of worry and resolve. Neoma. She had always been at the center of his plans, his concerns. His heart was heavy as he thought about her, now still caught in the chaos of the Marriage Game, each passing day a reminder of how precarious her situation had become.
"You’re very
