Dangerous Solace

CHAPTER 14

AS NERIAH stepped out of the car, she looked at the tall building in front of her. Sa itaas ng entrance, nakalagay ang ‘VERDAN GROUP—BRANCH’.

“Can I take a picture inside?” tanong ni Neriah.

“No taking a picture of a man,” sabi ni Lucien sa seryosong boses. “Maliban sa akin.”

Lumitaw ang nanunudyong ngiti sa labi ni Neriah. “Bakit? Magseselos ka?”

“What do you think?” Lucien said as he took Neriah’s hand and intertwined it with his.

“Can’t promise,” tugon ni Neriah. Though she won’t do it. Gusto niya lamang na asarin si Lucien.

“Neriah,” Lucien warned.

Neriah chuckled. She was having the best moment of her life.

Pumasok sila sa loob ng gusali.

Neriah found that the branch of Verdan Group in London was exactly what she had expected—elegant, minimalist, and quiet.

And every employee was greeting Lucien with respectful nods as they passed.

“Good morning, Mr. Verdan.”

“Morning, sir.”

Lucien acknowledged each greeting with a nod before leading toward the executive floor.

Pero habang nilalagpasan ng dalawa ang mga empleyado, lahat ay napapatigil at napapasunod sa kanila ng tingin.

The employees had smiles on their faces while looking at Lucien and Neriah’s intertwined hands.

Inside Lucien’s office, sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking London’s skyline.

Neriah wandered around while Lucien settled behind his desk.

“You can explore if you want.”

Tumango si Neriah. “I’ll try not to steal anything.”

“I appreciate that.” Pakikisakay ni Lucien.

“Nagbibiro lang ako.”

“Alam ko.”

Of course, Neriah Autumn Laurent-Rios was not the kind of woman who would steal. Sa yaman ng pamilya nito, alam niyang lahat ng karangyaan ay naranasan na nito.

For the next hour, Lucien became completely immersed in work—contracts, video conferences, financial reports, and phone calls.

The man Neriah had come to know disappeared, replaced by the heir of Verdan Group—calm, authoritative, and decisive.

Kanina pa niya pinagmamasdan ang binata at nakikinig sa kung paano ito makipag-usap sa mga empleyado nito. His instruction was precise, his decision was immediate, and even his employees listened carefully, never interrupting unless necessary.

Neriah rested her chin on her hand as she watched from the sofa.

Nakita na niya si Lucien kung paano ito makipaglaban, tumawa, at magluto ng agahan o dinner nilang dalawa.

But this…

This was different.

There was something undeniably attractive about watching someone excel at what they did.

Lucien wasn’t trying to impress anyone. He just simply belonged there—confident without arrogance, firm without cruelty; he listened before speaking, and when he did speak, everyone in the room paid attention.

Kapareho ni Lucien ang kaniyang Daddy Ashriel. Both were composed when they were focused on their work.

“He looked handsome when he was focused on his work.” Neriah thought. Nanatili siyang nakatitig kay Lucien habang may binabasa itong papel.

Lucien loosened his tie slightly, rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt, and continued discussing a shipment schedule with one of the managers.

Without realizing it, she murmured under her breath. “I wonder what he’d look like if he ever stopped being so composed… especially when doing something in bed?”

Napangisi na lamang si Neriah dahil sa isipin niyang ‘yon.

At the exact moment, Lucien looked up from the document.

Nagtama ang mga mata nilang dalawa.

Tumaas ang isang kilay ni Lucien. “Ano?”

Neriah smiled innocently. “Hm?”

“You’ve been staring at me.”

“Have I?”

“For the last ten minutes.”

At hindi nag-deny si Neriah. “Nag-o-obserba lang ako.”

“Observing?”

“Mhmm.”

“What conclusions have you reached?”

Neriah pretended to think deeply. “You looked handsome when you were working.”

Napakurap si Lucien. Hindi niya inaasahan ang sagot na ’yon ni Neriah. “…thank you?”

“And you become even more attractive when you’re concentrating.”

Namula ang dulo ng tainga ni Lucien. “Neriah, may trabaho ako.”

“And so?”

“Don’t say things like that.”

Natawa nang mahina si Neriah. “Bakit naman hindi?”

“You make it difficult for me to concentrate.”

Tumawa si Neriah. “I thought you were famous for your self-control?”

“I was.”

“Kailan?”

Lucien looked at Neriah for a long moment before shaking his head with a helpless smile. “Nang dumating ka sa buhay ko.”

Neriah beamed triumphantly. “Sabi ko na nga ba.”

Sumandal si Lucien sa kinauupuan at natawa na lamang nang mahina.

His assistant, Miguel, who had just arrived the other day, happened to walk in with another folder in hand. Napatigil siya nang makita niya ang ngiti sa mukha ng kaniyang boss.

In six years of working together, he had almost never seen his boss smile during office hours.

Tahimik na inilagay ni Miguel ang hawak na folder sa lamesa ng boss niya. Then he respectfully bowed to his boss and to his… girlfriend, maybe… before leaving.

“Babalik na lang ako mamaya, boss.”

Bago pa man makasagot si Lucien, nakalabas na si Miguel ng opisina niya.

Napailing na lamang si Lucien, saka kinuha ang folder na inilapag ng assistant niya sa kaniyang lamesa, saka ito binuklat.

And with that, the silent office returned.

Lucien busied himself on paper works, while Neriah busied herself with her camera.

At sa tuwing may pupuntang empleyado sa opisina ni Lucien, napapatingin sila kay Neriah.

Neriah would only smile.

“Don’t smile at the male species, Neriah,” sabi ni Lucien habang naniningkit ang mata ng dalaga.

“You’re a male species too?”

“Maliban sa akin, huwag kang ngumiti sa ibang lalaki.”

“I’m not.”

“I saw it earlier.”

“He’s gay.”

“He’s still a man.”

Napailing na lamang si Neriah. “Oo na,” sabi na lamang niya para matigil na ang argumento nilang dalawa.

“Good.”

Neriah smiled when Lucien went back to work. Halata kasing nagseselos na ang binata. Well, she likes it.

But she wonders what Lucien will do if his jealousy hit it limit?

Pero bago niya isipin ang tungkol sa bagay na ‘yon, kailangan niya ng tip. She needs guidance on how to completely make Lucien fall for her.

The question now is… sino ang tatawagan niya?

Definitely not her mother.

At lalong hindi ang Kuya Evron niya.

Her twin siblings…? They’re hopeless.

Then someone came into her mind.

Gumuhit ang ngiti sa labi ni Neriah.

She couldn’t wait to call that person to ask for advice.

NANG makauwi si Neriah noong araw na ’yon, agad siyang nagkulong sa kaniyang kwarto, habang nagluluto naman si Lucien sa may kusina.

The line connected after two rings.

“Hello?”

“Noreen.” Masaya niyang saad. Her cousin is from both the maternal and paternal sides. Ang nag-iisa niyang pinsan.

A laugh immediately came from the other end.

“Well, well. You actually called me.”

“Kailangan ko ang tulong mo.” Seryosong sabi ni Neriah na para bang nasa bingit na ng kamatayan.

Tumaas ang isang kilay ni Noreen na nasa kabilang linya. “Wow, the might Neriah Autmn Laurent-Rios actually needs help now. At sa akin ka talaga magtatanong, ah?”

“Well, you’re dating Kuya Maurice.”

“So?” Mukhang alam na ni Noreen ang patutunguhan ng usapan nila ni Neriah.

“So, you probably know these things.”

Noreen laughed. “What things?”

Umupo si Neriah sa gilid ng kama. She took a deep breath. “…how do you seduce a man?”

The other line went silent.

Then—

“What the hell, Neriah?!”

Nailayo ni Neriah ang hawak na cellphone sa tainga.

Mukhang masyadong diretso yata ang tanong niya dahil nagulat pa si Noreen.

But there’s no other way to ask that kind of question.

And she’s just straightforward.