Fire&,Lie

Chapter 5: Cornered by the Boss

Chapter 5: Cornered by the Boss

The party was finally over. The grand chandelier lights were dimmed, the guests were gone, and silence swallowed the mansion.

Gwen was in the kitchen, still cleaning up the broken wine glasses from earlier. She thought everyone had gone to bed — including JV.

But she was wrong.

“Still awake?”

Halos mahulog ang hawak niyang baso nang marinig ang malamig na boses sa likuran niya. Dahan-dahan siyang napalingon — si JV, nakasandal sa pinto ng kusina, nakaluwag ang tie, hawak ang baso ng whiskey.

“S-Sir,” utal ni Gwen. “Maglilinis lang po ako, para bukas wala na kayong abalahin—”

JV walked closer, mabagal pero tiyak, hanggang maramdaman ni Gwen ang bigat ng presensya niya. Tumigil ito sa harap niya, dangerously close.

“You looked… jealous tonight.”

Napatigil siya. “W-What? No, sir. I wasn’t—”

JV slammed the glass on the counter, making her flinch. His voice dropped lower, darker.

“Don’t lie to me.”

Napalunok si Gwen, pilit umiwas ng tingin. “I have no right to be jealous. I’m just a maid.”

“Just a maid?” JV chuckled bitterly, then leaned closer, trapping her between his arms against the counter. His face was inches away, his breath warm against her cheek. “Then why does it drive you crazy when I touch another woman?”

“I-It doesn’t—”

“Then look me in the eye and say it.”

Gwen’s heart pounded. She forced herself to look at him, pero nang magtama ang mga mata nila, she broke. Her lips trembled. “I… I can’t.”

JV smirked, pero may halong sakit at apoy sa tingin niya. His hand slid to her chin, lifting her face closer.

“I knew it,” he whispered, his voice rough. “You burn for me… just like I burn for you.”

Nanginginig si Gwen. “Sir, please… this is wrong.”

“Wrong?” JV’s thumb brushed her lower lip, slowly, deliberately. “What’s wrong is the thought of any other man touching you. What’s wrong is the way you hide from me… when all I want is to own you.”

Her breath caught. Own me?

Bago pa siya makasagot, JV leaned down, his lips grazing hers — not yet a kiss, but a dangerous promise. Gwen’s knees almost gave out.

Then, abruptly, JV pulled back. Tumalikod ito, humigop ng whiskey, at malamig na nagsalita:

“Go to bed, Gwen. Before I do something we’ll both regret.”

Iniwan niya si Gwen na nakatayo, nanginginig, habang hawak ang sariling labi na para bang naroon pa ang init ng halik na hindi natuloy.

That night, in her room…

Gwen lay in bed, hugging her pillow, her heart still racing.

He knows… bulong niya sa isip. He knows I feel something. But if he ever finds out who I really am… what then?

At sa kabilang dulo ng mansion, nakatingin si JV sa basong hawak niya, hindi mapakali.

“She’s not just a maid,” he muttered to himself. “And I’ll find out who she really is… even if it kills me.”