Eternal Love

Chapter 2

JAKE’S POV

The next day, I went to the office even though I actually didn’t have to—it was Saturday, after all. But office hours are only half-day on Saturdays, and I needed to be there.

I hadn’t finished signing all the documents that required my approval. I completely lost the motivation to work yesterday, ever since I found out Jhie wasn’t at her workplace. After leaving the coffee shop, I didn’t even bother coming back to the office. I just went straight home instead.

I told my secretary to set all the papers aside and informed her I wouldn’t be returning. She already knows exactly what to do in situations like that. So today, I planned to finish everything, and whatever I couldn’t complete, I would just take home with me.

I was busy working when my phone rang. I checked the caller ID, and as soon as I recognized who it was, I answered immediately.

“Yes? Do you have any updates?” I asked straight away.

“I do, sir. Are you in your office right now? I’ll come over personally to give you all the details I’ve gathered about her,” he replied.

“Yes, I’m here. I’ll wait for you,” I answered briefly.

“Copy that, sir.”

He hung up. I took a deep breath. I felt a mix of nervousness and excitement as I waited. I hoped with all my heart that he had collected every single piece of information about Jhie, so I could finally start carrying out my plans. I wanted to know everything about her first so I would know exactly how to proceed.

About an hour later, the detective arrived. He handed me a folder containing all her personal information. I read through every page carefully.

“Is this everything?” I asked him.

“Yes, sir. Every single detail. Even which province she came from and information about her parents. Also, she is a working student.”

I nodded slowly as I scanned the documents. A smile formed on my face as I read through everything. My girl is really hardworking. She must be such a good daughter, I thought to myself.

“Alright, thank you for doing such a great job. I’ll just transfer your payment to your account right away,” I said, satisfied with his work.

“It’s part of my job, sir. And thank you for trusting me. Until next time, sir!” he said, giving me a sharp salute.

I saluted him back, and he finally left my office. I stared intently at the papers in my hand. Now that I know everything there is to know about her, it’s time to make my move. Of course, I’ll start with simple steps first so I don’t overwhelm or startle her.

Jhie Ann Loraine Ocenar Nacario, eighteen years old. A second-year college student taking up Business Management, majoring in Accounting. A scholar at LUM and currently residing in Guadalupe. She works part-time as a crew member at the coffee shop located inside Montez Mall, Makati.

Those were the details written on the report. I already knew some of this information, but not things like her birthday and other personal facts. I’m really glad I hired this detective—he got every detail quickly and efficiently. And honestly, with the amount of money I paid him, I would have been disappointed if he didn’t do his job properly.

I kept the documents in a secure place so they wouldn’t get lost. By the time I finished all my pending tasks, it was already almost lunchtime, so I decided to head home. But before leaving, I had to make a quick stop at the coffee shop just to see her. Of course, I had to buy something so it wouldn’t look too obvious.

As soon as I entered the shop, I lined up to order, but my eyes were moving everywhere, searching for her. Anyone could tell just by looking at me that I was looking for someone specific.

She’s not here yet. Oh right! Her shift starts at 3:00 PM. I’ll just wait for her. At least I’ll get to see her face even for just a moment, I told myself..

And so I waited for hours. The staff were starting to wonder why I was still there, but they didn’t dare question me—they knew I wasn’t just an ordinary customer. I kept ordering food and drinks even though I was already full, just to have an excuse to stay.

But don’t get me wrong, I’m not the type of person who acts arrogant or uses my position and power to look down on others or take advantage of them.

Except when it comes to one person. And I have a feeling I will need to use everything I have, because my woman seems like she knows how to stand her ground. I smiled just thinking about her.

At exactly 2:55 PM, Jhie finally arrived. I saw her immediately because I deliberately chose a seat right by the entrance so I would spot her the moment she walked in. All the boredom and impatience I felt while waiting vanished instantly, especially when I saw that beautiful smile of hers.

She was still wearing her school uniform when she came in. She went through a door, probably to the staff locker room. A few minutes later, she came out wearing her work uniform and immediately started cleaning tables and clearing away used plates and glasses.

When she approached the table right next to mine, I called out to her.

“Miss,” I got her attention. “You can clear this table too, I’m already done eating.” I gave her a playful, teasing smile.

I only said that to make her come closer to my side. In truth, I hadn’t even touched my last order because I was already full. She followed my instructions, though I noticed she looked confused when she saw that the food was completely untouched.

I stared intently at her face while she was busy wiping the table. She felt my gaze and looked up at me, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Do you need anything else, sir?” she asked politely.

I just gave her a sweet smile, which only made her frown even more. I wanted to laugh at how cute she looked, especially when she started pouting. She was about to turn and walk away when I spoke up.

“Nice meeting you, my future wife,” I said with a grin, and even winked at her.

She froze, completely stunned by what I said. I just smiled widely as I stood up to leave. But before I walked away, I leaned in and kissed her—directly on the lips! Take note. I kissed her right on the lips.

She gasped, frozen in shock at what I just did. Even the other customers and staff who saw what happened stopped what they were doing for a moment.

“See you around, my future wife!” I shouted loudly as I walked away.

I heard all her co-workers gasp in surprise as well. I kept smiling as I finally left the shop.

“This is just the beginning, MY DEAR FUTURE WIFE,” I whispered to myself.