Chapter 4
987 Words
Elara's POV
I walked through the empty hallways of St. Jude Academy, the sound of my sneakers echoing like a ticking clock. It was 6:55 PM. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, leaving the campus in a shroud of gray shadows.
People think that being an orphan makes you tough. It doesn't. It just makes you hyper-aware of how easily things can be taken away. When my parents died in that accident ten years ago, I learned that the world doesn't owe you a home. You have to build it yourself, brick by painful brick.
Julián was my foundation.
Most people at school think Julián is just some random guy on a bike. They don't know that his real name is Julián Valerius, the estranged son of the shipping tycoon, Roberto Valerius. He turned his back on his inheritance, his mansions, and his father's cold heart—all to be with me. All to live a life of art and freedom.
"Hindi ka dapat pumasok sa loob, Elara. Ramdam ko, may balak 'yung Ferrer na 'yan," Julián had told me earlier, his eyes burning with a mix of protective rage and fear.
"Juli, kailangan," I had whispered, kissing his cheek. "You've done so much for me. Ikaw ang nagbayad ng downpayment ng scholarship ko last year. You work double shifts sa studio just to help me. I can't let your sacrifices go to waste because of one failing grade."
But standing in front of Professor Ferrer's office door, my hand felt like lead.
Liyro's POV
I watched her through the tinted glass of my office door. She looked small, fragile, and utterly desperate. Good.
I knew everything about her "hero" boyfriend. Julián Valerius. The rebel son. I knew he was using his secret savings to keep her afloat. It was pathetic, really. He was playing at being poor, dragging her down into his "noble" struggle, when he could have given her the world if he just swallowed his pride.
But I wasn't going to let him be the hero anymore.
"Enter," I said, my voice projecting through the intercom before she could even knock.
Elara's POV
The door clicked open. Professor Ferrer was sitting behind his desk, illuminated only by a single designer lamp. The rest of the room was in darkness. He looked like a king in a hollow castle.
"You're five minutes early, Ms. Santos. Punctuality—the first sign of a desperate mind," he said, not looking up from a folder.
"I'm here for the consultation, Sir," I said, my voice small. I sat in the chair across from him, clutching my bag like a shield.
He finally looked at me, taking off his glasses. His eyes were like two pieces of obsidian—dark, unreadable, and terrifyingly focused.
"Let's be honest, Elara. This isn't just about a case study. It's about your survival. Alam nating dalawa na kapag nawala ang scholarship mo, hindi ka kayang saluhin ni Julián nang matagal. His father has frozen his accounts. He's running out of 'noble' money, isn't he?"
Nanigas ako sa kinauupuan ko. "How... how do you know that?"
"I am a Ferrer. I make it my business to know the assets and liabilities of everyone in my circle. And right now, Elara, you are a liability to a man who has nothing left to give."
He stood up and walked around the desk. He didn't stop until he was standing directly behind me. I could feel the heat radiating from his body.
"Why stay with a man who can only offer you a life of struggle? Because of 'love'?" He leaned down, his lips inches from my ear. "Love is a luxury for the rich, Elara. For someone like you, it's a trap."
Liyro's POV
I could smell the fear on her, mixed with the scent of cheap soap and old pencils. It was intoxicating. I reached out, my hand hovering just an inch above her shoulder, resisting the urge to claim her right then and there.
"I can make that 'F' disappear," I whispered. "I can ensure your scholarship is upgraded to a full living allowance. No more part-time jobs. No more worrying about the rent. No more relying on a Valerius who is too weak to face his own father."
"And what do you want in return, Professor?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Humarap siya sa akin, and for a moment, I saw the 'Ice Professor' melt into something much more sinister. He smirked.
"I want your time, Elara. Gabi-gabi, dito sa office ko. You will learn how to think like me. How to act like me. And in return, I will provide the canvas for your life. You don't have to say yes now... but remember, the board meeting for scholarship renewals is on Friday."
I wanted to slap him. I wanted to scream that he couldn't buy me. Pero naisip ko si Julián—yung pagod niyang mukha pag-uwi galing sa studio, yung mga gabing hindi siya kumakain para lang may pambayad ako sa kuryente.
"I'll be here," I whispered, my heart breaking with every word. "I'll be here tomorrow, 7:00 PM."
"Good girl," he said, his voice a dark caress. "You may go."
Elara's POV
I ran out of that office as if the building was on fire. When I reached the gate, Julián was there, his motorcycle headlight cutting through the dark. He looked so hopeful, so brave, and so incredibly unaware that I had just started selling pieces of my soul to save us.
Habang nakayakap ako sa likod niya pauwi, hindi ko mapigilang umiyak nang tahimik. My boyfriend is the son of a tycoon who gave up everything for me.
And my Professor is the son of a tycoon who is willing to destroy everything to own me.
I am caught between two giants, and I am the only one who is going to get crushed.
- Writer
