Chapter 2: An Unexpected Encounter
1154 Words
The following morning arrived wrapped in golden sunlight, as though the storm had never happened.
The streets of Makati were already alive.
Coffee shops brimmed with professionals clutching steaming cups, delivery motorcycles weaved effortlessly through traffic, and towering glass buildings reflected the clear blue sky.
Inside one of those towers stood Villareal Holdings Corporation.
Forty-eight floors of steel and glass.
One of the country's largest business empires.
And at the very top...
Anthony Villareal stared blankly at a financial report.
"...Sir?"
His executive assistant, Miguel Santos, cautiously knocked on the open office door.
Anthony didn't respond.
Miguel cleared his throat.
"Sir?"
Anthony finally looked up.
"Hm?"
"The Singapore investors are waiting."
Anthony glanced at the clock.
He had forgotten.
That had never happened before.
Miguel raised an eyebrow.
"Everything alright?"
Anthony leaned back in his chair.
"...Do you believe in coincidence?"
Miguel nearly dropped the tablet in his hands.
"Excuse me?"
Anthony rubbed his temples.
"I saw someone yesterday."
Miguel blinked.
"A client?"
"No."
"A politician?"
"No."
"A celebrity?"
Anthony smiled faintly.
"A college student."
Miguel stared.
"You've been distracted... because of a college student?"
Anthony exhaled a laugh.
"It sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud."
Miguel had worked beside Anthony for five years.
He had watched him negotiate billion-peso acquisitions without showing a flicker of emotion.
He had seen women—models, actresses, socialites, daughters of senators—throw themselves at him.
Anthony had never cared.
Yet today...
He couldn't stop thinking about a girl whose name he didn't even know.
"What was special about her?" Miguel asked.
Anthony's gaze drifted toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.
"She smiled after getting drenched."
Miguel frowned.
"...That's it?"
"She protected a stray dog."
Silence.
Then Miguel chuckled.
"I think you're finally becoming human."
Anthony shot him a warning look.
Miguel laughed harder.
Across the city...
Serenity carefully counted the coins in her wallet.
"Eighty-three pesos," she murmured.
Enough for transportation.
Lunch.
And perhaps an iced tea if she skipped the afternoon snack.
She tucked the wallet back into her bag before stepping inside the university gates.
Unlike the gleaming skyscrapers of Makati, St. Augustine University carried an old-world charm.
Tall acacia trees lined the pathways.
Students laughed beneath shaded benches.
Some hurried toward morning lectures while others reviewed notes one last time before examinations.
Serenity loved mornings here.
It felt peaceful.
She had just reached the Psychology Department when a cheerful voice called behind her.
"Serenity!"
She turned.
A petite young woman came running toward her, waving both hands dramatically.
"Lia."
Lia Mendoza was Serenity's complete opposite.
Talkative.
Outgoing.
Fearlessly honest.
If Serenity preferred books, Lia preferred conversations.
If Serenity blended into crowds, Lia somehow became the center of every room she entered.
"You disappeared yesterday!" Lia said, linking their arms together.
"I got caught in the rain."
"I can see that."
"My shoes are still drying."
Lia laughed.
"You're unbelievable."
They entered their classroom together.
"By the way," Lia whispered excitedly, "did you hear?"
"Hear what?"
"The university partnered with Villareal Holdings."
Serenity looked up from arranging her notebooks.
"For what?"
"They're offering internships."
Serenity's eyes widened.
"The Villareal Holdings?"
"The one and only."
Lia practically bounced in her seat.
"My cousin works there."
"They only accept the best students."
"They pay."
"They provide mentorship."
"And if you're lucky..."
She lowered her voice dramatically.
"You might even meet Anthony Villareal."
Several girls nearby squealed.
"Oh my gosh, Anthony?"
"I heard he's gorgeous."
"They say he's only twenty-three."
"And already runs half the company."
"I saw him on Forbes Philippines!"
Lia grinned.
"They call him the Prince of Makati."
Serenity smiled politely before opening her psychology textbook.
"I hope I get accepted."
Lia blinked.
"That's all you have to say?"
"I need the internship."
"You don't want to meet Anthony?"
Serenity shrugged.
"I want experience."
Not people.
Lia laughed.
"You're impossible."
Meanwhile...
Anthony concluded the investors' meeting with his usual confidence.
The contract was signed.
Millions exchanged hands.
Everyone applauded.
Yet as the executives filed out, Anthony remained seated.
His grandfather's words echoed in his mind.
"The day money becomes the only thing you notice... is the day you stop seeing people."
When had that happened?
He wasn't sure anymore.
His thoughts were interrupted by another knock.
Miguel entered carrying a thick folder.
"The universities finalized the internship candidates."
Anthony reached for it absentmindedly.
Every year, Villareal Holdings accepted a select group of students from partner universities.
Usually, he never looked at the list.
Human Resources handled everything.
But today...
Without knowing why...
He opened the folder.
Pages of names.
Schools.
Courses.
Academic achievements.
One profile caught his attention.
Flores, Serenity
Age: 18
Course: Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Academic Standing: Dean's Lister
Scholarship Recipient
Volunteer Tutor
Community Outreach Participant
Anthony froze.
Serenity.
The name suited her.
He stared at the attached identification photograph.
Simple ponytail.
No makeup.
The same gentle eyes.
The same quiet smile.
It was her.
The girl in the rain.
He leaned back slowly.
"What are the chances..."
Miguel noticed his expression.
"Did you find someone?"
Anthony closed the folder.
"...When do internships begin?"
"Next month."
Anthony nodded.
"Good."
Miguel narrowed his eyes.
"What are you planning?"
Anthony smiled for the first time that day.
"Nothing."
It was a convincing lie.
Because for the first time in years...
Anthony Villareal was looking forward to meeting someone.
Not because of her family.
Not because of business.
Not because of status.
But because she had unknowingly reminded him of something he had almost forgotten—
That kindness still existed in a world obsessed with power.
That evening, Serenity sat at the small wooden table inside her family's modest home.
Her father repaired an old electric fan in the corner while her mother prepared dinner in the tiny kitchen.
The scent of garlic, onions, and simmering vegetables filled the house.
It wasn't extravagant.
But it was warm.
Her mother placed a bowl of soup before her.
"How was school?"
Serenity smiled.
"There might be an internship opportunity."
Her father's eyes lit up.
"Paid?"
"I think so."
"You should apply."
"I will."
Her mother reached across the table and gently squeezed her hand.
"We're proud of you, anak."
Serenity lowered her eyes, blinking away unexpected tears.
Everything she did—
Every late-night study session.
Every tutoring job.
Every scholarship application—
Was for moments like this.
To ease her parents' burdens.
To build a future they had sacrificed so much to give her.
Outside, the evening breeze rustled the leaves.
Far across the city, in a luxurious penthouse overlooking the skyline, Anthony stood alone on his balcony.
He looked toward the countless lights scattered across Manila.
Somewhere beneath those lights...
A girl named Serenity Flores was living a life completely different from his own.
Neither of them knew it yet.
But destiny had already begun weaving their paths together.
The rain had introduced them.
Soon...
Fate would bring them face to face.
- Writer
