You Are The Reason (English Version)

Chapter 3: A Trip With Him

Denzel arrived, breathless and apologetic.

“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting,” he said, his voice laced with regret. “I left early, but the traffic was heavy.”

Before Katherine could respond, Gabriel cut in, his tone casual but his gaze sharp.

“Are you joining us?” he asked, eyes glinting with interest as if he already knew the answer.

“Of course. I’m the one who invited them,” Denzel replied without hesitation.

Katherine's lips parted to stop him, but it was too late. The truth had already slipped.

Denzel turned to her, puzzled. “Why didn’t you tell them it was me?”

Gabriel’s stare hardened as it fell on Katherine, clearly displeased by the lie.

She leaned toward her friend and whispered, “I only told Arianne. I didn’t want them to know it was you who planned about this.”

Denzel chuckled, shifting his gaze to Gabriel. “Looks like your bodyguard’s not too thrilled. Why keep him in the dark?”

“You think we’d even be here if I hadn’t lied?” Katherine answered back, arms crossed. “You know how controlling they are.”

“Alright, alright,” Denzel said with a slight smirk. “But let me ask him directly.” His tone turned playful as he pointed to Gabriel. “Are you still game for this outing?”

Gabriel let out a sigh, masking frustration with indifference. “Do I have a choice? Everyone’s already here.”

“Thanks,” Denzel muttered, sincerity tinged with a trace of disappointment. “For a moment, I thought the trip was off.”

“This is your fault, Kath,” Arianne said, shaking her head. “Why didn’t you just tell the truth?”

“To keep things smooth, obviously,” Katherine answered, throwing in a sarcastic grin. “Besides, there's someone had to be the killjoy.”

“Haha, true!” Arianne laughed, nudging her cousin playfully.

Denzel called out to the group. “Alright, are we leaving or what?”

Katherine and Arianne followed him into the vehicle. The car engine sputtered to life just as Gabriel and Alfred—Katherine’s personal guard—appeared at the window.

“Hey!” Katherine exclaimed in surprise.

Denzel, ever the gentleman, opened the door for them.

“We’ll ride here,” Gabriel said calmly, settling beside Arianne.

“What?” Katherine blinked in disbelief. “Why are you two riding with us?”

Gabriel glanced at Denzel. “Mr. Villarosa, right? Almost forgot—Alfred and I are joining. Can’t have Kath unguarded.”

Katherine sighed and reluctantly slid next to Gabriel. “Of course.”

“I get it,” Denzel replied, lips twitching in amusement. “You’ve got to keep watch. No offense taken.”

“Denzel’s not going to kidnap us. You’re just too strict, you know," Katherine muttered under her breath.

“I’m just following Sir Gabriel’s orders, Ma’am,” Alfred responded, gesturing toward his superior.

“Okay, fine,” Katherine said, her tone subdued now. She knew arguing wouldn’t change anything.

By the time they reached the destination, dusk had begun to creep in. The scent of trees filled the air, and a nearby stream glistened under the fading light. The area resembled an untouched forest nestled in the mountains.

“This is beautiful…” Katherine whispered, eyes wide with wonder. “Haze—” She paused, clapping her hand over her mouth, realizing she said the wrong name.

“Tsk.” Gabriel muttered beside her, voice edged with irritation. “How many times do I have to remind you?”

“Sorry,” she murmured. “Habit, I guess. I used to call you that.”

After setting up camp, they divided into tents. Katherine and Arianne shared one, while the others found their own arrangements. Gabriel, as always, chose solitude.

“Let’s go hiking!” Denzel announced, the excitement in his voice infectious. “Can you handle this, Kath?”

“Please,” she said with a grin. “I used to do this all the time back in school.”

“I’ve never done this before,” Arianne added, glancing at her cousin. “Never joined field trips. I guess I’m making up for it now.”

“Game?” Denzel grinned. “Let’s warm up!”

The trail was steep and tricky. Katherine stepped carefully, dodging exposed roots and rocky ledges. After an hour of climbing, their faces were flushed and glistening with sweat, but they were laughing.

“Drink up,” Denzel offered, handing them water. “You look exhausted.”

Gabriel arrived moments later.

“Ma’am Kath and Sir Denzel look like a couple,” Yael commented, watching the two with a teasing smile as Denzel drank from Katherine’s bottle.

“Yeah,” Patricio agreed. But Gabriel wasn’t amused. His eyes locked on Denzel, studying him with calculated scrutiny.

“How long have they known each other?” Gabriel asked, not bothering to hide his suspicion.

Yael answered, “Since college. He used to visit their house all the time. He’s close to her mom too.”

“They’re just friends,” Patricio chimed in. “People always get the wrong idea because Denzel’s... well, thoughtful.”

Gabriel remained silent. Their words did little to ease his instincts. He stayed alert.

“Watch your step,” Denzel said gently, offering Katherine support. Arianne followed behind.

“Whew! This is tiring,” Katherine huffed. They paused to catch their breath. “But I missed this,” she added with a grin.

“If you’re up for more, we could go horseback riding next time,” Denzel suggested.

“I hope so,” she said softly.

“Same,” Arianne added. “Though I’m only here because of her. I’m the assistant-s***h-cousin-s***h-unwilling hiker.”

They descended two hours later. Night was falling, and they lit a fire for warmth. The group huddled together, eating dinner beneath the stars.

“Who cooked this?” Yael asked, impressed.

“Kuya Denz,” Arianne said with a smirk, which made Katherine nearly choke on her food.

“This is amazing!” Patricio beamed. “Can I get seconds?”

“The rest of us haven’t eaten yet,” Gabriel reminded him firmly.

Later, when the others dispersed, Denzel picked up a guitar. The familiar chords drifted from the tent, catching Katherine’s attention.

“You can’t sleep?” she asked.

“No,” he replied, then patted the space beside him. She sat down, drawn in by the memory of their college days—when a guitar and a shared song could ease any stress.

Arianne peeked out and joined them. Alfred followed. Eventually, even Gabriel emerged from the shadows, quietly taking a seat at the edge of the circle.

Denzel began strumming You Are the Reason by Calum Scott.

I’d climb every mountain…

His eyes found hers with every lyric. It wasn’t just a song. It was a confession.

And swim every ocean…

Katherine’s breath hitched. She heard the message behind the melody.

Just to be with you…

She could no longer deny it—Denzel had changed. And maybe, so had she.

They sang the chorus in harmony, the notes rising between them like an unspoken promise.

“Wow, so romantic!” Patricio cheered.

“They really look like a couple,” Yael said, smiling.

“Are you two together?” Arianne teased, clapping her hands.

Katherine laughed. “That’s always the question when we are doing doing this.”

“We’re not,” Denzel replied, flashing a wink. “We just have chemistry. Right, Kath?”

"Yeah,” she nodded with a smile.

The night melted into laughter, soft voices, and fading stars. Eventually, one by one, they drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, they made their way to the spring. The water was pristine, cool, and inviting.

“Boss Gabriel, aren’t you going to swim?” Yael asked.

“You guys go ahead,” Gabriel replied, eyes never straying far from Katherine.

Katherine waved to her group. “I’ll head to the deeper part, guys!”

“Be careful!” Denzel called out, concern in his voice.

“You cheater!” Arianne called after her, half-scolding, half-laughing. “We were still talking!”

“Later! I’ll take my time with this. We’ll head home after,” the girl called out with a pleading voice, standing about five meters away from the crowd.

“Alright. Take care,” Arianne reminded her cousin once more.

“Okay,” Katherine replied before diving into the water.

The others followed, splashing into the lake after their brief exchange. Minutes passed, and Arianne’s eyes scanned the water, unable to spot her cousin. Worry crept in.

“Kath? Where are you?” she called out, her voice cutting through the air and catching Denzel’s attention. “Kath!” she shouted again—still no response.

Without wasting a second, Arianne plunged underwater, frantically searching. One minute. Two. Three. Still no sign of her. She came up gasping, her face tight with panic.

Denzel swam toward her. “What’s wrong, Arianne?”

“It’s Kath—I haven’t seen her for a while!” she answered breathlessly.

“I’ll find her,” he said, and immediately dove beneath the surface. Arianne swam closer to Gabriel and the others.

“We can’t find Katherine!” she cried out, her face pale with fear.

“Let’s go—start looking now,” Patricio said, and without delay, they all jumped into the water.

A few seconds later, Gabriel submerged as well, scanning the depths for any trace of her.

Then—Denzel spotted her.

Floating, unconscious, arms limp, Katherine’s body drifted just below the surface. Without hesitation, Denzel scooped her into his arms and swam swiftly to the shore. Gabriel, farther away, caught a glimpse of her rescue—his jaw tightened with frustration. He should’ve been the one.

Denzel gently laid Katherine down on the grass, his hands trembling as he began administering first aid.

“Please, Kath. Wake up!” Arianne begged, kneeling beside her cousin.

“Come on, Kath,” Denzel whispered, voice thick with worry.

A moment passed. Then—a sudden cough. Water spurted from Katherine’s mouth as she gasped for air.

Arianne clutched her close. “Thank you! Thank God!” she whispered, tears clinging to her lashes.

Denzel’s face lit up in relief as he saw Katherine’s eyes flutter open.

“Where the hell were you?” Arianne scolded, half-crying. “You said you knew how to swim, didn’t you?”

“I did... I do,” Katherine croaked. “But I got a sudden cramp when I reached a deeper part of the lake.”

“Geez, Kath. Thank goodness Kuya Denz was there.” Arianne cast a brief look at Denzel, who remained focused on Katherine with quiet concern.

Denzel hesitated, as if debating whether to pull her into an embrace. His hands hovered, but he stayed still, holding back.

Gabriel’s voice broke the silence. “Let’s just hope Mr. Rodelio doesn’t find out... or we’re all screwed.”

Katherine slowly nodded. Lolo Delio’s temper wasn’t something to test.

“That’s not right, man,” Denzel said, turning to Gabriel. “Her grandfather deserves to know what happened.”

“You don’t get it,” Gabriel snapped. “If he finds out, he’ll go ballistic. You don’t know how protective he is when it comes to her. Let’s just get back and prepare to leave.”

Back at the mansion, they quietly retreated to their own rooms.

“Are you really okay, Kath?” Arianne asked, still concerned.

Katherine managed a weak nod. “Yeah... I just need to rest. My whole body aches.” With that, she turned and slowly walked into her room.

The Next Morning

Katherine winced as she stretched. Pain throbbed through her muscles—remnants of yesterday's ordeal. She sighed and forced herself into the bathroom for a quick bath, hoping to ease the stiffness.

A sudden knock interrupted her.

“Rian?” she called, still towel-drying her hair.

Arianne peeked through the door, head slightly bowed. “Grandpa wants to see you. Now.”

Katherine’s stomach turned. Still groggy and sore, she didn’t ask questions. She just nodded and made her way to Mr. Rodelio’s study.

She knocked, then entered. “You wanted to talk to me?”

The old man’s stern eyes met hers. “What’s this I’ve heard about you going on an outing—with that male outsider?”

Katherine took a breath. “He’s my friend, Grandpa. He invited us, that’s all.”

“Friend?” he echoed, voice rising. “You joined an outing with someone you barely know?”

“I do know him. His name is Denzel. We were in college together.”

“I’ve never heard of him before. Never seen his face. That doesn’t reassure me,” Mr. Rodelio barked.

Katherine tried to stay calm. “We’ve been apart for a while. We’ve had our own lives to focus on—goals, responsibilities. Isn’t that normal?”

Mr. Rodelio shook his head. “I don’t buy it.”

Katherine exhaled, her patience fraying. “Then maybe it’s time for you to find out for yourself. If you really want the truth, investigate him. I won’t stop you. Whatever you find—I’ll accept it.”

Her voice grew firm. “If it’ll ease your doubts, then go ahead. If you tell me to stay away from him based on what you discover... I will.”

With that, Katherine turned and quietly walked away.

“Katherine! Come back here!” Mr. Rodelio called after her—but she didn’t stop. Not this time.