Chapter 19: Questions Beneath Candlelight
1190 Words
The drive back from the provincial fiesta carried unusual quiet.
Not uncomfortable.
Only thoughtful.
The old woman’s question still lingered somewhere inside the air between them.
Mag-asawa?
Husband and wife.
Ridiculous misunderstanding.
And yet—
Lola disliked how easily the memory returned.
The estate gates appeared beneath fading afternoon light.
Then—
she noticed the unfamiliar sedan parked near the ancestral house.
Bella gasped dramatically.
“Oh.”
Lola narrowed her eyes.
“That sounds dangerous.”
Bella smiled.
“Your forgotten social complication returned.”
The front door opened.
And Bianca Valdez stepped gracefully onto the veranda.
Cream linen.
Perfect posture.
City elegance wrapped in practiced charm.
Ah.
Bianca.
For a moment, Lola realized how strangely absent the woman had been these past days.
The explanation came naturally enough.
Bianca had temporarily returned to Manila for campaign commitments, sponsorship meetings, and business partnerships she could not postpone. The arrangement with Gabriel had supposedly required only occasional appearances.
Or so Bianca thought.
But something had bothered her lately.
Gabriel sounded distracted during calls.
Distant.
And when she suggested future plans abroad—
he avoided answering.
Interesting.
So she returned earlier than expected.
Not from heartbreak.
Certainly not.
Bianca disliked emotional confusion far more than emotional loss.
“You’re back,” Gabriel said.
“That,” Bianca replied dryly, “sounds overwhelmingly romantic.”
Bella nearly laughed.
Celestina emerged warmly.
“My dear.”
Bianca kissed her cheek.
“I missed provincial politics.”
Alejandro muttered,
“Dangerous woman.”
Bianca smiled.
“I adapt.”
Then—
her gaze moved.
Briefly.
Toward Gabriel.
And then toward Lola.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because Gabriel looked surprised.
But not relieved.
And Bianca—
observant as ever—
noticed immediately.
Dinner unfolded beneath candlelight and polite tension.
The dining hall glowed softly while rain threatened beyond distant windows.
Bianca sat beside Gabriel.
Lola across from them.
Bella unfortunately noticed everything.
Conversation drifted toward Manila affairs and business expansion.
Bianca spoke elegantly about corporate launches and endorsements.
Yet quietly—
she observed.
Gabriel still treated her kindly.
Respectfully.
But something felt different.
He listened.
Answered.
Smiled when necessary.
And yet—
his attention wandered.
Toward Lola.
Again.
And again.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Halfway through dinner, Celestina set down her wineglass.
Then—
with dangerous maternal innocence—
“So,” she said pleasantly, “when do you two plan to marry?”
Silence.
Immediate.
Beautiful.
Bella nearly inhaled water.
Alejandro looked suspiciously entertained.
And Gabriel—
for perhaps the first time that evening—
looked genuinely trapped.
Bianca hid amusement behind her glass.
Ah.
There it was.
Gabriel cleared his throat.
“Mother—”
“You’ve been together long enough,” Celestina continued gently.
“And Bianca is lovely.”
Bianca smiled politely.
“How flattering.”
Celestina looked pleased.
“Marriage deserves planning.”
And suddenly—
the room felt warmer.
Too warm.
Gabriel reached for wine.
“We haven’t discussed it.”
Lola lowered her eyes toward her plate.
The answer should not matter.
And yet—
something moved quietly inside her.
Relief.
Yes.
Pure and immediate.
Of course.
He had a girlfriend.
A future.
Distance.
Everything remained simple.
And strangely—
beneath relief—
something softer appeared.
Not pain.
Certainly not.
Only a faint disappointment she refused to examine.
Annoying emotion.
Entirely inconvenient.
Bianca watched Gabriel carefully.
Interesting.
Because he looked uncomfortable.
Not romantic.
Not hopeful.
Only cornered.
Celestina continued,
“You’re both at wonderful ages.”
Gabriel nearly sighed.
“I’m thirty-three, not perishable.”
Alejandro laughed.
Bianca smiled into her wine.
And Gabriel—
avoiding his mother’s gaze—
answered too quickly.
“We’re focused on work.”
Interesting excuse.
Very interesting.
Celestina’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Work survives marriage.”
“Sometimes.”
The remark escaped before caution arrived.
Lola looked up briefly.
And somehow—
the answer lingered.
The conversation shifted soon after.
But tension remained quietly seated among them.
Bianca noticed.
Lola noticed.
And unfortunately—
Gabriel noticed too.
After dinner, Lola escaped toward the western veranda.
The night carried cool wind and the scent of damp sampaguita.
She preferred darkness after crowded evenings.
It felt honest.
Her phone rang softly.
Matteo.
A faint smile touched her lips.
She answered.
“Hello?”
His voice arrived warmly.
“I hope I’m not interrupting peace.”
“That depends.”
“Cruel woman.”
She laughed quietly.
And from the hallway—
unfortunately—
Gabriel heard it.
He stopped.
Not intentionally listening.
Merely existing nearby.
Obviously.
Matteo continued,
“My birthday is tomorrow.”
Ah.
Birthday.
“I remember.”
“Then save me embarrassment and say yes before I beg.”
Her smile softened.
“Begging sounds dramatic.”
“I prepared emotionally.”
She looked toward the gardens.
“When?”
“Dinner and dancing.”
Interesting.
And strangely—
the invitation sounded easy.
Comfortable.
No tension.
No confusion.
Just kindness.
“I’ll come.”
Relief warmed his voice.
“Good.”
The call ended moments later.
And only then—
Lola noticed Gabriel standing nearby.
Ah.
Unfortunate timing.
“You eavesdrop professionally.”
He folded his arms.
“I have excellent hearing.”
“That sounds suspicious.”
“You’re going.”
“To Matteo’s birthday?”
“Yes.”
She looked toward the gardens.
“I said I would.”
Something unpleasant stirred inside him.
Irritation.
Jealousy.
Ridiculous.
Entirely ridiculous.
“He invites often.”
“And I occasionally accept.”
The answer felt too calm.
Too reasonable.
And somehow—
that bothered him more.
Before he could answer—
Bianca appeared.
Interesting timing.
“You both disappeared,” she said lightly.
Lola smiled politely.
“Fresh air.”
Bianca’s eyes moved between them.
Ah.
Still interesting.
Then Bella arrived carrying scandal and tea.
“What did I miss?”
“Nothing dangerous,” Lola said.
Bella looked disappointed.
Gabriel exhaled.
Then—
before logic intervened—
“We’re coming too.”
Silence.
Lola blinked.
Bianca lifted a brow.
Bella nearly grinned.
Lola looked at him.
“Excuse me?”
“Matteo’s birthday.”
His voice remained calm.
Too calm.
“We’ll attend.”
We.
Interesting choice.
“You invited yourself?”
“Social adaptability.”
Bella coughed into her tea.
Bianca smiled faintly.
“Oh, this sounds educational.”
Lola studied Gabriel quietly.
And somehow—
she understood.
Not competition.
Not entirely.
Something closer to restlessness.
Dangerous thing.
“You dislike birthdays now?” he asked.
“No.”
“Then it’s settled.”
The confidence irritated her.
And amused her.
“Who decided that?”
“I did.”
“There’s the problem.”
Bella nearly applauded.
Bianca watched silently.
Very.
Very interesting.
Because Gabriel Monteverde—
the man who once invented a girlfriend to avoid marriage—
had just volunteered himself into another man’s celebration.
And somehow—
everyone understood why except perhaps Gabriel himself.
The wind moved softly through the veranda.
And standing beneath lantern light—
Lola looked toward him with quiet curiosity.
Because jealousy, she was learning—
made even intelligent men surprisingly reckless.
And tomorrow—
recklessness would wear formal clothes and attend a birthday party.
- Writer
