Chapter 5
1577 Words
Lumipas ang araw na parang wala lang. Isa-isang dumating ang mga meeting, sandamakmak na files ang pinirmahan, at maya’t maya ang pagdaan ng mga tao sa tapat ng opisina ni Adeline. Pero sa gitna ng lahat ng iyon, parang wala siyang naririnig. Everything felt like background noise, habang pilit niyang pinananatiling kalmado ang sarili.
Somewhere between the spreadsheets and executive calls, her mind drifted. To grease-stained fingers. To rolled-up sleeves. To a quiet boy with a steady gaze.
At sa isang sandali lang, she almost forgot she was supposed to keep her walls up.
Almost.
Mariin niyang pinikit ang mga mata, sinusubukang gisingin ang sarili.
What the f**k is wrong with you, Adeline? She silently cursed herself.
Kailangan niyang mag-focus. There were documents to approve, meetings to run, and budgets to clean up. The kind of work that usually made her feel in control—composed and untouchable.
But for some reason, he was still there. In the corner of her mind. As if his presence had pressed itself onto the fabric of her day.
And she hated that.
Don’t let this become a pattern. She warned herself.
“Ms. Ventura?” tumawag ang executive assistant niya mula sa pintuan. “Procurement is requesting your input for the supplier realignment this quarter.”
“Send the documents to my email. I’ll review them before noon,” sagot niya, her tone was steady as ever.
Pero habang binubuksan niya ang inbox, she saw it—Noah’s name in CC. Kasama sa alignment meeting. Of course he is.
Her fingers hovered above the keyboard for a second longer than usual.
Noah Del Rosario had only been in the department for a few weeks, pero napansin na agad siya ng ilang senior managers. He was sharp, quick, and knows what he was doing. And unlike most, hindi siya mabilis matakot sa mga “untouchable” sa kompanya. Not even her.
That was...dangerous.
Not because he threatened her position—he couldn’t. But because something about him slipped through the cracks of her defenses. Not in loud, obvious ways. But in quiet ones.
His cologne. The coffee. The way he looked at her was like he knew something.
Adeline closed her laptop for a moment and leaned back in her chair.
She had worked too hard to be shaken by a smile.
Lahat ng meron siya ngayon—’ypng respeto ng board, ‘yong tiwala ng team, even her father’s acknowledgment—lahat ‘yon pinaghirapan niya. Because her last name alone wasn’t enough.
Her father made that painfully clear early on.
"Just because you’re my daughter doesn’t mean you’ll inherit this company. Prove you’re the right choice."
And she did. Every quarter. Every audit. Every investor pitch.
She sighed, stood, and straightened her blazer. Her reflection on the glass wall was crisp—every line, every detail in place. As always.
THE MEETING ROOM was already half full when she arrived. Procurement managers sat on one side, and the assistant finance heads on the other. Everyone straightened as she entered, eyes briefly flicking upward.
“Good morning,” Adeline said calmly as she took her seat at the head of the table.
Noah was already seated across from her, expression unreadable, and his posture relaxed but alert. Hindi siya nagpakita ng kahit anong familiarity—professional lamang ang dating.
Good.
“Let’s begin,” she said. “Walk me through the proposed supplier shifts.”
Angela from procurement began her report, flipping through the slides. Vendor names, delivery costs, and timeline comparisons filled the screen. Adeline nodded along, took notes, and asked questions that made three people fumble with their numbers.
And still—she felt it.
Noah’s eyes were on her.
Not in a way that made her uncomfortable. In a way that made her aware.
He was watching—not to impress, but to understand. His pen moved only when necessary. His questions, when asked, were direct and smart.
“Vendor C’s price is competitive, pero may delay sila last quarter,” Noah pointed out. “If we go with them again, I suggest we negotiate a penalty clause.”
Adeline looked up, mildly surprised.
Angela blinked. “We…hadn’t considered that.”
Adeline nodded slowly. “That’s a fair point. Include a performance clause. Draft it by tomorrow.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Angela said.
She glanced at Noah, just for a second.
Then their eyes met. And for a moment, the noise of the room faded.
Hindi siya ngumiti. Hindi rin siya umiling. Pero may kung anong kumirot sa dibdib niya.
Stop it, she told herself. It’s just a meeting.
But when the discussion moved on and the projector shifted to another slide, she caught herself adjusting the sleeve of her blazer—like she needed something to do with her hands. Like he had rattled her without even trying.
Pagkatapos ng meeting, tahimik si Adeline habang pabalik sa opisina.
She walked the hallway with her usual poise, clipboard in hand, and heels clicking sharply against the marble tiles. Sa paningin ng iba, walang nagbago—still composed, still precise. Pero sa loob niya, may kulang sa balanse. Parang may iniwang echo ang meeting sa dibdib niya. Not loud. Not even clear.
Just...lingering.
Pagpasok niya sa opisina, she closed the door gently behind her and paused, leaning against it for a brief moment.
She closed her eyes.
Just for a second.
You’re letting him in.
She shook her head, as if that could erase the thought. Tinanggal niya ang blazer at marahang isinabit sa likod ng upuan. The cool air kissed her bare arms, grounding her back.
She sat down and took a long sip from her coffee, now lukewarm. Then she opened her laptop, ready to drown herself in deliverables again.
Work was her armor. Numbers never lied. Budgets didn’t flirt. Spreadsheets didn’t ask questions. But even before she could type her first email, a notification popped up.
1 New Message
From: N. Del Rosario
Subject: Vendor Clause Draft
Adeline hesitated for half a second before clicking it.
She expected something straightforward. Professional and dry.
But the body of the email was brief—and irritatingly him.
Attached. Let me know if you need revisions.
Also—still not wearing cologne.
In case you’re keeping score.
— N
Isang maliit na tawa ang muntik nang kumawala sa kan’yang bibig. She held herself and looked up for a while before biting the inside of her right cheek.
What the hell, Noah.
She stared at the screen. No smile, no visible reaction. Just the tiniest flicker in her eyes. Pero sa loob, may konting kirot ng kaaliwan. And something she refused to name.
She reread the last line.
In case you’re keeping score.
As if this was a game. As if he knew she was keeping score, whether she admitted it or not.
She should’ve been annoyed. Or at least roll her eyes.
Instead, she leaned back in her chair and let her head fall gently against the headrest. For a moment, the ceiling lights blurred into soft shapes above her.
Adeline Ventura didn’t keep score. She made rules. Broke expectations. Ran circles around boardrooms and left no room for weakness.
But this—this was something else.
She wasn’t sure what he wanted. He didn’t ask for attention. He wasn’t trying to charm her in the typical, arrogant, office playboy way.
Wala siyang sinabing kung ano. Wala ring balak maging cute. And yet…his timing was surgical.
Quiet, unexpected, and effective.
She clicked back to her inbox and left his email unread—not because she didn’t read it, but because she wanted to see it again later. Subconsciously. Whatever.
Then she opened the attachment, scanning his draft of the vendor clause.
It was solid. Smartly worded. No fluff at all.
She added one note. Only one revision, then she saved it with her initials at the bottom.
Pero habang ginagawa niya iyon, her mind wandered again.
To his voice. To the casual way he leaned against her office door that morning. To how she used to hate interruptions—but didn’t, this time.
She cursed herself silently.
Focus, Adeline. He’s not your story.
But that was the problem.
He was starting to feel like a plot twist.
One she didn’t plan for.
She locked her screen, stood up, and walked toward the window. Pinagmasdan niya ang siyudad sa ibaba. May kan’ya-kan’yang mundo ang mga tao na naroon. Parang walang pakialam sa mundo at namumuhay ng payapa.
Naitanong niya ang sarili niya kung dadating din ba ang oras kung kailan hindi na niya kailangang magsuot ng maskara araw-araw. She’s sick and tired with all these numbers, pero hindi rin niya p’wedeng hayaan na lamang ang pinaghirapan ng kan’yang ina.
She took a deep breath and sighed. Muli niyang pinagmasdan ang mga tao sa ibaba.
From up here, everything looked manageable…predictable.
Down there? That’s where all the noise lived. Where things blurred. Where chaos pressed against glass and routine cracked under pressure.
And sometimes, chaos wore no cologne.
She smiled—barely—and shook her head again.
Bumalik siya sa pagkakaupo at muling binuksan ang laptop. Bumungad na naman ang email ni Noah.
“Ang tapang talaga ng lalaking 'to,” she muttered.
But she didn’t delete the email. Didn’t archive it. She didn’t even reply.
She just left it there.
Like a thought at the edge of her mind. Like a line waiting to be crossed.
- Writer
