The Price of Silence
Welcome, Dear Reader đ
Sa lahat ng bumisita, magbabasa, at susubok buksan ang kwentong ito maraming salamat.
This story is more than just about a billionaire and the woman who might change his life. Itâs about choices, principles, timing, and the quiet longings we donât always admit even to ourselves.
Makikilala niyo si Edward Stewart, isang lalaking hindi naghahanap ng pag-ibig, pero handang sumugal alang-alang sa taong pinakamahalaga sa kanya.
At sa pag-ikot ng mga pahina, baka mahanap niyo rin ang piraso ng sarili ninyong kwento yung mga sandaling pinili ninyong manindigan, manahimik, magmahal sa tamang paraan⊠o sa maling panahon.
I hope this story makes you feel.
I hope it keeps you up at night.
I hope it reminds you that some people love quietly but fiercely.
Welcome to Edwardâs world.
May you read with your heart wide open.
With love â€ïž
Anne Authorđ«°
PROLOGUE
Ang langit ay kulay abo. Tahimik ang paligid, pero hindi payapa.
Edward Stewart stood at the balcony of his private suite in Baguio Highlands, overlooking a mist-covered forest that matched the fog in his chest. Tahimik. Malamig. At marahil, ito ang huling gabi na hindi niya kailangang umarteng may direksyon ang buhay niya.
The phone on his desk had been ringing nonstop since this morning. Pero hindi niya iyon pinansin. Hindi pa siya handa.
Sa baba, naghihintay ang mga bisita business partners, foreign delegates, politicians, and socialites. Lahat naroon para sa engrandeng selebrasyon ng kaarawan ng kanyang lolo Don Leopoldo Stewart. The man who built the empire before him. The man who raised him like a son.
The only man heâd ever truly respected.
And tonight, that same man asked for one thing. A legacy. Not of money. Not in power. But of blood.
âBago ako mamatay, gusto kong makita kang may asawa. Gusto kong marinig ang apelyidong Stewart mula sa anak mo. Hindi mula sa boardroom. Hindi mula sa mga artikulo. Mula sa pamilya mo.â
Those words spoken two months ago have never left his mind.
Edward gripped the glass of scotch in his hand. The ice had long melted, but the burn of the alcohol couldnât compete with the weight in his chest. Marriage. A child. Before his grandfatherâs 60th birthday.
Baliw.
Hindi siya takot magmahal. Pero hindi siya maniniwala na ang pagmamahal ay isang bagay na pwedeng ipilit. O bilhin. O planuhin gaya ng mga negosyo niya.
Hindi siya naniniwala sa kwentong fairy tale. Hindi siya fantasy-driven. Ang gusto niya ay tahimik. Walang sabit. Walang drama. Walang past na hahabulin. Ayaw niya ng sakit ng ulo.
Pero ang mundong ginagalawan niya ay hindi tahimik. Sa mundong ginagalawan niya, lahat ng babae ay may kasaysayang gusto niyang iwasan o di kayaây may motibong gusto siyang bilhin. At sa likod ng bawat ngiti ay laging may kapalit.
Kayaât nanatili siyang mag-isa.
Sa media, siya si Edward Stewart ang half-Brit, half-Filipino billionaire na mahirap abutin. May kaya. May prinsipyo. May kapangyarihan.
Pero sa mga gabi tulad nito, siya lang si Edward. Apo. Anak. Isang lalaking tinuruang maging perpekto sa paningin ng mundo, pero hindi kailanman naturuang paano magmahal.
Knock. Knock.
âSir?â tanong ng kanyang loyal assistant na si Marco. âNaghihintay na po si Don Leopoldo sa main hall. Heâs asking for you.â
Edward didnât answer right away. Tumingin siya sa kalangitan wala man lang bituin. Wala ring kasiguraduhan ang langit, gaya ng hinihingi ng kanyang lolo.
âIâll be there in five minutes,â he said, voice cold but composed.
Pag-alis ni Marco, Edward finally moved. He slipped on his black Armani suit jacket and fixed the cufflinks bearing the Stewart family insignia a golden lion.
As he walked through the long corridor of his private estate, he passed portraits of his ancestors. Each one is a symbol of strength, strategy, and survival.
Hanggang sa dumating siya sa isang pader na may lumang litrato isang batang lalaki na nakatingin sa camera na may lungkot sa mga mata. Siya iyon. Anim na taong gulang. Karga ng yaya habang nasa London. Walang magulang sa larawan. Walang magulang sa paligid.
âIlang beses na ba akong iniwang mag-isa?â he whispered to no one.
He stepped into the ballroom to a wave of applause. The crowd parted as he approached his grandfather.
âAh, finally,â Don Leopoldo said, opening his arms. âAkala ko hindi mo ako bibigyan ng regalo ngayong gabi.â
Edward offered a faint smile. âIâm here, arenât I?â
âYou are,â the old man replied. âBut you know thatâs not the gift I want.â
Tahimik si Edward.
Lumingon ang lolo niya sa audience at sabay sabing, âEveryone, toast with me to my grandson, the future of Stewart Industries. And to this day he finally gives this old man a great-grandson.â
The crowd erupted in laughter and cheers.
Edward raised his glass but his heart was somewhere else. Somewhere between duty and resistance.
Later that night, habang lahat ay abala sa inuman, sinabayan siya ng lolo niya sa terrace. Sila na lang ang tao roon. Walang photographer. Walang socialite. Walang maskara.
âYouâve built everything I taught you to build,â Don Leopoldo said. âPower, business, reputation. Pero wala ka pang tahanan. Wala ka pang pamana sa puso. Donât wait for death to teach you that, hijo.â
Edward clenched his jaw. âWhat if I canât love the way you want me to?â
His grandfather chuckled. âThen find someone you can respect enough to try.â
âI donât want a woman with a complicated past,â Edward admitted. âIâve seen what that brings scandal, pain, broken families.â
âSo choose one who isnât complicated,â Don Leopoldo answered. âThey exist. You just havenât been looking hard enough.â
Tahimik si Edward.
âMarry not for the public,â his grandfather added. âMarry for peace. For legacy. For someone who wonât need fixing. Someone who walks into your life⊠and lets you breathe.â
Edwardâs throat tightened.
âSomeone who doesnât come with noise.â
That night, habang nakahiga siya sa kama, hindi niya maalis sa isipan ang sinabi ng kanyang lolo.
Not for love. Not for show.
Just peace. And someone⊠quiet.
And maybe, just maybe
That kind of woman still exists.
END OF PROLOGUE