My fingers burn from where the tips made contact with the stone. I start hearing noises from the room and panic rose to my throat. Kaagad kong ibinalik ang maliit na box sa loob ng bulsa ng jacket. I scooted as far away as possible from the discarded leather on the sofa and tried to act normal when Rigor steps out of the room, dressed in a pair of crisp black slacks and white buttondown shirt, rolled to his sleeves.

May hawak siyang dalawang neck tie sa kamay. He lifted them both in the air for me to inspect.

"Red or black?"

I rolled my eyes. "Red. You'll look like a waiter in black."

"Ang gwapo ko namang waiter," he says, amused with my reaction.

I pressed my lips together, shifting in my seat. Rigor started putting on his neck tie. His back moved swiftly beneath the white shirt. His hands are deft and effortless. I don't have a memory of me doing his neck tie for him before. He doesn't seem to have a problem about it, unlike other men. He was born in a powerful, socialite family after all. Aside from being a natural in gatherings, the skill of presenting himself properly comes second.

Nang matapos na siya ay tinapos ko na rin ang paggupit sa buhok niya. I'll miss seeing strands of his hair covering his eyes. But now with his hair pushed back, it only highlighted whatever god-sculpted features he has. He looks sharper, more prominent. His eyes are gleaming and his skin glowed. The cameras will love him today.

May ibinigay siyang iPad sa akin habang naglalakad kami palabas. He says he hired a driver for the day because we have other meetings to attend aside from the organization. Tahimik lang ako sa tabi niya at patango-tango habang nakikinig ng instructions.

The driver is already waiting for us when we arrived. He looks younger, but just as professional. He smiled politely and opened the door for us. Rigor gestured for me to get in first.

Itinuro ko ang front seat.

"Hindi ba dapat sa front seat ako-"

"Just get in, Czarina."

I stared back at him defiantly while the driver stood awkwardly next to us before I admitted defeat and went inside, shaking my head. The man has no sense of hierarchy, as usual. I don't want people to be thinking that I'm getting special treatment from him just because we have a history.

Patingin-tingin sa akin si Lyle, ang driver, tila nagtataka. Rigor sat next to me. nilayo ko ang sarili at inabala sa pag-organize ng schedule niya sa iPad. Halatang bagong bili. He did not even bother to change the default wallpaper or put in a password. I downloaded an application to create wallpaper timelines and set it as his lockscreen. His phone starts ringing. Sinagot niya iyon kaagad. I try not to eavesdrop but even if he doesn't put the call in a loudspeaker, I could still hear the voice from the other line.

"Kailan ka uuwi?" the female voice demands.

Rigor sighs and gave me a side glance. Nagkunwari akong busy sa iPad niya pero ang totoo'y ina-unlock at lock ko lang ito nang paulit-ulit.

"I'm still busy, Silver." He clears his throat.

"Hindi mo ba bibisitahin si Dad? Ang mga pamangkin mo?" she presses further. I always remember her as a girl with a low sweetness in her voice when she speaks, but I could feel its absence whenever she's talking to Rigor. She misses him. And she's hurting.

"Silver," kalmado ang boses ni Rigor na para bang nanunuyo ng iyaking bata. "I promise I will be home at the end of the month. May kailangan lang akong tapusin dito sa Maynila."

"Whatever."

The line went dead. An awkward silence hung thick around us. Buti nalang at medyo madaldal ang driver ni Rigor. tinanong-tanong niya ako ng kung anu-ano, madalas tungkol sa buhay dito sa Maynila. I tried to answer him as polite as I could, though I could feel Rigor's burning eyes on me.

When we finally arrived, I breathed out a huge sigh of relief. Lumabas kaagad ako at pinagmasdan ang org house. It's a huge one-storey building with white walls and bright yellow wooden fence. The rooms are big and airy. There are painted wooden tablets on the wall with uplifting quotes for everyone to see. The staff are wearing mustard yellow polo shirt with a huge smiley face in front. A woman wearing the same shirt but in a white polo approached us, smiling from ear to ear.

"Mr. Treveron! How nice of you to bring your wife here!"

I flinched, heat creeping up to my cheeks. Hinintay ko si Rigor na itama ang mali ng babae pero nakangisi lang siya dito. I start to clear my throat and she turns to me.

"I'm not his w-wife..." I curse under my breath. Stammering, Czarina? Really? "I'm his secretary, actually."

Siya naman ang pinamulahan ng mukha sa sinabi ko. "Oh my goodness! I'm sorry, I didn't realize..." she glances at me from head to toe, making me squirm. "You're just so..."

"Why don't you show us inside, Lily? Hmm?"

She turns to Rigor and nods, cheeks still flushing. Para akong batang sumunod kay Rigor. Lily, the founder of SaveSmiles organization finally recovers and starts talking about the history of the organization. She knows everyone by name and tries to introduce Rigor to them, then leads us to a small function hall. The hall is thick with photographers, people from media, and some delegates. It looks like it's about to burst. Some media staff are forced to stand in the back with their cameras in hopes of snapping a decent photo of him during the event. Mukhang masaya si Lily na napa-oo niya si Rigor sa charity na ito. She gestures towards the front row to his seat. Isa lang ang upuan at wala na siyang ibang katabi. Others have to sit in the back, people with lesser ranks and positions.

Rigor's lips curl downwards, and he did not even bother to hide his distaste as he turns to Lily.

"Where's her chair?"

Napaigtad si Lily, nagpabalik-balik ang tingin sa aming dalawa. I open my mouth to speak, embarrassed that Rigor has to point it out when I could just sit in the corner and take notes.

"I had someone remove it when you said that she's not your wife..." awkward niyang sinabi.

"Rigor, ayos lang-"

"It doesn't matter." He looks irritated, brows furrowed together in annoyance. "She'll sit next to me."

I cast Lily an apologetic look when Rigor didn't budge. She doesn't know about the Treveron's temper. It's infamous in their family, runs stronger in the blood of females. Kaagad naman siyang tumango.

"Of course, of course! I'm sorry, we'll bring back the chair for your...secretary." She clears her throat and smiles at me.

Nac-conscious ako sa tingin ng mga guest sa amin. Well, they're just looking at Rigor, actually, but I'm standing next to him and that makes me another subject of their scrutinizing gaze. I tried to shrink myself as small as possible, averting my eyes when I hear the shatter of a camera, or casting my gaze downwards so I don't have to meet their gazes.

"Are you sure I'm allowed to sit here...?" ninyerbros kong tanong sa kaniya. He drags the chair for me, in front of everyone, and gestures for me to sit. I could feel a thousand hawk's eyes burning at the back of my skull.

Who is this woman? Is Rigor finally married? Why is she sitting next to him?

I could only imagine the questions churning inside their heads, and the possible horrible answers to their queries. Napabuntong-hininga ako at pilit na nilunok ang kaba saka binalingan si Rigor.

"Just ignore them. You deserve to be here, Czarina." Rigor says calmly.

I followed his advice, having left with no choice. When the program started, I focused on taking notes and listened carefully to Lily's welcoming remarks. Rigor agreed to feature some of his paintings for this event and auctioned it later on for the rich guests. My heart swelled when some of the kids, those who are still in early stages of cancer who can still move without difficulty, participates in an intermission number wearing cute animal onesies and headbands. Their enthusiasm reminds me of Castian. Napalingon tuloy ako kay Rigor habang patuloy sa pagkanta at pagsayaw ang mga bata.

He's smiling. A faint smile touched his lips and his eyes are gleaming. Naka-krus ang mga braso niya sa dibdib. His arms are bulging, but the smile never left his lips. Rigor looks like a produ father. He's happy to help these kids and it made me happy too.

Just before the auction, he was called in front for his small speech. He stood firmly, knowing the power he holds. His voice is firm, authoritative, and inspiring. It's a far cry from the raspy, hoarse voice he uses when he's teasing me, or when we're just alone together. Women will squirm in their chairs when they hear it. Nanindig ang balahibo ko sa pinag-iisip. Get a grip, Czarina! You're here to listen and take notes, not to fantasize over your ex's voice!

After his speech, I almost went deaf with the cheers and claps from the audience. Nakitayo nalang din ako at pumalakpak habang bumababa siya sa podium. Lily took over once again and hosted the auction. Thousands after thousands were shelled out, and at one point, one of his painting was sold for Php 5.5 million. The woman who got it squealed in delight and winked at Rigor when he turns to her at the audience.

A chuckle vibrated in my throat. "Mukhang may crush ata sa 'yo..."

Rigor turns to me, raising a brow. "You think so?"

"She's willing to spend millions for a single painting, Rigor. And she winked at you! Can't you put two and two together?"

"Is that the basis of having a crush? Buying paintings and winking?"

"Hmm..." I tap against my chin. "Yes."

"Bibili ka ng painting ko?"

Kumunot ang noo ko sa kaniya. "Hindi ko nga afford ang art materials mo! Tsaka wala akong crush sa iyo, Rigor. Hindi ko kailangang magpapansin."

"What if I buy your painting instead?"

"I stopped painting."

The flirty smile on his face instantly fades. A blanket of gloom wraps around me. Ramdam ko ang bigat ng tingin ni Rigor sa akin, at ang nakasunod na tanong sa mga mata niya.

"Why?"

Why? Because I got pregnant, and I gave birth. I'm a young, broke mother who needs to feed her son, so my ambitions about painting dissipated into thin air. My paintbrush and canvases couldn't pay the bills, or put food in the table. My talent is not as extraordinary as you, no one would bother to glance at my works. I am not born to be worshipped by people for being an artist. Artists are born, not made.

"I just got busy." I clear my throat, hoping he'd stop asking me about it. Even on such a lively event like this, I can't stop dark thoughts from forming in my head.

He looks like he's about to grill me, but Lily came over, smiling from ear to ear. She asks if she could borrow Rigor for a minute, just to introduce him to other donators of the charity. I could feel my cheeks reddening. Kaagad akong tumango upang itaboy siya at mapag-isa ako.

While he was busy talking to other people, I got up and went to the buffet table. Nagugutom na rin ako at gusto kong kumain. Tinawag ko si Lyle, pero nahihiya siyang pumasok kaya dinalhan ko nalang siya ng pagkain at sa lobby siya kumain, kausap ang security guard na natuwa nang abutan ko rin ng pagkain. Bumalik rin ako sa loob. Rigor is still busy, so I got myself a plate and start picking out food to eat.

"You know, you both quite made a scene earlier."

I jumped when I heard a voice next to me. Muntik ko pang mahulog ang hawak kong plato. Buti nalang at kaagad niyang nasalo. The voice chuckled, rich and manly. I look up and my eyes widened when I saw Eros.

Napa-awang ako habang tinititigan siya. He had an intimidating physique back then, but now he's gotten even bigger and taller. He looks like he could kill a lion with bare hands. The suit he's wearing failed to hide the rippling muscles beneath. An amused smile played on his lips while looking down at me.

"Czarina, right?"

"How do you know me?" I pouted and looked away. "It's my first time meeting you."

Too late to run. I might as well pretend that nothing happened between us in the past.

Eros laughed, handing me back my plate. Tinanggap ko iyon nang hindi tumitingin sa kaniya.

"I don't easily forget people, Czarina. Especially women who pretends to be my lover to make a Treveron jealous."

I release an annoyed sigh. He has to bring that up, huh? It happened years ago!

"You're working for him?"

I nodded, putting some buttered chicken wings in my plate and adding some salad. Eros only has salad on his plate and nothing else.

"How long? I didn't notice you until earlier."

"Kakasimula ko lang magtrabaho sa kaniya ngayong linggo."

"Hmm. That's interesting."

"How?"

He gave me a cruel, playful smile before shaking his head. With the stunt I pulled last time, I thought he'd be furious with me. I'm surprised he's so cool about it.

Something crossed my mind and I remembered Shantel. Just yesterday, she was devastated and desperate for alcohol. Napatingin tuloy ako kay Eros. I am not sure if they're dating. Shantel rarely mentions him. He's already working in his father's firm after graduating while Shantel is still in law school. They both have tight schedules; do they even have time to date?

"Stop staring at me," he says, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Or your boyfriend will kill me."

Napakurap ako. "Ha?"

He subtly gestures across the room, and I follow it with my gaze. Muntik na akong mapaatras nang magtama ang tingin naming dalawa ni Rigor. He's staring—no, glaring at us while the man in front of him is trying to get his attention. I could feel him seething from across the room, jaw clenched, arms crossed.

"I b-better go back."

He nods, smiling at me politely. "Nice to meet you again, Czarina."

Tumango ako at umalis na. Lily found me and drags me to their table to eat with them. Napahinga ako nang maluwag nang sa wakas ay inalis na ni Rigor ang tingin niya sa akin at binalingan ang lalaking kausap.

"I don't mean to pry, Czarina..." Lily clears her throat. Napabaling ako sa kaniya. "You're just his secretary?"

Tumango ako.

"I'm sorry about the assumption I made earlier. You don't look like a secretary at all." she laughed softly.

I gave her a soft smile. "Do I look unprofessional, then?"

"No! Not at all!" she says quickly. "It's the way Mr. Treveron is so protective of you that made me assume things. Usually secretaries are dismissed in a corner, but he requested a chair for you and everyone in this room is watching him watch you every second."

My cheeks flushed once more with her bluntness, but now that she mentioned it, I saw prying eyes everywhere. Gossips would surely spread and I wouldn't be surprised if the tabloid feasts on us again. Sometimes, I hate that there is more content about Rigor's personal life rather than his paintings. He's an attractive, young man, I know. But there is more to him than alluring forest eyes and ripped muscles. He's extremely talented, so why focus on his private affairs?

I was so sleepy and tired when the event ended. Lily couldn't stop thanking Rigor on the way to the parking lot. Lyle greeted us politely and opened the car door for us. Pumasok ako at hinintay si Rigor na matapos makipag-usap kay Lily. The woman tapped on the car window and smiled brightly at me, before waving.

Rigor enters and sits next to me, sighing. Inabot ko ang bottled water at walang imik na inalok sa kaniya. He murmurs a thank you and opens the bottle. I quickly tear my gaze off his Adams apple and instructs Lyle to bring us back to the studio.

"You're done for the day, Czarina. We'll just drive you home."

Panic rose in me. Kaagad akong napalingon sa kaniya.

"No need to drive me home, Rigor. I'll just take the bus."

He frowns, putting the cap back to the bottle. "It's already rush hour, Czarina. And I don't feel comfortable with you riding a public bus alone."

Pinigilan ko ang sariling irapan siya. "Nagb-bus ako araw-araw, Rigor. Hindi mo na ako kailangang ihatid."

"Czarina-"

"Are you seriously breaking the office rules again?" may paghahamon sa mga mata kong tinitigan siya.

He stares back at me, completely pissed. I want to back down but I didn't. His jaw is clenching, then he turns sharply to Lyle.

"Drop me off at my studio, then. Lyle can drive you home." Matigas niyang wika.

"Rigor-"

"I'm not going to hear any of it, Czarina. Lyle. Will. Drive. You. Home."

Napatingin ako kay Lyle na mukhang maiihi na sa upuan niya dahil sa tension naming dalawa. Kaagad akong naawa sa kaniya. Mukhang hindi pa siya sanay kay Rigor. Hindi na rin ako nakipagtalo at um-oo nalang para matapos na.

Wala kaming imikan dalawa hanggang sa makarating sa studio niya. He grabs his jacket and opens the door.

"Text me when you get home." He says coldly, slamming the door shut and walking inside his apartment.

A few moments of silence engulf us before Lyle decides to speak.

"Ma'am, nagalit mo ata si Sir." Komento ni Lyle.

"Talaga? Hindi naman halata." Sarkastiko kong sagot sa kaniya.

Lyle chuckles. Inirapan ko siya nang pabiro at ibinigay ang address ko.

Sa sobrang pagod ay nakatulog ako sa biyahe. Marahan akong ginising ni Lyle nang makarating na. I thanked him and got out of the car. I made sure he was backing away before I entered the gates. I don't want him to see Castian running into me.

I went straight to the kitchen, wondering why my son isn't around to welcome me. bumilis ang mga hakbang ko nang marinig ang iyak niya sa kusina. I instantly drop my bag to the counter and hurried to him when I saw him bawling on top of the table. Kyros is talking softly to him but he's not listening.

"What happened?"

Kyros bits his lower lip and sighs. "It seems like Castian is being bullied in school, Czarina."

"What?!" rage boiled inside of me in an instant. "It's only his second day!"

"I know..." Kyros scratches the back of his neck. Binalingan ko si Castian na hindi pa rin tumatahan.

"What happened, baby? Will you tell Mommy?" I asked softly while rubbing his back.

"They—" he starts to hiccup, burying his face into my chest. "don't want to play with me because I told them I don't have a D-Daddy..."

I could hear my heart breaking piece by piece as he narrated what happened earlier at the kindergarten.

"And then there's this mean girl..." his tiny lips are trembling. "She keeps picking on me, Mommy. She's so mean... I don't want to go back to school..."

Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa ni Kyros. I could see the silent rage and disapproval in his eyes, but he said nothing. I planted a kiss on Castian's forehead and tried to calm him down. Kyros stepped out of the kitchen. Nakatulog si Castian kakaiyak. Binuhat ko siya patungo sa kwarto at ihiniga. His eyes are swelling, and his mouth is dry from crying. I want to punish myself for the pain I am inflicting to my son. Lumabas ako na bagsak ang mga balikat.

"You have to tell him, Czarina."

I jumped in my seat and turns to see Kyros. He's already dressed for work. Nakatingin siya sa akin nang seryoso.

"You're my friend, but what you're doing right now is downright selfish. Castian doesn't deserve it. Rigor can sometimes be an asshole, but he doesn't deserve it, too. No one deserves it."

I didn't answer and just watch him step out and go to work.

-

#HanmariamBFLIIChap6