Chapter 28

No One’s POV

The tension in the room was a physical weight, thick enough to suffocate.

“It’s been four months, Hans! Four months!”

The associate slammed his hand against the cold marble table, his voice echoing with a mix of panic and rage. He snatched the picture of Mikhaela Janna Lim and threw it into the light.

“How can we destroy John Lim Sr. when his daughter is acting like a ghost? My sources say she hasn’t even whispered to her family! No calls, no letters, nothing! They are on bad terms, and she’s just rotting away somewhere in the Philippines!”

Hans didn’t move. He sat in the darkness, the glow of his cigarette the only sign of life. When he spoke, his voice was a low, terrifying crawl.

“You’re losing your nerve,” Hans whispered. “Did you forget what we did? We trapped her. We planned every move. From the second she walked into our casino, we rigged her life. We buried her in that debt. We didn’t just take her money; we took her soul.”

Hans leaned forward, his eyes sharp and predatory.

“She has been hiding for four months, thinking the Pacific Ocean would protect her. But a debt like ours doesn’t disappear. It grows.”

He picked up the crumpled photo of Mikhaela and smoothed it out with a gloved finger.

“She is the the bridge. John Lim Sr. thinks his empire is a fortress, but his own blood is going to be the one to open the gates for us. She is broke, she is starving, and she is alone because we made her that way.”

Hans’s eyes darkened with a cold, villainous hunger.

“She won’t talk to her father? Fine. Let her stay in the dirt of Manila until the hunger breaks her pride. Eventually, she will realize she only has one choice: to crawl back to the Lim Corporation and beg for her inheritance just to pay us back.”

He stood up, his silhouette tall and monstrous against the window.

​Hans stood up, his tall silhouette blocking the light.

​”We are going to squeeze her until she has nowhere left to turn. No friends, no money, no safety. We will drive her so deep into a corner that her only exit is the front door of the Lim Empire. She will go to her family. She will beg John Lim Sr. for help just to pay us back.”

​He crushed the cigarette out directly onto the map of Manila.

​”Make sure she feels the weight of that debt every second. And when she finally opens that door to save herself… she’ll be letting us in to destroy her father’s legacy.”

……….

Mikha’s POV

The kitchen was filled with the savory steam of my cooking, but I could barely focus on the pot. Bakit? Because Aiah was being… well, Aiah. She was like a little kid today, following me around in tiny steps. Every time I moved to get a spoon, she was there. Every time I turned to the sink, she was right behind me, trailing like a lost puppy.

“You can wait on the couch, Aiah. It’s hot here, baka mag-amoy sibuyas ka pa,” I said, trying to sound firm, but she was just too cute to handle.

“Nah, okay lang ako dito…” she whispered.

I turned around to grab some salt, and there she was. She had leaned her elbows on the counter, both her hands cupping her face while she stared at me. Her eyes were wide and curious, watching every single move I made as if I were performing a magic trick.

“mikha pwede bang wag kang mag lagay ng bawang? Lately, hindi ko gusto yung amoy,” she pouted, her cheeks squished between her palms.

“Alright… I thought it was your favorite” 

I chuckled, reaching for the pantry.

 “Anyway, did you take your vitamins? It’s already 10 AM.”

She nodded obediently, but her attention had already shifted to the bowl of kalamansi on the side. She started peeling them with those small, careful movements.

“This is sinigang, Aiah. I already put tamarind. Do you want me to put some kalamansi instead?”

“Ah hindi para sakin to.. paabot naman ng salt, please?”

I handed her the small cup of salt, watching her with a smile. She looked so innocent—until she dipped a whole kalamansi in the salt and popped it into her mouth without even blinking.

“Aiah! Sobrang asim nyan!” my own jaw tightening just from the sight.

She chewed slowly, looking at me with total seriousness. “No, Mikha. Iba ‘to. Actually, yung nabili mong kalamansi… it was weirdly sweet and tasty.”

She stepped closer “Come here”
​She peeled another kalamansi “Eat this I swear Matamis to.”

I paused, a snort escaping me. I couldn’t help it. “Sweet? Kailan pa naging matamis yung kalamansi?” I said, letting out a laugh at how ridiculous she sounded.

Suddenly, the air in the kitchen shifted.

The “cute kid” vibe vanished in a heartbeat. Aiah’s hands dropped from her face, and her expression went completely flat. She looked… offended. Like I had just insulted her entire existence.

​”So, you think I’m lying?” she said. Her voice didn’t rise, but it got deeper, colder.

​”H-ha? No no, I mean, it’s a kalamansi, Aiah, naturally maasim talaga—”

​”When I tell you it’s sweet, it’s sweet!” she snapped, her eyes flashing. “Forget it.”

She didn’t wait for my explanation. She turned her back on me, her shoulders stiff. She marched straight to the living room and threw herself onto the couch, turning away so she wouldn’t have to look at me. 

Nag-tampo na.

Paktay!

The heavy silence from the living room was scarier than any shout.

I immediately turned off the stove. I didn’t care if the sinigang wasn’t finished; the “boss” was mad. I followed her like a puppy, standing awkwardly by the couch. “Aiah… sorry na. I didn’t mean it that way.”

She didn’t move. She just stared at the wall.

“Fine… fine. Eto na, let me try it. Ahhh,” I said, leaning over.

​The moment I said “Ahh,” Aiah’s mood lit up instantly. Her eyes brightened, and a triumphant, sweet smile returned to her face. Parang walang nangyaring galit. She was excited again. She quickly picked up a peeled kalamansi and shoved it into my mouth, her eyes boring into mine, waiting for me to confirm her “truth.”

“So?” she asked, her voice sweet again, but the scary edge was still there. “Matamis, ‘di ba?”

I forced my face to stay neutral, trying not to let my eyes twitch from the acidity. I gave her a strained, shaky smile. “Ye—yeah. Sobra. Ang tamis. You’re right, Aiah. Pinaka-matamis na kalamansi.”

​(Later on, I finally finished cooking and started setting the table. I almost dropped the rice cooker when I saw her plate. It was a literal mountain of peeled kalamansi.)

​

“Ghad, Aiah… that’s a lot. Don’t tell me kakainin mo ‘yan lahat ngaun?”

She looked up, the cute, innocent Aiah back again “Huh? Hindi no, I want to eat what you cooked.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Pero binalatan ko na rin tayo para meron tayong dessert mamaya. We will eat this later.”

The word “We” sounded like a command I couldn’t escape. I looked at the pile of sour death and then at her beautiful, scary smile.

Stomach ache, here I come Naloko na.

Matapos naming kumain ng sinigang na walang bawang—dahil bigla raw ayaw ni Aiah ang amoy—heto na kami sa couch. In front of us was the mountain of peeled kalamansi.

“Dessert time!” Aiah chirped, her mood 100% bright again. Her eyes were sparkling as she picked one up, dipped it generously in salt, and held it up to my lips. “Open wide, Mikha. I’m telling you, this batch is so sweet and tasty. Iba talaga ‘to.”

I looked at the tiny green fruit. I knew it was her pregnancy cravings talking, but the way she looked at me… I couldn’t say no.

“Aiah we could just-“

 “Ahhh…” she prompted, her smile widening.

“Sabi ko nga, kakain na,” I whispered. I opened my mouth.

The first one hit me like a lightning bolt. Ghad!! The sourness was so violent it felt like my soul was leaving my body. Napalunok ako nang wala sa oras, and I felt my throat tighten in protest. It was like my stomach was screaming, “Boss, Anong ginagawa mo samin?!” Pero dahil ayaw kong mawala ang ngiti niya, I forced it down.

Medyo nakadalawa o tatlong subo na rin ako. Every time she popped one in, my jaw locked even tighter, and my toes curled inside my socks. My face went pale, and sweat started forming on my forehead even though the aircon was on full blast. 

I was pinipilit lunukin every single piece just to keep her happy. I tried to chew properly, but my eyes were tearing up. A literal tear escaped and rolled down my cheek after the third one. Sana hindi niya mahalata na naiiyak na ako sa asim.

“See? Sabi ko sa’yo matamis, ‘di ba?” she said, reaching for the fourth one.

 “Here isa pa—”

Suddenly, she stopped.

Aiah’s hand stayed mid-air, the kalamansi inches from my face. She finally looked at me—really looked at me. The triumphant smile on her face vanished, replaced by a deeply worried look. She leaned in closer, seeing the beads of sweat on my nose and the way my chin was slightly trembling.

“Mikha…” she whispered, her voice dropping into a soft, shaky tone. Her expression crumbled into one of pure guilt. She placed the kalamansi back on the plate. “You’re sweating and almost tearing? It’s… it’s not sweet for you, is it?”

I tried to wipe my eyes and force a smile, my voice still a bit strained. “A-Aiah, it’s okay. It is swe- sweet—”

“No, Mikha. Stop,” she cut me off, her eyes filling with tears. She realized her pregnancy was making her taste things differently. 

“I’m so sorry. I really thought it was sweet. I didn’t realize it was just me. My God Mikha? Hindi mo na dapat pinipilit kainin lahat ng isubo ko i should tell me. I’m sorry”

I reached out and gently pinched her nose, giving it a playful little wiggle to break the tension. I looked straight into her eyes with a sincere, soft smile, my gaze lingering a little longer than usual.

“Don’t worry, I’m okay,” I said softly, chuckling at how adorable she looked with her worried pout. I leaned in a bit closer, my voice dropping into a teasing but sweet whisper. “Next time, you can feed me chili instead. I swear, I will not complain.”

Aiah froze, her eyes widening at my joke. The guilt on her face was instantly replaced by a deep, rosy blush that spread all the way to her neck. She looked down, biting her lip, her heart clearly racing from the way I was looking at her. She reached out and wiped the stray tear from my cheek with her thumb, her touch lingering.

“You’re… you’re too good to me,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “I felt so bad making you feel like you had to follow me… but you just did it anyway.”

“Because it’s you,” I said softly, my voice filled with a quiet devotion. “Lahat naman gagawin ko para sa inyo ni baby. I just want your day to be perfect.”

Aiah leaned her head against my shoulder, finally letting out a soft sigh of relief. She stayed there for a long time, her hand resting over mine, our fingers naturally intertwining. She didn’t say it, but the way she squeezed my hand told me everything.

I leaned my head against hers, closing my eyes. Kahit siguro isang sako ng kalamansi o sili ‘yan, kakayanin ko basta ganito tayo. “I’m sorry Mikha, but thank you for everything” she murmured against my shoulder.

“Anytime, Aiah. Anytime.”

……

The house was quiet, and the only light left was the soft, warm glow from the kitchen. We were still tangled together on the couch, the throw blanket half-draped over our legs. Aiah hadn’t let go of me since the whole “kalamansi incident.” She was being extra clingy, her head tucked firmly under my chin as if she was trying to make up for the “torture” she put me through.

​I could feel her breathing against my chest—slow, steady, and warm. Kahit hindi pa kami, the way she settled into my arms felt so natural, like she finally found her favorite spot. She was unusually quiet, her fingers idly tracing the rings on my hand.

​”Mikha?” she whispered, her voice barely a breath against my neck.

​”Hmm?” I looked down.

​She shifted, tilting her head up just enough to meet my eyes. There was a vulnerability there that made my heart skip. “Kailan mo nalaman? I mean… kailan mo naramdaman na… gusto mo na  ako?”

​Napalunok ako. My heart suddenly started doing a marathon against my ribs. I’ve always tried to keep my “cool” exterior, especially around her, but that one question stripped it all away. I felt my ears start to burn, and I had to look at our intertwined hands for a second to catch my breath.

​”I don’t know the exact moment,” I admitted, my voice dropping into a shy, raspy murmur. I took a slow breath and finally looked back at her. “Maybe because of the time? Basta noong nakilala kita, biglang nag-iba ‘yung pakiramdam ko sa sarili ko. It was something I never felt with anyone else.”

​Aiah’s breath hitched. She didn’t look away; she just watched me, her gaze intense and searching.

​”Everything just felt… different,” I continued, my voice gaining a bit more strength as I saw how much my words meant to her. “I’m usually the one who wants to be in control, Aiah. I’m the one who doesn’t fold. Pero sa’yo? It’s like all my walls just disappeared. I realized I’d do anything just to make sure you’re okay.”

​I leaned in a little closer, my forehead almost touching hers. I could feel the heat of her blush radiating against my skin. The tension was so thick, it felt like the world outside the couch didn’t even exist.

​Aiah’s face turned a deep, rosy pink. She looked completely flustered, her gaze dropping to my lips for a split second before she quickly hid her face in the crook of my neck. She wrapped her arms tighter around me, her fingers clinging to the fabric of my shirt as if she never wanted to let go.

​”Nakakainis ka, Mikha,” she murmured against my skin, her voice thick with emotion. “Masyado kang sweet… baka masanay ako.”

​I rested my chin on top of her head, closing my eyes and breathing in the scent of her hair.

​”Masanay ka lang, Aiah,” I whispered back. “I’m not going anywhere.”