Chapter 6

No One’s POV

Kinabukasan, nagising si Aiah na parang walang nangyari.

May konting sakit ang ulo, pero tahimik ang isip. Walang malinaw na memory from last night—no faces, no voice, no kiss no mikha. Ang alam lang daw niya, she was walking by the seaside. That’s it.

Nang tanungin siya nina Maloi at Colet kung anong nangyari, pareho lang ang sagot niya.
Wala raw siyang maalala.
She just remembered walking… then nothing.

Hindi na siya nag-elaborate. Hindi narin sila nag tanong.

She simply said thank you to Maloi and Colet for staying with her when she wasn’t okay.

At lunch, She decided na makipag kita na kay Cealan—for closure. This time, she was being honest and brave. She ended everything because she knew it wouldn’t work anymore.

Cealan was kind. He understood.
But he also said he couldn’t be friends with her—at least not yet.
So he chose distance instead.

The next day, they flew back to the Philippines.

Isang taon ang lumipas.

Everything slowly became normal. Everyone moved on. Life went on. The night in Egypt stayed blank in Aiah’s memory—like a dream you know you had, but can’t remember the moment you wake up.

Pero sa isang banda, may isang taong hindi nakalimot.

It was Mikha. She didn’t try to find Aiah, and she didn’t ask around. Pero somehow, the name Aiah stayed with her. For Mikha, that night was special. Unforgettable.
…….

Mikha’s POV

I packed my things in a rush.

Kailangan ko nang umalis. I wasn’t safe anymore. I was in Los Angeles, but my life here was in danger. I’m filing for bankruptcy.

I’ll admit it—I was so dumb. I spent a whole year being stupid. Gambling, car races, betting on horses… thinking I was untouchable. I didn’t even notice I was already drowning in debt. 

Akala ko kaya kong kontrolin, but I was slowly sinking.

Pinakamalala? I borrowed money from a big syndicate dito sa LA. Noong una, Isang million dolyar lang. Pero nang hindi ko agad nabayaran, naging ten times more. And now… they’re hunting me down.

I called my best friend, Joanna. I didn’t even try to sound okay. She listened quietly, then told me she couldn’t help—she didn’t have that kind of money.

After a pause, she spoke again. “Why don’t you go to your parents? Ask for help.”

I laughed. Dry and tired. “I can’t,” I said. “They already gave me some of my company shares when I left home. I chose this life. I don’t get to come back begging.”

But staying here wasn’t an option. I booked a flight back to the Philippines right away. A 15-hour flight from Los Angeles to Manila—long enough to think about every bad decision I made. Long enough to realize how alone I actually was.

When I landed, Joanna was already waiting at the airport.

“Welcome back, pogi!” she said, grinning as if nothing was wrong.

I smiled, exhausted. “Ewan ko sa’yo, Jo. You still find time to joke.”

“Woah, woah. Nasaan na yung kilala kong chill na Mikha?”

“Well, how can I be chill?” I said quietly.

She didn’t push. She just nodded.

 “Pinapalinis ko na yung condo mo. I told them you’re coming back.”

As we walked away, I knew one thing for sure: I ran from a lot of things, but this time, I had to face everything.

Pag-uwi ko ng bahay, nagbihis lang ako at tinawagan agad ang attorney ko to fix things on my side. Being back in the Philippines reduced my anxiety, even if just a little. Familiar ang paligid. This is still home.

I deactivated my Viber. Nagpalit ako ng number and even my phone just to lose the syndicate’s track. Pero alam ko, hindi ito pangmatagalan. They can follow me anywhere. And how can I protect myself? Paubos na ang pera ko. I already sold my supercars, my luxury watches, and some of my properties. Wala na lahat.

At sa puntong ito, money is the only thing that can protect me.

I needed to reach out to Kuya Gelo—my half-brother. We sometimes met in the States, but it had been a while. Sa boses pa lang niya, ramdam ko na ang gulat.

“Finally,” sabi niya. “Nagparamdam ka rin, bunso.”

I didn’t tell him everything over the phone. I only said I badly needed to meet him. He didn’t ask questions; he knows the tone of my voice when I’m not okay.

We met at a restaurant near my place. I poured everything out. I didn’t hide a single thing—lahat ng pinagdadaanan ko, inamin ko.

He listened in silence.

“If I give you that much money, siguradong malalaman ni Dad. And even if it stays under the radar, I can’t just move that kind of cash. All my assets are tied under Dad’s company shares.”

Pinagalitan niya ako. Not shouting—but that quiet kind of disappointment that hurts even more. Pero ramdam ko rin na naiintindihan niya ako. Napahawak na lang siya sa ulo, like he was trying to carry my mess on top of his own.

I couldn’t help it. I cried. I told him I was lost and that I had made a mistake. But this time, I was willing to do anything just to fix my life.

He went silent for a long time, weighing the risks. Finally, he looked at me.

Like he was weighing consequences, risks, names, legacies.

Then finally, tumingin siya sa’kin.

“May isang option pa,” sabi niya.

“Since nakuha mo na yung inheritance mo kay Dad… there’s still something else.”

Napatingin ako sa kanya.

“Kay Lorenzo Lim,” dagdag niya.

“Our grandfather.”

Nakatago raw ’yon at hindi pinapaalam sakin.

It was discussed years ago—between Grandma Sonya and the family—in case you ever come back, sabi niya.

At bumalik nga ako.

“Pero,” dagdag niya, seryoso ang boses, “it’s not free. And honestly… I don’t even know if you can do this.”

Napa upo ako ng deretso ready to do anything.

“Ano ’yon, Kuya? Just tell me. I’ll do anything.”

Huminga siya nang malalim bago sumagot.

“Kung magkakaanak ka,” sabi niya.

“Your own child. Your own bloodline.”

“What!?”

Parang may bumagsak sa dibdib ko.

Alam niya.

Alam niyang hindi ako straight.

At hindi ko man lang kayang isipin ang sarili ko kasama ang isang lalaki.

Mag kaanak pa?

I was doomed.