Chapter 1

​Jacqueline took off her raincoat as she reached the security guard's desk. The rain had suddenly poured down so hard that the path she took flooded instantly, soaking her shoes in rainwater. She could feel the hem of her skirt dripping wet.

​"You look soaked," noted the elderly security guard of the company where the young woman worked. "Didn't you bring an umbrella?"

​"I didn't know it was going to rain, sir. I have a raincoat, but it’s a bit short, so my skirt still got wet. Can I leave this raincoat with you? It's dripping, and I don't want it to ruin the office carpet."

​"Of course, just give it here and I’ll put it with mine. Just pick it up later."

​"Thank you, sir. Are they in yet?" Jackie was asking about her two bosses at Afable Construction and Development Corporation: Architect Sandino Afable and his elder stepbrother, Engineer Jeslie Afable.

​"The Architect has arrived, but Engineer Afable isn't here yet," the security guard replied.

​Jackie breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness," she said. She was almost an hour late, but that didn't matter much to Architect Sandino Afable, her original boss. However, if Engineer Jeslie Afable were there, he would surely check his watch and scold her. This annoyed Jackie because, technically, Engineer Afable wasn't even her boss. He had only recently joined his stepbrother's company and was currently sharing Sandino's secretary while he waited to hire his own.

​Usually, Jackie wouldn't mind the extra work since they had increased her salary when her workload doubled. What irritated her was that Jeslie was far too bossy, strict, and had a very short fuse. He didn't seem to know how to smile.

​He was the complete opposite of Sandino, who was always cheerful and smiling. Sandino was a jokester, so Jackie always felt relaxed in his company. This was likely why the young woman had a secret crush on the handsome architect. She kept it hidden, so she was sure Sandino hadn't noticed a thing. Besides, how could he ever notice her when his heart belonged to a "beauty product" named Viola Valdez? Tall, willowy, lovely, and graceful, Viola possessed a charm that captivated any man. Heads turned whenever she passed by.

​The only head that didn't turn, of course, was Jeslie's.

​The engineer seemed numb to the beauty of the women he saw, even though he had a reputation for being a womanizer. According to the gossip columns, Jeslie Afable was a gigolo, linked to this woman and that woman. But not once had Jeslie allowed any of these women to visit him at the office.

​Unlike Sandino, who frequently had visits from beautiful young women—friends, he claimed. Some were from charitable organizations visiting Sandi for his financial contributions to their cause.

​Jackie hurried toward the elevators to reach her desk before Engineer Jeslie Afable arrived. She didn't want him to find out she was late.

​She took off her shoes and stood barefoot on the thick carpet to dry her wet feet. The hem of her skirt was no longer dripping, but the office air conditioning suddenly made her feel chilled.

​Her hair was a mess, and Jackie felt like she looked horrible. She was sure her eyeshadow was washed away and her mascara had smeared onto her cheeks. Even without looking in the mirror, she felt like her appearance belonged in a horror movie.

​That was likely what Sandino Afable was thinking when he stepped out of his private office and saw her. The architect’s eyebrows shot up. He scanned her from head to toe with an amused look, clearly holding back a laugh.

​"Don't hold it in," Jackie said irritably. "Go ahead and laugh. It’s okay."

​"You know I'm a gentleman and I wouldn't do that," Sandi said. "But you're soaking wet; you might catch a cold. And what will I do without you?"

​That would have been wonderful to hear, Jackie thought to herself, if it wasn't just about her job as his secretary.

​She waited for Sandi to notice her new dress, which she had painstakingly picked out from her friend's thrift store. It was imported and looked brand new, matching the latest fashion trends of the time.

​Fashion trends always cycle back, which is why she had chosen something stylish: a below-the-knee skirt and a blouse with small butterfly sleeves, a closed neck, and a very tiny baby collar.

But Sandi seemed to see nothing. Jackie felt that even if she were wearing nothing at all Even if she were wearing no clothes at all, her boss still wouldn't notice.

"What’s my agenda for today, by the way?" he asked with a smile, not even noticing that his secretary needed to go to the ladies' room first.

Sandino had nothing but work on his mind whenever he looked at Jackie; he didn't care if she looked horrible enough to be a vampire.

The young woman opened the top drawer of her desk and pulled out the architect's appointment book.

"Mrs. Magbanua is coming here today at ten in the morning to discuss the design for her new boutique," Jackie said. "It's noted here that you may treat her to lunch if your meeting runs until lunchtime."

"Oh Lord, I hope our meeting doesn't last until lunch," the man said. "I'm not in the mood to take her to lunch."

"You're thinking about the cost again, even though there are representation expenses for this."

"No, it's not that. There’s just no spark in having lunch with a client like her. Besides being very fat, she’s also elderly."

"What do you want then? For all your clients to be beautiful? It’s those elderly matrons who have the money."

"I suppose so," Sandi shrugged.

"If you don't want to go, why not pass her off to your brother so he can be the one to talk to this client? After all, he’s the one who will manage the construction of the boutique, right?"

Sandi let out a full laugh. "You really don't like my brother, do you? Is that why you want him to have lunch with the one I’m turning down?"

The young man’s even, white teeth showed, giving him that boyishly handsome look that Jackie was so crazy about.

"It’s actually more fitting for the two of them to have lunch together. They aren't that far apart in age."

"Oh, it's a big gap. Jeslie is only thirty-five. Meanwhile, Mrs. Magbanua looks to be around forty-seven."

Jackie shrugged. "Is that so? To me, they look about the same age."

"You're just too prejudiced against my dear old stepbrother. Why can't the two of you get along, huh? Jes is actually a nice person."

"Maybe he's nice when he's asleep. He’s too arrogant, dominant, and serious. He is always brooding and seldom smiles."

"That likely has something to do with Jes's past life. You have to understand him."

"Why, what happened back then?"

"I'm not entirely clear on it because he simply refused to talk about it. He doesn't even want it mentioned anymore. Jes wasn't like this before. It’s only recently."

Jackie paused. She wondered what kind of mysterious, dark past Jeslie had experienced to have transformed him into such a cold and distant person.

"After your session with Mrs. Magbanua, you need to go see Mr. Henry Lim regarding his new project. After that, you're free for the rest of the afternoon."

"Oh, good. Because Viola and I have a date tonight."

"Again? It seems like it's every night now." Jackie forced a smile.

"Yes. I honestly don't know how I manage to survive." Sandi winked meaningfully at her. "Well, we’re making the most of it while Viola is here in the Philippines. By the end of the month, her fashion group might go to Italy for a modeling stint there, and it will be a long time before we see each other again."

"It must be hard to have a commercial model for a girlfriend. She's often away from your side."

"But on the other hand, it’s good so we don't get tired of each other. You know, Jackie, when lovers see each other too often, they get tired of one another. To the point that the wedding doesn't even happen."

"Is that how it works? From what I know, when you love someone very much, you always want to see them."

"For you women, perhaps what you said is true. But as for us men, we also want to be free once in a while. We feel suffocated when a woman is constantly breathing down our necks.

"But... but is Viola really the one you plan to marry?"

"Well, yes. I love her. She has all the qualities I want in a woman. Beauty, talent, and she’s kind. And she is famous as a commercial and fashion model—I am proud of her."

Jackie turned away and pretended to look for something in her cabinet, but she only wanted to make sure Sandi didn't see her eyes suddenly well up with tears. It felt like her heart was being squeezed by her boss’s words.

The relationship between the two seemed serious now, and Jackie was truly nervous. she was losing hope that Sandi would ever notice her.

How could she accept it if Sandi married someone else? It felt like she had loved him forever, ever since she started working at Afable Construction and Development Corporation.

But he noticed nothing about her except her efficiency as a secretary.

"Has Jeslie arrived yet?" Sandi asked suddenly.

Jackie tensed up at the mention of her boss's stepbrother's name.

Jeslie Afable frightened her with his hard, brooding features, his massive body, and arrogant ways. He was the most masculine man she had ever seen, and he seemed to have disrupted her quiet world since he came to work with his brother at the company.

She couldn't understand why Jeslie decided to join his stepbrother at his fledgling company when Jes had come from a prestigious and internationally known construction firm.

According to Sandi, the engineer and his partner hadn't been getting along, and his partner wanted to take advantage of their brothers’ large clientele, who were the ones approaching the engineering firm they worked for.

When Jeslie moved to his stepbrother's office, he brought along his large clients, who almost poured a fortune into the company's coffers.

They got along well, and it was obvious that Jeslie loved Sandi like a full-blooded brother. Sandi's company was just starting out when Jes arrived; he had only just passed his board exams back then.

"I don't think he's here yet," the young woman said. "According to the security guard downstairs, he hasn't arrived."

"But why didn't you check his office? Why do you seem afraid of Jes, huh, Jackie? He told me it seems like you're hiding whenever he's around, and he has to come looking for you if he needs something done..

"Of course not. Why would I hide here? I’m probably just busy. Because whenever you're away, I'm in the records room organizing the files."

"I know. But tell me, you don't like Jeslie, right?"

"I just feel awkward around him."

"Because he’s very popular? Jes attracts a lot of women despite his aloofness."

"I'm just wondering why he didn't bring his former secretary here from his previous company. I've already seen Mayette. She is beautiful and sexy."

​"Maybe she didn't want to come here because the company she's at now is much larger. Or maybe she just doesn't want to work for your brother anymore."

​"Maybe so. When Mrs. Magbanua arrives, send her to my office right away, okay?"

​"Yes."

​"Are there any letters for me?"

​"I'm going to the mailroom."

​"When you get back, make some coffee for us, okay?"

​She nodded. Sandi entered his office. When Jackie opened the outer door, she came face to face with Jeslie Afable, who was apparently just about to enter.

​Jackie steeled herself. She didn't know what to say to the engineer. He looked so intimidating, not only because of his height, which was more than six feet, but because of his massive body. He was not fat...

​...but he was muscular. His features were hard, but his lips were sensuous. It was obvious that his nose had been broken a long time ago. His hands and feet seemed to be oversized. In totality, he looked like a bronze statue of some ancient God.

​The girl stepped aside to let the newcomer pass. Her hair stood on end as he brushed past her. He had a frightening vitality and an aura of pure menace if his temper was not good.

​And most of the time, it is not.

​"I am expecting a letter from Davao City," the engineer said. "Bring it to me as soon as it arrives."

​"Yes."

​His bulky figure disappeared as he entered his private office.

​She glared as his door closed behind him; the girl didn't know what prompted her to stick her tongue out and mock the door that had just closed. At that very moment, the door suddenly opened again, and Jeslie caught her red-handed in her antics.

​One of the engineer's eyebrows rose as he stared at her blushing face. The girl didn't know...

​...whether to run or close her eyes in the embarrassment she felt.

​"By the way, I need you in the office after half an hour. I have some correspondence for you to do. And if you’re practicing for a comedy film, don’t do that here."

​Jeslie slammed his office door shut. Jackie heard a giggle behind her and knew it was Sandi.

​"Caught red-handed, huh?" Sandi teased. They laughed together and headed to the hallway to laugh out loud there.

​This was Sandino Afable at his best. An accomplice in mischief. A happy person with a sense of humor. Jackie liked him very much.

​He was the complete opposite of Jeslie in almost every way.

​"I thought you wouldn't be able to pull your tongue back in earlier," Sandi said delightedly. "You made my morning, Jackie."

​"I just didn't think he would open the door again since he had just entered."

​"Jes is really just like that, but honestly, he’s a good person. He’s actually kinder...

​...than me in many things. Just give yourself a chance to get to know him well."

​"I don't know, but ever since I first caught your brother's eye, I’ve had the feeling that he does not like me. Even though we’ve only just met now."

​"I don't think so. Just endure it a little, Jackie. Maybe he won't be here long and will eventually get his own secretary."

​"It's okay, for your sake," she said. For your sake, I am ready to swim in a river full of crocodiles, the girl thought to herself.

​"I'm going to the mailroom now and then I'll make the coffee."

​"Take your time, I can wait. And don't mind Jes so much. For all you know, that person might just be lonely."

​"Lonely? Your stepbrother has so many women, how could he be lonely?"

​"Aha, that's where you're wrong. Despite all of them, he might not have anyone he truly loves. And that is what's lonely."