Miggy's POV
"Sir, Rick called me because you weren't answering."
"Why? What is it?"
"Willie called him—said he had news. Tried to reach you too, but couldn't get through."
"I left my phone on the table. The President called me upstairs."
"But even earlier, you didn't have it. Should I schedule Willie?"
"Check the calendar. If we can squeeze him in—strictly during office hours—go ahead. Then you handle informing him."
"Okie dokie!" He grinned and slipped out.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
Every time the private investigator calls about the mother and daughter, I freeze up. I don't even know why it rattles me this much. Maybe it's fear. Fear for Mom. Fear for myself. I know we'll find them soon—but I'm not ready. Not for the truth, not for what follows. And especially not for the moment I'll have to face Daddy's son. How do you tell someone their father is gone?
It was the weekend, so I took Mom to Uncle Manuel and Aunt Beth's place. We had breakfast together, light-hearted chatter over eggs and toast, even planned a trip for when my schedule eases up. It had been forty days since Dad died. Somehow, this little reunion felt fitting.
"It'll be so relaxing there—with that view," Aunt Beth gushed about Batanes.
"Start preparing," Mom added. "Make sure you can take time off."
"Of course. I'm looking forward to it. We all need this."
"Yes, that's what we wanted," Uncle Manuel said, nodding.
"It's been years since we had a proper family trip," he added. "Back when Mama and Papa were still around, it was expected of us."
"Oh, I remember," Aunt Beth said, laughing. "Before we got married, we planned a vacation in Paris. But Mama insisted we come on an Asian cruise instead. We had to cancel everything!"
"She was furious!" Uncle Manuel chuckled. "There went our second honeymoon."
We all laughed. And for a while, we just sat there, letting the warmth of old stories wash over us. It felt like being wrapped in a thick blanket on a cold day. Mom smiled, and seeing her like that—it was enough to steady something in me, even though I could still see the sadness buried in her eyes.
"There's one more thing," Mom said, breaking the moment. "I want to invite Carla and Meynard too. They deserve a break."
"Of course! Those two are amazing. Never complain, always dependable," Uncle Manuel said.
"I never thought Carla would stay after I stepped away from directing," Mom reflected. "But she said, 'Ma'am, I can't leave you. I'm glad you're my boss. I know you need me—especially now.' She's like a daughter. She knows what I need even before I do."
"I get that. Meynard's like a brother to me," I added with a smile.
"So, it's settled then!" Uncle said cheerfully.
"Not so fast," Aunt Beth teased. "We'll have to wait for Miggy to clear his schedule."
Laughter followed, but I caught a flicker in Mom's eyes. She smiled, yes—but there was something else. A longing. She missed Dad. And maybe... maybe seeing Uncle and Aunt Beth still together made that ache sharper.
I wanted to tell her everything. Apologize. But fear held me back. What if she blamed me? Hated me? I stayed quiet. Maybe one day.
The day passed in soft moments—laughter, baking, stories shared like secrets. Mom and Aunt Beth took over the kitchen while Uncle and I watched from the sidelines, content.
"I wish it could always be like this," I thought. "But I know better. There's still so much left unresolved—especially with the mother and daughter."
I've tried so many times to bring it up to Uncle Manuel. But something always stops me. I don't want to break the peace. Not today. Not when Mom's smiling.
That night, I lay in bed at their house and fell asleep almost instantly.
"Thank you for this," I whispered. "For the rest."
It's been a long time since I've had real, uninterrupted sleep. On weekends, I usually stay in bed all day, because it's the only time I feel still. But they often call—lunch, dinner—and I leave the condo and go.
Then Monday came. A new week. A new chance. I always tell myself that.
I left early to beat traffic. Uncle Manuel's house was farther from the office than my condo, but I didn't mind. I told Meynard not to pick me up—I'd meet him there.
"Good morning, sir," some of the staff greeted as I entered from the parking lot.
"Good morning," I replied.
The elevator ride was quiet. When I reached my floor, Meynard was already waiting.
"Good morning, sir," he greeted.
"Good morning. You beat me here?"
"Not by much. I thought you'd come pick me up. You called while I was eating, but by the time I got dressed, you were gone."
"Well, the drive's longer from there. You're closer, so naturally you arrived first."
"Of course," he said, following me in with a stack of folders.
"Coffee?"
"No thanks. I had some before I left. What's on today?"
"You've got a meeting later with the other group to finalize the brand ambassador. Then dinner with Willie at seven—finally confirmed. And in thirty minutes, you're presenting the proposal to the new client. It's all in your schedule."
"Got it. Thanks."
Gabie's POV
"Hurry up, besh!" Jhay shouted from outside the bathroom. As always, he was here bright and early—if only to make as much noise as possible.
"What?! Wait a sec! You're so loud! I'm going out too, you know. I'm almost done!" I yelled back from inside.
I heard him laughing to himself like he'd just accomplished something grand. Typical.
Earlier, Mama and I had gone over her latest stocks, all ready to be shipped out to her online buyers. She'd already been paid, so all that was left was packing.
Then Jhay started again. "I was going to share some good news, but you're being grumpy again. So, never mind! Right, Aunt Beauty?" he said, clearly trying to win Mama over.
"Fine! Whatever," I muttered, heading to my room to get dressed. I had a full day ahead, but since it was still early, I didn't feel rushed.
"Look at your daughter, Aunt Beauty! So pretty, but so moody and rude. That's why she still doesn't have a boyfriend!" I heard him tease as I pulled out my outfit.
"Am I right, Auntie?" he added with mock concern.
"Ma! Come on—remember who your real child is!" I yelled playfully from my room.
Jhay just loved annoying me. I honestly don't know why, but the more irritated I looked, the more entertained he seemed. Judging from their laughter in the other room, Mama was enjoying it too.
There isn't a day we don't annoy each other or bicker, but we also can't go a day without talking. Maybe this is just how we show love.
"Oh, what's up?" I asked once I stepped out, dressed and ready.
"Wow! You're really beautiful today!" he said, dramatically placing a hand on his chest.
"Don't act so shocked—I've known that since birth," I shot back with a smirk.
"Exactly! You're truly the blessed one!" he agreed, and the three of us burst into laughter again.
Yeah, we're that kind of family. Maybe we sound shallow to others, but it doesn't matter. We find joy in the simplest things—and we hold on to them.
"Well," Jhay said, shifting his tone, "since you're not busy this morning, we're heading out. Would be a shame to waste that pretty look."
"Where are we going? And what time?" I asked, not biting into his drama.
"You've got an appointment, remember? No? Hmm… then maybe I won't tell you."
"Ugh! You're impossible," I said, narrowing my eyes at him.
"I want it to be a surprise," he said, sticking out his lower lip.
"What is it?" I asked again, this time genuinely intrigued.
"Oh, Auntie, isn't it obvious she's excited?" he said with a big grin, nudging Mama, who just smiled and said nothing.
"You're the most annoying person alive!" I groaned.
"But… Besh…" Then suddenly, I saw his eyes shimmer with tears.
My smile faltered.
"What's going on?" I asked, more softly this time. Just moments ago, he was joking, and now—this?
"I'm not sad," he said quickly. "It's just—this is real."
He glanced at Mama. She gave him a small nod of encouragement.
"Because… you were chosen in the audition, Besh. You're the new endorser of that facial wash! Congratulations!" he cried, bouncing in place. "We need to head to the agency now. Contract signing!"
I just stood there, frozen.
"Wait—what? Is this real or am I dreaming?" I asked, blinking at them both.
"Besh! Aren't you happy?" he asked, eyes wide.
"Congratulations!" Mama beamed and pulled me into a hug. I still hadn't moved.
"Seriously? Not even a scream?" Jhay asked.
Then finally, it hit me.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! MAMA!" I shrieked, my voice echoing through the house. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"
Jhay and I jumped up and down like kids, hands clasped and squealing with delight.
"Thank you, Lord!" Mama whispered, watching us like the proudest mom in the world.
Out of excitement, I decided to skip my minor subjects for today. I could catch up later—this was once-in-a-lifetime stuff. We needed to go to the agency to finalize things. Mama left with us, planning to drop by the pier for her shipment and then head to the market.
She said she wanted to cook something special for dinner—a little celebration for this milestone.
"Mama really knows how to make moments count," I murmured with a grin as we watched her walk away.
My jaw hurt from smiling, but I didn't care. I couldn't help it. I was overflowing with joy. I didn't expect to be chosen, not with so many beautiful and talented people out there. Yet somehow… I made it.
Even if we looked like complete fools smiling at strangers on the street, we didn't care. We were just that happy.
"It's a good thing we left early," I whispered to Jhay in the car. "Even with traffic, we're way ahead of schedule."
"Of course we are! We can't be late. This is a huge day, Besh. A blessing like this—no room for lateness! Plus, we're beautiful. Being late would make us less beautiful," he joked.
I laughed. "Exactly! That's why I got this commercial—because I'm gorgeous."
"Oh, absolutely," he said, squeezing my hand. "That's why I love you so much."
"You love me because we both earn money now," I teased.
He grinned. "That too."
Our silly self-praise carried on all the way to the agency. We even stopped by a coffee shop for frappes since we were early. Just us, celebrating a dream come true—one drink, one laugh, and one miracle at a time.
Miggy's POV
Meynard caught me yawning the moment he stepped into my office.
"Sleepy?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"A bit," I admitted, stretching my neck. "I've been reviewing the contract since early this morning. I can't just sign it without knowing what's in it. I'd be pissed if something slipped past me."
"Want coffee?"
"Iced, please. I don't want anything hot. Get one for yourself, too."
"Got it."
He left quickly, taking the company debit card with him. I'd entrusted it to him for situations like this—small purchases, errands, office needs. I just load funds into it every month so he doesn't have to wait for approval every time. Less to think about.
Barely thirty minutes later, Meynard returned—just in time to tell me there was an emergency meeting called by the higher-ups.
"Who said?" I asked, brows furrowing.
"Pres's secretary just called. We're needed right away. No reason given."
"Great," I muttered under my breath. "We can't delay the contract signing anymore. I'll just have the documents signed later and hand over my signatory. The important thing is that the client is present. We don't know when they'll be back or if they'll even come back at all."
"I'll let Andrew know."
"Thanks. I'll head out now."
As I walked toward the elevator, I grumbled under my breath, "Wrong timing. I really wanted to see her again. Damn it."
I knew it was shallow, but still—I'd been looking forward to seeing the new endorser. The girl who'd caught my attention days ago without even trying.
The meeting dragged on for hours. Since Meynard wasn't included, I decided to record everything so he could transcribe it later and keep track of what I might forget. That was our usual system anyway, especially when I had overlapping responsibilities—like missing today's contract signing for the facial wash campaign.
The president spoke at length about the company's plans to expand. Apparently, we'd been seeing consistent growth over the last two years, and now a major foreign investor was coming on board. The meeting had been called because the investor was only in the country for today—he'd be flying back to Europe soon. Hence, the emergency.
Good thing I had that iced coffee earlier. Otherwise, I would've dozed off from the sheer boredom. Meetings like this could fry your brain—hours of corporate jargon and polite laughter. If it hadn't been so important, I would've skipped it altogether and stayed for the signing.
By the time I got back to the office, I was practically sleepwalking.
"Oh? What happened?" Meynard asked, startled, as he stood by the copy machine sorting documents.
"The usual corporate circus," I muttered. "I almost fell asleep with all that talking. Here—everything's recorded. Just transfer it to your laptop when you're done."
"Will do. Just let me finish this batch."
"How'd the contract signing go?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"All good. It was quick. I explained the terms, she signed, and then left. The new endorser's name is Gabie—she's apparently a print ad model. That's why she looked familiar. Her manager was the one talking to our team, and I overheard him saying that they were really surprised she got chosen. She only auditioned on a whim."
"Gabie, huh?" I said, trying to keep my tone neutral. That's why her name felt familiar.
She was beautiful—of course she'd be used to the camera. But still, something about her didn't feel typical. She had presence. Like the kind that lingers after she's left the room.
"Gabie sounds like a guy's name," I said, smirking a little. "But it suits her. It's... cute."
I didn't say more. No way was I telling Meynard the truth—he'd never let it go if he found out I'd been interested in a girl from a facial wash campaign. I wasn't in the mood for teasing today.
"Do they have a shoot scheduled yet?" I asked, keeping my voice steady.
"Yeah. Since she's graduating this weekend, the team scheduled it then too—no class conflicts. The client wants everything wrapped up quickly, so they pushed for an early shoot."
I nodded, pretending not to care.
After he finished transferring the meeting file, we didn't linger. We had another meeting—this time with Willie, the private investigator. Traffic was heavy, and it took us longer than expected to reach the hotel where we'd agreed to meet.
When we arrived, Uncle Rick and Willie were already there, waiting at a table near the back.
"Sorry we're late," I said, shaking hands with Willie and giving Uncle Rick a brief hug. "Traffic was hell."
"No worries," Uncle Rick said with a chuckle. "It's part of the Filipino experience."
"Yeah, traffic's not just a Metro Manila thing anymore—it's everywhere," Willie added with a nod.
"Let's order first," I said, taking my seat. "I'm starving."
Better to eat before diving into whatever news Willie had for us. I had a feeling tonight wouldn't be easy.