Sa pangatlong araw ng pagtatrabaho ko kay Jackson ay may narealize akong isang bagay. He's so workaholic.
That man barely rested. His schedule was insane.
Meetings after meetings, endless calls, business dinners, site inspections, and investor discussions. But he still managed to stay calm through all of it.
“Coffee?”
Napalingon ako kay Ethan Cruz, Jackson’s right hand, habang inilalapag niya ang paper cup sa desk ko.
“Oh. Thank you.”
“You’ve been staring at that report for ten minutes.”
“I’m checking errors.”
“You checked it four times already.” natatawang saad niya.
I blinked once before looking back at the document in front of me. Maybe I was tired, or maybe working on the executive floor required a different level of focus.
Everything here felt sharper somehow.
“You’ll get used to it,” sabi ni Ethan habang nakasandal sa gilid ng desk ko. “First week’s always the worst.”
“You say that people survive this place.” He laughed lightly. “Barely.”
I almost smiled.
Ethan was easier to deal with compared to most executives. Hindi siya masyadong intimidating unlike the others.
Unlike Jackson.
“Sir’s asking for the revised files,” dagdag niya.
“I finished them already.”
“Wow! Its so fast.” namamanghang saad niya.
“I don’t like delays.” diretsang saad ko.
“Yeah,” he muttered with amusement. “He noticed that.”
That made me pause briefly. Before I could respond, bumukas ang pinto ng office ni Jackson.
“Ms. Valdez.”
Just hearing his voice instantly straightened my posture. I stood up automatically and picked up the folders.
“Sir.”
Ethan gave me a knowing look before walking away.
Traitor.
Tahimik akong sumunod kay Jackson papasok sa office niya. The room still felt intimidating despite being there several times already.
Jackson sat behind his desk while scanning something on his tablet.
“You finished the revisions?” Tanong niya ng hindi ako tinatapunan ng tingin.
“Yes.”
I handed him the folder carefully. Our fingers brushed slightly during the exchange. For some reason, that tiny contact caught me off guard more than it should have.
I immediately pulled my hand back acting all of it was normal. But when I looked up, his gaze was already on me. As if he noticed my reaction. I looked away first. He opened the folder and started reviewing the papers while I stood there silently. 
Tsk! Sa mga oras na ito kahit ang katahimikan sa opisina ni Jackson ay parang hindi normal. It feels so heavy. Heavy enough to make me too aware of everything.
“You skipped lunch again.” I blinked and looked at him.
“What?”
He didn’t look up from the papers. “You haven’t eaten.”
“How do you know that?” I ask curiously.
“You’ve been drinking coffee since this morning.”
I stared at him for a second. That was oddly observant. “I’m fine.”
“You say that often.” 
This time, he looked up. Calm eyes meeting mine directly. I don't know why but suddenly I forgot what I was supposed to say next.
“You should still eat,” he added quietly.
And there it was again. That strange kindness but it's not flirtatious. Just genuine concern, so naturally that's unsettled me more than harshness ever could.
Most powerful men acted like everyone around them existed only to follow orders.
But Jackson, he noticed things.
“Did Ethan tell you?” kuryus na tanong ko pa din.
Bakas ang pagkamangha sa mukha niya ng marinig niya iyon, “No.”
“Then why are you paying attention?”
The question slipped out before I could stop it. Silence filled the room for a brief moment.
Shit!
“You ask very direct questions.” Sambit niya and if I'm not wrong… I saw him smile for a second.
“I like clear answers.”
“And if the answer is simple?”
“Simple answers are usually suspicious.” That actually made him smile faintly. Seeing that softened expression on someone like him felt strangely unfair. Because it changed him completely.
“I pay attention because you matter to the work,” he finally answered.
A professional and reasonable answer.
So why did it still affect me?
I crossed my arms lightly. “That sounds like something HR trained you to say.”
I stared at him in surprise when I heard him burst into laughter.
“You’re different from the others here,” he said after a moment.
“Ha? In what way?” kunot-noo kong tanong sa kanya.
“You don’t try to impress me.” manghang saad niya.
“That sounds exhausting.”
“It usually is.”
I looked down briefly, unsure why the conversation suddenly felt too personal. This wasn’t normal employee-and-CEO interaction anymore. At least not from my experience.
His office phone rang. The softness in the atmosphere disappeared almost instantly.
Jackson answered calmly, but I noticed the subtle change in his expression while listening.
His jaw tightened slightly.
His eyes became colder.
More distant.
“Yes,” he said simply into the phone. “I’ll handle it.”
He ended the call quietly. For a second, he looked tired again. Not physically but emotionally. Like someone carrying responsibilities too heavy to put down.
“You can go ahead and eat lunch,” he said after a moment, voice calmer again.
“It’s already past three.”
“That’s still lunch for people who work too much.”
I almost rolled my eyes. “Coming from you?”
Another faint smile. “Fair point.”
I picked up the remaining documents from his desk and turned to leave. But before I reached the door I heard him call my name.
“Serene.”
The way he said my name still did something strange to my chest. I looked back at him.
His expression softened slightly.
“Take care of yourself too.”
Simple words. Yet they landed heavier than they should have. Because he sounded sincere. And that confused me more than anything. The elevator ride down felt quieter than usual.
My mind kept replaying the conversation no matter how much I tried ignoring it.
‘You skipped lunch again.’
‘Take care of yourself too.’
Why?
Why was a man like Jackson Villareal paying attention to things no one else noticed? People like him weren’t supposed to care.
Not without wanting something in return. But every time he looked at me, every time he spoke to me… it never felt fake.
For the first time in my life someone’s kindness was starting to feel real. And I didn’t know what to do with that.
That's why our CEO is dangerous for me.