AIDEN CAN'T BELIEVE THE ARTICLE THAT APPEARED IN HIS NOTIFICATION. Hindi niya alam kung anong mararamdaman habang tinititigan ang headline at ang litrato sa kaniyang tablet.
"This is unbelievable," he breathed out.
He scrolled down, sighing in frustration. Nahinto na lamang siya sa pag-i-scroll nang makita ang naka-bold na quote patungkol sa artikulo. He reads it.
"May I take a wild guess?"
Agad na nawala ang atensyon niya nang marinig ang boses ni Michelle. Pagkapasok na pagkapasok pa lang kasi nito ay kitang-kita niya na ang stress sa mukha nito. With narrowed eyes seems burying a hole through the tablet he had on his grip, a frown that keep getting deeper as his finger flicks to scroll down, and the times he pinches the bridge his nose that always get accompanied by a heavy sigh.
"It's about Venus' arrival, right?" tanong ni Michelle na nahuminto sa harapan ng lamesa ni Aiden.
Seeing his face, completely. Michelle couldn't stop the frown from appearing on her lips. He looked so bothered...so downcast.
"Are you going to be alright?" muling pagtatanong niya.
Aiden looked at her eyes. Ang stress na nararamdaman niya ay naglaho na parang bula. "I'm alright," pagsisimula niya. Nahulog ang kaniyang tingin sa litrato ni Venus na malawak ang ngiti habang nakakaway sa mga tagahanga nito. "I wouldn't allowed a past to break me, anyway."
SA BAWAT PAGTUNOG NG TAKONG AY SIYANG PAGDAGDAG NG ATENSYON. But, it didn't bother Venus as she, confidently, walked inside of the Wagner's Company. At kahit man, nasa loob na siya ng building, she didn't tried to pull off her sunglasses that were covering her hazel-colored eyes.
Napangisi niya nang marinig ang mga bulungan ng mga employees ng kompanya. She loves attention. Kaya nga ginawa niya ang lahat upang maging isang sikat at kilalang artista.
Tamang-tama naman ang pagdating niya dahil agad niyang nakasalubong ni Michelle na papalabas ng elevator at gulat siya nitong tinignan.
"Hello, secretary!" masayang bati niya habang iniwinagayway ang kaniyang bagong manicured na mga daliri.
Michelle blinked, twice. Prinopreseso ang lahat ng nangyayari bago naggawad ng isang ngiti na puno ng professionalism. Hindi sila close para maging informal sa isa't isa. Sa naalala niya, they were the opposite of each other. Kaya naman ang tingin niya kay Venus ay isa sa mga sikat na artista sa Pinas.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Ruiz," balik na bati niya. "May I know the reason for your visit here?"
Mas lalo lang lumawak ang matamis na ngiti ni Venus sa naging tanong ni Michelle.
"I'm here to visit, my Aiden."
Michelle put her full effort not to twitch an eye on what she had heard.
"I see." tango ni Michelle bago umatras pakanan upang pindutin ang button dahilan para magbukas ang pinto ng elevator. "Do you want me to inform Boss about your visit?"
"No. I want to surprise him," kinikilig na ani Venus.
"Well, kung 'yan ang nais ninyo," saad ni Michelle sabay ngiting tumango sa kausap. "If you excuse me, I still have work to do."
"Sure. Thank you," Venus beamed.
Bago pa man talikuran ni Michelle si Venus ay ginawaran pa ulit niya ito ng isang tango at tuluyang naglakad papalayo.
Nang makitang nakatalikod na si Michelle, her sweet smile immediately dropped. Ginawaran niya ng taad-babang tingin ang katawan ni Michelle before she flipped her hair - stepping inside the elevator with a disinterested frown.
HABANG ABALA SI AIDEN SA PAG-AASIKASO NG PAPELES, his double doors flew open - revealing a person he didn't want to meet again. Ang kaninang stress na naramdam niya nang mabasa ang artikulo ay biglang lumitaw katulad ng biglaang paglitaw ng babaeng puno't dulo ng lahat.
"Aiden!" she cried, happily.
Nang makita ang patakbo nitong paglapit sa kaniya, agad na inilagay ni Aiden ang kaniyang mga kamay sa harap na naging rason sa paghinto nito.
"Venus," he called her name, coldly.
Venus flinched at the coldness of his voice. But, she quickly regained her posture and draw out a sweet smile to her lips - in which, quite shivering because of shock.
"That's very cold of you, Aiden," pagsisimula niya, pilit pinangi-ngiti ang sarili. "I came here because I miss you so much."
Pinagsawalang-bahala ni Aiden ang mga sinabi niya. Kahit pa man matagal nang wala ang sakit ay nanatili pa rin ang pagkadismaya at galit sa dibdib niya.
He stares at her - dead in the eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"I just want to see you." malungkot na ngiti ni Venus.
Aiden continued to stare at her. He doesn't despise her. What he really despises is her choice. The choice that broke him and his heart.
"Ngayong nakita mo na ako," pagsisimula niya at blankong ngumiti. "Siguro naman aalis ka na?"
Hindi umimik si Venus. She just stare at him - as if she was begging for something. Something that Aiden totally knows. Ngunit gugustuhin niyang lumabas mismo sa bibig ni Venus ito. Para naman maisabibig niya ang lahat ng sakit na naramdaman niya.
Ngunit makalipas ng ilang segundo, wala siyang narinig kay Venus.
"Why don't you leave now? Wala naman na tayong pag-uusapan pa," aniya bago tinanguan ang direksyon ng pinto na para bang pinapaalis niya na si Venus.
Venus bit her lower lip while her eyes starts to water. She, unconsciously, reaching for Aiden but stops when she realizes what she was about to do. Tumingin siya sa mga mata ni Aiden habang umaagos ang mga butil ng luha sa kaniyang pisngi.
"P-Please, Aiden. P-please...c-come b-back to m-me," nanginginig na pagsisimula niya. "I-I'll m-make it u-up to you," she sobbed, biting her lips to lessen her cries. "J-just give me a s-second chance."
Tinitigan lang ni Aiden ang nagmamakaawang si Venus before a humourless laugh came out to his mouth, surprising Venus.
"Now, I know why you chose your career over our relationship." he smiled, blankly. Ang kanina pang naka-krus na mga braso niya ay kaniyang pinatuwid sabay isinuksok ang mga kamay sa magkabilaang bulas ng kaniyang navy blue-colored trousers na kakulay ng kaniyang suot na suit jacket. "You're really had the potential to become a famous star."
Venus looked at him, defeated. "Aiden."
Hindi na niya hinintay pang dagdagan nito ang sasabihin at tumalikod na upang kunin ang natitirang folder sa lamesa niya.
"Shouldn't you be happy that you'd become what you really wanted to?" tanong niya na nakatalikod pa rin. After signing the first page, Aiden flips to the next page. "I know that you want to bring back what we are before." Nang mapirmahan niya ang huling pahina ay sinarado niya ng ang folder kasabay ng pagharap niyang muli kay Venus. "But, I will say this to end this conversation," dagdag niya habang tinitigan sa mata si Venus - without any hint of remaining love that Venus was wishing to see. "What happened between us will remain in the past."
"What happened between will remain in the past."
Michelle halted - hand lingered on the knob of the door. Napakagat siya sa kaniyang labi. She forgot the fact that Venus will possibly still be inside Aiden's office. Tumingin siya sa kaniyang kamay na nakahawak pa rin sa knob ng pinto. Napatalon siya sa gulat na ang mismong pinto kung saan sana niya papasok ay bigla na lang bumukas. Buti na lang, nabitawan niya na ang knob bago pa man bumukas ang pinto dahil kay Venus.
She stared at the woman in front of her with wide eyes. She did a quick inspection of her face. With hazel-colored eyes looked drowsy and had tear-stained reddish cheeks, kahit pa man wala siya mismo eksena, alam na alam niya kung ano man ang naging usapan ng dalawa.
"Ms. Ruiz," mahinang pagtawag niya sa pangalan ng kaharap. Pinanood niya lamang na gawaran siya nito ng malungkot ng ngiti at walang imik na naglakad papalayo.
Nang makitang ilang metro na ang layo ni Venus sa kinatatayuan niya, awtomatiko namang lumipat ang tingin niya sa loob ng opisina. Aiden remained standing in front of his office desk, looking at her with unreadable expression.
"Boss," tawag niya dahilan para mapakurap si Aiden. Because of his action, Michelle realized that he wasn't staring at her, but he was staring at the closed door - drown by his thoughts.
"Is the meeting about to start?" tanong ni Aiden.
Michelle frowned, not because of annoyance, but because she's worried for him.
"I suggest you take a breath," pagsisimula niya kaya naman nakatanggap siya ng pagtaas ng mga kilay galing kay Aiden. "Don't worry about the meeting. I'll handle it," ngiting dagdag niya bago pa man makapagsalita ang kaharap.
This time, Aiden's turn to frown. "I know that you will handle the meeting, just fine. Pero kaya kong i-handle ang meeting."
Tinitigan lang siya ni Michelle bago nagpakawala ng buntong-hininga.
"You're still so stubborn," komento ni Michelle. Ngunit ang mahinhin na ngiti sa kaniyang mga labi ang nagsasabihing pabiro lang ang sinabi niya.
"And you're still so caring," he comeback. Making the smile on Michelle's lips get wider.
Michelle knew that it's better to not ask a question about what happened. Kahit pa man magkaibigan na sila ni Aiden, nirerespeto pa rin niya ang pagpili nitong 'wag pag-usapan ang nangyari. Dahil alam rin niyang ikwe-kwento sa kaniya ni Aiden ang lahat.
Her brown-colored eyes soften when staring at his green-colored ones.
"If we stay here for more than 15 minutes, you will be late for your meeting."
"Then," ngiting pagsisimula ni Aiden kasabay ng simula niyang paglalakad palabas ng opisina. He glanced back at Michelle, still smiling. "Let's get going."