Play Pretend

Prologue

#OLAPlayPretend

Prologue

Wearing a brown trench coat over my white turtle neck top and beige pencil cut skirt, I held my phone tightly in one hand while the other with my handbag. I kept my chin up and faced front without any hint of intimidation from the huge crowd right in front of us.

There was a sea of reporters waiting at the arrival section, and it was something I had already expected. I wore my wayfarers beforehand to block the flashes of light coming from their cameras. They all looked like wild hyenas trying to surround and pounce on their prey. Lahat ay nag-uunahan na makalapit, nagbabaka sakaling makakakuha na agad ng sagot nang hindi na kailangan pang mag-book ng isang exclusive interview.

But of course, the man they wanted to catch was the king of the Pride Lands. There was a human barricade of bodyguards trying to protect him in the middle. And the only person who had permission to walk right next to him was me—his personal secretary.

"Mr. Dela Vega, ano ang masasabi ninyo sa nakuha ninyong deal with AveMed?"

"Ano po ang plano ninyo?"

"Bakit ninyo naisipang mag-venture sa pharmaceutical?"

"Ano ang pakiramdam na manalo ng International Young Entrepreneur award?"

Kahit na halos dinig ko ang kanilang mga binabatong tanong, ni isa ay walang nagtagumpay na makalapit sa aming dalawa sa sobrang higpit ng seguridad. Hind rin nagdalawang-isip na dumiretso sa sasakyang naghihintay sa driveway ang gusto nilang makausap. Nang malapit na kami sa isang itim na SUV ay nagmadali ako upang maunahan siyang makarating doon.

I quickly opened the passenger's door for him to enter. Once he got inside, I took a deep breath to compose myself before following him. I carefully sat on the seat beside him and maintained a certain posture. Inilapag ko sa aking mga hita ang aking bag habang hawak-hawak pa rin nang mahigpit ang cellphone.

Naghari ang katahimikan sa loob ng sasakyan. Ang tanging nadidinig ko lamang ay ang mahinang pag-ugong ng sasakyan habang tumatakbo paalis sa airport.

The man beside me was so quiet that I didn't dare speak. Natatakot ako na baka madamay ako sa kanyang iritasyon. Being beside him and working as his personal secretary for three years, I already memorized his mood and how he lives his life. I almost know everything about him.

I know his likes and dislikes. I know his weekday and weekend routines. I know when he's irritated or angry. I can tell whenever he's pleased and satisfied with something. Although he looked uptight and aloof most of the time, he was like an open book that I could read easily after doing my best to familiarize myself with him and be the most fitting to be his personal secretary.

With his forehead slightly creased, even when he was wearing shades to cover his eyes, I could tell that he was annoyed from being mobbed by the media. Despite being one of the top businessmen and entrepreneurs in the country, he was surprisingly not used to standing in the light. He would rather work away from the media. But since the company needed exposure to the public, he had no choice but to live with it.

Wanting to do my job well, I turned away from him and unlocked my phone. Mabilis kong binuksan ang message application. I texted the head security of Dela Vega Holdings to make sure that our company would be clear from the media. Sigurado akong dahil wala silang nadinig sa kanya kanina ay roon sila lilipat upang muling magbaka sakali. Kahit na malaki ang posibilidad na daanan lamang ulit sila ay hindi pa rin sila nadadala. They would do anything to do their job done.

"Chantal."

My shoulders suddenly jumped in surprise when he suddenly called my name. Agad kong pinatay ulit ang cellphone upang lingunin siya.