No strings attached |(UNDER REVISION)

Chapter 8- Diversion

With one last smirk, I turned and walked to the door, hand on the handle.

But before stepping out, I glanced over my shoulder.

"By the way..." I mused. "If you really don't care, bakit mo ako pinatawag?"

Aiah didn't answer.

Didn't even look up.

But her grip on the pen in her hand?

Just a little tighter.

I grinned.

This was going to be so much fun.

I turned back, pretending to have just remembered something.

"Oh, right," I said casually, stepping back toward her desk. "Nakalimutan ko 'yung tasa."

Aiah didn't react, still pretending to be absorbed in her work. But I didn't miss the way her fingers twitched ever so slightly when I reached for the coffee cup.

As I lifted it, my fingers brushed against hers-just a fleeting touch.

Pero ramdam ko.

And I knew she did too.

For a second, her posture stiffened, her breath hitching almost imperceptibly.

Interesting.

A slow smirk curled on my lips.

I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice just enough to make sure she'd hear every word.

"Relax, boss," I teased, voice smooth with amusement. "I won't kiss you like before."

This time, Aiah froze.

I could practically see her forcing herself not to react, but the slight clench of her jaw gave her away.

Bullseye.

Unable to resist, I let my fingers graze her shoulder lightly before straightening up, watching her carefully.

Still no reaction.

But the tension?

Thick enough to cut with a knife.

I chuckled under my breath, stepping back toward the door, coffee cup in hand.

"See you later, Ms. Navarro," I said, throwing her one last glance before walking out.

And as I closed the door behind me, I couldn't help but grin.

Because for the first time since I stepped into this office...

I knew I was getting to her.

Pagkaupo ko sa desk ko, hindi ko mapigilan ang pag-angat ng isang sulok ng labi ko.

Damn.

I shouldn't be enjoying this. I shouldn't be playing with fire.

Pero bakit parang ang saya pag nakikita kong natitigilan siya?

I leaned back, staring at the ceiling for a moment before closing my eyes. And just like that, an old memory crept in-one I shouldn't be remembering in the middle of the office.

It was the night after we graduated from college.

The air was thick with celebration, pero kami? Nasa isang kwarto, malayo sa ingay ng mundo.

"Aiah..."

I remembered the way I whispered her name, the way she held me like she was afraid I'd disappear.

Like she needed me.

That night, she wasn't the cold, untouchable CEO she was now.

She was just Aiah.

And I was just Mikha.

No rules. No expectations. Just us, tangled in the sheets, breathing each other in like it was the last time.

Pero nagbago ang lahat.

Napagod ako.

Napagod akong lagi siyang sinusundan, lagi siyang inuunawa. Lagi akong nag-aadjust para sa kanya, para sa kung paano niya gustong patakbuhin ang mundo niya.

At isang araw, nagising na lang akong hindi ko na kilala ang sarili ko.

So I walked away.

And now... here we were.

Back in the same space, circling each other like predators.

The only difference?

This time, I wasn't going to be the one chasing her.

I let out a deep breath, shaking off the memory, but it clung to me like a second skin.

Once upon a time, I loved Aiah Navarro more than anything.

But loving her felt like being trapped inside a glass cage-beautiful, pristine, but suffocating.

Aiah always wanted things a certain way. Perfect. Flawless. No room for mistakes.

And I? I wasn't perfect.

I wasn't the kind of person who could sit still and follow her rules like a well-trained pet.

At first, I thought it was just her way of taking care of me. She wanted the best for us-planned out every little thing, made sure everything was in order.

But then, it became too much.

"You should wear this," she'd say, handing me an outfit she picked out. "It suits you better."

"You shouldn't drink too much. You get reckless."

"Don't be too loud, Mikha. People are watching."

"You can't just do whatever you want."

At first, I adjusted. I tried to understand.

But then, I started to lose myself.

Every move I made, every word I said-I had to think twice, had to make sure it wouldn't disappoint her, wouldn't ruin the picture-perfect world she was building.

Until one day, I woke up and realized... I couldn't breathe.

Aiah's love was like a vice grip around my throat, tightening and tightening until I had nothing left to give.

And when I finally broke free, I swore I'd never let anyone control me like that again.

But now?

I glanced at her office, the curtains still shut.

Fate was a funny little thing, throwing us back into the same orbit.

The question was... who would break first this time?