The Third Reading

A/N

BLURB

Arturo Villegas has built his career on one simple belief: public office demands sacrifice. A former naval officer turned senator, he has spent years fighting corruption, speaking uncomfortable truths, and standing by his principles no matter the cost.

Adelaida Valderrama has built her career standing up for those whose voices are often ignored. She believes public service is measured not only by the courage to fight corruption, but also by the courage to defend people's rights, even when doing so means standing alone.

Their debates become some of the chamber's most anticipated, but somewhere between opposing arguments and shared victories, mutual respect grows into an easy friendship. Before either of them realizes it, that friendship eventually becomes something neither of them ever planned for.

But public service has never allowed room for easy choices.

When the very reform Arturo has spent his life fighting for collides with the woman he has come to love, both are forced to ask themselves a question neither has ever had to answer before:

What do you do when the person you love is the one thing standing in the way of everything you've fought for?

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hello!

This story actually started out with WinRi in mind. But as I kept writing, I realized the male lead's personality felt a lot more like SenTri. So somewhere along the way, this unintentionally turned into a HonTri/SonRi story instead. Haha.

That said, I don't really consider this a fanfiction. It's a standalone story with original characters, and you don't need to know anything about the people who inspired them to enjoy it. Arturo and Adelaida are their own people. I simply borrowed a few personality traits from former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Senator Risa Hontiveros as a starting point, then let the story take its own course.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

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DISCLAIMER

This is a work of fiction.

Although the characters are loosely inspired by former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Senator Risa Hontiveros, this is not intended to portray them or their real lives. The characters in this story are original fictional characters whose personalities are only loosely based on their public personas.

The plot, dialogue, relationships, settings, and events depicted in this story are entirely fictional and are products of the author's imagination. None of the events in this story are based on real-life events, and any resemblance to actual persons, events, or circumstances beyond the initial inspiration is purely coincidental.

While I did my best to research Senate procedures, rules, and traditions, I'm far from an expert. There may be inaccuracies here and there, all in the interest of telling the story. I apologize in advance for that. Hehe.