Marked Confidential

How to Tell Your Family You’re Dating Your Rival (and Survive the Aftermath)

Step 1: The Soft Launch (a.k.a. Testing the Waters)

Adrielle Hidalgo was never one to back down from a challenge especially when it came to messing with her family. She figured dropping subtle (or not so subtle) hints would be fun, and as expected, her first test subject was none other than her brother, Rafa.

One peaceful night at the Hidalgo residence, Adrielle casually stabbed a piece of steak, let out a dramatic sigh, and muttered,

"Grabe, ang hirap talaga magmahal ng isang competitive na babae… parang gusto kang talunin sa lahat ng bagay."

Rafa, who had been lazily scrolling through his phone, barely reacted. "Eh ‘di wag kang magmahal."

Adrielle smirked. "Too late."

That got his attention. Rafa’s eyes flicked up from his phone. Their father, Antonio, sipping his wine across the table, also glanced at her daughter. "CEO?" he asked, tone neutral, but his curiosity was obvious.

Adrielle played with her fork. "Malamang. Hindi ko naman type ang walang pangarap."

Rafa raised a brow, now fully invested. "Wait, kakilala namin?"

Adrielle took her sweet time chewing before responding. "Siyempre. Pamilyar kayo sa kanya… Madalas ko siyang banggitin. Palagi kong kasama. Maganda, matalino, nakakabaliw—"

Rafa's chewing slowed. His brain processed at an alarming speed. Then, like a bolt of lightning, "…NO. NO WAY."

Adrielle simply grinned, twirling her wine glass between her fingers.

Right on cue, their mother choked on her wine.

Rafa’s fork clattered against his plate. "Teka, time out. You’re telling me—"

Adrielle just winked.

Their mom, still recovering, wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Adrielle Elise, are you telling me you're dating—"

Adrielle just raised her glass. "Cheers?"

Rafa groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Tangina, anong nangyayari sa mundo?!"

Step 2: Cassandra’s Tactical Approach (a.k.a. A Boardroom-Style Confession)

Cassandra Min Sy was nothing if not efficient.

So, unlike Adrielle, she didn’t see the need for dramatics. She simply invited her parents, Margaret and Charles Sy, to an upscale restaurant for lunch.

Margaret barely sat down before eyeing her daughter suspiciously. "Cassandra, what's this all about? This‘business lunch’ mo?"

Charles Sy, ever the pragmatic businessman, didn’t even touch his drink. "So? What’s the agenda?"

Cassandra, composed as ever, folded her hands neatly on the table and said, "I’m in a relationship."

Margaret’s brows lifted slightly. "Oh? With whom?"

Cassandra took a sip of her wine before delivering the news like she was closing a deal. "Adrielle."

…Silence.

Her father stared at her as if she had just proposed merging with their biggest competitor.

"As in Adrielle Hidalgo? The one who has been your biggest rival in business school?"

"Yes."

"The one you swore you’d never lose to?"

"Yes."

Charles let out a long exhale, rubbing his temples. "So you’re telling me you didn’t beat her… you just decided to date her instead?"

Cassandra smirked. "Oh no, I still plan on beating her. Just… in other ways."

Margaret sighed, swirling her wine. "I don’t even want to know what that means."

Her father muttered, "The Hidalgo girl. Bakit hindi na lang ibang CEO? Bakit siya pa?"

Cassandra, ever cool, took another sip. "She’s the only one who can keep up with me."

Margaret stared at her daughter for a long moment before finally saying, "You know what? This actually makes perfect sense."

Charles looked at his wife, scandalized. "Ikaw pa talaga nagsabi niyan?!"

Margaret just shrugged. "Adrielle’s the only woman I can imagine who wouldn’t back down from our daughter."

Cassandra smirked. "Exactly."

Step 3: The Merger Announcement (a.k.a. Family Dinner Disaster)

A joint family dinner was inevitable.

The Hidalgo and Sy families, two of the most powerful business clans in the country, sat in one very expensive, very tense private dining hall.

On one side: Antonio, Elena and Rafa, still in various stages of disbelief.
On the other: Charles and Margaret, composed but clearly assessing the risks and benefits.

In the middle, suspiciously well behaved, sat Cassandra and Adrielle. Rafa, arms crossed, kept side eyeing Cassandra like she was an alien. "I still don’t get it. How the hell did this happen?"

Charles finally broke the silence. "So. How exactly did this start?"

Cassandra and Adrielle exchanged glances.

Adrielle, grinning, answered first. "Eh kasi po, sobrang ganda ko—"

Cassandra immediately elbowed her. "That is not how this happened."

Adrielle giggled. "Fine. Sobrang ganda at talino ko."

Cassandra rolled her eyes but did not disagree.

Rafa groaned. "So ano? Napagtripan niyo lang magdate tapos ngayon seryoso na?"

Cassandra, still composed, replied, "It wasn’t sudden. We just realized no one else would be able to handle us."

Adrielle smirked. "Or more like, she realized na wala siyang ibang gusto kundi ako."

Cassandra shot her a look. "Excuse me—"

"Aminin mo na, Cass." Adrielle leaned closer, whispering just loud enough for the whole table to hear. "Ako ang una mong minahal."

Cassandra scoffed. "dear Lord."

Adrielle turned to their families and said smugly, "Ayan na po, ladies and gentlemen. This is why we kept it a secret."

Their parents sighed in unison. Their fathers exchanged glances before Charles muttered, "At least their business instincts are still intact."

Elena sighed dramatically. "Grabe. Hindi ko alam kung investment or risk itong relationship nila."

Rafa, meanwhile, had his head in his hands. "You two are going to kill us with this power couple nonsense."

Cassandra and Adrielle?

They just clinked their wine glasses together, utterly satisfied.

It started with Adrielle wanting a term of endearment. Not just any term. Something unique. Something that wasn’t the usual love, darling, or sweetheart. Something that was just theirs. So, naturally, she brought it up in the most random way possible.

Adrielle strolled into Cassandra’s condo as if she owned it (which, in all fairness, she practically did).

"We have a problem."

Cassandra, who was lounging on the couch with her laptop, barely looked up. "And what existential crisis are we tackling today?"

Adrielle gracefully dropped onto the seat beside her. "We don’t have a term of endearment."

Cassandra paused. Then blinked. "That’s the emergency?"

Adrielle huffed. "It’s a serious relationship concern, Cassandra."

Cassandra sighed, clearly not treating this with the same level of importance. "Then just call me love or darling like everyone else does. Problem solved."

Adrielle gave her a deeply unimpressed look. "How uninspired. We’re not everyone else."

Cassandra’s lips twitched in amusement. "So you demand a custom made endearment? Shall I have our families commission one?"

"Cassandra," Adrielle deadpanned. "Be serious."

Cassandra chuckled. "Fine. What did you have in mind?"

Adrielle opened her mouth only to immediately get distracted by Cassandra’s laptop screen.

She froze.

Then squinted.

Wait a moment.

Was that—

Was that MoJacko?

She turned to Cassandra, eyes narrowing in curiosity. "Are you watching… MoJacko?"

Cassandra raised a brow, glancing at her laptop. "Yes? Why?"

Adrielle stared. "Since when?"

Cassandra shrugged. "Since childhood? I used to watch this every afternoon after school."

Adrielle’s entire demeanor changed.

She grabbed Cassandra’s wrist. "You—hold on. You used to watch MoJacko?"

Cassandra gave her a bemused look. "I just said that, didn’t I?"

Adrielle gasped, clearly scandalized. "Cassandra Min Sy, do you have any idea what this means?"

Cassandra tilted her head. "Na we watched the same cartoon during our childhood?"

Adrielle, gripping her hands dramatically, shook her head. "No, Cassandra. It means we were destined to meet."

Cassandra let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head in amusement. "You’re ridiculous."

Adrielle smirked. "And you’re utterly in love with me."

Cassandra exhaled in mock exasperation. "Unfortunately for me, yes."

As the excitement settled, Adrielle suddenly sat up straight, eyes gleaming with an idea.

"Wait. I have it."

Cassandra sighed. "Why do I feel like this will require effort on my part?"

Adrielle ignored her. "What if we call each other Moja?"

Cassandra raised a brow. "Moja? As in… from MoJacko?"

Adrielle nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! It’s unique, nostalgic, and completely ours."

Cassandra stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "I suppose it’s… endearing."

Adrielle grinned. "See? It’s perfect."

But then, Cassandra’s expression shifted, something thoughtful crossing her features. "Actually," she mused, "do you know that Moja means ‘the one’ in Swahili?"

Adrielle froze.

Then gasped.

"You’re joking."

Cassandra smiled, shaking her head. "Not at all. ‘Moja’ means the one, the first, the singular. Rather fitting, isn’t it?"

Adrielle blinked at her. Then, as if realizing something profound, she softly repeated, "The one."

A rare moment of sincerity settled between them.

Adrielle exhaled, a smile tugging at her lips. "Then there’s no better word for us."

Cassandra tilted her head, an affectionate glint in her eyes. "So we’ve decided, then?"

Adrielle nodded. "It’s official. From now on, you’re Moja."

Cassandra smirked, leaning closer. "And what does that make you?"

Adrielle smirked back. "Your Moja, obviously."

Cassandra chuckled, fingers reaching to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Adrielle’s ear. "You do realize you just created an endless loop of us calling each other the same name?"

Adrielle shrugged, her grin mischievous. "Exactly. That means you can never escape me."

Cassandra leaned in, her lips grazing Adrielle’s lightly. "As if I ever wanted to."

And just like that, their one of a kind endearment was born.

Cassandra Min Sy was a woman of precision. If she was going to propose, it had to be structured, flawless, and impossible for Adrielle to reject. So she orchestrated the perfect setup:

✅ A private villa.
✅ A candlelit dinner.
✅ A fake business contract cleverly disguised as a marriage proposal.

Everything was set. Adrielle, completely unaware, sat across from her, swirling her wine.

Cassandra slid a neatly bound document across the table, her smirk barely contained.

"What’s this?" Adrielle asked, raising a brow.

Cassandra leaned forward, eyes twinkling. "My final proposal, Adrielle. One you can’t negotiate your way out of."

Adrielle narrowed her eyes in suspicion but flipped the pages open anyway.

Her brows furrowed.

Merger Agreement Between Cassandra Min Sy & Adrielle Elise Hidalgo
Clause 1: Lifelong Partnership
Clause 2: In Sickness and In Health
Clause 3: No Takebacks

Adrielle’s fingers twitched.

Because holy sh*t, the engagement ring she bought was still in her pocket.

Her mind went into overdrive.

This was not the plan. She was supposed to be the one catching Cassandra off guard!

"You…" Adrielle started, blinking in disbelief. "You actually made a contract?"

Cassandra tilted her head smugly. "You like things in writing, don’t you?"

Adrielle exhaled sharply. "Oh, you planned this, huh?"

"Of course." Cassandra rested her chin on her palm. "And, based on that stunned expression of yours, I’d say you didn’t see this coming."

Adrielle clenched her jaw. She refused, absolutely refused, to let Cassandra out propose her.

So because Adrielle Elise Hidalgo was nothing if not extra, she grabbed the pen off the table, pretending to sign.

But instead of writing her name…

She pulled out her own engagement ring and slammed it onto the table.

Boom. Counter-attack.

Cassandra’s eyes widened.

"No. F*cking. Way," she muttered under her breath.

Adrielle smirked, twirling the pen between her fingers. "Oh? What’s wrong, CEO? Didn’t anticipate a counter proposal?"

Cassandra just stared at her fiancée to be, utterly thrown. "You were… you were going to propose?"

Adrielle rolled her eyes. "Not just going to. I’ve been carrying this damn ring in my pocket for weeks!" She huffed, crossing her arms. "But nooo, of course, ikaw pa yung nauna. Nagpaandar ka pa ng contract."

Cassandra exhaled a sharp laugh, running a hand through her hair. "You panicked and pulled out your ring, didn’t you?"

"Excuse me? I strategically proposed in response to your move." Adrielle lifted her chin. "It’s called adaptability, Moja."

Cassandra shook her head, amused.

Adrielle inhaled deeply, trying to regain control of the situation. Then she took Cassandra’s hand, her thumb brushing against her knuckles.

Her smirk softened.

"Cassandra Min Sy, will you marry me, sign my contract, and agree to be stuck with me for life?"

Cassandra just stared at her fiancée to be.

For all of Adrielle’s dramatics, her voice was warm, filled with the kind of love that Cassandra knew had always been there, even before they admitted it.

A small, disbelieving smile tugged at Cassandra’s lips.

"You’re seriously proposing back at me right now?"

"Yes." Adrielle shot her a pointed look. "Sign the damn contract, Cass."

Cassandra exhaled sharply, but she couldn’t fight the grin spreading across her face. Wordlessly, she grabbed the pen and signed both contracts. Then, with zero hesitation, she plucked Adrielle’s ring off the table and slid it onto her own finger.

"Happy now?" Cassandra teased, tilting her chin up smugly.

Adrielle beamed, eyes shining. "You have no idea."

They were engaged. Finally.

You’d think that would mean smooth sailing, right?

Wrong.

Because, of course, these two had to turn even this into a competition.

For a full hour, Adrielle and Cassandra went back and forth about who actually won.

"Technically, ako yung nauna," Cassandra pointed out, arms crossed smugly.

Adrielle shot her a deadpan look. "Okay, pero sino yung huling nagpropose? Sino yung may final say?" She gestured to herself. "Ako."

Cassandra scoffed. "You literally panicked and pulled out your ring as a counterattack. That doesn’t count as a proper proposal."

"Excuse me?! Counterattack?! No, no, no, Cass, that was planned—"

"‘Planned’ daw, eh kakatingin mo lang sa contract ko tapos biglang naglabas ng singsing—"

"STRATEGIC DECISION MAKING ‘YON!"

Cassandra exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. "Diyos ko, engaged na tayo, bakit tayo nag-aaway?!"

Adrielle huffed, arms crossed. "Eh kasi nagpapanggap kang ikaw yung nanalo, kahit alam nating dalawa na ako yun."

Cassandra just sighed. Then, instead of arguing further, she grabbed Adrielle by the collar and kissed her.

Adrielle blinked, momentarily stunned.

Cassandra smirked. "Ayan, tumahimik ka rin sa wakas."

Adrielle narrowed her eyes. "…You just kissed me para tapusin yung usapan, no?"

"Mhm."

"Shit."

But she kissed her back anyway.

The plan? Keep the engagement lowkey.

The reality?

It lasted three f*cking days. Because Rafa, of all people, figured it out first.

At brunch, he just casually took a bite of his food before glancing at their hands.

Then he froze.

Fork still in midair, he squinted. "Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Ano tong nakikita ko?"

Adrielle and Cassandra, caught mid sip of their coffee, froze. Rafa’s gaze flicked between their hands. "Pareho kayong may singsing."

Silence.

Then, slowly, Rafa put down his fork.

"What the actual-?"

Cassandra exhaled sharply. "Rafa—"

Rafa shoved his plate away and leaned forward aggressively.

"Nagpropose kayo nang di ko alam?! NI ISA SA AMIN, WALANG MAY ALAM?!"

Adrielle gulped. "Uh—"

"ANG AGA PA PARA SA STRESS NA TO." Rafa dramatically leaned back against his chair, rubbing his face.

Liv, who had been scrolling on her phone beside him, slowly looked up.

She blinked.

Then, without hesitation, she grabbed Adrielle’s left hand. Then Cassandra’s. Then slammed both of their hands on the table.

"Damn, may singsing nga sila."

Adrielle, being Adrielle, tried to redo her proposal.

"Cass, listen. Just one more time—"

Cassandra slammed her laptop shut.

"No."

"Pero kasi, gusto ko sana yung mas grand—"

"You had your chance. Tapos na yon. I won."

Adrielle frowned. "Hindi pa tayo tapos sa usapan na yon—"

Cassandra leaned in, smiling smugly. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Dri."

Adrielle groaned. "Ayoko na. Sige, fine, ikaw na panalo—"

Cassandra, triumphant, kissed her cheek.

"Good girl."

Adrielle short circuited.

"DAMN, CASS!"

Cassandra just laughed.

Their dads?

They just sighed over whiskey.

Adrielle’s father shook his head. "As long as they don’t turn the wedding into a business competition—"

Cassandra’s father snorted. "You say that like they won’t."

(Spoiler: They almost did.)

The plan was simple: Fly to New York. Get married. Go home like nothing happened.

No extravagant ballrooms. No high society spectacle. No media circus.

Just them, their families, and Liv because, let’s be real, there was no way Liv was going to miss this.

The venue? A breathtaking penthouse overlooking the New York skyline. A setting straight out of a movie.

The atmosphere? Intimate. Elegant. Timeless.

Except…

Rafa and Liv were being their usual selves.

Liv adjusted her dress, eyes gleaming as she nudged Rafa. “So, who do you think’s going to cry first?”

Rafa smirked. “Adrielle. She’s a walking emotions department.”

Liv scoffed. “Are you kidding? Cassandra might act all ‘I’m a composed CEO,’ but the moment Adrielle starts speaking, she’s done for.”

Rafa grinned. “Bet?”

Liv held out a hand. “Five hundred dollars.”

Rafa shook it. “Make it a thousand.”

Liv laughed. “Wow. Confident.”

Rafa winked. “I know my sister. You’re going to be a thousand dollars poorer in a few minutes.”

And then, Adrielle walked down the aisle.

Not just smiling—grinning like she already won at life.

Cassandra? Frozen.

She swallowed hard, her grip tightening around the bouquet in front of her as if she needed something to ground her.

Liv and Rafa exchanged looks.

Rafa whispered, “Look at Cassandra’s face. She’s about to crack.”

Liv smirked. “Patience, my friend. The vows will finish her.”

And they did.

Adrielle’s voice, steady yet warm, carried through the quiet room. "You’re my first, my last, and my only."

Cassandra, blinking rapidly, lost the battle. She exhaled sharply, her eyes betraying every single emotion she had been trying to hold back. A single tear slipped down her cheek.

Liv turned to Rafa, smug. “A pleasure doing business with you.”

Rafa, grumbling, pulled out his phone and made a transfer.

“Adrielle, you are too powerful,” Liv whispered under her breath.

Adrielle, fully aware, leaned in with a smirk and whispered to Cassandra, “Told you I’d win.”

Cassandra, furiously wiping her tears, scowled. “Shut up and kiss me.”

And when they were pronounced legally married?

Liv screamed.

Cassandra, as if she had been possessed by a Hollywood director, dipped Adrielle for the kiss.

Liv burst out laughing. “I KNEW IT. EXTRA TO THE END.”

Adrielle, breathless, laughed against Cassandra’s lips. “Ang extra mo, Cass. Akala mo Hollywood movie?”

Cassandra, still holding her, smirked. “Well, I did just marry the love of my life. Might as well be dramatic.”

Rafa wiped a fake tear. “Beautiful. I’m so proud. And broke.”

Liv patted his shoulder. “A lesson in humility.”

After the wedding, they did not return home. They had a cover story—a “business trip” to Europe. In reality? A disgustingly romantic honeymoon in Lake Como, Italy.

Mornings were spent wrapped in silk robes, sipping coffee, and watching the sunrise over the lake. Adrielle, stretching, caught Cassandra staring at her over the rim of her cup.

She smirked. “You’re staring.”

Cassandra, utterly unapologetic: "I’m admiring my wife. May reklamo ka?"

Afternoons meant boat rides, scenic walks, and stolen kisses in hidden alleyways. Dinners? Candlelit. Full of teasing, playful touches, and soft laughter.

Cassandra, ever the perfectionist, planned a surprise moonlit dinner on a private terrace.

Adrielle blinked at the setup. “You do realize this is straight out of a romance novel, right?”

Cassandra leaned in, voice low. "You’re my wife now, Adrielle. Better get used to being spoiled."

But Adrielle wasn’t one to be outdone.

One morning, she woke up first to cook breakfast. Cassandra, groggy and still wrapped in a robe, walked into the kitchen, stopped and stared.

Adrielle raised an eyebrow. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Cassandra, voice husky from sleep: “You’re beautiful.”

Adrielle rolled her eyes. “You’re half asleep.”

Cassandra, stepping closer, smirking slightly: “Still true.”

Back in Manila, they didn’t wear wedding bands on their fingers. Too obvious. Instead? Thin platinum chains around their necks, rings tucked safely beneath their shirts.

Liv? Internally screaming every time she saw them together. Rafa? Absolutely thriving in the chaos.

One evening, Liv and Rafa were at their house for wine night.

Liv sighed dramatically. “You know what kills me?”

Rafa smirked. “That you’re still single while our power couple is thriving?”

Liv scowled. “No. That I can’t SCREAM TO THE WORLD THAT THEY’RE MARRIED.”

Adrielle chuckled. “Liv, you can’t even keep a houseplant alive. You think you can handle the weight of our secret?”

Liv gasped. “Excuse me. Basil—may he rest in peace—was an accident.”

Cassandra smirked. “The accident being that you forgot to water him for three weeks?”

Liv groaned. “UGH. You two are THE WORST.”

Rafa raised his wine glass. “Correction: They are the best. Also, Cass, how long before you get tired of calling Adrielle ‘my wife’ in every possible conversation?”

Cassandra, sipping her wine, shrugged. “Never.”

Adrielle arched a brow. “That so, Mrs. Sy-Hidalgo?”

Cassandra nearly choked. “Adrielle.”

Adrielle smirked. “What? I love the way it sounds.”

Liv leaned toward Rafa. “I give it two minutes before Cassandra combusts.”

Rafa grinned. “I give it one.”

Cassandra groaned, covering her face with her hands. “I hate all of you.”

Adrielle, leaning in to whisper, “You love me, though.”

Cassandra, sighing dramatically, “Unfortunately, yes.”

Rafa clapped his hands. “I LOVE SECRET MARRIED LIFE. BEST DECISION EVER.”

Liv groaned. “YOU GUYS ARE TOO POWERFUL. UNFAIR.”

But Adrielle and Cassandra? They just clinked their glasses together, perfectly, blissfully content in their greatest secret.