Board Meeting
Lunes. Board Meeting.
Stephen was up early, discussing with the board members. He looked confident.
Maki arrived, clearly lacking sleep but standing tall, mentally present and ready to face whatever came next.
The ex-officio chairman cleared his throat.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to discuss the future leadership of Lim Enterprises. As per the conditions set by the late Mr. Lim, Maki had until today to fulfill the requirement. Since the deadline was not met, we will now proceed with the votation."
The board members cast their votes, and as expected, Stephen won by a landslide.
Stephen stood, adjusting his tie as he stepped forward with a triumphant smile.
"Maraming salamat sa tiwala. Hindi ko kayo bibiguin. Kaya naman... ngayon pa lang, magsstep down na ako at hahayaan kong si Maki ang maglead ng kumpanya."
Maki’s eyes widened. "Ano?!"
The board members gasped in surprise.
Stephen turned to face them.
"Alam ko ang kakayahan ko, at alam kong mas magiging matatag ang kumpanya kung si Maki ang mag-o-oversee ng Lim Companies. Nakita ko ang dedikasyon niya para mameet ang deadline ni Dad. Pero sa kasamaang palad, may mga bagay na beyond her control. Maki, mula ngayon, dahil tayo na lang dalawa, ako ang number two mo. Kakayanin natin ‘to alang-alang sa legacy ni Dad."
Maki was speechless. Slowly, a small, genuine smile spread across her lips before she stepped forward and hugged Stephen tightly. "Finally, bro... tagal kong hinintay ‘yung moment na ‘to. Welcome back."
The board members clapped in approval.
Stocks of Lim Companies soared in the stock exchange that day, and for the first time in years, Maki felt at peace.
Atty. Silverio was then assigned as Corporate Secretary and Chief of Staff to guide the siblings in their new leadership roles.
As Maki sat in her new office, overlooking the city skyline, she felt a pang of longing.
There was only one person she wanted to share this moment with.
She picked up her phone and scrolled through her speed dial. The name flashed on her screen: Abunjing.
"Teka... Abunjing? Ang corny!" Maki muttered, cringing at herself.
Still, she pressed the call button.
"Hello?"
Coleen’s voice made Maki’s heart skip.
"Coleen... libre mo naman ako."
"Ha? Bakit?"
Maki grinned. "Ako na bagong Chair ng Lim Companies?"
Coleen scoffed. "Boang ka. Eh ‘di ikaw dapat manglibre! Ako pa inutakan mo."
Maki chuckled.
"Pumunta ka na dito. Siomai lang ha," Coleen then said.
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Maki arrived at Coleen’s house and immediately pulled Coleen into a tight embrace.
She buried her face in Coleen’s shoulder, inhaling the familiar scent of home.
Everything fell into place, just as it should.
Well... almost everything.
There was one more thing she needed to do.
As she pulled away, she held onto Coleen’s hands and looked into her eyes, determination burning in her gaze.
She needed to make Coleen fall in love with her again.
And this time, she wasn’t going to rush it.
She was going to remind Coleen, piece by piece, of the love they built over the years.
Because even if Coleen had forgotten and Maki also did at some point, all that matters is she remembers now, and she won't let anyone get in the way of that again.
And one day, hopefully, they would end up right where they were meant to be—
Together.
Forever.
-END-