Chapter 14
The high-end mall was bustling with shoppers, the polished floors gleaming under the bright lights. Aiah walked alongside Jeremy and Jhoanna, her colleague, as they made their way toward a restaurant on the upper floor. Jeremy was recounting a story about his latest project, his voice animated, but Aiah was only half-listening.
Jhoanna, ever the observant one, glanced around the crowd, her sharp eyes darting from one group of shoppers to another.
“Uy,” she said, nudging Aiah’s arm. “Look who it is.”
Aiah followed her gaze and froze.
Downstairs, near the fountain, stood Colet Vergara. She was wearing her usual casual style—ripped jeans and a hoodie—but something about her looked different. A small bandage peeked out from the edge of her cheek, and her posture was unusually tense.
What really caught Aiah’s attention, though, was the man standing next to Colet. Tomas, tall and broad-shouldered, exuded a menacing aura that set him apart from the other shoppers. His dark suit and steely expression made it clear he wasn’t there for leisure.
Jhoanna smirked. “Yung paborito mong estudyante, may ka-date ata,” she teased.
Aiah bristled, tearing her eyes away from Colet and Tomas. “She’s not my favorite,” she said quickly, though the defensive edge in her tone was hard to miss.
Jeremy, noticing the exchange, glanced down at the pair. “Is she one of your students?”
“Yes,” Aiah replied curtly, her eyes flicking back to Colet.
Jeremy frowned slightly, his gaze lingering on Tomas. “The guy she’s with—he doesn’t look like a classmate.”
“He’s not,” Aiah muttered under her breath, a strange feeling twisting in her chest.
Downstairs, Colet walked beside Tomas, her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her hoodie. Her eyes darted around the mall, taking in the sea of faces.
“This is a waste of time,” she muttered.
“Your father wanted us to meet with the jeweler,” Tomas replied flatly, his tone leaving no room for argument. “We’re here to collect what’s owed.”
Colet rolled her eyes but said nothing. She hated being paraded around like some kind of enforcer, but she knew better than to argue.
As they neared the jewelry store, she suddenly felt the weight of someone’s gaze on her. She glanced up instinctively and froze.
On the upper floor, Professor Aiah Arceta was staring at her.
Their eyes met briefly, and Colet’s chest tightened. She could see the curiosity—and something else—flickering in Aiah’s expression. Quickly, she turned away, tugging her hood lower over her face.
“Something wrong?” Tomas asked, his sharp gaze scanning the crowd.
“No,” Colet said quickly. “Let’s just get this over with.”
Back on the upper floor, Aiah’s mind raced. The sight of Colet with Tomas had unsettled her more than she wanted to admit. The bandage on her face, the tension in her posture, the guarded way she had looked away—it all screamed that something was wrong.
“Interesting,” Jhoanna said, sipping her iced coffee as they continued walking. “Did you see that guy with her? Mukhang bodyguard—or maybe boyfriend?”
Aiah clenched her jaw, her steps faltering. “It’s none of our business,” she said, though the words felt hollow.
Jeremy glanced at her, his brow furrowing. “You seem… distracted. Do you want to check on her?”
“No,” Aiah said quickly, forcing herself to walk faster. “Let’s just get to the restaurant.”
But even as they sat down for lunch, her thoughts remained on Colet.
Inside the jewelry store, Tomas handled the negotiations while Colet lingered near the entrance, her arms crossed. She hated these moments—watching her family’s influence play out in such stark terms.
“Are we done?” she asked impatiently as Tomas pocketed a small velvet pouch.
Tomas gave her a look. “You’d better get used to this, Colet. Your father isn’t going to wait forever for you to step up.”
“I didn’t ask for this,” she muttered under her breath.
“You didn’t have to,” Tomas said coolly. “It’s in your blood.”
Colet bit back a retort, her mind drifting back to the brief moment she’d locked eyes with Aiah. She shook her head, trying to push the image away.
“Let’s go,” Tomas said, motioning toward the exit.
As they walked out of the store, Colet couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was still watching her.
Later that evening, Aiah sat in her apartment, staring blankly at her laptop. She had been trying to grade papers for hours, but her mind kept drifting back to the mall.
Who was that man with Colet? Why did she look so… different?
Aiah’s phone buzzed, pulling her out of her thoughts. It was a text from Jhoanna:
“Stop overthinking. Your ‘favorite student’ can handle herself. 😏”
Aiah sighed, tossing her phone onto the table. She wanted to believe that Colet was fine—that she didn’t need anyone’s help.
But deep down, she knew something wasn’t right.