"Finally, it's done!" Kaye exclaimed, stretching her arms.
The latest chapter of Rubie's story was published on their official site after five days since their return to J City. Kaye's parents were delighted to meet Timothy, expressing their appreciation with abundant fruits and vegetables. She could still picture their faces, beaming with genuine affection—they really liked him.
"Kaye, someone's looking for you," Tin said, sipping her milk tea.
A delivery man appeared behind her, bearing a load of food and flowers.
"Good morning, ma'am, delivery!" he announced.
Kaye sighed, recognizing the familiar sender—Timothy.
"Please put that on the table. Thank you," Kaye instructed, and the delivery man promptly left.
Tin, inspecting the contents, remarked, "Seems like the mayor is really serious about you. He keeps sending you gifts every day; how sweet he is."
"I won't be able to finish all these foods; come and join me," Kaye invited.
Tin gladly opened the packages and took a bite. "So, when are you going to accept him?"
"I don't know; I'm still not thinking about it," Kaye replied, scrolling through her phone filled with messages from Timothy.
"Oh, come on, he's a nice guy. Can't you see all his efforts? Why don't you give him a chance and date him?" Tin suggested.
Kaye sighed, staring at the flowers. Tin was right—Timothy was sweet and caring. Despite his efforts, something in her heart held her back.
"I don't know; I'm just scared that our relationship might fail and end in hurt," Kaye admitted.
"That's normal; it's part of loving someone. Love is not only about being happy together; sometimes, you will also feel pain. Trust and communication are the foundation of every relationship, Kaye," Tin wisely advised.
Sighing, Kaye considered Tin's words. "Alright. I'll try," she conceded.
"Really? Will you date him for real?" Tin's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Yeah. I'll talk to him later," Kaye confirmed.
Tin continued happily eating, leaving Kaye to gaze out of the office window, lost in deep thoughts.
.
.
....
Timothy found himself lost in thoughts of Kaye during a meeting, impatiently checking his wristwatch. Tsk. How long would this meeting end?
The passing minutes felt like an eternity as he eagerly anticipated its end.
"I heard Councilor Alex was in the hospital," one councilor mentioned.
"Yes, I heard he was physically injured and still unconscious," added another.
"They said he borrowed a large amount of money from Dragons," shared the third councilor.
"Dragons? Is he out of his mind? That group was under the Fuentebella Family," one councilor remarked.
The mention of Dragons sent shivers, known for ruthless tactics in debt collection.
Dragons is a money lending company affiliated with the Fuentebella Family, the most powerful mafia family in the country. It preys on desperate individuals, notorious for imposing exorbitant interest rates. Failure to meet payment deadlines leads to escalating debt. They are ruthless, capable of seizing property and posing threats to one's family. Escape is futile, as they possess the means to track down individuals. Indifferent to forms of repayment, be it money, property, or even selling a family member, Dragons prioritizes only one thing – money.
"I heard his debt is about 2 million pesos," another councilor revealed.
(36,085.12 usd)
"Poor Alex, and now he has to pay for hospital bills. His family was so unfortunate," sympathized another.
"Can't we do something about them?" a councilor queried, turning to Timothy, who was well-aware of Fuentebella's dangerous influence.
"Unfortunately, we can't touch them. Even the Governor declared not to be involved with those mafias or else this place will be in a mess," Timothy explained, emphasizing the risk.
The councilors sighed collectively, fully aware of the perilous nature of dealing with the Fuentebella Family.
"Besides, it's Councilor Alex's fault for borrowing money from Dragons. We can't do anything about that," Timothy asserted, earning unanimous nods from the council members.
"If there's nothing more to discuss now, shall we end our meeting today?" Timothy suggested.
"Yes, that's all for today," affirmed another council member.
"Alright, the meeting is now adjourned," Timothy said, bringing the session to a close.
Every member left one by one, leaving only Timothy and his executive assistant in the room.
"Are you leaving early today, sir?" his assistant inquired.
"Yeah, don't forget to place all the documents inside my office." Timothy directed, walking out of the room followed by his bodyguards.
At the car, he declared, "I'll drive alone again today."
The bodyguards exchanged glances, hesitating, but they couldn't disobey his orders.
Timothy got in his car and drove off, his mind still preoccupied with thoughts of Kaye.
.
.
....
"Kaye, we're going to the restobar tonight. Wanna join us?" Yvo, her coworker, asked as they walked out of their building.
"I'm sorry, but I have other plans tonight," Kaye replied.
"Oh, come on, we miss hanging out with you. You've been on leave for weeks. Tin also refused us because she has a date with her boyfriend tonight," Yvo insisted, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"I'm really sorry. Maybe next time," Kaye apologized.
"Naahhh. You've been occupied lately," Yvo remarked.
As they walked, Timothy approached, wearing a serious expression, and called out, "Kaye!"
"Mayor..." Yvo acknowledged.
Timothy quickly pulled Kaye away from Yvo, surprising both Kaye and Yvo.
"W-What happened? You seem in a bad mood," Kaye asked.
Instead of answering, Timothy glared at Yvo. "Who are you?" he asked, his eyes burning with intensity.
Yvo gulped, feeling scared under Timothy's gaze.
"He's my colleague," Kaye introduced.
"But why were you so close to her earlier? Is that how colleagues always behave?" Timothy questioned.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause a misunderstanding. We used to do that before, and there's nothing wrong with it," Yvo explained nervously.
"Nothing wrong?" Timothy gritted his teeth, clenching his fists, intensifying the atmosphere.
"It's a normal thing between friends. Please calm down..." Kaye tried to defuse the tension, holding Timothy's hand. "We're friends..."
Timothy struggled to contain his anger, resisting the urge to lash out. "Let's go," he said, grabbing Kaye and leaving.
Kaye apologized to Yvo with a gesture before getting into the car.
Yvo scratched his head, thinking, "Man, that guy is so scary."
.
.
It was eerily quiet inside the car. Kaye sighed, unable to discuss her feelings with Timothy in his current mood.
Why was he mad? Was it jealousy creeping in?
She stared out of the car window, lost in her thoughts. Timothy noticed her restlessness, sighed, and held her hand.
"Are you mad?" Kaye asked.
"That guy is pissing me off," Timothy confessed while driving.
"But he did nothing wrong," she explained.
"Yes, he did. Touching you was his biggest mistake," he asserted.
"But we always did that as friends. Yvo is a nice and friendly person; he's close to everyone," she further clarified.
"Always? So he touches you always?" Timothy questioned, abruptly stopping the car.
"Why does it seem like you're accusing him of harassing me?" she retorted.
"Because no one can touch you except me!" he shouted. "You're mine, Kaye! You're only mine! And I won't hesitate to punch anyone that dares to touch you!"
Kaye felt a tinge of fear seeing him in that state. His possessiveness was suffocating. She looked away, unable to open her heart to him in such moments. However, Timothy gently placed her hand on his cheek, surprising her when she saw tears in his eyes. "I can't lose you... I don't want to. I don't know what will happen to me if someone takes you away from me."
Biting her lower lip, Kaye cupped his face. "I-I'm sorry... It won't happen again," she reassured, feeling the weight of his emotions.
Timothy hugged her tightly. No one... No one can take you away from me, Kaye. You're only mine.
.
.
"See you tomorrow," Timothy said, gently kissing her hand.
"Yeah, good night," she replied.
Timothy smiled. "Good night."
Kaye entered her apartment, settling onto the couch. "Haaa..." she sighed, pondering over Timothy's possessiveness.
Her phone beeped. She picked it up, reading Timothy's message. He apologized for his earlier actions and, as a gesture of reconciliation, invited her to dinner. A smile played on her lips; perhaps Timothy wasn't as she had thought.
.
.
"How is it?" Timothy asked someone on his phone.
(It's already done, sir. He promised he won't approach her again. He even said that he will resign and change workplaces.)
"Good, make sure that Kaye won't learn about this."
(Yes, sir.)
Timothy smirked, continuing to drive his car.
.
.
In another part of the city, Yvo was covered in bruises and wounds, surrounded by ominous figures dressed in black.