My Unforgettable Spectrum (Cariñoso Series #1)

PROLOGUE

Prologue (Updated Version) 

"Ma'am Claire, the time of your meeting with the board tomorrow is 4 P.M. Then at 7 o'clock you have dinner with them and your Friday flight will depart at 3 A.M. May gusto po ba kayo ipa-adjust?" My assistant asked while looking at the iPad. 

Ganoon ang naging buhay ko dito sa New York nang maging Architect ako. It was just like a routine for me. Several things changed when I finally succeeded in moving in. I've met new people, made a lot of discoveries, and realized a lot of things. However, I believe that my heart will always belong to the people I used to laugh with. I seem to be still experiencing issues adjusting.

"No. Okay na 'yan," I nodded at her while facing my laptop, replying to emails. "You can go home already. Thank you." 

"Okay po, Ma'am," she smiled. "Pero sigurado na po ba kayo na hindi niyo na kailangan ng assistant sa Pinas?"

"Gusto mo bang umuwi?" I asked her. Kaya ko naman mag-isa 'yon dahil isang proyekto lang at si Hendrix naman 'yon. Pero kung gusto ni Denise umuwi ay ayos lang din naman. I'm sure she misses her daughter.

"Ah, hindi naman po," mabilis siyang umiling bago ako bigyan ng maliit na ngiti.

"It's okay, Denise. Book your flight now." I smiled at her. Nakita kong mabilis na nabuhay ang mga mata niya bago ako yakapin. "Consider it as your vacation. You don't need to work while you're there. Charge your flight to me."

"Hala hindi na po kailangan, Ma'am! Ayos lang po. May naipon naman po ako." She shook her head but I insisted her.

"Thank you po talaga, Ma'am!" Halos maiyak siya habang nagsasalita. Denise has always been hardworking and determined about her job. She deserves a rest for a while. 

Rest. I remembered myself. My promise to myself... That I will prioritize myself. I failed my promise because every day, I always try my best to distract myself from everything that happened to me. Everything was so complicated.

I am currently finishing a design that will be built in the Philippines. It was an offer that I really wanted to decline pero wala akong magawa dahil hindi ko naman matanggihan si Hendrix. Bihira lang humingi sa akin 'yon ng pabor kaya nakakahiyang tumanggi. Ang dami-dami niyang pwedeng offer-an pero ako pa ang tinawagan niya! I just can't decline it. Nangako ako sakanya dati na kapag architect na ako, ako magtatayo ng building o bahay niya. 

I guess that fate will sometimes bring us to people we didn't want to see anymore... for reasons. It's not that I don't want to see them anymore pero natatakot kasi ako. I became so weak before... I had to deal with so much pain. Ayoko lang ulit maranasan 'yon.

I don't want to experience that kind of pain again. It's tiring.

I closed my laptop and stood up to get my bag. Gusto ko mag-kape ngayon. I haven't eaten my dinner yet. Busog pa naman kasi ako dahil marami kaming kinain ni Francesca kaninang lunch. Isa siya sa mga nakasama ko noong dito na 'ko tumira. 

I went to the coffee shop using my car. Umorder lang ako ng kape at umupo sa malapit na upuan para hintayin 'yung inorder ko. I went back to my office and started working again when I saw that it was 12 A.M. already. Tapos ko naman na 'yung mga designs, email nalang ginagawa ko. Pwede ko naman na 'to tapusin nalang bukas. Just when I am fixing my things, I suddenly heard my phone rang. It's Francesca.