The Unbroken But Impure

CHAPTER 35 THE DEAL

Thursday Morning...............

Mae woke with the faint hum of an air conditioner and the muted sound of tricycles passing outside Mateo's house. The pale light of morning spilled into the room through half-closed curtains, painting soft stripes across the bed.

She blinked slowly, registering the strange but comforting fact that she wasn't in her own apartment. She was here inside Mateo's home where silence wrapped the air like an invisible blanket.

The events of last night lingered in her mind like ghosts refusing to leave. Her body still remembered the restless night, the gnawing worry that secrets, her secrets might have been carelessly whispered into ears they were never meant for. She exhaled heavily, trying to shake it off.

She moved to the small kitchen and began preparing breakfast: fried eggs, toast, and coffee. A simple meal, but the familiar scent of sizzling butter gave her a momentary sense of normalcy. Out of habit, she reached for the remote and turned on the TV, the morning news anchor's crisp voice filling the quiet house.

What she heard next made the coffee cup pause midway to her lips.

"Breaking news this morning: Urdaneta City Mayor Willie Villarico, his bodyguard and four police officers—identified as Luis Mendez, Adrian Cruz, Nathan Fernandez and Mark Javier—were killed in a tragic accident late last night. Their SUV reportedly lost control and swerved off the highway before crashing into a concrete barrier. Authorities are investigating, but initial reports point to brake failure..."

Mae froze.

Luis. Adrian. Mark.

Her mind replayed the moments those same officers, only days ago, letting her into their home, breaking her little-by-little. She remembered the strange mix of guilt and dread she'd felt when leaving them. They had been kind... in their own way. But they had also been witnesses to a part of her life she had carefully sealed away from Mateo.

And now... they were gone. Did Wibert....?

She set the coffee cup down slowly. The shock swelled inside her chest, a tightening that was neither grief nor relief something in between, tangled and complicated. She should have felt sorrow. Instead, what she felt was... release. The danger of her secrets reaching Mateo's ears had just disappeared in a single, violent twist of fate.

Her lips trembled—not from sadness, but from the strange, guilty freedom that washed over her.

Mateo wouldn't be back until next week. She had seven days to herself. No urgent obligations, no one watching her closely.

She sipped her coffee again, this time with a steadier hand.

At Mateo's Restaurant....

By midmorning, Mae decided she couldn't stay in the house all day with nothing but her thoughts for company. Mateo's restaurant was only a short drive away, and perhaps immersing herself in the rhythm of his business would help her mind settle.

When she arrived, the manager an efficient woman in her forties named Clarissa was just stepping out of the kitchen, clipboard in hand.

"Oh, Mae!" Clarissa greeted warmly. "Perfect timing. Are you free today?"

Mae nodded. "Yes. Why?"

"I need someone to check on Love Nest bar for me," Clarissa said, exhaling in relief. "It's one of Mateo's properties, but I'm swamped here. I've got a stack of deliveries to oversee, a supplier meeting at three, and an inspection later. Aling Nancy is still in Ilocos and she will be back next week. You know that place better than anyone, at least from before, so I thought you could go there and make sure everything's in order."

Mae hesitated. "It's been a while since I've been there....."

"I know," Clarissa said gently, "but this is just business. You won't have to...... you know."

Mae gave a small smile. "Alright. I guess I could use the distraction."

Love Nest Bar......

The familiar neon sign greeted her like an old acquaintance she wasn't sure she wanted to see again. The Love Nest looked unchanged from the outside its tinted windows guarding whatever lay within. Mae walked in, inhaling the faint scent of perfume and liquor that still clung to the walls like a memory.

Mateo's office was at the back. She settled in behind his desk and began flipping through the documents: sales records, liquor invoices, schedules for weekend performances. Everything was neatly organized. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that this place held echoes of her past self, Yvonne, the persona she had worn like armor.

There was a light knock at the door. Clarissa's assistant, Jodie, peeked in.

"Hi, Mae. The manager would like to speak with you for a moment."

Mae followed her into the lounge area. The bar's current manager, Leo, was waiting, his expression a mixture of business and curiosity.

"Yvonne." Leo began, "I've got an unusual request for you. One of our regulars is hosting his best friend's stag party here on Saturday night. Apparently, the groom's a big fan of 'Yvonne'. He's the one who win the auction in the "Kiss of the Night Sky". The best man asked if you could perform during the party. Just.... entertain. Do the usual stuff like you did on the stage. No extra nonsense."

Mae blinked. "He's the one? You're serious?"

Mae remembered the night she spread her legs in front of the audience while that man kissed her between her legs.

Leo raised his hands in reassurance. "Nothing shady. You'll just be the star of the night. He's willing to pay big. Very big."

Mae crossed her arms, torn. "I promised myself I wouldn't go back to that kind of work."

"I understand," Leo said, his voice calm but persuasive. "And I wouldn't be asking if this wasn't a good deal. Plus, you know this stage like no one else. You'd be in full control."

She gave a humorless laugh. "Tell him I'll do it for a hundred thousand." She meant it as a joke a ridiculous number to ensure the conversation ended there.

But Leo didn't laugh. Instead, he pulled out his phone, dialed, and exchanged a brief conversation with someone on the other end. Then he hung up, looking at her with a grin.

"He agreed." He smiled.

Mae stared at him, stunned. "What?"

"He'll pay a hundred thousand. Cash."

For a moment, Mae felt the air leave her lungs. That was more money than she had ever been offered for a single performance. It was absurd. It was tempting. And it was dangerous.

She's still healing from the 'instalment processes' the past nights.

"You don't have to say yes." Leo added, though his eyes said he hoped she would.

Mae rubbed her temple. She had sworn she'd left Yvonne behind, but here was fate, or temptation, dangling a fortune in front of her. A single night. A controlled environment. No one had to know.

Finally, she exhaled. "Fine. I'll do it. But you tell no one. Not Clarissa, not Mateo, not Aling Nancy, not anyone. This stays between us."

Leo's smile widened. "Of course. I'll make sure it's a private arrangement. And just so you know, the best man wanted me to tell you he's a gentleman. You'll be treated with respect."

Mae gave a small, skeptical smirk. "We'll see."

As she walked back to Mateo's office, she felt the weight of the decision settle in her chest. She told herself it was just business. Just another way to earn money.

But deep down, she knew there was more to it a mix of curiosity, nostalgia, and the thrill of stepping once more into a world she thought she had escaped.

Or maybe another phase of the little-by-little process.