"Pretty Little Promise's"

CHAPTER 9 - HEAT UP

Risa Pov:

I was about to slip behind the wheel when it hit me - I'd left my wallet in Alice's office. The one with the picture of us, the one that held the weight of our shared past. Panic surged through me. Would she see it? Would those memories flood back, washing away the fragile hope of a future together?

"Shet! No!" I muttered, scrambling back to her office. As I pushed open the door, I saw her - leaning back in her chair, a quiet power in her stillness.

"Your wallet," she said, her voice a gentle wave in the stillness. "You left it kanina buti bumalik ka"

"Ah, um, Alice... did you open it?" My voice trembled, a confession hanging in the air.

"Yes," she replied, her gaze steady.

"So you saw the picture. Did... did you remember anything, Alice?" The words felt heavy, a plea disguised as a question.

"Remember what?" Her voice was a low murmur, a hint of a question, a challenge.

"Everything," I choked out, the words tumbling out, "every single moment I hurt you."

"Good," she said, the word a breath of air, a sigh of recognition. "You remember everything you did to me."

"I'm sorry," I pleaded, the words feeling hollow, an apology that arrived too late.

"No," she said, her voice a quiet but firm refusal. "This is not the right time for you to apologize."

I sank to my knees before her, her figure silhouetted against the window, a silent silhouette against the fading light. Her gaze was fixed on something beyond the windowpane, lost in thoughts I couldn't fathom

"Alice," I whispered, my voice trembling with a hope that felt like a flickering candle in the wind, "nagbago naba Ang Pag Tingin mo saken? "

"Please," I pleaded, my voice catching in my throat, "give me another chance ,Sayo lang Ako "

"Alice kung sinaktan man Kita noon now I promise you it won't happen again," I vowed, my words carrying the weight of a thousand apologies.

Her eyes, sharp and bright, turned to me, a storm brewing within their depths.
"And how can you be so sure?to that " she challenged, her voice a low rumble.

"I'll do anything, anything at all, to have you back in my life, Alice,kahit gumawa pa ako ng ka kriminalan Gagawin ko " I said, the words spilling out like a desperate prayer. "Even if it means crossing lines, breaking rules, I will do it to win you back."

"Prove it, Senator," she said, her words laced with ice. She rose from her chair, a silent queen ready to leave her court.

I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. I couldn't let her go. Reaching out, I circled my arms around her, my fingers tangling in her hair, a desperate attempt to hold onto the woman who had become my world.

"Alice, Ngayon pa ba Ako uurong Sayo No! " I whispered, my breath warm against her skin.

Her eyes met mine, a storm of emotions raging within them. "Do whatever you have to do," she said, her voice laced with a dangerous undercurrent.
"If you can earn my trust back, then maybe... just maybe... I'll consider giving you another chance."

*************

Two days later, I stood again at the threshold of Alice's office, my heart pounding a relentless rhythm against my ribs. My resolve, however, was unwavering - I would court her, day after day, if that's what it took.

I pushed open the door, and there she was, engaged in conversation with Liseldo Calugay. A pang of jealousy shot through me, a sharp, unwelcome sensation that twisted in my gut.

"Mayor Liseldo," I greeted, my voice betraying a forced cheerfulness, "bakit ka andito"

Liseldo turned to me, a smug grin playing on his lips. "bakit ka din andito sen.? "

"Ah, Sen. Risa," Alice interjected, her eyebrows raised in a questioning look. "What are you doing here?"

"Bumibisita halata naman" I responded, forcing a smile.

Alice, as if sensing my unease, began to move, her every action designed to fan the flames of my jealousy. I was losing control, my insides churning with a potent cocktail of anger and frustration.

She spoke first, her voice soft and inviting,
"Ah Mayor Dong punta ka Sa Bahay Mamayang Gabi dinner tayo saglit lang"

"And what about me, Alice?" I asked, my voice tight with a barely concealed resentment.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there," she said, her tone dripping with a calculated insincerity.
"You're welcome to join us, if you'd like punta ka and if no di wag"

And then, with a calculated slowness, Alice reached out and took Mayor Liseldo's hand, her touch lingering a beat too long. I felt a cold fury grip me, the image of a knife twisting in his hand an unwelcome visitor in my mind