Vrixian: The Missing Piece

Chapter 5: The Connection Deepens

The days passed in a blur for Christian, yet the encounter with Vrix continued to haunt his thoughts. No matter how busy he kept himself, the memory of Vrix’s intense gaze and the strange familiarity that hung in the air between them was something he couldn’t shake off. Parang may bumabalot na misteryo sa bawat pagtingin ni Vrix sa kanya—misteryong kailangan niyang tuklasin.

One afternoon, while Christian was preparing for another online live selling session, he received an unexpected call from Vrix's secretary.

"Mr. Martinez, Mr. Gallano would like to schedule a follow-up meeting with you," the secretary said in a crisp tone. "Would you be available tomorrow at 3 PM?"

Christian hesitated. Alam niyang mahirap tanggihan ang isang CEO tulad ni Vrix, but the idea of seeing him again filled him with both anticipation and anxiety. "Uh, sure. I can make it."

"Great. I’ll send you the details," the secretary replied before hanging up.

Christian stared at his phone, his mind racing. Anong gagawin ko? Anong sasabihin ko? At bakit ba parang kinakabahan ako? These questions swirled in his head, but before he could dwell on them, Perlas popped her head into the room.

"Sid! Let’s go!" she called out, dragging him out of his thoughts. "You’ve got a live session to start!"

Christian quickly composed himself, hiding the nervousness he felt. "Coming, Perlas!"

As they set up for the live session, Perlas couldn’t help but notice the distracted look on Christian’s face. "Sid, what’s going on with you? Parang may malalim kang iniisip."

Christian shrugged, trying to play it cool. "It’s nothing. Just got a lot on my plate right now."

Perlas raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Don’t give me that, Sid. I know you better than that. Come on, spill."

Christian sighed, knowing he couldn’t keep anything from Perlas. "Vrix’s secretary called. He wants to meet with me again tomorrow."

Perlas' eyes widened, and a grin spread across her face. "Wow, Sid! That’s big news! Ano na naman kaya ang drama ng CEO na 'yan?"

Christian couldn’t help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. "I don’t know, Perlas. But it’s making me nervous. Every time I see him, it feels like there’s something I’m supposed to remember, pero wala talaga akong matandaan."

Perlas leaned closer, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "O baka naman may spark na 'yan, Sid? Crush mo ba si Mr. CEO?"

Christian rolled his eyes, giving her a playful shove. "Perlas, seryoso ka ba? It’s not like that. We’re just talking about business."

"Business, ha?" Perlas wiggled her eyebrows. "Pero aminin mo, guwapo si Vrix, ‘di ba?"

Christian sighed dramatically, knowing there was no escaping her teasing. "Oo na, guwapo na. Pero hindi ko type, okay?"

Perlas burst out laughing. "Sige na, Sid. Pero alam mo, kung ako ikaw, I’d play along. Malay mo, may something talaga kayo sa past. At kung hindi man, at least masaya 'yung journey!"

Christian chuckled, feeling a bit more at ease. "You and your wild ideas, Perlas. Sige na nga, let’s just get through this live session first."

***

The following day, Christian found himself once again at the entrance of the imposing Gallano Industries building. The sleek, modern design and towering glass walls made him feel small, but he squared his shoulders, reminding himself that he belonged here just as much as anyone else.

He was escorted to Vrix’s office, and as he entered, he couldn’t help but notice the way Vrix’s expression softened when their eyes met. For a brief moment, the cold, professional demeanor that Vrix usually wore seemed to slip away, replaced by something more tender and familiar.