Hearts in Conflict

Chapter 17: Jealousy and Unraveling Tensions

The morning after the heated revelations, Kate woke up with a heavy feeling in her chest. The events of the previous night kept replaying in her mind—Matteo's secrets, Niklaus' dark family past, and the strange chemistry that seemed to be building between them, despite everything.

She sighed and got out of bed, only to hear her phone buzz on the table. It was a message from Gia.

Gia:"Besh, meet me sa breakfast! May chismis ako about Carlo at... guess who?! Si Celeste!"

Kate's eyes widened. "Celeste? What's she up to now?"

Scene: Breakfast by the beach

Kate hurried to the breakfast area, where Gia was already sitting with a spread of food in front of her. Gia had that knowing grin on her face, the kind that always spelled trouble—or at least something juicy.

"Besh, ang dami kong alam na chismis! Pero teka, paano ka muna?" Gia asked, biting into a croissant. "Nag-usap na ba kayo ni Niklaus?"

Kate sat down, resting her chin on her hand. "Nag-usap kami kagabi. Pero honestly, I still don't know how to feel. Ang daming complications."

Gia nodded sympathetically, but her eyes were sparkling with excitement. "Complications talaga! Pero eto, alam mo bang si Celeste, kahapon ko lang nakita with Carlo, nag-uusap sa pool! Mukhang may sariling plot twist 'yan, ha!"

Kate blinked in confusion. "Si Carlo? Yung bodyguard ni Matteo?"

"Exactly!" Gia grinned. "And girl, mukhang may tension din between Celeste and Matteo. Nakita ko silang nag-uusap in private. Hmmm, may something fishy talaga."

Before Kate could respond, Niklaus walked into the breakfast area, looking sharp and freshly showered. As soon as he spotted Kate, his face softened, and he made his way over to her.

"Kate, can we talk? About last night..." he began, his voice low, ignoring the presence of Gia who immediately started sipping her coffee, eyes wide open, ready for the drama.

Kate sighed, looking up at him. "Niklaus, hindi ko pa alam kung anong sasabihin. Matteo—"

"Forget Matteo," Niklaus interrupted, sitting down beside her. "I don't want him messing with what we have."

Gia, now sitting on the edge of her seat, whispered loudly, "Ay, may 'what we have' na pala kayo! Niklaus, ang lakas mo rin ha. Smooth!" She winked, while Kate shot her a look.

Niklaus chuckled but stayed focused on Kate. "Seriously, I don't want you to get caught up in Matteo's games. He's trying to cause problems—"

"Cause problems? Sino ang nag-cause ng problema?"

Suddenly, Celeste walked in, her heels clicking sharply against the pavement, her eyes locking onto Niklaus. She had overheard enough to know this was her moment to stir the pot.

Niklaus groaned internally. "Celeste, hindi ka kasama sa usapan na ito."

"Excuse me?" Celeste crossed her arms, glaring at him. "You think I don't know what's going on here? Matteo's back, and you think you can just push me aside like it's nothing? We have history, Niklaus. You can't erase that."

Kate felt a pang of jealousy hit her unexpectedly. "History? Really, Niklaus? You didn't mention anything about that."

Celeste smirked, sensing Kate's unease. "Oh, didn't he? We've been through a lot together. He's not as innocent as you think, Kate. You're just part of his latest... distraction."

Gia, still very much in the conversation, dramatically gasped. "Girl, ikaw ba yung 'distraction'?!" she teased Kate, adding some lightness, but the tension between the three was undeniable.

Before Niklaus could defend himself, Matteo sauntered in, cool and collected as always. He seemed to enjoy the chaos swirling around him, his eyes darting between Kate, Celeste, and Niklaus.

"Well, well, well," Matteo drawled. "This is getting interesting. Didn't expect breakfast to come with such a... show."

"Matteo, don't start," Niklaus warned, his voice laced with irritation.

Matteo raised his hands in mock innocence. "Start what? I'm just here to enjoy the view. Looks like you've got your hands full, cousin. One girl from your past, one from your present. How very... typical of you."

Kate glared at Matteo, feeling her own frustration rising. "Matteo, ano ba ang point mo dito? Are you just here to cause trouble?"

"Oh, no, Kate," Matteo replied, giving her a sly grin. "I'm here because of family. But you... you're a wildcard. And let me guess, Niklaus hasn't told you everything yet, has he?"

Niklaus' face hardened. "Matteo, stop. I'm warning you."

But Matteo leaned in closer, as if revealing a secret. "You think you know who you're dealing with, Kate? Niklaus has always been the perfect son, cleaning up after everyone's messes. But there's more to his story than you realize."

"Enough, Matteo!" Niklaus stood up abruptly, slamming his hand on the table. "You're done."

Celeste, still playing her part, stood beside Matteo and placed a hand on his arm. "Maybe it's time you learned the truth, Kate. About what really happened between Niklaus and me."

Kate's heart raced. She felt Gia nudge her arm under the table, silently telling her to stay calm. But the weight of all the secrets was starting to crush her.

"Fine," Kate said, standing up to face Niklaus. "Tell me. What's the truth, Niklaus?"

Niklaus looked at her, his eyes pleading. "Kate, it's not what you think. Celeste and I—"

"You don't have to explain anything to her," Celeste interrupted, stepping closer to Niklaus. "We were together. It was real, Niklaus. Whether you want to admit it or not."

Gia raised an eyebrow, leaning over to whisper to Kate, "Besh, ang init ng sitwasyon dito ha. Parang biglang naging intense love triangle. Sino ba talaga?"

Kate felt her blood boil. She was confused, jealous, and frustrated. All of a sudden, it felt like she didn't know who to trust.

And then, just when she thought it couldn't get worse, Carlo appeared, walking up to the group with an unreadable expression. He glanced at Gia and then looked directly at Matteo.

"Matteo, we need to talk. Now," Carlo said in a low voice, pulling Matteo aside.

Gia, who was still trying to enjoy her breakfast, looked between Carlo and Matteo, completely confused. "Wait, what's happening now? Bakit si Carlo parang serious bigla?"

Carlo gave Gia a brief, apologetic smile before pulling Matteo even farther away. Whatever they were discussing, it looked intense.

Niklaus sighed heavily, taking Kate's hand gently. "Kate, please, let's go somewhere quiet. I need to explain everything—without all of this," he motioned to Celeste, Matteo, and the entire mess around them.

Celeste laughed coldly. "You really think you can just walk away from this? From us?"

Kate was about to respond, but before she could, a loud crashing noise erupted from behind them. Everyone turned to see Carlo, fists clenched, standing over Matteo, who was sprawled on the ground. It seemed their "private conversation" had escalated quickly.

"Oh my God, what just happened?!" Gia shrieked, standing up and running toward Carlo. "Carlo, bakit kayo nag-away?!"

Matteo groaned as he pushed himself up, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "This... isn't over," he muttered, glaring at Carlo.

Gia, now caught in the middle of the unfolding chaos, stood beside Carlo, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What is going on? Bakit parang action movie na 'to?!"

Niklaus grabbed Kate's hand, pulling her away from the scene. "Come on, Kate. Let's get out of here before things get worse."

But as they walked away, Kate couldn't shake the feeling that things were only going to get more complicated from here.