A Legacy in Bloom: Casa Montenegro Series 2

Chapter 9

The next morning, the usual hum of the hotel was replaced by a quieter tension. Despite their peaceful night, something hung in the air between Aya and Sy, an unspoken heaviness that neither of them wanted to address but both knew was there.

Aya sat by the window, her gaze lost in the bustling city of Bangkok. The vibrant colors of the markets, the sounds of the tuk-tuks, and the smell of street food all felt far away. She was here, physically, but her thoughts kept drifting to Sy. To what they had shared, and what they still needed to figure out.

Sy, on the other hand, paced in the other room. He had received another text from Zay earlier in the morning—one that had him on edge. His father's health was deteriorating faster than expected, and the pressure to return to the family business was becoming unbearable.

Zay: Dad wants you back. We need to talk about your role. Can you make it back soon?

Sy couldn't bring himself to respond immediately. Every part of him wanted to escape, to push the responsibility away for just a little longer. But he knew that wasn't an option. Not anymore.

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Aya turned from the window, her eyes locking with Sy as he walked into the room, his face drawn with exhaustion.

"Sy," she began softly, "we need to talk."

He froze, the weight of her words immediately sinking in. They had avoided talking about his family and the pressure he was under, but now it felt like the right moment.

He sighed, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "I know. I just... I don't know where to start."

Aya walked over to him, her hand gently resting on his arm. "Start with how you're feeling. I'm here, Sy. You don't have to carry all this on your own."

Sy looked at her, his eyes filled with so much uncertainty. He had never felt so torn in his life. On one hand, he wanted to stay in Bangkok, to let things unfold with Aya. But on the other hand, his duty to his family, to the Montenegro legacy, was calling him back.

"I feel like I'm being pulled in two directions," he said, his voice strained. "My family... they need me back in Manila. But I don't want to go. Not yet. Not when things with you are finally starting to make sense."

Aya's heart ached for him. She understood that pull, the one between duty and desire. She had been there herself, struggling between her own ambitions and the expectations placed on her by her family.

"You don't have to choose right now," she said, her voice calm yet firm. "You don't have to make any decisions until you're ready. But know this, Sy—whatever you decide, I'll be here. I want you to be happy. Not just for me, but for yourself."

He met her gaze, his eyes searching hers. She could see the turmoil in them, the conflicting emotions that were tearing at him.

"I don't know if I can do it, Aya," he admitted quietly. "I don't know if I can keep running away from what my family wants me to be."

Aya took a deep breath, letting the silence settle between them before speaking again. "Sy, it's not about running away. It's about standing up for yourself. You've been living for everyone else your whole life. Maybe it's time you start living for you."

Sy nodded slowly, the weight of her words sinking in. "You make it sound so simple," he murmured, his voice full of doubt.

"It's not simple," Aya replied. "But it's worth it. And you're worth it, Sy. Don't let anyone make you feel like you have to be someone else."

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. But in that silence, something shifted. Sy felt lighter somehow, as if the burden on his chest had eased just a little bit. Aya had given him the courage to think beyond the expectations of his family.