Rivals In The Spotlight (Old Ver.)

Chapter 16 : Business

Callah's POV

It's Friday. Meaning, may recitation kami ngayong araw. I should be prepared. I am prepared. But with everything that's been happening lately, my mind feels like a jumbled mess.

I walked into the classroom, adjusting the strap of my bag while scanning the room. As expected, everyone looked tense. Our professor, Mr. Delgado, was known for being ruthless when it came to questioning students. If you didn't know the answer, he would embarrass you in front of the entire class.

I took my usual seat near the window and pulled out my notes, trying to focus.

"Good luck," a voice murmured beside me.

I turned and found Rain Celeste giving me a small smile.

I raised an eyebrow. "Since when did we start exchanging words?"

She rolled her eyes. "Just don't mess up. I don't want to deal with secondhand embarrassment."

I scoffed but didn't respond. Typical Rain.

Just as I was about to return to my notes, the door swung open. The room fell into a hush as Skylark and Anais Montenegro walked in, as if they owned the place.

Umigting ang aking panga.

Umiwas ako ng tingin at inabala na lang ang sarili sa pagbabasa kahit nakaka-distract ang presensya nilang dalawa. Tangina talaga.

Mas lalong lumala ang sitwasyon nang pumasok si Stephen kasunod nila.

Hindi tulad sa magkapatid na Montenegro, na laging may dalang kayabangan, si Stephen ay gumalaw nang tahimik pero matindi. Dumaan ang kaniyang matatalas na itim na mata sa buong silid bago tuluyang bumagsak ang tingin niya sa akin.

My breath hitched, but I quickly looked away. Nakalimutan kong kaklase ko din pala ang damuhong ito. Si Ivo lang ang hindi dahil law ang kinuha niya pero ginawa niyang option. Kaloka.

Namiss ko na siya.

"Alright, class," Mr. Delgado's voice broke the silence. "Let's get started."

Lalong bumigat ang tensyon sa silid. Isa-isa, tinawag ang mga estudyante sa unahan upang sagutin ang mahihirap na sitwasyong pangnegosyo at ipagtanggol ang kanilang mga opinyon. May ilan na mahusay na nakapagsalita. Ang iba naman, tuluyang bumigay sa bigat ng presyon. Hindi naman kasi basta-basta 'to.

Then, my name was called.

I stood up, smoothing down my blouse, and walked confidently to the front.

Mr. Delgado leaned against his desk, his sharp gaze studying me. "Callah, let's say you're managing a company that is facing a sudden financial crisis. Your investors are pulling out, and your stocks are crashing. How would you handle this situation?"

I took a deep breath. This was my moment.

I straightened my posture and began my answer, outlining a solid financial recovery strategy, cutting unnecessary costs, restructuring investments, and rebuilding investor confidence.

Ramdam na ramdam ko ang mga matang nakatitig sa akin. Wala ni isang nagsalita maliban sa professor.

When I finished, Mr. Delgado nodded. "Good answer. Now, let's see if you can defend it."

A smirk crossed his face as he turned to the class. "Stephen, challenge her response."

My stomach twisted.

Of all people… why did it have to be him?

Fuck.

Bigla akong pinagpawisan ng malagkit. Hindi ko pa narinig o nakitang sumagot si Stephen dahil madalas ko lang itong makita sa klase. Busy ito sa trabaho niya sa lupain namin.

Papaano siya makakasagot gayong limitado lamang ang kaniyang natutunan?

I kept my expression neutral, but deep down, irritation flared inside me.

Stephen stood up from his seat, exuding that same intimidating presence he always carried. His black eyes locked onto mine as he made his way to the front of the room. The air in the classroom shifted.

Even the Montenegro brothers were watching with amusement, halatang natutuwa sa kung ano mang mangyayari.

Huminto si Stephen ilang talampakan mula sa akin, isinilid ang mga kamay sa bulsa, at tahimik akong pinagmasdan.

"Your strategy sounds ideal on paper," he stated, his voice deep and calm. "But in reality, cutting costs and restructuring investments isn't always enough. If the market confidence is already low, your investors won't just hesitate, they'll abandon ship entirely. So, tell me, Callah…" He tilted his head slightly, eyes challenging. "How do you actually plan to convince them to stay?"

Namayani ang katahimikan sa loob ng classroom.

Pumikit ako ng mariin bago siya balingan ulit ng tingin. Hindi ako papatalo, Stephen Cole.

"Confidence in a company comes from stability and future projections," I responded smoothly. "Investors don't just look at the present loss; they assess long-term profitability. By presenting a well-detailed recovery plan and bringing in new potential partners, the company can rebuild trust. It's not about stopping them from leaving, it's about giving them a reason to come back."

Stephen's lips twitched slightly, almost like he was impressed. Almost.

"That's assuming you have time to rebuild trust," he countered. "What if they don't wait? What if they take their money and run before your recovery plan even takes effect?"

Hindi ako nagdadalawang isip. "Then that's where negotiations come in. Some investors may be hesitant, but offering equity incentives or temporary dividends can encourage them to stay." I crossed my arms, meeting his stare head-on. "It's about knowing which investors to retain and which ones to let go. Keeping unreliable investors is just as dangerous as losing funding."

Hindi kaagad sumagot si Stephen. Tiningnan niya lang ako as if searching for any sign of weakness.

I refused to give him any.

Mr. Delgado suddenly chuckled. "Interesting exchange." He glanced at Stephen. "Do you have a final rebuttal?"

Tinitigan niya muli ako. Titig na para bang lalamunin ka kapag nagkamali ka.

Damn it.

"No. She defended her point well," he admitted.

Tumaas ng bahagya ang aking kilay sa kaniyang sinabi.

Did… did he just agree with me?

"Very well." Mr. Delgado nodded. "That was an excellent debate. Callah, well done. Stephen, good effort."

As I walked back to my seat, I could feel Stephen's eyes still on me. But this time, there was something different in his gaze.

Something unreadable.

And for some reason… it made my heart race.

"Stephen just admitted Callah was right."

"That was intense. Are they rivals or something?"

"Or maybe… there's something else going on between them?"

Iilan lamang 'yan sa bulungan ng mga kaklase ko. Hindi ko pinansin dahil wala naman akong pakialam sa iisipin nila.

I'm done.

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