Maven and Adrianna were born on opposite sides of a century-old feud-two scions of rival dynasties steeped in pride, power, and revenge. He's fire. She's ice. Their worlds were never meant to merge, yet fate orchestrates their collision with unrelen...
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It was a whisper at first. Nothing more than a passing comment during a lull in Legal Method, drowned out by the rustling of case digests and the clack of laptop keys.
"Check De Talavera's post," someone behind me murmured. I didn't flinch, but my pulse kicked. "That girl in the shot... she looks familiar."
I kept my eyes on my screen, pretending to highlight, but I could feel it—the prickling awareness at the back of my neck. Law school was many things, but subtle wasn't one of them.
By the time I stepped out of class, the hallway chatter had shifted just slightly, like a breeze changing direction. A few upperclassmen from Ateneo Law were loitering by the vending machines, one of them tilting their phone toward the others.
"Isn't that the fountain at Hong Kong Disneyland?"
"Looks like it."
"And the girl?"
"Hard to tell. It's dark. But the silhouette—could be anyone. Long hair, slim build, medyo 'Adrianna-vibes' nga, no?"
I walked right past them, not slowing, not reacting. But my stomach was in knots. I already knew the post. I'd seen it the moment he uploaded it.
A shot from behind. The two of us in front of the glowing Disney castle, the sky lit with fireworks. His arm around my shoulders. My head resting against him. No tags. No names. Just that devastating caption:
"Some things don't need to be said to be real."
My notifications had blown up by the time I got back to my car.
@Cassie.law: Sis... you been quiet lately. Anything you wanna share?
@thirdyearicon (one of those Ateneo kids who lived for gossip): Sources say De Talavera's finally serious. Mystery girl alert?
@anonlawconfessions: Adrianna S., fourth-year heartbreaker? Seen hanging out a little too far from Makati lately.
I didn't respond. I just threw my phone in the passenger seat and stared at the steering wheel.
No one knew. Not really. But they were watching.
And if there was one thing the Sobreviñas were never taught to handle... it was being watched while holding a secret you couldn't afford to drop.
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"OMG! Taken na si Maven!"
Breath hitching, Jasmine wailed, her high-pitched voice screeching next to my ear. She's been going at it since the time we stepped out of the Caf. Numerous O, M and G thrown to every words she said that I lost count on how many times she heaved a sigh of frustration every time she looked at her phone.
