The Moonlight Assassin

The Beginning

This is a story of a handsome, intelligent, and good-hearted man who dreamed of a prosperous and peaceful life amidst his family's poor condition. Miguel Mangubat, a poor probinsyano from a distant farming village, was a well-known achiever in school because of his unsurpassed intelligence. 

Miguel Mangubat's calloused hands told the story his bright eyes tried to hide. The sunbaked fields and the weathered faces of his father, Cristobal, and his mother, Lorena, were a testament to generations of farmers in his dusty barrio. Yet, books whispered a different future. Miguel felt the pull of a world beyond rice paddies and carabao. News from the city, crackling through a battered radio, painted a picture of gleaming towers, of lives where sweat didn't equal survival, but success.

In school, he wasn't just clever; he was a lifeline. His tattered notebooks held not only lessons, but the hopes of his entire village. Their belief fueled him, ignited a hunger sharper than any empty stomach. When his battered suitcase rattled onto the city bus, Miguel wasn't just running towards opportunity, he was carrying the dreams of everyone he'd left behind.

He went on an adventure in the big metropolis to pursue a promising career. Attracted by the fortune the metropolis offered, he left his barrio to seek for a lucrative job. With all his effort, it led him to work for a prestigious company owned by an influential family.

Miguel worked as a supervisor at Del Fierro Group, a multinational real estate conglomerate famous for building lavish, high-end shopping malls, subdivisions and condominiums in the country. He became famous, not only because of his excellent work and unmatched intelligence, but his good looks attracted many women across the company, including the company's heiress, Alice del Fuego.

Alice is the company's Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. She was a spoiled brat as she was well-loved by her protective parents. She grew up to be the so-called "queen bee" during her college days, and had 100 boyfriends which she dumped. She was considered a villain to her co-workers and to her subordinates. Her fellows in the Board of Directors call her a demon, wasting company funds for her personal expenses. She abuses her secretary for petty mistakes while humiliating a whole department for a failed project. Many of her employees hated her, and had wanted to get out of the "hell house" they work in. But Alice threatens them not to resign as she believes they are assets to the company, which only hires the best and brightest in the country. Otherwise they will get killed.

She was much feared, until Miguel came along.

Miguel's biggest and most successful project, the Del Fierro Towers, caught the heart of Alice, who praised the mall's unrivaled interior and efficient service. 

The Del Fierro Tower wasn't just a building; it was a gleaming palace. Each step onto the polished marble felt like trespassing. Miguel's cheap shoes echoed in the hushed lobby – a stark contrast to the rhythmic click of designer heels and crisp rustle of tailored suits. Here, success didn't just sing, it roared. He was competent, brilliant even, but his barrio accent and threadbare ambition felt like inadequate armor in this glittering battlefield.

Alice fell in love with the place, and with it, wanted Miguel to be her love interest. However, the man had been admiring someone else. He fell in love with a woman named Tabitha "Tabby" Changco, whom he met during a company meeting.

She moved through those gilded halls with a quiet grace that belied her position. Her smile held no cruelty, no hint of entitlement. Yet, she was undeniably of this world. Her poise spoke of ballet lessons, her clothes of boutiques he'd only seen in magazines. Miguel didn't just desire her, he desired the ease with which she occupied her privilege.

His pursuit isn't just about love; it's a yearning to step into the light that seems to follow her. Tabby embodies the world he wants to conquer, yet she also represents a kindness he longs to preserve amidst his burning ambition.

Tabby was the reigning Miss Galaxy when she came to Del Fuego, coming from her family's fashion business. She was also a school achiever, and also worked as a TV personality and model for international clothing brands. She is well-loved by her peers because of her good heart and her calm demeanor. However, she is Alice's number one enemy, because Tabby is her loyal secretary.

Since coming to Del Fuego, Tabby sustained a number of beatings and insults from Alice. At one time, Alice almost killed Tabby with a sharpened stiletto heel after she failed to give a gift to her on the company's 50th anniversary. But her strong personality and fervent faith in God was her refuge in those trying times. All the time she would give a welcoming smile every time a guest comes into the office, despite having an injury moments earlier. This caught Miguel's attention. He fell in love with her.

Miguel had chances to court Tabitha, only for Alice to seduce him first. He could only walk away safely from the woman, until one day came when he found Tabby alone in her table.

"Hi Tabby, can we have coffee some time? My treat," asked Miguel. "Sure," said Tabitha, "but I don't want Madam Alice to know."

"Don't worry," Miguel assured, "I have a plan." Since then, they became best friends. After a few months of secretly dating together, Tabby gave him her "yes."

Despite being together, Alice continued to seduce Miguel. She then planned to trap him in the office, to reveal a dark secret even Tabby does not know.