When Fighters Fall In Love

Chapter 3

Ayesha Rakki's POV

Maaga daw umalis si Uncle Sean para mag-golf kasama ang ibang directors ng Aurevia. Si Tristan ay hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin umuuwi. I messaged him last night but he's not replying.

I drove the car as fast as I can dahil anong oras na rin ngayon. 12:00 na at 14:00 ang meeting na sinasabi ni Therese. It's been 2 days nung huli kong bisita doon. Masiyado akong naging masaya manatili sa planque (hideout) dahil nga sa birthday ni Lola.

One of the guards open the car door kaya nakalabas agad ako. And there I saw all of them. Nakayuko ang mga secretaries and the executives para salubungin ako.

"Bonjour, madame."

"Bonjour." Tumango lang ako bago naunang maglakad sa kanila na agad namang sumunod. Ramdam ko ang tingin ng mga tao sa paligid ko at ang bahagyang pagyuko nila kapag napapadaan ako.

Nakita ko rin na nawalan ng tao ang isang elevator nang kaya dire-diretso akong pumasok doon.

I checked my phone and wala pa ring message si Tristan. Where the hell is he??

"Le président a appelé plus tôt pour vois chercher, et il m'a aussi demandé de vous remettre ceci—il l'a préparé la semaine dernière." [Translation: The chairman called earlier asking for you, and he also asked me to give this to you—he prepared it last week.]

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?" [Translation: What is this?]

Hindi ako makapaniwala.

Dalawang ticket pa-Manila ang bumungad sa akin. Bukod doon, nasa folder din na 'to ang ilang information kagaya ng hotel name, plate number and a bank account. What the hell is this?

"Le président m'a demandé de vous dire que vous devez rentrer aux Philippines pour le travail. ll ne m'a pas donné de détails, madame—je suis désolé." [Translation: The chairman asked me to inform you that you need to return to the Philippines for work. He didn't specify the details, miss. I'm really sorry.]

Ilang minuto ata akong natulala dito sa opisina ko bago ko naisip na kailangan kong i-take advantage ito. Ngayon lang pumayag si Uncle na umuwi ako sa Pilipinas.

Naikuyom ko ang kamao ko. Makakabalik na ako.

"Thérèse, organise une réunion avec tous les cadres et les managers. Je veux que tout le monde soit là dans dix minutes. C'est clair?" [Translation: Therese, arrange a meeting with all executives and managers. I want everyone there in ten minutes. Is that clear?]

"Oui, Madame." [Translation: Yes, madame.] Pormal na sagot niya at bahagya pang yumuko bago lumabas ng office ko.

Napahilot ako sa sintido ko at hinarap ang napakalaking glass sa harapan ko kung saan kitang-kita ang napakaraming building.

The Aurevia Enterprises is the biggest and most successful company in Paris. This company presented itself to the world as polished, international corporation—glass towers, clean logos, and carefully worded press release about 'global development' and 'strategic development'.

Sabi nga nila. Aurevia is an empire of ambition to outsiders. But to those who understood it, Aurevia wasn't just a company. It was the cover story for something much older—and far more careful.

And there is the La Couronne d'Ombre—not a company, not officially anything at all. It was a name spoken carefully, if at all, in back rooms and quiet conversation.