The Last Promise (The Lasting Vows Series #1)

I’ve faced boardrooms full of executives, navigated impossible deals, and built an empire from the ground up. Pero wala akong napaghandaan na ganito.

Dahil sa sandaling iyon, sa isang simpleng pagliko ko sa hallway, I see her.

Celeste.

Para akong binatukan ng tadhana. Ilang taon na ang lumipas, pero hindi pa rin nagbago ang epekto niya sa akin. The same presence that used to take over me. Pero may isang bagay na hindi ko inaasahan.

A child.

A little boy holding her hand tightly.

My world stops.

Hindi ako makagalaw, hindi makapag-isip. I blink, once, twice, pero hindi nagbabago ang nakikita ko. He can’t be, no. Imposible. Pero habang tinitingnan ko siya, parang may humigpit sa dibdib ko.

Dahil ang batang hawak ni Celeste… kamukhang-kamukha ko.

Black wavy hair, the same sharp jawline, the same eyes. My eyes.

My son?

Hindi ko alam kung ilang segundo o minuto akong nakatayo lang doon, staring, trying to make sense of everything. Pero isang bagay ang sigurado.

Celeste sees me.

Nagtagpo ang mga mata namin, at sa isang iglap, bumalik lahat ng sakit, galit, at mga tanong na hindi pa rin nasasagot. Her body stiffens, and she grips the boy tighter.

She looks like she wants to run.

And I’m not going to let her.

I take a step forward, but she moves first—pulling the boy closer to her side. My jaw tightens. She’s guarding him from me. As if  I am a kind of a threat or something.

Something ugly and painful twists inside my chest.

“Celeste,” I murmur, a soft voice that almost too quiet to hear.

Hindi siya sumasagot.

Instead, she swallows hard and looked down, as if she'd already made up her mind. It seemed like she was about to walk away.

No.

Not this time.

“Celeste,” I said again, a bit firmly this time, stepping closer. “Look at me.”

And when she looks at me, I see the anger in her eyes. Many things went unsaid, causing a lot of pain that should have been told years ago.

Then, she turned without saying anything else. And walks away.

I kept going, ignoring the people around me, my heart beating fast. Pagkalapit ko, hinarang ko siya sa dadaanan niya, forcing her to stop.

"Celeste," I said quietly.

She stopped. Halos hindi siya makahinga habang nakatingin sa akin, she held the little boy's hand tighter. Kitang-kita ko sa mata niya ang gulong-gulo niyang isip, the emotions flickering too fast for her to hide.

I looked down at the child beside her, the sight made my chest ache. Sa malapitan, mas lalo kong nakikita, his nose, the shape of his mouth, even his confused little face. He looks too much like me.

It couldn't be a coincidence.

“Celeste,” ulit ko, but softer this time.

Her throat bobs as she swallows, her jaw clenching.

“Adrian,” she whispered softly.

I should feel relief na hindi niya ako tinakbuhan ulit, pero mas nangingibabaw ang bigat sa dibdib ko. Her voice, her presence, everything about her is the same yet completely different.

“How long?” The words slip out before I can stop them.

Her eyes widen. “What?”

“How long were you planning to keep this from me?” My voice is sharp, controlled, but inside, I’m unraveling. “How long, Celeste?”

I see the panic flash in her gaze. She instinctively pulls the boy closer, and my stomach churns at the sight.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says, shaking her head.

I let out a bitter laugh. “Really? You expect me to believe that?” I gesture toward the child. “I’m not stupid, Celeste.”

“Stop it,” she snaps, her voice trembling.

Pero hindi ko kaya. My entire world has just shifted, and I can’t pretend otherwise. Years. Years I spent thinking I lost everything. That I lost him. And now, here he is, alive, breathing, standing just a few feet away from me.

“Why?” I ask, stepping closer, my voice dropping. “Bakit hindi mo sinabi?”

She shakes her head again, like she’s trying to block out my words. “Adrian, not here.”

“Then where, Celeste? Kailan?” My control slips, frustration boiling over. “Kung hindi ako bumalik, never mo ito balak sabihin, ‘di ba?”

Her lips press into a thin line, her shoulders rising and falling with each uneven breath. “I did what I had to do.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “What you had to do?” I echo, disbelief coating my tone. “You mean keeping my son from me?”

She flinches, but her expression hardens almost instantly. “You weren’t there.”

The accusation slices through me like a blade.

“You left,” she continues, her voice low but laced with emotion. “You walked away, Adrian.”

My jaw clenches. She’s wrong. She’s always been wrong about that night.

But before I can speak, a small voice cuts through the tension.

“Mom?”

The boy tugs on her sleeve, his wide eyes darting between us. His voice is soft, uncertain, innocent.

Celeste immediately crouches beside him, cupping his cheek. “It’s okay, baby,” she whispers, stroking his hair.

The tenderness in her actions makes my chest ache.

He looks up at me then, his brows pinching together, curiosity evident in his gaze. “Who are you?”

My breath catches.

Celeste stands quickly, blocking the space between us, her expression guarded. “Let’s go,” she says, her voice leaving no room for argument.

But I don’t let her pass this time.

“Celeste.” My voice is softer now, almost pleading. “Please.”

Her eyes flicker with something unreadable, something that makes my stomach tighten.

For a second, I think she might stay.

But then she inhales sharply, takes the little boy’s hand, and walks away.

And this time, I don’t stop her.

Not because I don’t want to.

But because I know this isn’t over.

Not by a long shot.