Twisted Obsession (Twisted Series #3)

Chapter One

Present Day

Valeria

May mga taong once lang dumaan sa buhay mo—pero 'pag naalala mo, parang kahapon lang.
Aiden Cruz was never one of those people.
Kasi kahit anong gawin ko, he never really left.

And now, he’s standing right in front of me. Taller. Broader. Mas gwapo. Mas... delikado.
But his presence? Still the same.
Unshakable. Unforgettable.
Like the ache you learn to live with but never truly heal from.

“Valeria Navarro,” he said, nodding like we were old acquaintances. “It’s been a while.”

Six damn years, and that’s all he had to say?

I forced a small smile, laced with all the sarcasm I could muster. “Aww. You remember me. Akala ko may selective memory ka.”

Napatingin siya sa mga kasama namin sa conference room. Halatang naramdaman niya 'yung tension, pero cool pa rin siya. As expected from the infamous CEO of CruzTech.

“This is business,” he said, calm and collected. “Let’s keep it professional.”

“Don’t worry,” I replied, eyes sharp. “Hindi ako 'yung umalis na parang multo, right?”

Tahimik. Napatingin si Ms. Cordero sa amin—halatang naiilang. Pero wala akong pake.

I didn’t survive heartbreak just to be quiet now.

“Miss Navarro,” she said quickly, “as mentioned earlier, CruzTech has selected Navarro & Co. for its full rebranding. Mr. Cruz specifically requested your team.”

Requested?
He requested me?

Of all clients. Of all companies. Bakit siya pa? And why now?

I clenched my pen tighter. Hindi ko alam kung matatawa ako or matutulala. Pero I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“We’ll handle it,” I said with a neutral tone. “Even difficult clients are still clients.”

Napatingin siya sa'kin with a flicker of something in his eyes—hurt? Amusement? Regret?
Hindi ko na alam. Hindi ko na siya kilala.

After the meeting, I gathered my things slowly. Gusto kong magpahuli. I needed a moment to breathe.

Pero bago pa ako makatayo, dumaan siya sa tabi ko.
Tahimik.
At ini-slide 'yung phone niya papunta sa harap ko.

One message flashed on the screen.
Rooftop. 20 minutes. We need to talk.

Classic Aiden.
Dramatic. Direct. Dangerous.

---

Mainit ang hangin pero malamig ang atmosphere.

I found him leaning sa railings, staring at the skyline. Parang eksena sa pelikula. Except this wasn’t fiction. This was a slow-burn disaster waiting to happen.

“You always liked rooftop scenes,” I said, arms crossed. “You’re still a sucker for theatrics, I see.”

He turned to face me. “I figured you’d want privacy.”

“Right. Para saan?” I scoffed. “Closure? Apology? Explanation after six years?”

“I owe you all of that,” he said simply. “But you don’t have to forgive me.”

“Well, good. Kasi I don’t.”

Tumahimik siya. I could see the way his jaw tensed, like he was holding back everything he wanted to say.

“You’re still angry,” he said quietly.

“Put*ng ina, Aiden. I waited for you.”
My voice cracked. “Nawala ka na lang bigla. Wala man lang goodbye. Wala man lang rason.”

“I had to leave.”

“Then you could’ve told me!” I snapped. “Hindi ako ‘yung tipong babae na iiwan mo na lang basta. I was your best friend, Aiden. Or did that mean nothing to you?”

“Everything,” he said, eyes locked on mine. “That’s why I left.”

I laughed bitterly. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“Loving you made me weak, Val. And I couldn’t afford to be weak. Not back then.”

There it is.
The real reason.
The twisted, selfish truth.

“Congrats,” I whispered. “You got what you wanted. Strength. Power. Control.”

“I didn’t want to lose you,” he said. “But I thought… maybe if I came back stronger, I’d finally deserve you.”

I blinked. My chest tightened.
“You don’t get to decide that.”

“I know,” he nodded. “But I’m here now. And I’m not leaving again.”

“Too late,” I muttered.

“I’ll wait,” he said. “For however long it takes.”

I looked away, hoping he didn’t see the way my hands were shaking.

Because the truth is…
Even after all this time,
even after all the pain,
part of me still wanted to believe him.

And that scared the hell out of me.