Chapter 46 - Better Man
Tita Elena lasted exactly one week.
One.
Week.
After Carlo.
After the family group chat.
After the crying.
After—
I'm not ready.
After—
I want to know Lia better.
After accidentally discovering that the woman she had spent an entire dinner comparing unfavorably to Carlo's executive career had already reviewed Carlo's company for acquisition.
One week.
Apparently embarrassment did not kill strategy.
It merely improved candidate selection.
Tori found out first.
Saturday afternoon.
She called me.
Not messaged.
Called.
That was already suspicious.
"Hello?"
Silence.
"Tori?"
"My mother invited someone tomorrow."
I stopped reviewing payroll.
"Oh."
Pause.
"Male?"
"Yes."
Of course.
"Carlo again?"
"No."
Interesting.
"Upgrade?"
"Apparently."
I heard something hit a table on her side.
Probably Tori putting something down harder than necessary.
"His name is John."
"Okay."
"Thirty-three."
"Okay."
"Executive."
I smiled despite myself.
"Oh."
"Don't."
"I didn't say anything."
"She literally said, and I quote, 'Mas bagay sayo ito.'"
I leaned back.
"Better model."
"Lia."
"Sorry."
"She said he's more mature."
"Compared to whom?"
"Apparently the entire female population."
I laughed.
Tori did not.
I stopped.
"Sorry."
"She met his mother through church."
Ah.
Of course.
"Educated. Stable. Good family. Executive. Own house. Never married. Wants children."
"Very comprehensive."
"She's improved her pitch deck."
"TORI."
"What?"
"That was you."
Silence.
Then—
"I hate you."
"That was genuinely you."
She sighed.
"I don't know whether to laugh or scream."
"Both are available."
"I'm serious."
"I know."
Then—
"Do you want me there?"
Immediate.
"Yes."
Okay.
No hesitation.
Important.
"Then I'll be there."
"She knows you're coming."
"Excellent."
"She invited him anyway."
Less excellent.
Then Tori said—
"I told her this is the last time."
There.
"If she brings another man into a room where you're sitting beside me, I'm leaving."
"Okay."
"And I'm not going back for a while."
"Okay."
"You're not going to tell me that's too harsh?"
"No."
Pause.
"Why?"
"Because you've already told her no."
Many times.
"And if she doesn't respect the answer, eventually access changes."
Tori was quiet.
Then—
"Exactly."
"Do you want me to say anything tomorrow?"
"No."
"Okay."
"Unless she starts comparing résumés again."
I smiled.
"What am I authorized to do?"
"Nothing."
"Tori."
"Behave."
"I always behave."
She laughed once.
Finally.
"No acquisitions."
"That wasn't my fault."
"No company valuations."
"Also not my fault."
"No asking John about EBITDA."
"I have never asked a romantic rival about EBITDA."
"Carlo wasn't your rival."
"Exactly."
"John isn't either."
"Excellent."
"Because I'm dating you."
"I know."
"Just checking."
"Current status verified."
She groaned.
"See you tomorrow."
Mama handed me cassava cake again.
I stared at it.
"No."
"What?"
"I am not bringing this."
"Why?"
"I think your cassava cake is encouraging diplomacy."
Mama frowned.
"Anong diplomacy?"
"Nothing."
"Bring."
"Mama."
"Bring."
I brought it.
Obviously.
The extra car was nicer this time.
I stood outside Tori's parents' house and stared at it.
Black SUV.
Recent.
Executive vehicle.
Tori opened the door before I reached it.
Her face said everything.
"Oh."
"Exactly."
I lifted the cassava cake.
"My mother remains complicit."
Tori took it.
"She doesn't know."
"That's how proxy wars work."
Tori almost laughed.
Then she looked behind her.
"John's already inside."
"Okay."
"My mother is wearing pearls."
I stared.
"What does that mean?"
"She only wears those pearls when she's trying to impress someone."
"Oh."
"Lia."
"I said nothing."
"You're enjoying this."
"Not yet."
She narrowed her eyes.
Then reached for my hand.
No hesitation this time.
That—
I liked.
"Ready?"
"No."
"Excellent."
We went inside.
Tita Elena was radiant.
Suspiciously radiant.
"Lia!"
Very warm.
Too warm.
"Good afternoon po."
"Come, come."
Then she looked at our joined hands.
Her smile flickered.
Recovered.
Impressive.
Tito Ramon was already seated.
He looked at me.
Then at Tori.
Then toward his wife.
His expression said—
I tried.
Bea was there.
Marco too.
Of course.
Apparently nobody wanted to miss Round Two.
Bea saw me and mouthed—
Sorry.
I mouthed back—
Not you.
Then—
"John," Tita Elena said brightly, "this is Lia."
A man stood from the sofa.
Tall.
Early thirties.
White button-down.
Clean watch.
Polished.
Good posture.
Very executive.
He turned toward me.
I looked at him.
Then paused.
Something.
Familiar.
Not personally.
Face.
Where had I—
I tilted my head.
Tori noticed immediately.
Of course she did.
"Lia?"
"Hm?"
She looked between me and John.
"Do you know him?"
I kept looking at his face.
"It feels like I've seen him before."
John's expression changed slightly.
I frowned.
"I don't really remember."
Tori narrowed her eyes.
John stared at me for another second.
Then—
"Are you Lia Alessandra Ramos?"
I blinked.
"Yes."
Tori immediately turned.
"Why?"
John looked at me again.
Then—
"Oh."
There it was.
Recognition.
Fuck—
No.
Not fuck.
Just—
oh.
I knew that look.
Professional context.
John laughed once.
Small.
Disbelieving.
"You're that Lia Ramos."
Silence.
Tita Elena looked between us.
"What does that mean?"
Tori looked at me.
"Lia?"
I was still trying to place him.
Then John said—
"Crestview Allied."
There.
Click.
Management presentation.
Quarterly review.
Executive leadership deck.
One photo.
Maybe two.
I pointed at him lightly.
"Operations."
John nodded.
"Chief Operating Officer."
There.
Right.
"I knew I'd seen you."
Tori stared.
"You know his company?"
"Yes."
John laughed again.
"More than know it."
Tita Elena's smile slowly disappeared.
Interesting.
Tori turned toward John.
"What do you mean?"
John looked at me.
"Your group reviewed us."
Silence.
Marco's mouth opened.
Bea immediately covered hers.
Tito Ramon leaned back.
Tori stared at me.
"Reviewed?"
I sighed.
"For acquisition."
There.
Tita Elena went completely still.
Absolutely still.
Beautiful.
Not spiritually.
Narratively.
Tori blinked.
"Again?"
I looked at her.
"What do you mean again?"
"First Carlo."
"That was coincidence."
"And now John."
"Also coincidence."
John looked between us.
"First Carlo?"
Marco lost it.
He bent over laughing.
Bea slapped his arm.
"Stop."
"I can't."
Tita Elena looked horrified.
"What do you mean acquisition?"
John answered before I could.
"Ramos Strategic Holdings reviewed Crestview Allied for possible purchase."
Her face—
Oh.
No.
Not again.
Tori slowly turned toward her mother.
Then back to me.
"You already reviewed his company?"
"Yes."
"How reviewed?"
I thought.
"Fairly reviewed."
Tori stared.
"That is not a measurement."
John smiled.
"Extensively."
Traitor.
Tori looked at him.
"How extensively?"
John sat back down.
"Management interviews."
Oh.
Tori's head snapped toward me.
I raised one hand.
"I wasn't in every interview."
John nodded.
"She wasn't."
Thank you.
Then—
"Her team was."
Less helpful.
Tita Elena looked at John.
"You met her company?"
"Yes po."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
John looked confused.
"I didn't know Lia was going to be here."
Fair.
Then he looked at Tori.
"I also didn't know you had a girlfriend."
Silence.
Tori slowly looked at her mother.
Tita Elena suddenly found the centerpiece fascinating.
Oh.
There.
Caught.
Tori's voice was very calm.
"Ma."
"I didn't say you were single."
John raised one eyebrow.
Nobody spoke.
Tita Elena continued—
"I just said she was meeting someone."
John looked at me.
Then Tori.
Then—
"I understood single."
Marco whispered—
"Because normal people would."
"Marco."
"Sorry."
Not sorry.
We sat for lunch.
Apparently.
Because after reaching a certain level of humiliation—
Filipino families still served rice.
Tita Elena had arranged the seating again.
John across from Tori.
Me beside Tori.
Very strategic.
Unfortunately, the strategy had developed complications.
John kept glancing at me.
Not romantically.
Professionally.
Which somehow made the situation worse.
Tita Elena started first.
"John is doing very well at Crestview."
Tori closed her eyes.
"Ma."
John looked uncomfortable.
"It's okay."
"No," Tori said. "It's not."
Her mother continued anyway.
"He's COO already."
"I know," I said automatically.
Silence.
Oops.
Tita Elena looked at me.
"You know?"
"Yes po."
John laughed.
"She probably knows my compensation band too."
I looked at him.
"I do not."
He raised an eyebrow.
I paused.
"Personally."
Marco made a choking sound.
Bea put her spoon down.
Tori stared at me.
"Personally?"
I sighed.
"The management compensation structure was included."
John nodded.
"Thought so."
Tita Elena stared.
The air changed.
Rapidly.
She tried to recover.
"Anyway, very high position."
"Yes po."
"Very stable."
John and I exchanged a look.
Crestview's debt covenants suggested a more nuanced definition of stable.
I said nothing.
Growth.
Tori saw the look.
Immediately.
"Why did you look at each other?"
"No reason."
John answered at the same time—
"Debt."
I turned to him.
Traitor.
Tori's eyes widened.
"What debt?"
John laughed.
"Company debt."
I looked at him.
"You really don't have to disclose anything."
"You already know."
"True."
Tita Elena frowned.
"Crestview has debt?"
John stared at her.
"Most companies do."
"Oh."
She looked at me.
"You knew?"
"Yes po."
"How?"
John answered again.
"Due diligence."
I wanted to put him outside.
Not because I disliked him.
Because he was enjoying this now.
I could tell.
He had realized the absurdity.
And executive John apparently liked chaos.
Interesting.