Chapter 36 – Just this one time.

It was just supposed to be three days. Kaso hindi siya nakaalis dahil sunod-sunod ang naging problema.

Nate hated every freaking time he needed to spend in Macau. Each second away from Elisha and Hannah's almost driving his thoughts into nuts.

He missed Hannah so much that he needed to disconnect himself with his phone during his stay in Macau so that he wouldn't be tempted to call her every hour. Worst, fly back to the Philippines just so he would have her in his arms again. Because admittedly, he was so in love with Hannah that he would move mountains to be with her. Unfortunately, he couldn't do that at the given time.

Nate never thought he was capable of loving one woman that way.

He had Olive for five years. Pero hindi siya nabaliw na hindi ito makita sa loob lang ng ilang araw. Although he believed he used to love her, separation had never been a problem to him. But with Hannah, it's a whole lot different story.

Hannah Rodriguez.

Ang unang taong nangahas na banggain siya. Wala itong katakot-takot noon and did everything in her capacity para bawiin sa kanya si Elisha.

And he must admit, he never noticed Hannah because of her physical appearance. She was pretty. But he was so used to seeing beautiful women in his line of industry that he couldn't be lured by beauty alone.

It was her unwavering love for his daughter that earned his respect first. He hadn't seen such care before and they weren't even family. Hindi ito ina ni Elisha but she acted like she was her everything and she was so scared of losing her.

Having Hannah in his house made it a home. He hadn't realized what he had been missing until she came. There'd been warmth. Suddenly, it was nice to come home knowing he would have Hannah and Elisha waiting for him instead of the big yet cold house he used to have.

Pero hindi naman niya narealize ang lahat ng iyon in an instant. He's not a believer of love at first sight since the failure of his relationship with Olive. There's no such a thing as that. Doon kasi sila nag-umpisa ni Olive dati- attraction on outward appearance. But it all turned out wrong.

When he first met Hannah, totoo ang galit niya para sa dalaga. Who would forgive the person who hid your child from you? It was four long years! He missed everything about his baby... If it wasn't Elisha's wish to be with her foster mother, hinding-hindi na niya ito gustong makita pa ulit.

Pero inaamin din niya na parte ng desisyon niyang bigyan pa ito ng kaunting panahon na makasama ang anak niya ay ang ipinakita nitong resilience. 'Yong abilidad na hindi indahin 'yong mga paghihirap nito makasama lang ulit si Elisha. He saw that one of a kind love of a mother to a child kahit ang totoo, hindi sila mag-ina.

A short time might not be so bad to thank her for raising his child. That was just the plan. A short time.

He thought he gave that time for Hannah to convince herself that she doesn't belong in Eli's future life. What he didn't know was that short time was enough for him to see the beauty of her heart. And in the end, instead of hating her more, he was captivated. He wanted her care and her love.

Olive didn't give a d*mn about his family. Okay lang dito maski hindi na niya patawarin ang kanyang ama. In fact, she made him hate his father even more by always reminding him of the past. Hannah was the first person to tell him that it was okay to forgive. That it will not make him a lesser person if he will choose to forgive and forget. After all, it was his relationship with his own family that was at stake.

She made him believe that there's a reason for everything. That all things work together for good.

But apparently, he failed to understand the reason why Hannah had to leave him and Elisha when he was beginning to like her, as in really really like her.

More than the hurt he felt for Elisha's devastation was his own heart shattering into a thousand pieces. How could she choose to leave when she had made him believe that he had found the one person who would really care and love him?

He thought Hannah saw him beyond the Nate Sarmiento everyone thinks he is. That he's still a human being with emotions. That he wasn't perfect and he's capable of loving and being hurt.

He was wrong. She left. Just like everyone he loved. They all left him.

He almost hated Hannah for leaving him. He convinced himself that she wasn't for real. The care, the love that he thought was there, were just a part of his imagination. Hannah never really cared... She never really loved him. Nothing about her was true.

He intended to hate her forever. But because he really fell hard for Hannah, hindi rin siya nakatiis. But Nate figured that Hannah was determined to go on with her life without him and Eli. And that hurt him even more. How did she manage to forget them that easily when he almost spent every night in three months thinking about her?

So he decided to take some actions. He bought his aunt's company where Hannah works at ginamit na pambanta ang pagpapaalis sa lahat ng empleyado roon para lumapit ito sa kanya. He also bought Hannah's apartment. But that was just to make it easier to convince her to live in NS.

Forcing her out of her apartment wasn't his doing. He found out who did it though. Olive. And heaven knows how it took all the patience and understanding he got not to hurt Olive physically. She was still Elisha's mother, para lang sa katotohanang iyon, pinigilan niya ang sarili niya. Besides, pasalamat ito at sa kanya tumakbo si Hannah after that cruel ousting.

Paano niya makakalimutan ang itsura ni Hannah noon while she begged him to talk to her? Even if it wasn't for the reason of having her apartment back but for the people who would lose their jobs if he pushes through with his plan. It cut him in the soul. Hannah would do everything for the people she cared for. Pero bakit sila ni Elisha iniwanan nito?

She didn't have the slightest idea that he was just masking his true feelings with his cold treatment. But that wasn't just to make her feel bad but to protect himself in case hindi talaga siya kayang mahalin ni Hannah.

"GM, here's your ticket back to Manila," his assistant in Macau cut his thoughts.

"Thank you," he suddenly felt so excited he found it almost impossibly hard to breathe.

"Your flight is in three hours. You better leave now GM."

"Is my car ready?"

"Yes, Sir."

He could have used his private jet. But he didn't. Just like how he stopped having bodyguards. Gusto niyang bumaba nang kaunti for Hannah's sake. He worries that she might have a hard time adjusting to his lifestyle. If only he could leave NS Hotel, he definitely would.

"Keep me posted."

"Always, GM. Also Mr Lau will be flying to Manila next month."

"Good."

He made his way to the waiting car. This was it. He would be reunited with his dear Hannah and Elisha in a few hours…

Ten days. Pero parang forever ang nagdaan.

He missed them a lot.

Sinadya niyang 'wag magpasabi na babalik na siya. He wanted to surprise Hannah and Elisha. He knew, they missed him too…

-----

"Nate?!" A very surprised Olive caught his attention.

"Olive?" Kakaupo lang niya sa eroplano nang mapagtanto kung sino ang makakatabi niya.

"What a coincidence! I didn't know you're here in Macau!" Ngiting-ngiti ito, it almost annoyed him.

Pero hindi siya papayag na maapektuhan nito ang mood niya. Olive was acting like nothing happened in their last encounter.

She attacked Hannah, sa lahat naman ng pwede nitong gawin sa kaibigan nito, hindi niya mapapalampas na saktan nito ang babaeng mahal niya. Tapos aakto ito like he ought to have taken her side instead of Hannah.

He could still remember their conversation…

'Bakit mo siya kinakampihan? Ginawa ko lang naman ang dapat so she would know her place!' Napaka-fake ng iyak ni Olive, artista nga ito and it just made his blood boil.

'It's wrong to hurt other people, Olive. Especially Hannah! She's your friend!' halos pasigaw niyang sabi to put some sense into her head.

'My friend?! Inagaw ka niya sa akin! Inagaw niya ang anak ko. She took everyone I owned...!'

'You're impossible! You left, Olive. Nakalimutan mo na ba 'yon? You left your child first and never really cared about her. Then you left me too for another man! Walang kasalanan si Hannah sa 'yo!'

'Talaga Nate? Anong pinakain sa yo ni Hannah so you're taking her side now? She wanted my baby, she took Eli away from me! And then she seduced you. She wanted everyone that's mine, Nate! Can't you see, she's destroying our family.' She attempted to hold him but he pushed her away forcibly. 'How could you?!' Malalaki ang mga matang asik nito nang muntik na itong matumba.

'You were the one who destroyed us, Olive. Not Hannah!' Tinalikuran na niya ito bago tuluyang maubos ang pasensya niya. Hindi niya kailangan ang mga kasinungalingan nito. Kung pinapakisamahan man niya ito sa mga nakalipas na buwan, iyon ay dahil iyon ang payo ng mga doktor nito. They claimed that she hadn't fully recovered yet at siya lang ang makakatulong kay Olive.

He agreed even if he had to lose Hannah just to be able to help her. The least she could have done to him was thank him. Hindi ang siraan pa si Hannah sa kanya.

'I didn't! Nate!' Hiyaw nitong umiiyak, how could she be that annoying? Naiinis na siya. 'You see, I'm the victim here! Hannah took my baby, I didn't leave you because I wanted to. Josh forced me! He almost killed me, Nate! I'm the victim... Nate, look at me...' pinilit siya nitong lumingon. 'I'm the one you love, not Hannah... I'm the one who can make you happy... I'm the one you need!'

'Olive...' mariin niyang banggit sa pangalan nito while stopping both of her hands from hugging him. Nagpapaawa ito by telling him lies. 'Listen to me,' tiningnan niya ito nang diretso sa mga mata. Gusto niyang matawa. There wasn't any sign of sincerity in her eyes. 'You cannot make me happy. I do not need you and I do not love you!'

'You're lying!'

'No... In fact, if I could go back to the time I'm supposed to meet you, I would never look at you.' Nakita niya ang paglatay ng sakit sa mga mata ni Olive, but he needed to say that. So she would stop thinking that he still loves her.

'How could you...?' She cried.

'Stop, Olive... We're over...' with that, he walked out and returned to where Hannah was

Almost two weeks after that incident, heto na naman si Olive na kung makangiti ay parang okay sila.

"Was here for a business trip," he answered, he didn't want to talk to her pero sa ngalan ng pagiging sibilisado, he wouldn't treat her harshly.

"I see. Ako naman, nag-start na ang shooting ng bago kong project," excited na sabi nito, wala siyang pakialam but okay, good for her. He wished na sana maabala nga ito nang sobra sa bago nitong proyekto.

Mabuti na lang at saglit lang ang byahe. Hindi niya kayang makatabi ito nang matagal.

As expected, may mga media sa airport. Lagi namang gano'n dati pa basta nasa paligid si Olive. It just annoyed him dahil kumapit pa ito sa braso niya like they were together. Ipapagpag na dapat niya ito but she begged that he play along.

"Just this one time, Nate," sabi nito. "I promise you, this is going to be the last time that I'm going to ask a favor from you."

Okay. If it would mean having to get rid of her after casual smiles and allowing her to hold his hand, so be it.