There was something off.
The way Andrea had been smiling lately—too soft, too tender. The subtle flush on her cheeks, the delayed replies to their weekly check-ins. And one thing he never expected:
The look of a girl in love.
And not the puppy kind.
The kind that made her forget to be afraid.
And that was dangerous.
So, when his assistant handed him a printed photo—a screenshot from a public Instagram story of Alonzo Javier—Lolo Dela Vuega didn't even blink.
In the photo, Andi was laughing, mid-bite of fries, her arm casually draped over a moreno man wearing glasses, looking entirely clueless about the concept of a popped collar.
His lips were dangerously close to her temple.
"Sir," said the assistant. "That's the one she's been seeing lately. Business Administration student. Dean's Lister. Gamer. Scholarship under a private sponsor. No records in school or barangay. Quiet, but popular on campus for tutoring students."
"Parents?"
"OFWs. Both in Qatar. Two younger siblings. He's the eldest."
The old man nodded slowly, eyes fixed on the photo as if it were a puzzle he had to solve with surgical precision.
"Academic background?"
"Top 3 in his batch in Senior High. Currently third year. Clean record. Works part-time online, freelances as well."
Lolo Dela Vuega looked at the photo again.
Too clean. Too perfect.
Or too smart to leave a trace?
---
The next day, Alonzo was leaving campus when a man dressed in black approached him.
"Mr. Javier?"
"Yeah?"
"I work for Navarro Holdings. May I speak to you privately?"
Ten minutes later, Alonzo was sitting in the backseat of a luxury SUV, facing him.
Lolo Dela Vuega.
The man. The myth. The bank account.
Crisp gray suit. Gold pen clipped to his breast pocket. Eyes sharp behind reading glasses. He looked born to command boardrooms.
"I suppose you know who I am."
Alonzo nodded, suddenly aware of how dusty his sneakers were.
"Yes, sir. You're Andi's grandfather."
A pause.
"And you are the boy who kisses my granddaughter in parked cars?"
Alonzo's soul left his body. "S-sir—"
"Relax." Lolo raised a hand. "I've had worse beginnings."
A pause.
"But let's be clear. Andrea is not an ordinary girl. She is not your school crush or a little fantasy to explore."
Alonzo nodded again, slower this time.
"She is the last living heiress to the Dela Vuega name. The daughter of my only child. The bloodline that has survived generations of betrayal, power plays, and vultures in designer shoes."
Alonzo swallowed.
"I don't care if you come from nothing. I care if you're here for something."
"I'm not using her, sir," Alonzo said quietly. "I'm just… loving her."
Lolo raised a brow. "Then do it well."
A pause.
"Because if you hurt her, I won't raise my voice. I won't file charges. I won't even threaten to kill you."
Alonzo waited.
"I'll simply make sure every job offer you ever receive," Lolo said calmly, "comes with a rejection letter already attached."
The silence was suffocating.
After what felt like an eternity, Lolo looked away and tapped on the window.
The driver opened the door.
"You may go."
Alonzo stepped out, heart pounding, throat dry, spine straightened by pure fear.
---
It was a normal day. Too normal, actually.
The sky was clear. Her Calculus quiz wasn't as terrifying as she expected. And Alonzo was waiting outside her building like he always did—leaning on the hood of his car, earbuds in, arms crossed, looking like every college girl's dream pogi who isn't trying too hard.
"Hi, babe," she greeted, climbing into the passenger seat.
"Hey, sunshine," he smirked. "What do you want to eat today? You aced your quiz."
"Just a quiz. Don't celebrate yet," she shot back.
"Too late. I brought garlic bread in the back."
She laughed.
Normal. Sweet. Too damn normal.
They drove twenty minutes to a ramen place, shared food, teased each other over table napkins, and even fought over who would pay the bill (as usual, he secretly paid while she was in the restroom). Everything felt like any other date.
Except…
There was something different.
The way he reached for her hand a little more often than usual.
The way his eyes lingered when he thought she wasn't looking.
The way he whispered, "I missed you," in the middle of her monologue about calculus being a scam.
But mostly?
It was the way he looked like a man who just saw his whole life flash before his eyes… and chose to laugh it off.
Later that night, they were back in his car, parked in front of Andi's house.
He reached over to tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Thanks for today," he said. "You don't know how much I needed it."
Andi smiled. "Wow, it feels like you're the one who got tired from my quiz."
"I mean, emotional support. That's draining too."
They laughed again.
But a weird itch lingered in the back of her mind.
"Andi?"
"Hmm?"
"If you hadn't met me personally… would I still be your crush?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
"Hypothetical," he shrugged, grinning. "Like, first time you see me eating kwek-kwek in the corner… would you have a crush?"
"Depends. Is there sauce on your nose?"
He gasped. "Wow."
"Just kidding," she smiled. "Yeah, probably. You're quiet but witty. The kind of guy you fall for without realizing it."
He leaned closer. "That's the dangerous part."
"Hmm. You're not in my Lolo's good books."
"Touché."
Andi laughed… and then it hit her.
"Speaking of my Lolo…"
Alonzo blinked. "Hmm?"
"You never really met him, right?"
Pause. Too long a pause.
"Technically… no," he said casually, like a man tiptoeing through a minefield in sneakers.
"Technically?" she repeated, narrowing her eyes.
He cleared his throat, scratched the back of his neck, avoided her gaze.
Andi's heart dropped. "Alonzo."
"…Yes?"
"Did you… meet my grandfather?"
Silence.
She knew the answer before he spoke.
"…Define 'meet,'" he muttered.
She turned to face him fully, arms crossed. "Did. He. Talk. To. You."
"Yes," he admitted finally, quietly. "But very briefly—"
"Alonzo!"
"Okay, fine! I got summoned! Like I was in John Wick or something!"
"What?!"
"He sent a man in black! I thought I was getting recruited for a heist!"
"Babe!"
"Next thing I knew, I was in a luxury SUV with a man who looks like he eats CEOs for breakfast—"
Andi slapped his arm. "Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Because I didn't want you to freak out! You were so happy that day, I couldn't ruin it by saying, 'Hey babe, I got interviewed by your Lolo like I'm applying for a loan and a life sentence at the same time.'"
She stared, jaw slack. "He… threatened you, didn't he?"
Alonzo opened his mouth, then closed it. "…He implied consequences."
Andi covered her face. "Did he mention… job rejections?"
"He said he'd make sure my future has none."
"Oh my God," Andi groaned. "I am going to kill that old man."
Alonzo gently tugged her hands away. "Hey," he said softly. "I'm still here. I survived. I'm still your boyfriend. And I'm not scared of him."
"Really?" she raised an eyebrow.
"No," he whispered. "I was shaking the whole time."
They both laughed.
Andi leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. For not leaving."
Alonzo grinned. "It'll take more than a billionaire Lolo to scare me away from you."
"Bold words from someone who almost peed in a luxury SUV."
"Shhh."