Tears streamed down Joyce's face as Nephtali wrapped his arms around her. He, too, felt his eyes well up.
"No matter what happens," Nephtali said, his voice a low, firm promise, "I'll always be here for you. I won't abandon you. I'll come back, and we'll see each other again. I promise you that."
"I'll wait for your return, Boss."
They heard Kaye calling out to her. Nephtali held Joyce's hand, his eyes on her friends waiting outside.
"Joyce, listen to me," he said, his voice urgent. "Always follow the doctor's orders. Take your medicine at the right time. You'll receive your medicine for your entire treatment."
"How do you know all this?" she asked.
"I'll explain everything the next time we talk. You should go now. You have to leave."
Nephtali let go of her hand, but she hugged him again.
"Thank you so much, Boss," she said, pulling away with a bright smile.
Nephtali watched her go, a sense of hope blooming in his chest. He turned to his friends, who were stunned by what he told them.
"I told you," Dave said, his voice full of frustration. "What you're doing is wrong."
The men looked at Nephtali, who sat down, his gaze fixed on them.
"Joyce doesn't know how I feel about her, and I have no plans of ever telling her," he said. "I just want to see her safe and happy. It's up to you if you want to help me or not. I won't stop you if you tell others, just don't say anything bad about Joyce."
"I don't know whether to be mad or pity you," Jerry said. "Are you crazy, Neph?"
"Didn't you listen?" Dave shot back. "He doesn't want Joyce to know. He just wants to provide for her needs and see her happy. He has no bad intentions. Nephtali has never asked us for help, and now that he needs our support, you're all hesitating?"
A tense silence fell over the group.
"Is that why you've been so out of it, Boss?" Gadriel asked. "Because of Joyce?"
"Her smile gave me hope," Nephtali confessed. "I can see her eyes even when I'm sleeping."
"You've really fallen for her," Dranreb said. "You've never told us anything like this before."
"You're doing all this for her, but you don't want her to know how you feel," Jerry said. "You're just hurting yourself."
"I'm used to suffering," Nephtali said. "I can hide how I feel from her. I could never hurt her or do to her what I did to the other women in my life. I want to keep things this way. She can think of me as a friend, and I'll have my secret feelings for her."
He took a drink of his whiskey, and the men remained silent.
"I can take their insults," Nephtali said, his voice low and dangerous. "But if they ever involve Joyce, I'll make them all crawl on the ground until there's nothing left."
The men looked at each other, stunned by his words.
"You don't talk much, so I know you mean what you say," Jerry said. "I believe in you and trust you. We'll do what you want if it makes you happy. I just have one request: someday, I hope you can tell her how you feel before she gets married to someone else."
"You're just killing yourself, Boss," Ram said, his voice full of concern. "I don't think I could do what you're doing. You can't tell her how you feel, then you're just going to let her fall for someone else?"
"I'll take these feelings with me to the grave," Nephtali said. "All that matters is that I see her happy."
He started to cry, throwing his drink on the ground and punching the wall. His friends rushed to hold him back.
"Stop it, Neph!" Dave said. "I told you, you're going to get hurt."
"Dave, he'll get hurt even more if he does nothing," Jerry said. "Neph, whatever you've started for Joyce, you have to continue it. Do everything you can for her, but you have to be ready to let her go when the time comes."
Nephtali froze, struck by Jerry's words.
---
Months later, Joyce and her friend, Kaye, were on a newly opened hiking trail. The view was breathtaking, with vast farmlands in the distance.
"Joyce, wait for me," Kaye said. "I have to get something from the store. Take lots of pictures for our social media."
"Hurry up," Joyce said. "I don't want to be alone."
"There are lots of people here," Kaye said. "Just stay here. I'll be right back."
Kaye left, and Joyce continued to take pictures.
"Why do you girls love taking pictures so much?"
Joyce gasped, turning to see Nephtali behind her.
"Boss?" she said. "What are you doing here? I thought you already left."
"You think I'd leave without saying goodbye?" he asked. "Come on. Let's walk. Your friend won't be back for a while."
"Did you tell Kaye to bring me here?"
He smiled, looking into the distance. Dave and Ram were there with Kaye, waving at them.
"Does Kaye know we're talking?"
"You trust your friend, don't you?" he asked. "Come on."
He held her hand and led her. She looked at him, feeling safe and secure. They reached a hut with a beautiful view of flowers.
"This isn't on the trail," Joyce said. "How did you know about this spot?"
"I own this land," he said. "So I know it well."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Gonzaga," she said, a playful smile on her face. "I forgot you're not an ordinary citizen of this province. You own everything here."
Nephtali fell silent, his eyes on her. Joyce immediately felt a pang of guilt.
"I was just kidding, Boss."
He laughed, and she playfully shoved him, but he pulled her to him, and they both fell to the ground. They lay there, staring at each other. Joyce tried to get up, but he stopped her.
"Can you stay here with me for a little while?" he said. "I just want you to stay on my shoulder before I leave."
Joyce rested her head on his shoulder, and he held her hand. She noticed a bandage on his hand.
"What happened to your hand, Boss?" she asked, worried. "Did you get into a fight?"
He gently touched her cheek. "Don't worry about me. It's nothing. Just a small cut. How are you feeling?"
"I get weak sometimes and get nosebleeds," she said. "My parents said I shouldn't go to school this year, but I refused."
"Don't worry," he said. "You'll get better once your treatment starts."
"Is that why Doctor Marcial said we shouldn't worry about the treatment?" she asked. "Because you already took care of it?"
"I told you I would do everything for you."
"And you don't want anything in return, just to see me happy and safe," she said. "I don't believe you, Boss. Why don't you just tell me why you're doing this? I'm not stupid or a child you can play with."
"I'm not lying to you or playing with you," he said. "Is that what you think of me?"
"Just tell me why you're doing this."
Nephtali couldn't answer. Joyce stood up, but he held her hand.
"Weren't my words at the resort enough?" he asked. "Joyce, just let me take care of you and protect you. When the day comes that you're ready to be on your own, I'll let you go."
Joyce was stunned. He stood up, took his necklace off, and put it on her. It was a thin silver chain with a small silver cross.
"I'm a man of my word," he said. "My necklace will stay with you for now, but I'll get it back when the day I'm talking about comes. So take care of it."
"What if I lose it?" she asked.
"Then I'll never let you go."
They looked at each other. He gently touched her cheek, and then he hugged her.
"Wait here," he said. "Your friend will be back soon. I have to go now."
Tears streamed down Joyce's face as she hugged him tightly.
"I'll wait for you, Boss," she said.
He wiped her tears and then they let go of each other. She stared at the necklace, and then Kaye came back and gave her a drink.
"The view is so beautiful here, right?" Kaye asked.
"Kaye, did they talk to you?" Joyce asked.
"I'll only tell you this, Joyce," Kaye said. "Don't push away someone who wants to protect you. Your body is weak, and you have no one else to lean on right now. Sir Nephtali is an influential man, so I know he won't abandon you. Drink this. We have to go home."
Joyce remained silent.
---
Months later, Joyce's family received her medical test results. Joyce was waiting outside with her older sister, Jona.
"Are you scared of the treatment?" Jona asked.
"I'm a little nervous," Joyce said. "They said it'll take two months, and there are some side effects like headaches and dizziness. I can handle it so I can graduate next year."
"That's right, you'll be graduating soon," Jona said. "You should be thinking about what course you'll take, but Mom and Dad are already having a hard time paying for our education. They made me take up nursing, even though it wasn't the course I wanted."
"Don't worry, Ate," Joyce said. "I can get a scholarship so Papa won't have to spend a lot of money on me."
"You always get scholarships because of how smart you are."
"I'm not that smart," Joyce said. "I just study hard."
They laughed as their parents, Nida and Eddie, came out.
"Joyce, Doctor Marcial wants to talk to you," Nida said.
"They only found symptoms, right?" Jona asked.
"Joyce still has to undergo treatment," Eddie said. "Her medicine is ready, and she'll start tomorrow. Go to your doctor, Joyce. He has something important to tell you about your medicine."
Joyce went into the doctor's office and was surprised to see Ram and Dave in the next room.
"You know why they're here, right?" Mike said.
"Boss could have just called me and asked about the results," Joyce said. "Does he have to watch over me even here?"
"I'm sorry if I have so many eyes and ears around you," Nephtali's voice said through the phone. "I just want to be sure you're okay when I'm far away."
Joyce was surprised to hear his voice.
"Boss found out about your results yesterday," Mike said.
"Are you friends with Boss, too?" Joyce asked.
"Mike is my cousin," Ram said. "He's one of Boss' childhood friends. He's also one of his closest friends, so don't be surprised if there are a lot of people around you. It's Boss's order for you to be protected wherever you go."
"They're not the only ones around you," Nephtali said. "You'll get used to them. You'll even get to know some of them."
"You're making me feel like a princess," Joyce said.
"You are my princess," Nephtali said.
The men laughed at their conversation.
"Ram, give her the vitamins," Nephtali said.
Ram handed Joyce a paper bag.
"Didn't you already give me vitamins, Doc?" Joyce asked.
"I didn't give you those vitamins with your medicine," Mike said. "They're not enough for you. Those are special vitamins that Ram bought in Manila. Boss wants you to get better as soon as possible."
"Boss, you're spoiling me too much," Joyce said. "I might get used to it."
"You're my princess, aren't you?" Nephtali said. "I should do this for you. Dave told me that Kaye said you walked home once because you lost your wallet. Why didn't you tell me?"
"You're asking me that here?" Joyce said. "Why do you guys tell Boss everything?"
"Sorry, but we can't lie to Boss," Dave said.
"Tell me what happened, Joyce," Nephtali said, his voice firm.
"I got robbed," she said. "I left my bag outside the restroom, and my wallet and money were gone. Kaye is so dead."
"Even if you threaten them, they'll still tell me what happens to you because they don't want to lie to me," Nephtali said.
"Boss, it only happened once."
"I just don't want you to suffer," Nephtali said. "Dave, find out who stole Joyce's money. Find their parents and make them pay for it."
"What?" Joyce said. "Boss, don't do that. It was only a small amount of money."
"If you got into an accident because of that, can they bring you back to life?" Nephtali said. "Remember, your condition is still delicate. If you get hurt because of what someone else did, I'll drag them all down until there's nothing left of them."
Joyce looked at the men, who were all silent because of Nephtali's words.