Janice furrowed her brow.
"Did they say who it is?"
Amy shook her head. "No, not yet… but… it seems like they know you. They've been waiting for a while."
Janice paused, silent for a moment.
No one was supposed to be visiting her. And she had no idea who could have arranged this. Only one person came to mind—but she knew that person was in the States.
Slowly, she rose from her swivel chair. Each step toward the office exit was careful, measured, as if some unexplainable intuition tugged at her.
As she neared the waiting area…
Her world stopped.
Sitting there was a woman in an elegant white blouse and high-waisted trousers. Long hair in soft curls, a designer bag she would never forget resting beside her.
The same brand her mother loved.
The woman slowly rose to her feet.
And smiled.
"Hi, Ate!"
Something exploded in Janice's chest.
"Lyca…?"
The smile widened, eyes sparkling with joy at seeing her.
"Surprise!"
Janice couldn't speak at first. It was like stepping back in time—into the mansion, the endless marble hallways, the dining tables far too large for just three people.
"You're supposed to be in the States," she whispered.
"Was," Lyca replied lightly. "I flew back yesterday."
Janice's heart raced.
"Do Mom and Dad know you're here?"
Her sister's expression changed for a brief moment.
"Yes."
Silence. The air grew heavier.
"Why are you here, Lyca?"
Lyca didn't answer right away. Instead, her gaze swept across the office—simple, unassuming chairs, a bulletin board cluttered with campus announcements.
"So this is where you chose to be," she said softly.
It wasn't a question.
It was an observation.
A quiet judgment.
"I didn't leave to run away," Janice said firmly. "I chose this."
Lyca sighed. "Ate… you left everything. You shouldn't be here."
"No. I left what they wanted for me, Lyca."
Their eyes met. And for the first time…
It felt like they weren't just sisters.
It felt like two people from completely different worlds were facing each other.
"Ate," Lyca whispered, "Dad wants to fix things."
Janice gripped her folder tighter.
"Or fix the business?" she replied.
Lyca paused for a moment.
"No, Ate. I talked to Dad… he wants things to be okay between you and Mom. He wants everything to be okay."
And then Janice understood.
This wasn't a simple visit.
There was a reason.
An agenda.
Outside the office…
A man stood in the distance. Silent. Watching.
He didn't mean to overhear the name.
"Lyca?"
It was Alonzo, who had been observing from afar. Suddenly, Maverick tapped his shoulder.
"Hey bro! What are you doing there?" Maverick glanced at Janice and Lyca, who were deep in conversation.
"Bro, who do you think that girl is that Janice is talking to?" Alonzo asked, curiosity in his voice.
"Looks serious, bro! Maybe Janice's sister," Maverick speculated.
"Wait! I have to call my babe." Maverick added hurriedly.
"Hold up, bro! Where are you going? Who's your babe?" Alonzo grabbed Maverick's arm.
"Of course, bro! My babe Angela!" Maverick replied, rushing away.
"Why you two always like this? Did she answer you? Hahaha, feeling it again, huh bro!" Alonzo muttered as Maverick disappeared.
Alonzo's gaze returned to Janice and her companion. He thought for a moment but then left, deciding it wasn't his concern.
Meanwhile, Lyca wasn't leaving. She was still teasing her sister to come with her back to the States.
"Ate, please come with me when I go back. I miss you so much too." She held Janice's hand tightly.
"Sorry, Lyca… I can't just leave my life here behind."
"Okay… I'll always be here until you're ready," Lyca pleaded.
"Are you sure, Lyca? I need to finish my studies here. I can't waste my scholarship."
"Alright, just like I said—I'll wait for you, Ate. I'll stay here while I study online and manage the branches of our business."
Janice didn't protest further. She let Lyca take the lead. The condo would be their meeting place now, since their parents had sold the family home after moving abroad.
Night had fallen by the time Lyca finally returned to the condo unit she rented.
The space was quiet. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows. City lights flickering below. Elegant. Controlled. Cold.
She dropped her designer bag onto the couch and slowly sat at the edge of the bed.
But her mind wasn't here.
It was a week ago…
California, US.
The hallway of the mansion was dimly lit. Lyca couldn't sleep—jet lag, she told herself.
Then she heard voices from her parents' private receiving room.
Quiet. Whispered. Heavy.
She had been on her way to the kitchen when she froze at the stairs.
"How is Janice?" a gentle, aged voice asked.
Mother.
Lyca peeked through a tiny hole in the wall toward the living room.
There were Rose and Diego. And two nuns in habit.
Mother Agnes and Mother Lucia.
"We haven't seen her in so long," one said. "Time flies… she was only three when you brought her from the orphanage in the Philippines…"
Lyca's eyes widened.
Orphanage?
She pressed herself against the cold wall.
"You did such a good thing back then," Mother Agnes said. "She was a kind and sweet little girl, but she lost her parents early… they passed away in an accident."
It was like cold water splashed across her chest.
Janice…?
Orphan?
"To be honest," Rose spoke softly, "we couldn't have a child ourselves back then…"
Lyca's hands trembled. She shouldn't be listening. But she couldn't move.
"Janice became the light of our home," Diego continued. "Quiet, always sitting in the corner of the orphanage… clutching her little stuffed bear."
Lyca shut her eyes. She could picture it.
Little Janice. Silent. Waiting.
"Yes, she was adorable," one of the nuns agreed.
"Cute," Rose chuckled softly. "And her eyes… there was a strength in them. That's when I knew… she was the child I wanted."
Something pricked Lyca's chest.
"But Lyca…" Mother Lucia suddenly said.
Lyca gripped the stair railing tightly.
"Yes," Diego said. "She was our miracle."
"She survived because of a surrogate mother," Rose added. "We had waited so long. Many failed attempts. That's why when we adopted Janice, Lyca's birth was finally successful."
Miracle. Surrogate. Biological. Real.
Everything suddenly made sense.
Janice was adopted.
And Lyca… was the miracle.
Present — Condo Unit
Lyca snapped back to reality.
She took a deep breath.
"So… that's why," she whispered.
That explained her mother's strictness toward Janice.
That explained the wall Janice always felt between herself and their parents—not because she was loved more, but because of the secret they kept.
Lyca approached the window, staring at the city lights, lost in thought.
"Ate doesn't even know."
Janice didn't know she had overheard everything.
She didn't know about the nuns' conversation.
She didn't know that Lyca now knew.
And somehow…
Lyca didn't know what to feel.
Anger?
Jealousy?
Fear?
Compassion?
"Ate…" she whispered.
"If only you knew… why I'm here. If only you knew their secret about Mom and Dad."
Lyca closed her eyes. One question refused to leave her mind:
If Janice finds out… will she break? Or will she finally understand why she never truly felt like she belonged?
Slowly, Lyca picked up her phone. She stared at the contact name.
"Ate."
She hesitated for a moment. Then she locked the screen. Not yet. Not now.
On the other side of the city… Janice was completely unaware that the past was slowly walking toward her.
Narrator's note:
Shocked about Janice's life? Turns out she's adopted, which explains why her parents treated her so differently—why they didn't care about her feelings when she rejected Lexus's proposal, or even when he deceived her. Business always came first in their eyes. What's Lyca's plan? And how will Janice discover her parents' secret? Stay tuned!
High atop the school building, Janice wiped away her
tears, deep in thought…
"Janice!" —Alonzo's voice came from behind her.
He caught her just as she wiped her cheeks.
To be continued…