Chloe thought the worst had already passed — the canceled wedding, Vince's confession, her own decision to walk away. But the storm wasn't over.
Not yet.
Especially not when Maverick Crisostomo showed up at her office the next morning.
"Can I come in?" he asked, dressed in a crisp blazer, smile too polished for sincerity.
Chloe stiffened behind her desk. "If you're here to apologize for your silence during all that chaos—"
"I'm here to make an offer," he interrupted, sitting down without permission.
She raised an eyebrow. "You really think I'm still in the business of entertaining Crisostomo men?"
Maverick chuckled softly, unaffected. "This isn't about romance. It's about reputation. Damage control."
"Yours or Bella's?"
He shrugged. "Both. The press is already starting to buzz. We can't stop the rumors about the wedding being canceled, but we can rewrite the narrative."
Chloe crossed her arms. "And how exactly do I fit into this PR stunt?"
"You come out as the misunderstood third party — not a homewrecker, but a woman Vince fell for after realizing Bella wasn't right for him. We'll paint it as a modern love story. Romantic. Tragic. Clean."
"Clean?" she scoffed. "You think using me to polish your family's name is clean?"
"You're not naive, Chloe. You know how this world works. Everyone curates their story. I'm offering you a chance to control yours — and come out of this looking like a heroine, not a villain."
"I don't care how I look to strangers," she snapped. "I care how I feel when I look in the mirror."
Maverick leaned forward. "Bella's team is already preparing interviews. She'll twist everything — say Vince emotionally cheated. That you seduced him during planning. The headlines will eat it up."
Chloe's jaw clenched. "So what, I jump in and help you pre-empt it? Para saan? Para sa pamilya n'yong ubod ng kasinungalingan?"
He sighed. "I'm not saying you owe us. But if you're smart—"
"I'm not smart," she interrupted sharply. "I'm done."
Silence.
Then, more calmly: "I already lost enough being part of this wedding. I won't lose myself, too."
Maverick's gaze darkened, but only for a second. "You're making a mistake."
"No, Maverick," she said, rising to her feet. "I almost did. Falling for Vince might have been reckless... but letting you use me now? That would've been unforgivable."
He stood as well, the charm slipping. "You'll regret this. The media doesn't need truth. They just need a good headline."
"Then let them write whatever they want. Just know this — I don't owe your brother or his ex anything. This isn't my circus anymore."
Maverick paused at the door. "For what it's worth... you were never the problem."
"Too bad your silence made me look like one."
He didn't respond.
He simply walked away.
Later that afternoon, Chloe sat with Denise at a quiet café. Her friend listened intently as she recounted the meeting, eyes burning with restrained fury.
"What a manipulative ass," Denise muttered. "Trying to flip the scandal and dragging you with it."
Chloe nodded. "He thinks I'll just roll with it. Like I'm still the girl desperate for approval."
"Well, sorry to disappoint them," Denise said, clinking her glass to Chloe's coffee mug. "That girl's gone."
Chloe gave a small, grateful smile. "I just hope it's enough. That I'm enough. Without all the noise."
"You are," Denise said firmly. "And if they try to smear your name, we'll fight back. On your terms."
Chloe breathed in, steadying herself.
This wasn't how she imagined any love story ending.
But maybe this wasn't the ending.
Maybe it was just her beginning.
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