Ken expertly maneuvered through the maze and was out of it in no time. Nakita niya si Lily pagkalabas at agad naman siyang nilapitan ng kaibigan niya. "Why is your cheek bleeding?" Lily asked, worried.

Napahawak siya sa pisngi niya. It really was bleeding. She took out the handkerchief that belonged to the mysterious C.H. and wiped away the blood. "Tumama lang somewhere. It should be fine, basta hindi malagyan ng alcohol," she told her friend. Not wanting to talk about Claire and Sage, she changed the subject. "Ano nang nangyari sa inyo ni Daniela Avariza?"

Lily let out a sigh as they sat on a nearby bench. "She just watched me talk with a poker face. Hindi ko masabi kung alam niya ang mga pinagsasabi ko pero wala siyang comment. So pumunta na lang kami sa auction."

"'Yon na 'yon?" Ken asked, disappointed that the other heiress wasn't cooperating.

"Ah! Guess what? Siya ang nanalo ng date with Sage. Hulaan mo kung magkano."

Sigurado si Ken na mahigit pa sa huling bid niyang 850K 'yon pero ayaw niya munang ipaalam kay Lily na nagkaroon sila ng usapan ni Sage at nag-bid din siya. "I don't know, may magbabayad pala para maka-date 'yon?"

"Yeah, the winning bid was two million pesos."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Ken nang marinig niya ang naging halaga ng date with Sage. "Are you serious? Ano kayang nahithit no'n para gumastos ng two million para maka-date ang fuckboy?"

"Why not? It's for charity and he's quite good-looking, isn't he?" Lily said, smiling slyly. Ken knew she was trying to get her to agree. Well, from a purely objective point of view, it was true but no one needed to know that she actually agreed.

"Looks aren't everything," mabilis na sagot ni Ken.

"So hindi mo dine-deny that he's good-looking!" Lily seemed excited. "He's pretty fit too, I bet he has a six pack—"

"Stop it, Lily," Ken interrupted. Namula ang mga pisngi niya nang maalala niya ang six pack ni Sage. "Do you like him?" Her tone was suddenly serious.

"He's a good friend, nothing more."

"Good," sagot ni Ken. "Bakit 'di mo na lang sabihin sa kanya 'yan para tigilan ka na niya?"

"Alam niya na 'yan. Kailan ko ba siya pinaasa? He's just persistent and it doesn't really bother me," Lily assured her. "Wait, did you just say that it's good that I see him as nothing more than a friend? Why?"

"I think you know why." Ken said. Lily looked away. It was something they were both not ready to talk about yet.

"Anyway, your grandmother was looking for you earlier. Nagkita ba kayo?" Lily changed the subject after a long silence.

"I saw her, tinaguan ko."

"Kaya ka ba nasa maze?"

Ken nodded. She used to be close to her grandmother as she was one of the very few relatives who didn't judge her for her lifestyle back then.

"Maybe it's time you reconcile with your parents," Lily said.

Ken let out a bitter laugh. "'Di ko nga magawang kausapin si Grandma kahit never siyang nagalit sa 'kin. I don't want her to be in conflict with my mother." Ken rested her head on Lily's shoulder. "And I don't really deserve their forgiveness anyway."

"I know it wasn't your fault," Lily said as she patted her best friend's head. "Maaayos din ang lahat, Kendra."

* * *

"Bakit ba ayaw mo sa'kin? Ang ganda ganda ko naman eh," she asked, giving him a hug that he refused to return.

Claire was begging him to take her back but all he could think about were Ken's parting words. Why the hell did she think that he was attached to his ex? Kasalanan niya ba kung masyado siyang perpekto kaya ayaw siyang patahimikin ng ex niya?

"Looks aren't everything," Sage replied, tired of her narcissism. He untangled her arms from his waist.

"Then tell me, please. Anong kailangan kong gawin?"

"Wala ka nang kailangang gawin. I'm sorry but I can't return your affection."

"Bakit? Dahil ba kay Lily o dahil sa babaeng haliparot kanina?"

"Who I like is none of your business and you have no right to talk about them in that manner!" Napabuntong-hininga si Sage, nakakapagod na rin ang kahahabol ni Claire at ayaw niyang madamay sina Lily at Ken sa kabaliwan ng ex-girlfriend niya.

For the first time ever, nakaramdam siya ng kaunting pagsisisi sa pagiging malandi niya. "Ikaw na lang ang magsabi sa'kin, Claire. Anong kailangan kong gawin para matahimik ka na?"

"Marry me," mabilis na sagot ni Claire. Para bang handang handa ito sa tanong ni Sage.

Sage stared at her blankly. What she just suggested was wrong on so many levels. "Bata pa ako." Sa dami ng dahilan kung bakit hindi niya pakakasalan ang babaeng ito, iyan lang ang naisagot niya.

"At 'di bagay sa 'yo ang last name niya," said someone from behind them.

Sage was relieved to hear that voice dahil 'di niya na kakailanganin ng tulong ni Claire para lumabas ng maze. They both turned and came face to face with Teri.

"And who the hell are you?" mataray na tanong ni Claire nang makita niya ang bagong dating.

"The fact that Sage never introduced us is a clear sign that he has never thought about marrying you," Teri replied.

"Ate, tama na. 'Wag ka nang makipag-away dito," pag-awat ni Sage. Alam niyang hindi aatras sa pakikipagtarayan ang kapatid niya. Pagod na rin siya sa mga pakana ni Claire at gusto niya na lang umalis.

"A-ate? Ka-kapatid ka ni Sage?" nauutal na tanong ni Claire. Regret filled her face.

"I'm Rosemary Hermoso, not so nice to meet you," Teri said, not even bothering to hold out her hand. "Anyway, I have unfinished business with my brother. Una na kami, ah?" She smiled at Claire before dragging Sage towards the west exit.

"Please tell me na hindi 'yon si Lights Girl," Teri said while they were walking.

"Hindi siya 'yon," sagot ni Sage. "How did you even know that it was for a girl?"

"I saw Mr. Ringo at the mall. Bagay daw kayo ng bago mong girlfriend," Teri said, grinning. "So who's the new girlfriend?"

"Since when were you interested in my relationships?" Sage asked, annoyed at his sister's interrogation. "Wala akong girlfriend."

"Wala talaga? Himala," she said. "So Mr. Ringo was lying?"

"Yes."

"Why would he lie?"

"'Cause we lied to him," he said as he rubbed his nape in embarrassment.

Naningkit ang mga mata ni Teri. "Why did you lie? And more importantly, sino 'yong 'we'?"

"We didn't want to be dragged into Mr. Ringo's drinking problem. It's a long story, bakit ba ang dami mong tanong?"

"It's fun to watch you struggle answering. You aren't as smooth as you usually are and I feel like you're avoiding the question of who you were with." She laughed. "So was it Lily?"

"No—" Napahinto siya nang makalabas sila ng maze at makitang nakaupo sa bench sina Lily at Ken.

He hurried over when he saw the cut on Ken's left cheek and held up her chin to take a closer look. "Nilinis mo na ba 'to? Sorry, I wasn't able to hold her back. Kailangan mo bang pumunta sa infirmary?"

* * *

His worried eyes made her heart flutter. Agad niyang tinanggal ang kamay ng binata mula sa baba niya. "I'm fine, gasgas lang 'yan at malayo naman sa bituka."

"Sabi mo tumama ka lang somewhere! What really happened, Ken?" Lily asked. Bumalik ang pag-aalala nito.

"Tumama naman talaga siya somewhere eh... 'Somewhere' just happened to be an angry girl's sharp nails," Ken explained. "You don't need to worry. Uhm, 'di ba may sasabihin ka kay Sage?" Ken said, trying to distract Lily. Her best friend would demand to know the whole story and she didn't really want to recount her encounter with Claire, especially the part where the actress caught her embracing the fuckboy. Kahit walang malisya 'yon.

"Ah, yes! Will you take a walk with me? I want to talk to you about something," Lily said, turning to Sage. Successful ang distraction tactics ni Ken.

"Sasagutin mo na ba 'ko?" Sage joked.

This earned laughter from Lily and an eye roll from her. "You wish," Ken said.

As she watched them walk away, she felt someone sit on the bench beside her. "You know, I was rooting for you," Teri said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ken asked, confused.

"Ikaw 'yong huling anonymous bidder sa auction kay Sage," Teri clarified. "I don't really like Claire."

"Oh, pa'no mo alam?" Ken asked, a bit embarrassed that they were talking about her missed opportunity of going on a date with her brother. "I don't really like Claire too."

"I'm in the committee, we know who the anonymous bidders are. Which means I also know that you won the date with Tristan," Teri said. "So mahilig ka talagang mag-donate sa charity kaya nag-bid ka sa kanilang dalawa or type mo pareho?"

"Ah, hindi!" Ken usually doesn't care about what others think about her but for some reason, ayaw niyang isipin ng kapatid ni Sage na haliparot siya kaya sa dalawa siya nag-bid. "May nagpa-bid lang sa 'kin no'ng kay Tristan."

"Pero 'yong kay Sage, nagkusa ka lang?" Teri asked, sounding more interested.

"Uhm, hindi rin. Si Sage mismo ang nagpatulong sa 'kin kasi ayaw niyang manalo si Claire," sagot ni Ken.

"I see," Teri replied. "Bihira akong makakilala ng ayaw kay Claire."

"Well, she's a pretty good actress. Maloko ba naman ang buong Pilipinas," Ken said, shaking her head.

Natawa si Teri sa sinabi niya. "Buti hindi nakatuluyan ng kapatid ko 'yon. Mukhang umayos naman na ang taste ni Sage ngayon," Teri said.

"Mukha nga. Lily is infinitely better than that two-faced ex of his."

"I wasn't talking about Lily, Lights Girl." Teri said mysteriously.

Creases appeared on Ken's forehead. "Huh? What did you just call me?"

"Ah, wala." Teri smiled at her but didn't say anything else.

* * *

Hindi maisawang mapansin ni Sage na pinagtitinginan sila ng mga tao habang naglalakad sila ni Lily sa campus. He wasn't very surprised though. As inheritors of good genes from their parents and future inheritors of business empires, they were both head-turners.

Kahit sinong outsider ang tanungin, siguradong sasabihing bagay sila. From a purely objective point of view, Sage agreed. But for some reason, that conclusion made him uncomfortable. Lily wasn't falling for him but he was starting to feel guilty about the bet he made with Valerian and Jasmine. May iba pa kasing maaapektuhan ng consequences kapag lumabas na ang katotohanan.

"So, excited ka na ba sa date mo?" Lily started.

Sage was mildly surprised with Lily's question. "I'd be more excited if it was with you," he said. "At hindi mo kailangang magselos, it's just for charity."

Lily laughed. "Hindi ako nagseselos. May favor lang sana akong hihingin. Kung okay lang sa'yo."

"Anything for you." Sage winked.

Lily proceeded to explain the developments on the pageant issue. She asked if Sage could ask Daniela about it, thinking that maybe the other heiress would be more willing to cooperate if Sage was involved since she seemed to like him.

Hindi naman nagdalawang isip si Sage na tumulong pero sinubukan niya na ring humingi ng kapalit. "Of course I'll help you pero sana mapagbigyan mo rin ako sa date," he said. "We didn't really get to do much on our last date."

"'Kasi busy kayo ni Ken sa panlalamang sa isa't isa." Lily giggled.

"She started it! Lahat na lang ng gagawin ko, kinokontra niya eh," Sage replied, trying to defend his actions.

"I know, pagpasensyahan mo na siya," Lily said. "It's what makes her cute, right?"

"Ye—no!" He almost agreed. "Ikaw lang ang cute para sa 'kin. So how about we go again? 'Yong tayo lang talaga at hindi tayo third and fourth wheel."

"Sure." Lily nodded. "Nag-promise naman ako ng date na walang interference from Ken."

Sage was glad that Lily agreed to go on a date but he was much less excited compared to the first time he asked.

In the distance, Sage was amused to see his sister laughing with a girl she was sitting with. Teri didn't really get along with his exes. But why was he even thinking about this? 'Di niya naman girlfriend si Kendra.