I pulled the last tray of cookies out of the oven and carefully placed them on the cooling rack. The delicious scent of warm chocolate and vanilla filled the air, making me sigh in satisfaction. Baking always brought me peace, and tonight was no exception.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luke peeking into the kitchen, his eyes wide with anticipation. His little hands fidgeted with excitement, and I couldn't help but laugh. He was practically drooling from the smell alone. I decided to tease him by deliberately slowing down as I transferred the cookies from the tray to a plate.
Luke caught on quickly, and with a mischievous grin, he ran up to me and began signing furiously with his tiny hands, Hurry, please! Cookies!
I laughed, scooped him up in my arms, and signed back, Are you ready to eat some cookies?
He nodded enthusiastically, his excitement contagious. I set him down gently, grabbed the plate of cookies, and carried them into the living room where my family was gathered. We were still at the beach house, but the sun had set, and the chilly night air kept us indoors. The living room, warm and cozy, was the perfect spot for a family movie marathon.
Bam had already made popcorn, Nana had prepared juice, and together we arranged everything on the coffee table. The movie was about to start, and we all settled into our spots, eager for a relaxing evening.
As the opening credits rolled, Nana, who was scrolling through her phone as usual, suddenly poked me. "Hey, have you checked your social media today?" she asked, a mischievous smile on her face.
I glanced at her, puzzled. "Not yet. Why?"
"You're trending," she said with a grin. "Apparently, you met a gorgeous CEO last night, and people are shipping you two online."
My parents and Bam immediately turned their attention to Nana, their curiosity piqued. "CEO? Who?" they asked in unison.
Nana, ever ready with the receipts, pulled up her phone and showed them a TikTok video. I watched as their eyes widened in surprise, while my mind wandered back to herâthe woman I couldn't stop thinking about. Faye. Her perfect face, her poised demeanor, and that enchanting smile had kept me awake all night. Even now, just thinking about her made my stomach twist into knots.
"Wow. She's gorgeous," my brother said, breaking my reverie.
"Right?" my sister agreed, nudging me playfully. "And youâyou were practically drooling over her in that video. Your mouth was wide open, Yoko!" she teased, laughing.
I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment. My dad smirked knowingly, and my mom, still watching the video, asked with curiosity, "Wait, what do you mean by CEO? How old is she?"
"She's 26," Nana and I answered in unison, causing everyone to stare at us.
Nana laughed and added, "I may have done some stalking last night. Apparently, I wasn't the only one."
My dad chuckled while my mom's eyes widened. "Twenty-six and already a CEO? What kind of business does she run?" she asked.
I let Nana handle that one, grateful for the distraction. "She owns a clothing brand based in the Philippines. It's internationally recognized nowâa multimillion-dollar company," Nana explained.
"At that age?" my dad marveled, impressed.
"And there's more," my sister chimed in, enjoying the moment. "She earned her business doctorate at 18âthe youngest in her class. Oh, and rumor has it she used to date Lalisa Manoban."
That last bit caught me off guard. "Lisa? What do you mean she dated Lisa?" I asked, feeling a wave of confusion.
My sister grinned. "There were rumors they were spotted together in Africa last year. That's why Lisa's been wearing her brand's clothes."
A knot tightened in my stomachâa strange mix of jealousy and curiosity. Could it be true?
As my sister continued sharing more details about Faye, I struggled to process everything. Her achievements, her rumored past, and the growing attention online. My family listened with fascination, but I felt like my world was spinning. I needed a moment to myself.
"How did you even meet her?" my sister suddenly asked. "And why didn't you tell me you have Faye City pieces? I've been trying to buy one forever, but they're always sold out!"
"I forgot to mention it," I muttered, feeling overwhelmed. "Can I be excused? I think I'll head to bed."
My mom looked at me with concern. "Are you feeling okay, honey?"
"Yeah, Mom. I just need to check in with my team," I reassured her before kissing everyone goodnight and retreating to my room.
Once inside, I collapsed onto my bed and opened my phone. Notifications flooded the screenâtexts, missed calls, and countless social media alerts.
A message from P'Lookmhee caught my eye:
"Yo, hope you're feeling better. Call me when you see this."
Another from P'Chai:
"Hey, trending queen! How are you? Call me when you're free."
Then P'Freen:
"Baby girl, you okay? Let me know if you need to reschedule tomorrow's meeting. Also, I saw clips from your live last night. You and that CEO have insane chemistry! When you start dating, send me more Faye City pieces, okay?"
I chuckled at their teasing and decided to call them on our group chat.
"Hey, look who it isâMs. Trending!" P'Chai greeted me with a grin.
I sighed. "Did I mess up anything?"
P'Lookmhee laughed. "Oh, absolutely. I'm already planning how to make your chemistry with P'Freen stronger than yours with the CEO."
I blushed as P'Freen chimed in, laughing. "Girl, even I'm jealous. If I weren't straight, I'd go for her too!"
"Hey!" I protested, pouting.
They all laughed before P'Lookmhee got serious. "But really, Yoko. Are you okay? This is a lot of attention."
I took a deep breath. "I think I'm fine. Just... overwhelmed."
"Good," P'Lookmhee said. "Now, about that CEOâdo anyone know if she's single?"
P'Freen added with a smirk, "Or are we asking about the COO?"
We all burst into laughter, the lighthearted banter lifting my spirits. P'Lookmhee then suggested I go live on TikTok again, taking advantage of the buzz to promote our upcoming project. I hesitated but eventually agreed.
As I started the live, I immediately noticed something was different. The viewer count skyrocketedâtriple what it had been last night. Nearly 500,000 people were watching. My heart raced as I sent a quick DM to my team.
"What's happening?"
Their response was just as surprised:
"We have no idea. Just roll with it."
I greeted the viewers and began answering questions. The comments were relentless, many asking about last night's live. I recounted the story, which delighted those who had missed it.
Then, a familiar name popped up in the chat: Sofia27.
Hi Yoko! she wrote.
The comment section exploded with excitement. I greeted her on the live. "Hi, Sofia! How are you today?"
Her response got lost in the flood of messages. I sent her an invite to join, but after a few moments, she didn't accept.
Finally, a message appeared:
Sorry, I'm in the car with my Ate. I didn't see the invite.
Fans begged for them to join together. Someone suggested making Sofia a moderator so her messages would be pinned. We followed the advice.
My Ate's tired, so she can't join. But guess what? We're heading to Ate Faye's house. Maybe she'll join the live. I heard she made a TikTok account.
My heart beat faster as the comment section erupted.
"CEO Faye!!!"
Author's Note:
Hello, my dear readers!
I just wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who has been reading, adding, voting, commenting, and supporting this story. Your love and encouragement mean the world to me, and I truly appreciate every bit of it.
Writing this story has been a journey, and knowing that you're here with me, enjoying it, makes it all the more rewarding. Your feedback, whether through comments or votes, motivates me to keep going and continue improving.
I also want to let you know that I'll do my best to update daily, with the exception of Sundays. Sundays tend to be super busy for me, so I might need that day to recharge. I hope you understand, and I'm so grateful for your patience and support!
Please don't be shyâfeel free to share your thoughts about the story. I love hearing from you, and your insights, questions, and even just a simple "hello" in the comments bring a smile to my face. Your engagement helps shape this story into something we can all enjoy together.
And now, a special shoutout to:
@micarlene, @ArgentRegal, @Doryn25, @magda1102 @Monahinya_GayPop @carmina105,  @sam912215  @Rougafd45 @BenitaGarcia1 @dithObapial @Nicole_0421 @ConstanceChen
Thank you for your amazing support! ð
Stay tuned for the next chapter, and I can't wait to hear what you think!
With love,
gl_otor_emz