The Billionaire’s Playmate

Rozzean Cyron Valleje (His side)

I gazed at Tali beside me, unable to wipe the smile off my face as I looked at her. She was sleeping, her hand resting on my waist, holding onto me. My hand moved, gently gliding across her cheek to her rosy lips.

“I love you, Tali…” I whispered and leaned down to kiss her. Her eyebrows moved, and I thought she might open her eyes, but instead, she turned away from me. My forehead creased in confusion. I held her shoulders and slowly turned her back to face me.

“Hmm… Rozzean…”

I lowered my face again and kissed her cheek.

“I’m sorry, continue your sleep. I will not interrupt you.”

I had proposed earlier, and she had nodded. I glanced at her hand to see where the ring was.

It was a wonderful feeling. I never thought I could experience this kind of happiness in my life.

Before making this decision, I sorted out everything that might be affected by this choice in my life. I talked to my parents and told them about my desire to marry Tali-my maid. I didn’t hide that she was my maid; I would never lie to my parents so that they would accept her for me.

I wasn’t ashamed of her, even though she was my maid.

But when I went to my parents’ house, I’ll never forget the anger in my father’s eyes when I said I wouldn’t proceed with the engagement to George Dela Vezca’s daughter. I knew turning my back on them would cause huge trouble, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t afraid to face them if, after everything, I could have a happy life with Tali.

That’s all I wanted.

As expected, Dad got extremely angry. I begged. I knelt down, knowing it was impossible but still hoping they would accept Tali. Because she’s the one I want to be with for the rest of my life. I tried, telling my parents how much I loved Tali, but my father remained adamant.

I lost hope. He even told me that he would never accept me as his son if I went ahead with marrying Tali. But nothing could change my mind at that moment. I planned everything, even if they didn’t agree, I would still propose to Tali.

Tali was the only one who showed me true love. The love I had been longing for.

I failed to get Dad’s approval, and it hurt, but when I got home and saw Tali’s face welcoming me, all the pain seemed to disappear.

Her smile and her voice are like medicine for me… I don’t know what would happen to me if I lost her.

The next thing I did was talk to George Dela Vezca. I went to his house and personally told him that I no longer intended to marry his daughter. I saw the immense surprise in his eyes.

We’ve known each other for a very long time. We met when I was still working for Dad’s company. I can’t count how many times he praised me for handling the business well. So when he learned that I wanted to start my own company, he was happy for me.

He said he would support me.

George Dela Vezca became one of the biggest investors in my company. Aside from Aloncious, he was someone who believed in me.

He’s like my second father.

When Dad told me about the engagement with George Dela Vezca’s daughter, it didn’t bother me at first. I didn’t even know he had a daughter since only his sons were usually around, especially during celebrations and gatherings.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

I agreed to the engagement, but I never expected someone to come and change my life. Tali changed my life for the better. I was so happy… and content with her.

When I told Mr. Dela Vezca that I wouldn’t proceed with the wedding, I saw his anger. It was the first time I’d seen him so angry in all the years I’d known him. I understood because it wasn’t easy for him to accept that I was backing out of the engagement with his daughter.

I apologized, I don’t remember how many times. Luther was there and witnessed everything.

George Dela Vezca asked for my reason, and I told him I had fallen for someone. I didn’t hide that it was my maid. Because of his extreme anger, he told me he couldn’t forgive me.

He said he would pull out all his shares from my company, even his sons’ shares. He would also withdraw everyone close to him who invested in my company. I nodded, and I wasn’t angry.

I accepted it.

I didn’t break eye contact with him when I told him I wasn’t afraid to lose my company-everything. I wasn’t afraid to start over. What I was excessively afraid of was losing Tali from my life.

She completed me… Tali was the one who helped me discover a kind of happiness I didn’t know existed within me. She filled the voids I had been searching for. Before talking to my parents and George Dela Vezca, I prepared myself for the downfall of RCV.

I thought about it. With the money I had saved, I could start a small business.

I planned my future with Tali. Even if they all rejected her, I didn’t care.

During those moments, my only thought was to fix my life to start anew with Tali. I knew very well that I wouldn’t regret anything as long as I had Tali. I could overcome everything.

But I didn’t expect that the happiness with her would end so soon.

“Manang, are you sure she’s not in any room in the entire house?”

I was nervous and couldn’t sit still. When I woke up in my room earlier, I was alone, and Tali wasn’t beside me. I felt a different kind of unease, unlike the first time something happened between us. It was entirely different.

“Yes, sir, but her things are in the room. Everything’s there, including her cellphone.”

I walked towards her room. I quickly grabbed her cellphone. There was no point in calling her because her cellphone was here.

“Damn it.”

I hurriedly went outside the house. It was past two in the morning. I approached the guards and talked to them immediately. I asked if they saw Tali. The two guards said she went out to buy something at the convenience store.

“Manang, I’m leaving! Please call me when Tali gets home!” I shouted as I ran towards the garage.

I was never this scared before, not ever. Right now, my hands were cold as I tightly gripped the steering wheel. I headed outside the village. I went to the nearest convenience store open 24 hours, but she wasn’t there. I asked around, but the cashiers told me they didn’t notice any woman.

“Tali, where are you?”

Out of extreme worry and fear, I called the police. I had them search even though it hadn’t been 24 hours yet. I didn’t go home; I looked for her in nearby places in my village. I almost covered all the places she could go, but I didn’t find her.

“Sir, nothing yet. No one has seen her, even in the neighboring city,” the police said when I spoke to them in front of my village.

I left a photo with them and told them to continue the search. When I entered my house, I saw Auntie in the living room. I approached her.

“M-Manang… did she call you? Did she say anything to you yesterday? Were her actions suspicious?” I asked.

“This is so sudden… where is she going? Why didn’t she tell me? Why didn’t she say anything?”

“She didn’t say anything, sir. She seemed fine, s-sir… could something bad have happened to Tali? She doesn’t have anywhere else to go. Her province is far from here. And she said she was going to the convenience store, right? She should have returned by now; it’s not that far.”

I placed my hand on Manang’s shoulder and told her that I wouldn’t stop looking for Tali. I also told her to rest and sleep. Morning came, but she was still awake, and so was I because of my search for Tali.

When the police called me about a woman they saw, I immediately went to their location. However, I was disappointed because it wasn’t Tali that I found. I didn’t go home again; I combed the entire Tagaytay, hoping to find Tali.

“Where are you, baby? W-why did you suddenly disappear?”

This is my fear. This is the only thing I’ve been afraid of since I realized I love her. I’m not afraid to lose all my wealth; I just don’t want to lose her.

“Damn it, where are you?”

Around midnight, I went home. Exhausted, but I had no intention of resting because I still wanted to go around and find her. She’s been missing for a whole day. It’s dark outside now… I’m really worried. I don’t know what to do anymore.

“S-Sir… please eat first,” Manang greeted me as I entered.

“I don’t have the appetite, Manang–”

I stopped when I glanced at the CCTV behind her.

Deciding to check the CCTV footage in my house, I quickly went up to my room and opened my laptop. I watched all the CCTV cameras in my house. My forehead creased when I saw a red car stopping in front of my house. I was surprised when someone got out of it.

“Maki?”

“He didn’t tell me he was going yesterday.”

I clenched my hands as Maki entered. In another CCTV, I saw Tali going to the Gazebo, and in a different one, Maki seemed to be asking something to Manang. Afterward, he walked towards the Gazebo.

In less than half an hour, Maki left my house.

I noticed the change in Tali’s expression after she came from the Gazebo. I watched other CCTV cameras, and it seemed like she was deep in thought. Without changing, I walked heavily towards the exit and got into my car.

“Fck you, Maki… if I find Tali at your house, I’ll really kill you.”

The journey to Maki’s house should have taken hours, but I arrived there quickly.

“Rozzean? What are you doing–w-woah, bud–”

I didn’t speak. I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him inside his house. I pushed him, and he fell to the ground. I glared at him intensely, my chest heaving with anger.

“Where. is. Tali?!”

I saw Maki smile, “She’s not here, bud, what are you talking about?”

In my rage, I stood him up and punched him. Maki fell again. I straddled him and punched him again.

“You fckng went to my house! You went to the Gazebo, and she was there! You talked to her! Where is she?! Bring Tali out!”

“R-Rozzean! What the fck! Tali’s not here!”

I punched him several times. My vision blurred with anger, and I didn’t think about our friendship or my feelings. It was all mixed up. I didn’t know anymore.

“Fck you, Maki! Bring Tali out!”

Maki’s face was bleeding, but I didn’t stop beating him.

“She’s my l-life! I’ll go crazy if she’s gone! Tell me where she is?! You’re the only one who went to my house! She acted differently after that! What did you fckng tell her?! Did you tell her to leave me?!”

“R-Rozz… buddy…”

My body was trembling with anger. I stared at Maki, furious. He wasn’t fighting back, not defending himself as I continued to punch him. I didn’t realize that, out of fear, anger, and worry for Tali, I was already crying.

I slowly let go of Maki. I wiped my tears and left his house. I returned to my car. I punched the steering wheel several times.

“W-Where are you…”

“Tali…”

“P-Please… baby…”

I didn’t stop searching. Even the places I had already visited, I revisited in the hope of finding her. I had been without proper sleep and food for days, but I didn’t care; what mattered to me was finding her.

“Rozz, Manang told me you haven’t eaten yet, and you’re still looking for your helper. Is she that important?”

As I was about to go out again to search for Tali, I ran into Klari.

“What are you doing here, Klari?”

“I brought food, here…”

I lowered my gaze to the paper bag she was holding. As I was about to pass by her, she held my arm.

“Rozzean, she’s just a helper, you can find another–”

“She’s not just a maid, Klari.”

I removed her hand from my arm.

“She’s the woman I love. I love Tali so much. Do you think I would go through all this trouble if she was just a helper to me?”

I saw surprise on her face. I’ve told her multiple times that I’m in love. She shouldn’t hope that I’ll ever be interested in her, yet she hasn’t stopped. She even used her father last time.

“T-That woman? Y-you are kidding me, right?”

As I was about to pass by her again, Klari held my arm. My eyes, tired, met hers, and I removed her hand again.

“I proposed to her, I love her so much, Klari. I would never joke about this, especially now that Tali is missing. The moment I find her, we’ll get married. So, if you have any feelings for me, please forget about it.”