CHAPTER 5

I tried to calm myself.

Act professionally, Annie. That’s what I kept repeating in my head while staring at my new neighbor—who also happened to be the new partner of one of our biggest clients.

I stood tall and faced Jeff with composure. I offered him my hand to formally introduce myself. I hadn’t been able to do that earlier—I was just too shocked to see him here.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Navarro. I’m Anita Salcedo, the Creative Consultant of The Idea House. I’m pleased to meet Hayal Lingerie’s new partner.”

He smirked. I forced myself not to react. I even kept my expression neutral. I didn’t pull my hand back.

Jeff finally moved and shook my hand. I gave him a firm handshake. But just before I could withdraw, I felt his middle fingertip press twice into my palm.

I snatched my hand away in shock, nearly scandalized. And when I saw the meaningful grin on his face, I had to swallow hard.

What a jerk. Even during a handshake, he managed to be inappropriate.

“I’m more pleased than you are, Annie. Shall I call you Annie?” he said smoothly.

It took me a few seconds to reply. “S-Sure, Mr. Navarro. Whatever makes you comfortable.”

He smiled wider—this time with so much meaning behind it that I had to stop myself from slapping him.

I ignored him as best I could and gestured toward a chair before sitting down.

“Annie, thank you for making time for us,” Ezekiel began.

I turned to him.

“My new partner wanted to clarify something about your current campaign for Hayal. Apologies for not giving you prior notice about our visit.”

“I understand, Mr. Austria. It’s not a problem. Everything is on track. In fact, we’ve already scheduled the shoot for both the print and billboard ads.”

“Thank you for your professionalism.”

I smiled and nodded briefly. Then I turned my attention to Jeff.

“So, Mr. Navarro, can we now discuss your concerns about the latest campaign project for Hayal? Ms. de Claro, our general manager, also informed me you had some feedback. I’ve been wondering what issues you might have with the work my team submitted.”

“There’s an issue, actually. I didn’t like the concept, Miss Salcedo.”

I froze. I blinked several times, stunned by what I’d just heard. I glanced at Mr. Austria, who clearly looked just as surprised.

“What exactly didn’t you like about the concept, Mr. Navarro? What’s the issue?”

“It’s too ordinary,” Jeff replied, completely unfazed.

“W-What?”

I could feel my ears heating.

“There’s nothing fresh about the campaign. I want something different, Miss Salcedo.”

“What do you mean, Jeff?” Ezekiel interjected. “I thought you only wanted to clarify something. The project’s done. Don’t tell me you want it redone?”

“Why not, Kiel? If you don’t like something about a project, wouldn’t you want it changed? As the marketing officer of Hayal, I want the campaign to reflect the company’s true essence—what it stands for, especially for women.”

“What exactly do you mean by that?” Ezekiel asked, his brows narrowing.

“What does the word Hayal mean?” Jeff shot back, turning the question around.

“To dream,” Ezekiel replied.

“Exactly. And our products are made for women. So for me, the company symbolizes every woman’s dream. Hayal is about encouraging women to dream.”

He raised his eyebrows after saying that—like he’d just delivered some profound revelation.

I nearly rolled my eyes in frustration. I sighed deeply before speaking again.

“Mr. Navarro, I still don’t quite understand what your point is. What does that have to do with the campaign concept we’ve created?”

Truthfully, I was already close to walking out. This man wasn’t just rude—he was impossible to deal with.

“My point is, you’ve selected only a narrow type of model for the campaign, Miss Salcedo. I don’t like that. Where’s the dream in that? All the models are the same body type and age range. What about the rest of the women?”

“So what do you suggest? Can you specify what exactly you want to see in the campaign?” I asked, struggling not to raise my voice.

Jeff grinned. He nodded slowly, like someone who’d just won a battle. Then he stared at me with quiet satisfaction.

---

Back in my office, I slammed the door shut and dropped into my swivel chair. I rubbed my temples with one hand.

“Miss Annie, would you like some coffee?” Ricky asked from the doorway.

I didn’t answer. Instead, I stood abruptly and began pacing back and forth.

“That Jeff Navarro is really testing my patience!”

“Why? What’s your issue with Sir Jeff?” Ricky asked calmly.

I stopped walking and turned to him, shocked.

“You don’t know? Weren’t you there in the meeting when he said he didn’t like the campaign we made for Hayal?”

“Y-Yes, Miss… but… I mean, he did make some good points—”

My palm hit the table with a loud smack, cutting him off. Ricky flinched and looked at me, startled.

“I don’t need your opinion, Ricardo. What I need is for you to gather the creative team. I have something important to tell them. Now!”

He rushed out to follow my orders.

Lourdes was unreachable. Since our call that morning, I hadn’t been able to contact her again. All decisions now rested on my shoulders.

Coming up with a new concept for the Hayal campaign was extra work. The photoshoot had already been scheduled—but now I’d have to cancel everything because the new marketing head wanted changes.

Usually, I enjoy this kind of challenge. It’s fulfilling once I overcome the stress. But sometimes, I still long for someone to confide in—someone to share the exhaustion with.

“You’ve got this, hon. Of course you do,” Daniel said sweetly over the phone. I was still in the office, preparing to leave, and as usual, I was the one who called—he rarely had the time.

“Thanks, hon, for always believing in me. I know I can handle it. Maybe I just needed to hear your voice to take the edge off.”

He chuckled. “Feeling better now?”

I pouted. “Yeah. I’m calmer, at least.”

“That’s good. Hon, I’ve got to go—my boss needs something urgent by tomorrow. I’ll call you in the morning.”

“Okay, hon. I’m heading out now anyway. Bye. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

Once the line disconnected, I stood up and grabbed my bag. As usual, the office was empty. The rest of the team had gone home, and I’d already told Ricky to leave early.

The elevator ride down was silent. Once I reached the ground floor, my phone rang—an unknown number.

I answered.

“Hi, Annie! Still at the office?”

I froze. I’d know that voice anywhere. It was Jeff.

“W-Why are you calling? Who gave you my number?” My steps quickened. I didn’t even bother acknowledging the guards who greeted me on my way out.

“Hey, relax, Annie! Hayal is your client—and as one of the partners, of course I need your contact number. So, are you still at the office?”

“I’m just leaving. I had to work overtime because one demanding partner wanted to change the entire campaign my team worked on.”

“Oh. That sounds very unprofessional. Why would you call your client ‘demanding’? Don’t you think it could help your agency grow?”

“I don’t think so. And please—I don’t want to talk to anyone right now. I’m heading home and still need to find a taxi. Good night!” I snapped and hung up.

I looked out at the traffic. Moments later, a sleek, familiar car pulled up beside me.

My heart jumped.

The window on the passenger side rolled down—and there was Jeff, grinning.

“I’m here already, Annie. No need to call a cab. Let’s go home together, neighbor.”