Romancing the Cold CEO

Chapter 1

Sabrina was tidying up the scattered papers of her boss.

"Sabrina, give me some coffee," her boss ordered.

Sabrina complied, preparing the coffee as instructed.

"Sis, did you hear about Sabrina's scandal? She's such a disgrace! Her flirty behavior is all over Facebook. If I were her boss-"

Passing by a nearby workstation, Sabrina overheard the gossip. Embarrassed and anxious, she placed the coffee on her boss's desk and quickly opened her phone to check the rumors.

Her heart sank as she read the notifications:

"@sabrinamendez, isn't this you?"

Her Facebook account was flooded with hateful comments, over 100 messages, and endless notifications. Feeling disheartened, she carried on with her tasks, clutching the coffee tightly.

"I didn't expect my life to turn out like this," Sabrina thought.

When she handed the coffee to her boss, he yelled, "What kind of coffee is this?!" and threw it at her.

"I'm sorry, sir. May I take a leave today? I'm not feeling well," Sabrina asked timidly, her head bowed.

"No! Make me another coffee and make sure it tastes right!" he barked.

"Yes, sir," she replied softly, tears welling in her eyes as she walked away.

Distracted, Sabrina bumped into someone.

"Sorry," she mumbled, her face hidden by her hair.

"Do you think I'll let this slide?" snapped Tefanie.

"I'm sorry, I didn't-" Sabrina couldn't finish as Tefanie grabbed her hair.

"Ahhh!" Sabrina screamed as Tefanie dragged her to the restroom.

"Next time, don't be so stupid!" Tefanie yelled, shoving Sabrina into a toilet stall. She pulled Sabrina's hair and shoved her face into the toilet bowl repeatedly.

Struggling to breathe, Sabrina gasped for air.

"That's what you deserve," Tefanie sneered before leaving.

Sabrina stumbled out of the restroom, her face hidden by her hair. The whispers around her felt like knives piercing her heart. Tears streaming, she climbed to the top floor of the building.

"This is the only way to end this pain," she thought.

She stepped onto the ledge, letting the wind touch her skin as she prepared to jump. Just as she was about to fall, a hand pulled her back.

The shock overwhelmed Sabrina, and she fainted.

Sabrina woke up in an unfamiliar room. She glanced to her side and saw a man sitting next to her. Gently, she moved his hand to uncover his face.

"Ranz!" she gasped.

Ranz Polire, her childhood friend and a social media sensation, looked back at her.

"You're awake. Don't worry about the video; we've taken care of it," he said gently.

Stunned, Sabrina could only listen as Ranz continued, "I'm helping you this time because you're my friend. I don't want you to go through this alone."

She felt a mix of gratitude and guilt.

"Thank you," Sabrina whispered, her voice barely audible.

was startled awake by a loud noise in the kitchen. She ran downstairs and found her father collapsed on the floor.

"Tatay!" she cried, shaking him.

"Anak..." he murmured weakly, trying to touch her tear-streaked face.

"Don't leave me, Tatay!" Sabrina pleaded, hugging him tightly.

With difficulty, her father said, "Anak, take me to the province. I can't... stay here anymore."

Though reluctant, Sabrina decided to grant his wish. She worked late into the night, finishing all her paperwork to clear her schedule.

The next morning, Sabrina prepared breakfast and called out, "Tay, let's eat!"

Her father slowly made his way to the table.

"What's the occasion, anak?" he asked.

"We're going to the province later, Tay. I'll take care of everything," Sabrina replied with a forced smile.

After breakfast, she headed to work to formally request a leave.

In her boss's office, Sabrina said, "Sir, I'd like to take a three-day leave to bring my father to the province. I've completed all the paperwork you assigned to me."

Her boss eyed her coldly but handed her a stack of documents and a flash drive.

"Fine, but finish these first," he said curtly.

Sabrina had no choice but to comply. After finishing her tasks, she took a cab home, exhausted.

As soon as she stepped inside, her father enveloped her in a warm hug.

"It's okay, anak. I know you'll get through this," he said, his voice filled with love and reassurance.

Tears flowed freely as Sabrina hugged her father tightly.

"Thank you, Tatay," she whispered, her heart heavy but comforted by his embrace.