Disclaimer: The author's imagination and passion are the only sources of inspiration for this novel, which is a work of dedication. Parallels between these pages and the past or present may be apparent to some readers, but they are completely coincidental. You are free to interpret this art anyway you see fit, and it is meant for your enjoyment.

To the dismay of the Manila paparazzi who had been camped out outside Tan Holdings' offices for weeks, the wedding was not shown on television. Rather, it took place on an unnamed, exclusive stretch of white sand in the Calamian Islands, a location so remote that commercial aircraft charts didn't even mention it.

The wedding party had been flown by Zayrius Tan himself in a fleet of vintage seaplanes. His characteristic "grumpy" attention persisted as he double-checked the wind speeds before the ceremony, but he had exchanged his billionaire's suit for a clean, barong-style linen shirt. Only as the music started to float through the palm trees—a gentle, acoustic rendition of a traditional Filipino love song played on an octave guitar—did he start to unwind.

A sandy aisle dotted with driftwood and white lilies had been traversed by Elizien Mallari, now known as Elizien Tan. The way Zayrius gazed at her made her think she was still wearing the starlight gown from the gala, though her clothing was simple—a flowing silk creation that drifted in the sea air.

After the "I do's," after her brother Emman had jokingly challenged Zayrius to a wrestling match on the beach, and after her mother had successfully navigated the entire reception without fainting, the couple had made one final stop before their honeymoon.

Legaspi Village's plum-colored entrance appeared as it always had, but the alleyway no longer felt like a shadowy place to hide from the rain, but rather like an inviting friend.

At the threshold, Zayrius paused, his hand automatically reaching for his bag's jade pendant. "You're sure about this? My father still thinks this woman is a spy for the competition."

"She's the reason I found you, Zayrius," Elizien taunted, pulling at his arm. "The least you can do is say thank you."

Aling Rosa was waiting inside. The air was thick with the smoke of truth, and the smell of sampaguita was strong. The cards weren't necessary for her today. Her milky eyes settled on their joined hands and the matching gold bands on their fingers as she just stared at the two of them.

"The Dragon and the Star," Aling Rosa muttered, her features softened by a rare, sincere grin. "You look like you've finally found a sky big enough for the both of you."

Elizien remarked, "You were right about the Tower," and moved forward to set a box of the best teas from Paris on the table as a gift. "It fell. But we're still standing."

Zayrius remained stoic but respectful when Aling Rosa glanced at him. "And you, Captain? Do you still think fate is just a navigational error?"

With eyes that would have frightened his board of directors, Zayrius turned to face Elizien. "I think... I think I've learned that some of the best flights happen when you throw the map away."

As they left the shop, the Makati sun was setting, painting the skyscrapers in hues of copper and rose. The world felt quiet, a rare moment of stillness in the heart of the city that had tried to tear them apart.

Above the Clouds

Three days later, they were at 35,000 feet.

In the pilot's seat of his preferred long-range aircraft, Zayrius was flying toward a secret location in the Mediterranean. Except for the faint hum of the engines, the cabin was quiet. Curled up in the co-pilot's seat, Elizien was enjoying a luxury she now considered normal. She was observing how the moon shone off the plane's silver wing instead of inspecting spreadsheets.

Looking at her husband, she turned her head. Zayrius looked stunning, even in the faint, red-hued light of the cockpit. His prominent cheekbones, which he got from his father, his strong chin, and the long, dark lashes that touched his cheeks when he blinked were all carved against the stars in a sharp, Chinito profile. Even while seated, he was tall, and his presence added a warmth to the tiny room that she had come to long for.

Sensing her stare, he turned to face her again. An expression of quiet, genuine contentment that made Elizien's heart took the place of the frown.

With a deep, personal growl, he said, "What are you thinking about, Accountant? You have that look in your eyes. The one where you're trying to balance a ledger that doesn't exist."

Elizien rested her head on the headrest and grinned. She reflected on her life before the rain: the chilly fluorescent office lights, the solitary dinners, and the "Five-Year Plan" that omitted love. Then she remembered the "Dragon" who had smashed into her life and taught her how to fly—the man by her side.

She whispered, "I was thinking about the future."

"The future is clear skies for the next twelve hours, Elizien. I checked the radar."

"Not that kind of future, Zayrius."

She let her gaze drift over him once more, taking in the effortless elegance with which his powerful, tanned hands navigated the controls. A small replica of him crossed her mind. A young boy with the same "grumpy" tiny pout and those same piercing, slanted eyes. Or a girl who would grow up feeling that she owned the sky because of her height and tenacity.

A newborn with the face of the man who had set the world on fire for her.

It should have been a terrible concept. It was the ultimate "Tower"—a shift so irreversible and permanent that no audit could ever have prepared her for it. It was the biggest risk she had ever thought about.

"Zayrius?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think... do you think a Dragon would be a good father?"

Zayrius froze. He hesitated his hand over the throttle. He didn't respond right away. The stars seemed to be within touching distance as he gazed out into the endless blackness of the night sky. His eyes were tearful, glistening with an unexpected, overpowering emotion, when he finally turned to face her again.

"I think," he muttered, his tone full of emotion, "that a Dragon would do anything to make sure his nest was the safest place in the world. But he'd need a very smart Accountant to make sure the kids don't spend their entire inheritance on toy planes."

Laughing, Elizien reached out and intertwined her fingers with his. They had not yet arrived at their destination when the plane sped ahead, slicing through the clouds.

She turned to face the horizon, where the first glimmer of morning was just emerging. She still didn't know the answers. She didn't have a nursery budget or a spreadsheet for motherhood. However, she came to the realization that she was no longer terrified of the turmoil as she saw her attractive, seductive, and utterly loyal husband lead them into the darkness.

The audit was concluded. The flight was underway. As long as she was flying with him, Elizien Tan was content to leave the conclusion open for the first time in her life.

In the meantime, the bell over a plum-colored door in the shade of a small lane in Legaspi Village sounded, but no one had come in.

The smoke from her incense curled into a double helix as Aling Rosa sat at her mahogany table. Today, she refrained from reaching for the old cards. Rather, she spread out one polished piece of jade and three stones of flawless obsidian.

"The Dragon has claimed his Star," she whispered to the empty room, her milky eyes clouding with a vision of a nursery filled with the scent of the sky. "But the heavens are greedy. They do not just give a husband; they prepare a legacy."

She flipped a new card, one that had never been seen in the deck before: The Heir of the Clouds. It depicted a child with the sharp, piercing eyes of a King and the calm, calculating brow of a Sage.

"A new audit is coming," Aling Rosa chuckled, a sound like dry leaves in the wind. "One that no spreadsheet can contain. A life with his face, and her soul. The flight has only just begun."

Elizien felt an unexplained flutter in her heart, a small, regular pulse that had nothing to do with the engines, while she was in the serene comfort of the cockpit across the city. Upon observing her husband's angular Chinito profile and the intense love in his eyes, she came to the realization that Aling Rosa's readings were never fully completed.

The ledger was not closed. They established the flying path. And there was still the most exquisite turmoil to come.