*Who's My Eternal*
*Haynes House — Dining Room, Right Now*
Elian moved closer.
Cherry stepped back.
He didn't stop.
He reached her. Pulled her in.
Tight.
His arms locked around her like five years hadn't happened. Like she might vanish if he let go.
His body was trembling.
"Pink," he whispered. Voice breaking. "I'm sorry. God, I'm sorry I didn't know. I'm sorry you were hurting and I wasn't there."
Cherry went stiff in his arms.
For three heartbeats, she let herself feel it.
His chest. His heartbeat. _Him_.
Then she shoved him.
Hard.
"You should go," she said. Tears already falling. "Go back to your life, Elian. To your… to your new partner. You have everything now. You don't need me."
Elian shook his head.
And dropped.
To his knees.
Right there in front of her.
"Listen to me," he said. Grabbed her hands when she tried to back away. "That day. The day you called. The woman who answered?"
Cherry froze.
"It was my maid," he said. Loud. Clear. So there was no mistake. "Not a girlfriend. Not a partner. My _maid_. I was in a meeting. I left my phone."
His head dropped.
He let go of her hands.
And hugged her legs.
Forehead pressed to her knees.
Still on his knees.
"I've never had anyone, Cherry," he whispered. "Not in five years. Not once. There's been no one else. There never will be."
His shoulders shook.
"I'm not leaving," he said. "Not now. Not when I finally found you. Not now that I'm somebody."
He looked up at her. Eyes red. Wrecked.
"Because I was nobody when you loved me. And I'd rather be nobody again than live one more day without you."
Cherry covered her mouth.
Sobbing.
Because he was on the floor.
_For her_.
Arthur Harkwell.
On his knees.
For the bay girl who had nothing.
"Elian…" she choked.
"Say it," he said. "Tell me to leave and I'll go. But you have to mean it, Pink. You have to look me in the eye and tell me you don't want me."
She couldn't.
She tried.
But she couldn't.
Elian was still on his knees.
Holding Cherry's hands.
Mrs. Jennie stepped forward. Confused. Worried.
"_Anak_," she said to Cherry, voice gentle. "Who… who is this young man?"
Cherry's throat closed.
She looked at Elian. On the floor. Eyes only for her.
Then at Mrs. Jennie. The woman who saved her.
"He's…" Cherry swallowed. "He's a friend. From before."
Friend.
The word hit Elian like a slap.
He stood.
Slow.
Let go of one of her hands. But kept the other.
Held it tight.
"No," Elian said.
His voice was calm now. Dead calm.
He looked at Mrs. Jennie. Then at Mr. Nicholas. Then at Nicklaus.
"With respect, ma'am," he said. "I'm not her friend."
Cherry's head snapped to him. Eyes wide.
"I'm Cherry's boyfriend," Elian said.
Clear. Loud.
No room for doubt.
"Have been for five years. Will be for the rest of my life, if she'll let me."
Cherry couldn't breathe.
_Boyfriend_.
After five years of silence.
After five years of hell.
After five years of thinking he forgot her.
He said it.
Like it was fact.
Like it was law.
Mrs. Jennie's hand flew to her mouth.
Mr. Nicholas stood up straighter.
Nicklaus went very, very still.
Steve, sitting quiet this whole time, finally smiled.
Small. Knowing.
Cherry ripped her hand from Elian's.
"Elian—" she choked.
"You heard me," he said. Didn't look away from her. "You can call me a friend. You can tell me to leave. You can hate me."
He stepped closer.
"But I know what you are to me, Pink. And I'm done pretending you're not."
Silence.
Thick. Heavy.
Mrs. Jennie looked between them. At the tears on Cherry's face. At the way Elian was shaking.
At the way he said _Pink_ like it was a prayer.
"Nicklaus," she whispered. "Go get some water for Cherry."
Nicklaus didn't move.
His eyes were on Elian.
"Who are you?" he asked. Voice low.
Elian finally looked at him.
And for the first time, really _looked_.
At the man who protected Cherry when he couldn't.
"Elian Eldridge," he said. "But in Canada… they call me Arthur Harkwell."
The name hit the room like a bomb.
Mr. Nicholas dropped his glass.
_Arthur Harkwell_.
The billionaire.
The one on the news.
Mrs. Jennie gasped.
Because now there was no hiding.
Not anymore.
The name hung in the air.
_Arthur Harkwell._
Everyone was shocked.
Mr. Nicholas' glass hit the floor. Mrs. Jennie's hands flew to her chest.
Nicklaus blinked. Once. Twice.
Then he chuckled.
Low. Disbelieving.
"Well," he said, looking at Cherry, teasing but stunned. "You didn't tell us your boyfriend was _rich_, Cherry."
Cherry rolled her eyes.
Still speechless. Still burning red.
"Mr… Mr. Harkwell," Mr. Nicholas recovered first. Stood. Hand out. "Welcome. Please. You're welcome in our home."
Mrs. Jennie nodded, flustered. "Yes. Of course. Any friend of Cherry's—"
"Boyfriend," Elian corrected. Gentle but firm.
He shook Mr. Nicholas' hand. Nodded at Mrs. Jennie.
Then he turned back.
Only had eyes for one person.
He stepped to Cherry. Took her hand again.
"Pink," he said. Voice low. Just for her. "Will you forgive me?"
Cherry looked down.
"For not knowing," he went on. "For not being there when you were hurting. When you needed me most. Can you forgive me for that?"
The room was quiet. Everyone watching.
Cherry sighed.
Long. Shaky.
"I forgive you," she whispered. "After all… it's my fault too."
Elian frowned.
"I'm the one who told Lola Anna not to tell you," she said. Tears again. "I didn't want you to come back. I wanted you to be great. So if anyone should say sorry… it's me."
Elian's face broke.
He didn't say anything.
He just moved.
Pulled her in.
And kissed her.
Hard. Desperate. Five years of grief and love and rage in one kiss.
Not caring who was watching.
Not caring that Steve was there.
Not caring that Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas were there.
Not caring that Nicklaus was there.
Cherry's eyes flew wide.
Shocked.
Her hands came up to his chest. To push.
But she didn't.
Because it was _him_.
Because she missed him.
Everyone was shocked.
Mrs. Jennie gasped. Mr. Nicholas choked on nothing. Nicklaus ran a hand through his hair, muttering _what the hell_.
And Steve?
Steve Haynes sat back in his chair.
Watched his boy. The one he raised from nothing.
Kissing the girl he clearly never stopped loving.
And smiled.
"This bold bastard," he muttered to himself. Proud. Fond.
Elian finally pulled back. Just an inch.
Forehead to hers.
Both breathing hard.
"I'm not letting you go again," he whispered. "Ever."
Cherry was still wide-eyed. Lips parted. Face red.
She couldn't speak.
Could only stare at him.
Like he was real.
Like he was really here.
---
*Haynes House — Moments Later*
Elian finally tore his eyes from Cherry.
Looked at the three people staring at them.
Mr. Nicholas. Mrs. Jennie. Nicklaus.
He stepped back, but kept Cherry's hand in his.
"Thank you," he said. Voice rough. Real. "For everything you did for her. For saving her. For taking her in when she had no one."
He bowed his head.
"Thank you for loving her as your own."
Mrs. Jennie's eyes filled again. She waved him off.
"_Anak_, it's nothing," she said, smiling through tears. "Cherry is our daughter now. We love her. Anybody would've done the same."
Mr. Nicholas nodded. "She's family, son. Always will be."
Nicklaus just watched Elian. Studying him. The way he held Cherry's hand. The way he looked at her.
Then he sighed. "We should get you something to drink, man. You drove all the way from Manila."
"Yeah," Mrs. Jennie said, wiping her face. "You must be tired. Come, let's get something from the kitchen."
The three of them filed out.
Giving them a second.
Or maybe trying to process.
The moment the kitchen door swung shut, Elian turned to Cherry.
And grinned.
"C'mere," he said, tugging her toward Steve.
Steve was still sitting. Still smiling that proud, knowing smile.
"Cherry," Elian said, eyes bright. "Meet Mr. Steve Haynes."
Cherry blinked.
"And Steve," Elian said, squeezing her hand. "Meet Cherry. The girl."
Steve chuckled.
Cherry's mouth fell open.
"Wait," she said. "_Grandpa_? You're… you're the old man?"
Steve threw his head back and laughed. Loud. Real.
"And I wasn't aware," he said, pointing at Elian, "that _you're_ the girl this boy's been talking about for five years. The one he worked himself to death for. No sleep. No rest. Just _'I have to make her proud'_."
Cherry went scarlet.
Elian rubbed the back of his neck. "Steve—"
"No, no," Steve waved him off, still laughing. "Better we stop talking before someone finds out what I've actually been doing in Canada instead of resting like I promised my son."
Elian laughed too.
Full. Easy.
Because he remembered.
Years ago. In Canada.
_"I kept everything hidden from my family, boy. They think I'm retired. . Playing golf. If Nicholas knew I was still building empires, he'd kill me."_
Steve winked at Cherry.
"Your secret's safe with me, _apo_. As long as you keep this one in line." He jabbed a thumb at Elian.
Cherry didn't know what to say.
She was looking between them.
Her grandpa.
And her Elian.
And realizing they were already family.
In more ways than one.
The kitchen door creaked.
Nicklaus' voice: "Uh, Cherry? Mom wants to know if—"
He stopped.
Saw them. All three. Laughing. Close.
Like they'd known each other forever.
And his frown deepened.