I'm The King of Business & Technology in the Modern World-Chapter 213: The Blueprint Begins

About warm wooden furniture.

Maybe pale green walls.

And the fact that for the first time in a long while, the word "later" didn't sound like procrastination.

It sounded like planning.

Angel wrapped up the meeting with a few quick assignments, then gave the nod to dismiss.

Matthew stood up, brushing past her as the team filtered out. He didn't say anything—just reached out and gently squeezed her hand in passing.

A quiet confirmation.

We're still building.

We're still okay.

—

12:30 PM — Sentinel HQ Rooftop Garden

The rooftop had always been a little sanctuary—potted palms, low benches, and distant views of Manila Bay. Angel sat cross-legged on one of the shaded lounges, a smoothie cup balanced precariously beside her tablet.

She was reading again—this time not an engineering journal but something far less expected.

Prenatal Nutrition: A 2024 Perspective.

She wasn't pregnant. Not yet. Maybe not for months. But the fact that she was reading it at all felt like crossing some invisible line she had once been terrified to approach.

"Too early?" a voice asked.

She looked up to find Matthew holding two paper bags—one with takeout, the other suspiciously shaped like it might contain pastries.

"Always appropriate time for carbs," she replied, sliding over to make room.

He sat beside her and handed her a ham-and-cheese croissant from Wildflour. "Peace offering for your afternoon meeting with the procurement team."

Angel groaned. "You remember."

"They've rescheduled three times. I think they're scared of you."

"As they should be," she muttered. "They keep messing up the modular orders for the depot lifts. How do you confuse aluminum composite sheets with anti-vibration mounts?"

Matthew chuckled and unwrapped his sandwich. "You're lucky I'm not in procurement. I'd just start crying."

Angel bit into her croissant and smiled. "I might still cry."

They ate quietly for a moment, watching the slow drift of clouds over the city.

Then Angel glanced sideways. "I was reading earlier…"

"I saw."

"I'm not saying we should rush anything," she said quickly, brushing a crumb off her hoodie. "It's just—if we're serious, I want to be ready. You know me."

Matthew leaned back on his elbows, thoughtful. "I think that's your version of nesting."

She narrowed her eyes. "I do not nest."

"You built a color-coded spreadsheet of baby stroller reviews."

"That's research."

"You added conditional formatting for terrain durability."

Angel paused. "Okay, that's fair."

They both laughed.

Then Angel reached into her tablet folder and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Not digital. Handwritten. Rare for her.

"I was up late last night," she said. "I made this."

Matthew unfolded it and blinked.

It wasn't schematics.

It was a list.

'Possible Baby Names' — A to D

He grinned. "We're really doing this."

"We don't have to lock anything in. But… yeah. I think we are."

Matthew scanned the list. "Is 'Ezra' a yes?"

Angel nodded. "Strong name. Has rhythm."

"'Aurora'?"

She looked up. "I like it."

"Because of the train line?"

She shrugged, smirking. "Maybe."

They sat there under the Manila sun, eating slowly, names and futures tumbling between them in that calm, bright rooftop quiet.

No rush.

No fear.

Just preparation—for something that couldn't be 3D-modeled or scheduled.

Something messier. Louder. More human.

—

December 12, 2024 — 10:00 PM

Rockwell, Their Apartment

Rain pattered against the glass. Not the kind that drenched the city—just a soft drizzle, enough to blur the lights beyond their windows.

Angel sat at her desk in their shared office nook, reviewing a prototype pitch from the new systems analyst. But halfway through the document, she stopped.

Stared at the empty wall in front of her.

Then slowly opened her drawer and pulled out a fresh sheet of paper.

She began to sketch.

Not code.

Not cross-section layouts.

But… a room.

A small room.

With shelves. A corner chair. A bookshelf.

And in the middle, a crib.

She didn't show it to Matthew right away.

Just pinned it to her corkboard, beside photos of old construction sites and the original Aurora blueprint that started it all.

A new kind of milestone.

She smiled to herself and returned to work.

But the world had shifted.

Even deadlines felt different now.

—

December 14, 2024 — 7:45 PM

Makati — Uptown Mall

They rarely had time for date nights anymore. Not with Phase 3 construction and the MRT-7 expansion merging near Cubao.

But tonight, they walked the tiled halls of the mall hand-in-hand, blending in with couples and families out for weekend dinners.

They stopped in front of a boutique window—one neither had paid much attention to before.

Inside were wooden toys. Hand-knit baby blankets. Little books with titles like How to Explain Trains to Toddlers.

Matthew tilted his head. "Too soon?"

Angel stared at a plush bear in overalls.

"No," she whispered.

"Want to go in?"

Angel nodded.

They stepped through the glass doors, the scent of pinewood and lavender washing over them.

Together.

Planning nothing concrete.

Buying nothing serious.

But wandering.

Browsing.

Dreaming.

They left with a small picture book about bridges.

Matthew carried the bag.

Angel carried the thought.

And between them, something wordless but solid continued to grow.

Not plans.

Not projects.

But the quiet, steady beginning…

…of something beautifully unpredictable.