The Billionaire Is On His Knees

Leonardo Del Valle is a household name in every business magazine. CEO of one of the largest real estate companies in the country, one of the richest people in Southeast Asia. But for all the luxuries, there was one part of his past that he had long since forgotten — Lira, the woman he had loved when he was just a man of dreams.

When Leonardo was still studying in Manila, it was there that he met Lira — a working student who, despite being tired from work, always had a smile. They were both dreaming. They were both full of hope. Until an offer came to her to work in Singapore — an offer she couldn’t refuse. And in the midst of the excitement, he forgot to go back to Lira.

One night, sixteen years later, as Leonardo was crossing EDSA, he noticed a young boy selling candy in the middle of traffic. The clothes were dirty, but the resemblance to his youth was clear. He wasn’t worried.

From then on, Leonardo became a dreamer. The boy’s face always came back to the memory, and the name Lira he had hidden behind the successes for so long.

So one day, he decided to look for it. He hired a private investigator. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the results — Lira was living in a squatters area in Cavite, with a 15-year-old boy named Elian.

He went at once. He was wearing a white shirt, expensive watches, shoes that didn’t get tangled in the mud. When he arrived at the new barong made of iron and glued plywood, he was stunned.

Elian came out, and at that very moment, Leonardo knew in his heart—this was his son.

Then Lira came out, skinny, pale, but the old sparkle in her eyes hadn’t faded. He stopped walking as his eyes widened. A moment of silence.

“Leo…” Lyra was the only one who was stunned.

There is no more traffic. Leonardo nodded. He didn’t touch the sword. He didn’t look into the eyes of his neighbors.

“Excuse me…” He said, almost chokingly. “I’m sorry for my loss. Forgive everybody.”

Lyra was silent. He didn’t say anything right away. Elijah nodded silently.

“I didn’t need you to live, Leo,” Lira replied. “But your son… You have to be here every day.”

Leonardo burst into tears. With so much land purchased, houses, and buildings — this little barong is the most painful to see. It was because of this that he saw the life he had abandoned. The family was formed without him.

When he came home at night, he couldn’t sleep. He didn’t come to the office for several days. A week later, he returned to Cavite again — with not just a gift or money — but a decision.

He offered Lira and Elian a new home, an education, and a future. Lyra, however, refused.

“We don’t belong in your world,” Lyra said. “We don’t need money.”

“I’m not offering money,” Leonardo replied. “Myself. It’s My Time. That was the opportunity I should have given.”

Lyra was silent again. And finally, they accepted him. He is not a billionaire. But, as a father.

Three years later, Elian was a scholar at a prestigious university. Lira has her own business with Leonardo’s help — a small café she named “Forgiveness and Change.”

“What about Leonardo? It is down to the corporate stage. Instead of meetings and boardrooms, she prefers to drive her son to school and bring Lira pandesal every morning.

Sometimes, you really need to get down on your knees — not because of weakness, but because finally, you’ve learned to bow down to the things that really matter.

WAKAS.