On October 28, in the finale media conference of Return to Paradise, lead stars Derrick Monasterio and Elle Villanueva revealed the real status of their blossoming friendship.
Monasterio confessed, “More than friends, I’d say. Sobrang special talaga sakin si Elle. Pero ‘yung relationship kasi namin, wala kaming label na ganito kami. Pero ‘yung nafefeel namin towards each other, at least ako, love ko talaga siya.”
The hunk actor shared that he always says “I love you” to Villanueva but it doesn’t mean that they are already in a relationship.
When asked if he wants to pursue the young actress, Monasterio said, “Why not? Kung bibigyan ako ng chance. Kapag ready na kaming dalawa.”
Debuting for the first time in a lead role, Elle Villanueva said she was overwhelmed by the actions of her love team, but got comfortable with it over time. She shared, “Actually, nung una nagugulat ako. Kasi sobrang open ni Derrick sa akin. Sobrang appreciate niya sa akin. Naooverwhelm ako nung una. Then, naappreciate ko siya over time.”
She stressed that while they are keeping focused on their respective careers, they are not closing the door on a romantic relationship in the future.
Don’t miss the final episodes of Return to Paradise, Monday to Friday, 3:25 p.m., on GMA Afternoon Prime.