Novels by Senyoreita

“You can’t be serious.”Matalim ko siyang tinignan mula sa kabilang side ng office, nakakuyom pa rin ang mga daliri ko sa gilid ng blue file like I might use it as a weapon if he annoyed me one inch more.Vladimir leaned back against the desk, all white shirt, loosened tie, at nakakairitang kalmadong aura.“I rarely repeat myself for entertainment,” he said.Napakurap ako. “You want me to change your bedsheets.”“Yes.”I let out a short laugh. “That is so psychotic.”“One last thing,” he said, “Change my bedsheets. Then wait for me there.”Saglit na bumaba ang tingin niya sa note sa ibabaw ng desk.Then back to me.“And after that,” mahinang sambit niya, “I’ll tell you what you forgot.”Napatitig ako sa kanya nang isang buong segundo, habang iniisip kung ihahagis ko ba ang note sa mukha niya o ang sarili ko na lang sa pinakamalapit na bintana.Nilabanan niya ang mga titig ko. Like he already knew I was going to obey and was enjoying the fact far too much.I folded my arms. “You really

“Is there a problem with the meal?” Tanong ni Mrs. Alvarez matapos kong abutin ang tinidor ko at tusukin ang steak like it had personally offended me.“No,” I said. “Just with my life.”I glanced down at the table.My necklace.He had my necklace.And he knew it was mine.That was the part I couldn’t stop circling.Naglapag si Mrs. Alvarez ng teapot near my plate. “Mr. Del Fierro sent tea.”I just smiled at her.Bahagya siyang tumango at tumalikod na para umalis. Pero huminto siya sa may pinto.“Miss Monteverde.”I looked up. “What now?”Bumalik siya sa loob dala ang isang maliit na itim na kahon. Plain yet elegant.“Mr. Del Fierro asked that this be delivered to you after lunch.”My stomach tightened immediately. “A box.”“Yes.”“Is that a death threat?”Nagkibit balikat siya. “I wouldn’t know.”Maingat niya iyong inilapag sa tabi ng plato ko, gave one last calm nod, and left me alone with it.I stared at the box.Then at my lunch.Then back at the box.Nope.Absolutely not.I reache

“And you’re still holding my waist.”Neither of us moved.Dapat tumayo na ako.Instead, nanatili ako roon, nakabitin sa ibabaw niya, nakadiin ang mga kamay ko sa dibdib niya, my body fitting far too easily against his.Bahagyang humigpit ang hawak niya sa baywang ko.Lalong nagdilim ang mga mata niya.And for one terrifying second, inisip kong baka tuluyan niya talaga akong hilahin pababa sa natitirang pulgadang iyon at halikan ako o baka delusyonal lang ako.“Selene,” he said, and my name sounded wrong in his mouth like that. Too soft. Too heated.I hated that some part of me wanted him to say it again.Kumuyom nang bahagya ang mga daliri ko sa dibdib niya. Pasimple siyang huminga nang malalim.This was bad.This was so bad.I leaned back first, sapat lang para magkaroon ng kaunting space sa pagitan namin, but even that felt impossible when his hands were still on me and his eyes were still doing that thing.That terrible, unfair thing na parang tinutunaw niya ako sa tingin. The nec

“You’re glaring at your plate,” Vladimir said.For a whole five minutes, magkaharap lang kaming nakaupo habang tahimik na umiikot sa mesa ang mga staff, serving food that looked expensive enough to make me nervous. The dining room was all candlelight and polished silver.I looked up. “I’m thinking.”“You look offended.”“I am offended.”His mouth tilted slightly. “By the food?”“By everything.”Ngumisi lang siya.May isang staff na lumapit para salinan ulit ang wine glass niya.Vladimir didn’t even look at her.“Leave it,” he said flatly.She froze. “Sir?”“I said leave it.”Agad siyang umatras. “Yes, sir.”I blinked.Then Vladimir looked at me.“Pour it.”I stared. “Excuse me?”His voice stayed calm. “You heard me.”For one second, tinignan ko lang siya.Then at the bottle.Then back at him.“Oh, wow,” I said softly. “Straight to the humiliation. Bold.”His gaze didn’t shift. “You’re my maid, Selene. Not a guest.”Tinitigan ko siya nang ilang segundo bago kinuha ang bote ng wine.Fin

I said yes the next day.I wish I could say I fought harder.I wish I could say I found another way.I didn’t.By ten in the morning, tumawag na ang lawyer namin to confirm na “willing to suspend formal escalation” ang Del Fierro Holdings as long as pumayag ako sa terms. Pagsapit ng tanghali, dalawang beses nang umiyak si Mama, tuluyan nang nanahimik si Papa. At ako, I had signed a contract with trembling fingers.One year.Private maid.Personal attendant.The language of the contract was clean. Professional. Almost elegant, even.Pero simple lang ang mensahe.I was no longer mine.“Anak…”I looked up from the copy of the contract in my lap.Nakatayo si Mama sa may front door, twisting her hands together. Sa likod niya, sobrang normal pa rin tingnan ang buong bahay namin in the most painful way. The cream walls. The framed family photos. Iyong lamp sa sulok na kailanman ayaw palitan ni Papa kahit ang pangit na nito since 2014.Everything looked exactly the same. Which was funny, beca

“Tell me this is a mistake.”Walang kahit isang sumagot sa ‘kin.Not my father, who looked like he hadn’t slept in days. Not my mother, whose trembling fingers were still wrapped around a glass of water na hindi naman niya ginalaw the whole time we were in the conference room. Hindi rin yung mga lawyers seated across from us, all polished smiles and expensive suits, staring at us like we were already guilty and just waiting for us to break.And definitely not the man at the far end of the table.Vladimir Von Del Fierro.Nakaupo siya roon like the room belonged to him. Parang pag-aari niya ang buong building. Parang lahat ng tao sa loob had already adjusted to the simple fact na ang mga lalaking tulad niya, laging nakukuha ang gusto.Black suit. White shirt. No tie.No softness.No mercy.“Selene,” bulong ni Mama, her voice tight with warning.Hindi ko siya tiningnan. Nasa pile of documents sa glossy conference table ang tingin ko. Statements. Copies of transactions. Supplier names na