4: LOCKED BRIDE

SIERRA'S POV!

Ito ang pinakaunang beses na naramdaman ng balat ko ang ganitong klaseng lambot. Cotton. Branded. Magara. The kind of fabric Claire would have worn effortlessly, the kind no one had ever imagined me wearing. And yet, today, it clung to my skin, smooth and soft, and made my stomach twist.

Parang mali.

Tila hihiram ko ang buhay na kinagisnan ng ubang tao... knowing it would be taken back violently once the show was over.

Ngayong araw, dadating si Alessandro. Ipapakilala nila ako. Hindi bilang pamangkin. Hindi bilang tao. Kundi bilang kapalit. The unlucky niece. The one who would carry the weight of someone else’s power and wealth.

My chest tightened. I wanted to cry. I wanted to curl into myself and disappear. But earlier, my aunt had leaned close, her voice low and threatening.

“Umayos ka,” she had warned. “Huwag kang mag-eskandalo. Kung hindi, ibebenta kita sa bahay aliwan "

Napalunok ako habang nakatitig sa kisame hanggang ngayon nasanisip ko pa din ang sinabi ni Auntie. Claire circled me, smirking like she was inspecting a cheap toy. She looked me up and down, lips curling with disgust.

“Kahit anong isuot mo,” she said, mockingly, “pangit ka pa rin....ganyannsiguro talaga kung pangit ka”

I focused on the floor. On my breathing. On staying still. On not letting her see how scared I was.

Cruel. Ruthless. Masked.

Those were the words everyone whispered about Alessandro Rosini. The man no one had ever seen. The man whose shadow I was now about to step into. A man rumored to be burnt, disfigured, hidden behind a mask because even mirrors rejected him.

Claire leaned closer, voice light and cruel.

“Alam mo ba?” she said. “Guys like that… they don’t know how to be gentle.”

My stomach dropped.

“Sigurado akong” she continued, grinning, “gagamitin ka lang niya....you will be beaten and used tapos pag nagsawa na siya sayo itatapon ka na niya..”

I clenched my fists, trying not to shake.

“Buti na lang,” she added, tilting her head, eyes glittering, “ hindi ako ang magpapakasal sa kanya..... Kasi sino pa ba ang babagay sa isang halimaw kundi isang malas?”

Malas. The word echoed inside me, bouncing off every corner of my skull. I had carried it for years, stitched into my name, my life. Malas because my parents died. Malas because I lived.

Then the sound of a car broke the tension. Sleek. Black. Expensive. Too perfect. My stomach twisted as I realized what it meant.

Men stepped out. Well-dressed. Controlled. No masks. The tallest one stepped forward. Crisp, professional, cold.

“I’m Luiz,” he said. “One of Alessandro Rosini’s aides.”

I froze. My chest constricted. This was how it would be. I never really expected Alessandro would come himself --- business, importance, power. But someone would come in his stead. Someone would make sure I didn’t escape. Someone would make sure I was exactly where I was meant to be.

Luiz opened a briefcase. Papers. Contracts. Numbers that didn’t mean anything to me but carried the weight of my life.

“Half payment now,” he said flatly. “Half after the wedding.”

Wedding.

Halos tumalon ang puso ko dahil sa takot habang nakikinig ako sa kanila....I feel like a livestock na tila isa lamang akong hahayop na ibebenta kapalit ng malaking halaga.

Agad na sumenyas si Luiz sa ibang mga lalaki at naglakad sila sa trunk ng kotse at inilabas ang halos 20 pirasong mga box na iba't iba ang size. Isa isa nila itong binuksan at pinakita sa akin ang laman.

Its the  bridal gown. Silk, lace, perfect, world-class designer-- according to Luiz it was specifically customized for me....for a Rossini bride...

Jewelry followed rings, bracelets, necklaces sparkling under the light. Claire grabbed them like a child claiming treasure, ignoring everything else.

“Bagay ‘to sa akin,” she whispered, sliding a bracelet onto her wrist, “sayang lang, hindi ako ang magsusuot sa altar.”

I stood frozen.

Luiz remained calm. Cold. Detached. Efficient. He existed only for his job. And yet, when our eyes met for the briefest second, I felt it. His gaze lingered. Sharp, calculating, almost… assessing.

I looked away, my heart hammering. Don’t imagine kindness where there is none, I thought. Men like him don’t save girls like me.

Then Luiz’s phone buzzed. He glanced down, tapped, and the room filled with a voice that froze me instantly.

“Make sure my bride is taken care,” it said. Cold. Calculated. Metallic. Every word a blade. “And my men will stay with her until the wedding. Especially Luiz. I trust him. He is the best of my men...See you Sierra.....”

The recording ended. Silence.

I couldn’t breathe. My chest felt trapped, my skin crawling beneath the smooth silk. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. I wanted to run. But my body refused. My legs felt like lead. My fingers burned against the fabric of the gown.

Alessandro Rosini. Masked. Powerful. Ruthless. My existence now entangled with his in a way I hadn’t agreed to.

I wanted to disappear. I wanted to melt into the floor. I wanted to scream, but no sound came out.

All I could do was feel the weight of it the dress, the jewelry, the contract, the cold voice, the men standing silently and realize with sickening clarity:

I was trapped.

I was powerless.

And this nightmare was just beginning.

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