PROLOGUE

This wasn’t the wedding she dreamed of.

No flowers. No kiss. No white dress.

Ang meron lang ay ang marriage certificate at pirma sa kontrata, sinabayan pa ng malamig na titig mula sa lalaking magiging asawa niya sa papel—si Caleb Leander Vasquez.

She didn’t expect that the same man who took her virginity would be the one she’d end up marrying.

Hindi niya alam kung natatandaan pa siya nito, pero siguro naman ay oo, ito siguro ang rason kung bakit—

“Are you really sure about this?” tanong nito sa kaniya na ikinagil ng pag-iisip niya.

“You can still back out. But if you do, I can’t help your family's company,” his voice was calm—too calm—as he leaned against the doorframe, eyes locked on hers.

"Oo," sagot ni Zhe, halos pabulong. "Kung ito lang ang paraan para maisalba ang pamilya ko, pipiliin ko pa rin ‘to."

Nabaon sa utang ang Ainsley Corporation—isang pangalan na dati'y ginagalang, pero ngayo'y nagmamakaawa. At bilang tanging anak na babae ng pamilya, siya ang naging “kabayaran.”

Ang kapalit? Isang kasal. Isang kontrata.

Bed Warmer basa niya sa kontrata.

“Then don’t expect anything more from me,” Caleb said, finally walking towards her. “This is nothing but a business deal. You're not going to be my wife,  You're just the bed warmer.”

Tumango siya, kahit ramdam niya ang pagkapunit ng puso niya sa bawat salita nito.

Isang malalim na buntong hininga ang pinakawalan niya bago pirmahan ang kontrata.

At nang gabing 'yon, sa kwartong iyon, wala siyang nagawa nang lapitan siya ni Caleb—tahimik, matalim ang titig, parang sinusukat siya sa bawat hakbang.

His fingers ghosted over her cheek, down to the knot of her robe. “Take it off,” he whispered.

She did.

Not because she wanted to... but because she had no choice.

She never thought he’d be like this. Yes, she had heard of him before—but she had never seen him in person. Lagi kasi itong bukambibig ng kapatid niya—her sister but not in blood.

Hindi niya din alam kung ano ang magiging reaction ng kapatid niya kapag malaman niya ito. Pantasya nito ang binata, at sinasabi pang ex niya ito. Ngunit wala iyong kasiguraduhan, dahil kailan man ay hindi niya nakita ang tinutukoy nitong Caleb Leander Vasquez, at ngayon lang talaga niya nakita ang mukha nito.

At talaga ngang mapaglaro ang tadhana.

Who would’ve thought that the man who took her innocence... would be the same man standing in front of her now?

She swallowed hard as the thin robe slipped from her shoulders, fabric pooling at her feet like a silent surrender.

She stood there—bare, exposed, vulnerable.

’Wag kang manginig… ‘wag kang manginig, Zhe..

She couldn’t meet his eyes, not when he was looking at her like that—like she was nothing but a body. A body he had paid for.

Caleb stepped closer, his fingertips brushing her collarbone, trailing slowly down the curve of her breast, not with tenderness—but with calculated intent.

“Good girl,” he murmured, voice low, dangerous. “At least you know your place.”

His lips ghosted over the side of her neck, soft but scorching. He kissed her there, slowly—then bit, just hard enough to leave a mark.

Shit… bakit parang nanginginig ako sa init niya? Bakit parang ang hirap huminga?

He took his time, hands exploring her like he was memorizing every inch of her skin. His tongue traced a path down her chest, stopping at the soft swell of her breast before he flicked his tongue against her already sensitive skin.

A gasp escaped her lips.

She hated that sound. Hated that her body was reacting to him.

Damn Zhe!

But her body didn’t care. It responded—arching slightly, betraying her.

Caleb noticed.

“Don’t pretend you’re not enjoying this,” he whispered against her skin, voice thick with desire.

She bit her lower lip, trying to suppress another moan when he sucked, hard, over her pulse. His hands moved lower, slow but deliberate, gripping her waist before pulling her against him.

She could feel how hard he was. How ready.

“Get on the bed.”

Tangina is this really happening?

Still, she obeyed—because that’s what she signed up for, right?

She lay on the bed, eyes on the ceiling, trying to detach herself from what was about to happen. But Caleb didn’t let her.

He hovered above her, eyes burning into hers. “Look at me,” he said.

She didn’t want to—but she did.

And in that single moment, in that single stare, she saw it.

Cold. Empty. Lust, yes—but no trace of the man she once met.

Then, he kissed her—hard, demanding, his hands spreading her legs open like he owned her, slow, deliberate, like he had all the time in the world—and she was just something to unwrap.

Zhe’s breath hitched.

Caleb hovered above her, his palm resting flat against her stomach. She felt the heat of it seeping into her skin, sinking deeper than she’d like to admit. His eyes never left hers.

“Don’t look away,” he commanded.

Her throat tightened, but she nodded.

Then he dipped his head and kissed her again—this time, softer. But slower. Sinasadya. Like he wanted to taste her reaction.

His tongue slid into her mouth, teasing, then pulling away. His hand moved lower—tracing her inner thigh, knuckles brushing dangerously close to where she throbbed.

Zhe tensed.

“You’re already wet,” he whispered against her lips, smug. “Even before I’ve touched you properly.”

Putang— hindi ako ganito. Hindi dapat ako ganito...

He chuckled low in his throat when her hips jerked the moment his fingers finally slid between her folds—warm, slick, aching.

“You’re responding to me,” he said, voice like velvet laced with poison. “And here I thought you hated me.”

“I do,” she whispered.

But her moan betrayed her when his fingers circled her clit—slow, calculated, like he was toying with her sanity.

“Then let me show you how it feels to be owned by the man you hate,” he murmured, lips brushing her ear.

He slid a finger inside her—deep, smooth, and unhurried. Then another. Her walls clenched, her breath ragged.

Zhe’s hand gripped the sheets.

Shit. Shit. Hindi ako dapat nasasarapan...

He moved lower, kissing her neck, then her chest—his tongue circling her nipple before he took it into his mouth, sucking gently, then harder. She arched into him, helpless.

"Caleb..." she gasped, voice breaking.

He looked up, eyes dark with desire. “Say it again.”

“C-caleb.”

“That’s right. Keep saying it while I ruin you.”

Then he slid down between her thighs, spreading her wider with his shoulders, and replaced his fingers with his mouth.

She choked on a moan, legs trembling.

“C-caleb aaahh!”

Every lick, every flick of his tongue sent sparks up her spine. She bit her knuckle, trying to muffle the sounds—but it was too much.

The build-up was maddening.

He didn’t let her come, not yet. He pulled away just as her body started to spiral.

She whimpered.

Caleb smirked, wiped his lips with his thumb, then aligned himself with her entrance.

“This is mine now.” He said, voice like sin.

And then he thrust inside her—deep, hard, all at once.

She cried out.

Pain. Heat. Fullness. Everything collided at once.

He didn’t stop.

Each movement was precise, punishing, but she matched his rhythm, her nails digging into his back.

There was no space left to think—only moans, ragged breaths, skin against skin.

Until finally, her body shattered—arching, trembling, his name falling from her lips like a broken prayer.

And even then, Caleb wasn’t done.

He kissed her again—this time, deeper.

Almost like he owned her heart too.

And maybe... he will.

This was her fate now.

The contract said bed warmer.

And that’s all she could ever be.