CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

Golden Cage

After that incident sa mall, umuwi akong parang wala sa wisyo. Wala sa sariling iniisip pa rin ang mga bagay na kailanman ay 'di ko inaasahang mangyayari. Ang bawat galaw ni Sir Theodore, ang lamig ng kanyang boses, at ang brutal na paraan niya ng pagpuksa sa mga magnanakaw ay tila sirang plaka na paulit-ulit sa utak ko.

Pagkauwi ko sa apartment ay pumasok agad ako ng kwarto para maligo—to wash up the turmoil in my head. Hinyaan kong dumaloy ang mainit na tubig sa aking katawan, pilit na inaalis ang kilabot na iniwan ng presensya niya. Pagkatapos maligo at magbihis ay umorder na lamang ako ng makakain dahil wala na akong ganang magluto. I ordered a chicken adobo with two cups of rice—my favorite comfort food—sa isang malapit na restaurant.

After eating, inabala ko muna ang sarili sa pagpipinta to calm my emotions. Painting has always been my escape, pero kahit ang mga kulay sa canvass ay tila nagiging madilim.

Hindi ako nakatulog nang gabing iyon. Ang bawat salitang binitawan ni Sir Theodore sa telepono ay tila mga pako na bumaon sa sistema ko. I will dispose her. Ang lalamunan ko ay nanunuyo habang nakatitig sa kisame ng maliit kong apartment. Limang taon akong nagsilbi sa kanya nang tapat. Limang taon ko siyang tiningala at pinrotektahan ang kanyang mga sikreto, pero sa isang iglap, naging isa na lang akong kasangkapan—isang sisidlan para sa tagapagmana niya. Isang kasangkapan na matapos pakinabangan ay itatapon na lamang.

And I didn't want that to happen. But what choice did I have against a Montenegro?

Kinabukasan, nagising ako sa ingay ng aking alarm. I woke up like a zombie. Naligo, nagbihis, at nagluto ng agahan—the usual routine, pero wala ang dati nitong sigla. Pumasok ako sa opisina na tila isang anino ng dati kong sarili. Pilit kong inayusan ang aking mukha; makapal na concealer para itago ang puyat at ang pinaka-professional kong pencil skirt at blouse.

Pero pagtapak ko pa lang sa lobby ng Montenegro Tower, naramdaman ko na ang bigat ng atmospera.

"Coleen, pinapatawag ka na ni Sir Theodore sa penthouse. Ngayon din mismo," bungad sa akin ni Sarah, isa sa mga receptionists. Ang tingin niya ay puno ng kuryosidad, bakas ang pagtataka kung bakit ang isang secretary ay ipinapatawag sa private quarters ng CEO nang ganoon kaaga. Hindi ko siya pinansin at dire-diretsong sumakay sa private elevator.

Habang tumataas ang elevator, tila lalong sumisikip ang dibdib ko. Pagbukas ng pinto, nakita ko si Theodore. Hindi siya nakasuot ng suit jacket ngayon. Ang kanyang puting polo ay nakatupi hanggang siko, revealing his muscular forearms as he signed a stack of papers. Even without the coat, he looked every bit the powerful monarch.

"Sit down, Coleen," sabi niya nang hindi man lang tumitingin sa akin.

Umupo ako, pilit na pinagdidikit ang aking mga tuhod para hindi mahalata ang panginginig. "Sir, about what happened last night..."

Bigla niyang binitawan ang kanyang pen at tinitigan ako. His gaze was cold, unyielding. "What happened last night was just a preview, Coleen. Here is the reality." Inilapag niya ang isang makapal na folder sa harap ko. "That is the Contract of Absolute Allegiance. Read it."

Binuksan ko ang folder at nanlamig ang buong katawan ko sa mga nakasaad doon. Clause 1: The surrogate will provide a biological heir for Theodore Zayne V. Montenegro... Clause 2: A marriage of convenience for two years to legitimize the child... and Clause 3: Complete disappearance from the child's life after the contract ends.

"Kasal? Anak? Sir, secretary niyo lang ho ako! I am not a thing na kailangan gamitin at matapos pagsawaan ay itatapon na lamang!" sigaw ko, pilit na itinatayo ang aking dignidad. "You can't just buy my life!"

Tumayo siya at dahan-dahang lumapit sa akin. Ang bawat hakbang niya ay tila nananakot, parang isang leon na tinitiyak ang kanyang biktima. "I can buy anything, Coleen. And right now, your father's life is on the line."

Inilabas niya ang isang tablet at ipinakita ang isang medical record. "Your father's heart condition has worsened. He needs a transplant in Singapore. I've already reserved the slot and paid for everything. Sign the contract, and he lives. Refuse, and he's out of that hospital by noon."

"You monster..." bulong ko, humahagulgol na lamang. Ginamit niya ang kaisa-isang taong mahal ko para makuha ang gusto niya. Ginamit niya ang kahinaan ko para gawin akong bilanggo.

"I prefer the term businessman," he smirked, reaching out to tilt my chin up. "Sign it."

Wala akong pagpipilian. Nanginginig kong nilagdaan ang bawat pahina. Ang bawat pirma ay tila hatol ng kamatayan sa aking kalayaan. Pero kailangan ko itong gawin—I need this for my father.

"Good girl," he whispered, his voice like velvet over steel. "Now, can we start the first phase?"

Bago ako makapagsalita ay binuhat niya ako na parang sako ng bigas. Gusto ko sanang magpumiglas, pero ang isipin na ang buhay ni Tatay ang nakataya, hinayaan ko na lamang siya. Pumasok kami sa kanyang private bedroom sa likod ng opisina. Isang malawak na kama na may itim na satin sheets ang sumalubong sa akin—isang kama na magiging saksi sa aking pagkapariwara. Ibinaba niya ako doon nang marahan pero may diin.

"Sir, please... if you want me... huwag muna ngayon. Sa-sa gabi na lang..." pagmamakaawa ko, habang ang mga luha ay patuloy na dumadaloy sa aking pisngi.

"Stop calling me Sir nang ganito ang ayos natin, Coleen," he growled. "Inside this room, I'm the man who owns you."

The mattress dipped as he moved between my legs. Marahas niya akong pinaghahalikan. His kisses were deep, possessive, and full of lust. He kissed my lips and worked his way down to my neck, marking me. His hand traveled down to my breasts, squeezing them with a claim that made me gasp. He slowly unbuttoned my blouse at tumambad sa harap niya ang katawan ko. He cupped my breast using his left hand habang ang kanang kamay niya ay idiniin ang mga kamay ko sa mattress.

I wanted to resist, but my body started to betray me—the way he claimed me was intoxicating. His kisses went down until he sucked my nipples, making me arch my back in surprise. Then he reached down and gripped my right thigh, lifting my leg and draping it over his broad shoulder. He unbuttoned my skirt and stripped it off, revealing every detail of my womanhood to him. The position made me feel vulnerable and utterly exposed.

He touched my folds, slowly sliding his fingers down there, making me feel a surge of sensation I barely wanted him to know. He stripped off his shirt, revealing a torso sculpted like granite. Then he removed his pants, revealing his black boxers na bakat na bakat ang kanina pa nangangalit na pagmamay-ari niya.

He didn't rush. Dahan-dahan niyang hinubad ang panghuling saplot niya, revealing his big manhood. Sa tansya ko ay mahigit walong inches ito. Shit, I can't bear it. Dahan-dahan niyang ipinasok sa lagusan ko ang pagkalalaki niya, watching my face as his size started to stretch me.

My tears fell down as I felt the sharp, stinging pain inside me. It felt like my body was being torn apart. Napakapit ako nang mahigpit sa braso niya, ang aking hininga ay naging mabilis at gipit.

"Look at me, Coleen. I want to see your eyes when I take you," he commanded, his voice thick with lust.

Napilitan akong dumilat, kahit na nanlalabo ang paningin ko dahil sa luha. His eyes were dark, swirling with hunger and cold dominance. Pero bago siya tuluyang bumaon, napatigil siya. His movements froze, and I saw his pupils dilate as he looked down at the black satin sheets beneath us.

Kahit madilim, kitang-kita ang contrast ng matingkad na pula sa itim na tela.

"Fuck... you're a virgin," he hissed, his voice a mix of shock and an emotion I couldn't quite decipher.

Tumingin siya sa akin, ang kanyang matigas na ekspresyon ay panandaliang nagbago. For five years, I was his secretary. He knew everything about my professional life, but he never bothered to know the woman behind the desk. He probably thought I was just like the other women in his world.

"B-Bakit, Theodore?" nanghihina kong tanong habang humihikbi. "Does it change anything? Is the contract void now?"

His grip on my wrists tightened, and a dark, possessive smirk slowly crept onto his face. He leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear, sending chills through my spine.

"No," he whispered, his voice dangerously low. "It just makes you more valuable, Coleen. It means no one else has ever touched what is now mine. It means this heir will be born from the only man you've ever known."

He didn't pull out. Instead, he arched his back and kissed my neck up to my lips, his movements becoming more deliberate. Dahan-dahan, ang sakit na kanina ay namumuo ay napapalitan ng kakaibang sensasyon. My lips parted at sinuklian ang kanyang mariing halik. Dahan-dahan akong binabayo ni Theodore, each thrust slow, deep, and marking his territory.

"Ah... Theodore..." I moaned, my voice was betraying me.

"That's it. Good girl. Say my name, Coleen. Say it again," he commanded, his pace increasing as he pushed us both toward the edge.

Lalong bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko. Every time he pushed forward, I felt my sanity slipping. He leaned down and captured my lips in a kiss that tasted like power. His movements became more aggressive, more primal. Ang bawat pagbayo niya ay naging mabilis, pushing me closer and closer to a peak I didn't want to reach with him.

"Tell me, Coleen," he whispered, his pace increasing. "Is your father's life worth this? Is it worth being my plaything?"

"Yes..." I sobbed, the pleasure and the pain mixing into a heady cocktail. "Anything... just to save him." Mariin akong yumakap sa likod niya, ang mga kuko ko ay bumaon sa kanyang balat.

"Then give me what I want," he hissed. He gripped my waist, his fingers bruising my skin. As he reached his peak, he buried himself as deep as possible inside me, planting the seeds of the Montenegro future in my womb.

Nang matapos ang lahat, ang init ay agad napalitan ng lamig. He pulled away instantly. Tumayo siya at nagsimulang magbihis, hindi man lang ako tiningnan habang nanginginig akong nakahiga at pilit na tinatakpan ang sarili.

Kinuha niya ang kanyang phone habang isinasara ang kanyang belt. Ang boses niya ay bumalik sa pagiging malamig na CEO.

"It's done," sabi niya sa telepono. "I've secured the surrogate. Prepare the legal documents for the marriage—I want the public to believe this is a union of love, not necessity."

Narinig ko ang mahinang tawa ng kanyang pinsan na si Ezra sa kabilang linya. "Marriage, Zayne? Really? Akala ko ba gagamitin mo lang siya at itatapon pagkatapos?"

Theodore paused, glancing at me through the mirror—a sharp, predatory look. "The marriage is just a cage, Ezra. A way to keep her silent and compliant until the child is born. She knows her place. Once I have what I need, she becomes a ghost in Montenegro history. No mother for my son."

Pinatay niya ang tawag at humarap sa akin. "Don't look at me with those eyes, Coleen. You signed the papers. You accepted the price. Your tears won't change the fact that you're now a property of this family."

Lumakad siya patungo sa pinto. "Wash up. I've ordered a new dress for you; it's in the walk-in closet. We will have dinner with the council tonight. You will act like the woman who finally captured my heart, or your father won't make it to his flight to Singapore tomorrow."

The door clicked shut. Naiwan akong mag-isa kasama ang amoy niya na nakakapit pa rin sa balat ko. I reached for the contract, my tears blurring the ink of my signature. I had saved my father, but I had walked straight into a golden cage.

Pero habang nakahiga ako doon, isang tanong ang hindi mawala sa isip ko: Paano siya nakakasiguro na mabubuntis ako sa isang gabi lang? O baka naman... handa siyang ulit-ulitin ito hanggang sa makuha niya ang gusto niya?