CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

Council's Dinner

Pagkatapos ng marahas na pag-angkin sa akin ni Sir Theodore ay agad kong sinunod ang utos nito. I cleansed myself and wore the dress he brought. Ang bagong dress na ipinahanda ni Sir Theodore ay isang emerald green silk slip dress. Yakap na yakap nito ang bawat kurba ng katawan ko—ang mga kurbang kanina lang ay pilit na inangkin ng kanyang mga kamay. Habang tinitingnan ko ang sarili ko sa salamin ng kanyang walk-in closet, hindi ko makilala ang babaeng nakaharap sa akin.

Wala na ang simpleng secretary na si Coleen na laging naka-ponytail at naka-blazer. Ang nakikita ko ngayon ay isang babaeng mukhang pag-aari ng isang hari—isang babaeng tila nabahiran na ng madilim na mundo ng mga Montenegro. Ang labi ko ay medyo namamaga pa mula sa mapusok niyang halik kanina, at ang mga marka sa aking leeg ay pilit kong itinatago gamit ang concealer.

Napahawak ako sa aking puson. May kakaibang pintig doon—hindi dahil sa sakit, kundi dahil sa ideya na sa loob ng ilang linggo, maaaring may mabuo doon. Isang buhay na hindi bunga ng pagmamahal kundi ng isang transaksyon.

A contractual pregnancy.

I spent years filing his documents, organizing his life, and making sure his empire ran smoothly. Now, I was tasked to "manufacture" the most important part of his legacy. It felt cold. It felt mechanical. Sa bawat paghinga ko, naiisip ko na ang matris ko ay hindi na sa akin; ito ay pag-aari na rin ng Montenegro Group. I was just an incubator with a heartbeat.

"Five minutes, Coleen. I don't like waiting. My cousins are already at the estate," Theodore's voice echoed from the living room. His voice was cold at walang bahid ng pagsisisi sa ginawa niya sa akin sa kama kanina.

Lumabas ako ng walk-in closet. Nakasandal si Sir Theodore sa pader, bihis na bihis sa kanyang charcoal gray bespoke suit. Pagkakita niya sa akin ay bumaba agad ang tingin niya sa dibdib ko hanggang sa binti ko. I saw his jaw tighten. For a split second, nakita ko ang gutom sa mga mata niya—isang gutom na tila hindi pa napapawi ng isang round kanina.

Fuck. What the hell, Coleen? Ano bang iniisip mo? That's enough at ayaw mo 'yon.

"Wear this," he said, handing me a velvet box.

Binuksan ko ang iniabot niyang box at halos masilaw ako sa tumabad sa harap ko. It was a diamond necklace with a tear-shaped emerald in the center. Isang sulyap ko pa lang, alam kong mas mahal pa ito sa buhay ko. And it was conflating to the dress I wear.

"Sir... kailangan po ba talaga 'to? Do I need to wear this? Masyado atang magarbo at mahal," mahina kong tanong.

"Oops... do I need to remind you na huwag mo na akong tawaging Sir? Instead, call me Zayne. We're supposed to be in love, remember? Just remember the contract, Coleen."

Lumapit siya sa akin at kinuha ang kwintas. Pinatalikod niya ako at dahan-dahang isinuot ang alahas sa leeg ko. Ang lamig ng dyamante sa balat ko ay kabaligtaran ng init ng kanyang mga daliri na sadyang dumampi sa batok ko. Naramdaman ko ang kilabot na gumapang sa buong katawan ko.

"And yes, it's necessary," bulong niya sa tenga ko, ang hininga niya ay amoy peppermint at alak. "My cousins are vultures, Coleen. They are trained to smell weakness. If they see you as just a secretary I knocked up, they will treat you like trash. But if they see you as the woman I'm obsessed with, they will stay back."

Humarap ako sa kanya. "Bakit kailangan pa nating gawin 'to sa harap nila? I am not used to it."

"You should, Coleen, because in this family, legacy is everything. And a bastard heir is a weakness. But a child born from a grand romance? That is power." He gripped my chin, forcing me to look at him. "Smile, Coleen. Act like you're the luckiest woman in the world. Dahil kung hindi, alam mo kung ano ang nakataya."

Then he planted a deep kiss sa aking mga labi—like what he said, he's obsessed with me—just a play.

Wala akong magawa. Instead, tumango na lamang ako. My father's Singapore flight. His heart treatment. Lahat iyon ay nasa kamay ni Sir Theodore, mga bagay na hawak niya.

Habang pababa kami, pilit kong iniinda ang bawat hakbang. Paika-ika ako dahil sa hapdi na aking naramdaman sa kaibuturan ko. It was swollen and painful down there. Sa bawat kirot, naaalala ko ang responsibilidad ko: to conceive.Napakagat-labi ako. What if I fail? What if my body rejects his heir? Ang takot na 'yun ay mas matindi pa sa takot ko sa kanyang mga pinsan.

Ang dinner ay ginanap sa main estate ng mga Montenegro—isang palasyo sa gitna ng Forbes Park na nababalot ng matatandang puno at matataas na pader. Pagpasok pa lang namin sa dining hall, naramdaman ko na ang bigat ng kasaysayan sa bawat sulok. Gold chandeliers, antique paintings, and an air of authority that could choke a normal person.

Tatlong lalaki ang nakaupo na sa dulo ng mahabang lamesa. They were all Montenegros—tall, strikingly handsome, and dangerous in their own ways.

"Oh... Finally, the Golden Boy arrives," ani ng lalaking may mapaglarong ngisi. Si Ezra Dayton Montenegro, ang fashion mogul ng pamilya. He was wearing a silk shirt na bukas ang unang tatlong butones, kitang-kita ang dragon tattoo sa kanyang dibdib.

"Late as always, Kuya. O baka naman masyado lang naging masarap ang afternoon break mo kaya nahirapan kang bumangon?" dagdag ni Ezra—Theodore's younger brother—habang nakatingin sa akin mula ulo hanggang paa. Ang tingin niya ay parang hinuhubaran na ako.

"Shut it, Ezra. Your mouth will get you in trouble one of these days," malamig na sagot ni Zayne. Hinila niya ang upuan para sa akin bago siya umupo sa tabi ko. Hindi niya binitiwan ang kamay ko; sa halip, pinag-intertwine niya ang mga daliri namin sa ibabaw ng lamesa.

"Everyone, this is Coleen Alexandra Enriquez. My fiancée," deklara ni Zayne.

Katahimikan—a heavy and deafening silence.

"Your secretary?" ang boses na iyon ay galing kay Teodoro Denver Montenegro, ang pinsan nilang kilala bilang enforcer ng pamilya. He looked more like a hitman than a billionaire. Ang kanyang mga mata ay madilim at walang emosyon. "I thought you were smarter than this, Zayne. You know the rules. You marry for alliance, not for... whatever this is."

"I make my own rules, Ted," Zayne replied, his voice dropping an octave. "Coleen will carry the next head of the Montenegro Group. That makes her more important than any alliance."

Napakapit ako sa laylayan ng aking dress. The next head. Hindi nila tinitingnan ang sanggol bilang tao, kundi bilang susunod na piraso sa kanilang laro ng kapangyarihan. Nakaramdam ako ng awa para sa magiging anak ko. Even before it was formed, its destiny was already written in ink and blood.

"Fiancée, huh?" singit ni Thorne Dayne Montenegro, ang pinakatahimik sa kanila. He was sipping his whiskey, looking at me with a curiosity, almost with a pitying gaze. "Congratulations, Coleen. I hope you know what you're getting into. Being a Montenegro wife isn't about diamonds; it's about survival."

"Thank you, Sir Thorne," sagot ko, pilit na pinapatatag ang boses ko, kahit na kinakabahan na ako sa tension na ibinibigay ng mga lalaking kaharap ko.

"Call him Thorne, sweetheart. You're part of the family now," Sir Theodore said, squeezing my hand—a reminder of the role I had to play.

Tumikhim lang ako at tumango. Nagsimula ang dinner na may tension sa pagitan naming lahat. Ang bawat putahe na inihahain ay mukhang masarap pero para akong kumakain ng bubog dahil sa kaba. Pilit ang bawat ngiti ko habang nararamdaman ko ang mga mata nila na hindi umiiwas ng tingin sa akin.

"So, Coleen," Ezra leaned forward, his elbows on the table. "Paano mo nakuha ang mailap na puso ng Kuya ko? For five years, we thought you were just the girl who organized his folders. Who knew you were also organizing his... bedroom?"

Naramdaman ko ang pamumula ng mukha ko. Theodore's grip on my hand tightened, but he didn't answer for me. He wanted to see if I could hold my own. If I could stand myself against the three Montenegros.

"Sometimes, the most important things are hidden in plain sight, Ezra," sagot ko, diretsong nakatingin sa kanya. "Ang Kuya mo at ako... found something real amidst the chaos of the office. It wasn't planned, but it's something I'm willing to protect." I lied.

"Impressive," Ted smirked, though his eyes remained cold. "But let's be real. Zayne doesn't do the real thing. He does the deals. What's the deal here, Coleen? How much did it cost to buy your loyalty?"

"Ted, that's enough," Sir Theodore's voice was a low growl. The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. "One more word against her, and I'll forget we share the same blood."

"Chill ka lang, Kuya. We're just curious," Ezra laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Masaya lang kami na finally, may magpapatuloy na ng sinimulan mo. Although, I wonder how Daddy Zandro will take this. He's still expecting you to marry that Alexa Rodriguez."

"Our father will accept what I give him," Sir Theodore said firmly.

Sa buong dinner, Sir Theodore acted like the perfect, and protective lover. He would wipe a stray crumb from my lip, whisper things in my ear that made me blush, and keep his hand on my thigh under the table. His thumb was tracing circles on my skin, a gesture that should have been comforting but felt like a mark of ownership.

Sa bawat haplos niya, hindi ko mapigilang maisip: Is this what my life will be for the next nine months? A body for lease. Isang palamuti sa hapag-kainan na may sikretong nakatago sa sinapupunan. I felt like a criminal. I was stealing a legacy for a man who would eventually discard me.

Nang matapos ang dinner, habang kumukuha ng tawag si Sir Theodore sa veranda, nagpaalam muna ako para pumunta sa restroom. Pero bago ko pa maabot ang pinto, hinarang ako ni Ted sa hallway.

"I don't know what game you're playing, Miss Enriquez," he said, his voice low and dangerous. He leaned in close, smelling of expensive cigars and cold rain. "But Zayne is not a man who loves someone. He's a man who uses it. Once that baby is out, you're nothing but a liability to him."

"Hindi mo alam ang sinasabi mo, Ted," paitaas kong sagot, pilit na itinatago ang kaba.

"Do I?" he smirked. "I've seen him destroy people for less. Huwag kang pakasisiguro sa mga dyamanteng 'yan. They are just shackles in disguise. Kapag tapos na ang gamit mo, he will dispose of you like trash."

Bago pa ako makasagot, narinig namin ang yabag ni Theodore. Agad na lumayo si Ted, at isang mapanuyang ngiti ang huling iniwan niya sa akin bago siya naglakad palayo.

"What were you talking about?" Theodore asked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Ted's retreating back.

"Wala naman... he just congratulated me again," pagsisinungaling ko.

Theodore gripped my arm, not painfully, but firmly enough to let me know he didn't believe me. "Don't ever listen to them, Coleen. They are not your friends. They are rivals. And you? You are mine. My property. My responsibility. Maliwanag?"

"Y-Yes."

Isinakay niya ako sa kotse at sa buong byahe pauwi, wala kaming kiboan. Tanging ang tahimik na gabi ay nababalot ng tensyon. Pagdating namin sa penthouse, hindi niya ako hinayaang makawala ulit. I wanted to rest and go home, pero pagkasara pa lang ng pinto, isinandal niya agad ako sa pader.

"They liked you," he whispered, his hands roaming my body again, pulling the zipper of my dress down. "But they also want to take you down just to spite me."

"Natatakot ako, Zayne. Please tama na," pag-amin ko at ang mga luha ko ay nagsisimulang pumatak. "Hindi ko alam kung kaya ko 'to."

Wala na akong nagawa. He silenced me with a kiss—a harsh, hungry kiss that tasted like whiskey and dominance. Then he stopped kissing me at binulong ang mga katagang, "You have to. Because there's no turning back now, Coleen. You're a Montenegro now. Even if it's only on paper, you're mine."

He lifted me up, my legs wrapping around his waist instinctively kahit na ang sakit pa rin ng pagkababae ko. As he carried me to the bedroom for the second time that day, I realized that Ted was right about one thing. This wasn't a romance nor an obsession. This was a war. And I was just the casualty in the middle of it.

Nang ihiga niya ako sa kama, muling nagsimula ang ritwal ng pag-angkin niya sa akin. I closed my eyes as his weight pressed down on me. I thought of the heir. I thought of the seeds he was planting. This child wouldn't have a mother who could stay, and it wouldn't have a father who loved. It was just a contract—a ghost of a family.

Tatay, sana hindi sayang ang lahat ng sakripisyo kong 'to. I know I can't... but for you, I will.