Contracted Marriage to My Boss

CONTRACTED TO MY BOSS

Chapter 3

Kaelan POV

The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office, casting warm gold across the mahogany desk where the final draft of our contract lay waiting. I’d been up since four a.m., going over every single clause with my legal team for the third time in as many days—making sure there was nothing in the fine print that could ever be used against Robyn, nothing that might leave her vulnerable once our arrangement ended.

“Sir? Ms. Dela Cruz is here with her aunt,” my assistant, Marcus, said through the intercom. “They’re in the conference room already. I offered them coffee and snacks—your aunt dropped by earlier and left some of her homemade puto seco, actually.”

I nodded, sliding the contract into a leather folder. “Thanks, Marcus. Give me two minutes, then send them in.”

I stood and straightened my dark blue suit jacket, catching my reflection in the glass wall overlooking Manila’s skyline. The city was just waking up—jeepneys rattling along the streets below, vendors setting up their stalls in the public market, Manila Bay glinting like polished silver in the morning light. For the first time in months, I felt a knot of tension in my shoulders that had nothing to do with board meetings or quarterly reports.

When I walked into the conference room, Robyn was sitting beside an older woman with kind eyes and silver-streaked hair, both of them perched carefully on the edge of their chairs as if afraid to make themselves too comfortable. Robyn wore a simple white blusa and black slacks—neat, modest, exactly what I’d told her to wear. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun, but a few strands had escaped to frame her face, which was still slightly puffy from crying the day before.

“Good morning, Robyn. Ma’am—I believe you’re Tita Mona?” I said, extending my hand.

The older woman stood and shook it firmly, her grip surprisingly strong. “Opo, sir. Ako po si Mona Dela Cruz. Maraming salamat po sa pagtanggap sa amin ngayong maaga.” [Note: Corrected "pagkukunwari" to "pagtanggap" as "pretending" did not fit the context—"accepting/receiving us" is correct here.]

“Please, call me Kaelan,” I said, gesturing for them to sit back down. “And please—help yourselves to the food. My Aunt Elena makes the best puto seco in the city, or so she claims.”

I set the leather folder on the table and opened it, spreading out the documents so both of them could see clearly. “I want to start by saying this—you don’t have to sign anything today. Take as much time as you need to read through every page, consult with your own lawyer if you want to find one, even sleep on it for a few more days. The money for Elise’s treatment has already been transferred to the hospital—her evaluation is scheduled for day after tomorrow, regardless of what you decide here today.”

Robyn’s eyes widened slightly. “Pero po, sir—hindi pa po kami pumapasang-ayon sa anumang bagay…”

“I gave you my word yesterday, Robyn,” I said gently. “Your sister’s health comes first. This contract is about protecting both of us once we move forward, but her care isn’t conditional on anything you do for me.”

Tita Mona leaned forward, squinting at the pages. “Maaari mo bang ipaliwanag sa amin ang mga tuntunin na ito, Kaelan? Tagalog na lang po sana—baka mas maintindihan namin.”

“Of course,” I said, switching easily to speaking in Tagalog while still thinking in English as I pointed to each section. “First—our marriage will be registered legally here in Manila, but the contract states clearly that it’s a business arrangement with no romantic or conjugal obligations. We’ll live in my house in Bonifacio Global City—Robyn will have her own wing with three bedrooms, a kitchenette, and a living area. She can bring Elise and you to stay there as long as she wants—all expenses for the household will be covered by me.”

I turned to the next page. “The monthly allowance of sixty thousand pesos will be deposited into Robyn’s bank account on the first of every month. All medical costs for Elise are covered for two years post-transplant—including medications, therapy, and any emergency care she might need. After sixteen months, we’ll file for annulment. My legal team will handle all paperwork and court fees—you won’t have to worry about a single thing.”

“At ang tatlong milyong piso?” Tita Mona asked, her voice careful in Tagalog. “Sinabi mo na makukuha niya iyon pagkatapos?”

“Lump sum, deposited into her account within two weeks of the annulment being finalized,” I confirmed. “It’s non-negotiable—she’ll get it whether she stays employed at the company or not. Speaking of which—Robyn can continue working in the encoding department if she wants to, or I can transfer her to a less demanding position if the schedule becomes difficult with family events and other obligations.”

Robyn shook her head immediately. “Gusto kong magpatuloy sa pagtatrabaho, Kaelan. Gusto ko ang trabaho ko, at ayaw kong isipin ng iba na binibigyan ako ng espesyal na pagtrato.”

I smiled slightly. “I respect that. We’ll make sure your work hours are flexible enough to accommodate everything, but your performance will be evaluated the same as everyone else’s. Fair?”

“Patas,” she whispered in Tagalog, her fingers tracing the edge of the contract.

For a long moment, no one spoke. I watched as Tita Mona read through each clause slowly, occasionally asking questions in Tagalog about specific details—what would happen if one of us wanted to end the contract early, whether Robyn would be responsible for any of my personal expenses, how we’d handle media attention if word got out. I answered every question honestly in English, even explaining why I needed this arrangement in the first place.

“My grandfather—Hudson Hutsonville Sr.—is turning eighty next month,” I said. “He’s been pushing me to get married for years, saying the company needs a stable leader with a family to ensure continuity. He has a heart condition, and his doctors say stress could be dangerous for him. If I don’t show him I’m ‘settled down,’ he’s threatening to name my cousin as his successor instead of me.”

Tita Mona frowned. “Ang iyong pinsan? Hindi ba siya kwalipikado?”

“He’s more interested in spending the company’s money than building it up,” I said bluntly. “I’ve worked my entire life to make sure Hutsonville Enterprises continues to provide jobs for people here in Manila—people like Robyn, who work hard and deserve fair treatment. If my cousin takes over, hundreds could lose their jobs, and our community outreach programs would be the first to go.”

Robyn looked up at me then, her dark eyes studying my face with an intensity that made me pause. “Kaya hindi lang ikaw ang kasangkot dito, Kaelan. Kasama rin ang kumpanya at ang mga taong nagtatrabaho doon.”

“It’s always been about more than just me,” I said quietly.

Tita Mona set down the contract and looked at her niece. “Anak, ano sa tingin mo?”

Robyn took a deep breath, her hands folding over the pages. “Binasa ko na karamihan nito kanina pa, Tita. Ang lahat ng sinasabi niya ay tumutugma sa nakasulat dito. Binayaran na niya ang paggamot ni Elise kahit na hindi pa kami pumapayag sa anumang bagay. Sa tingin ko… sa tingin ko maaari nating tiwalaan siya.”

She looked at me directly, and I saw a strength in her gaze that I’d noticed the day before. “Ngunit mayroon akong isang kundisyon, Kaelan.”

“Name it,” I said immediately.

“Kung gagawin natin ito—kung ako’y magiging ‘asawa’ mo sa harap ng lahat—kailangan mong ipangako sa akin ang isang bagay,” she said firmly in Tagalog. “Huwag kang magtatago ng anumang lihim sa akin na maaaring magdulot ng panganib sa aking pamilya. Anuman ang mga bagay na maaari nating marating, kailangan kong malaman ang totoo. Huwag nang magsalita pa ng mga parang ‘hindi niya alam kung saan siya papasok’ kapag ako ay umaalis.”

My cheeks warmed slightly—I hadn’t realized she’d heard me say that. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I promise you, Robyn—from this moment on, you’ll know everything you need to know to keep yourself and your family safe. I’ll be completely honest with you about anything that affects our arrangement.”

She nodded, then picked up the pen I’d placed on the table. “Sige na. Pirmahan na natin.”

Tita Mona put a hand on her arm. “Sigurado ka na ba, anak? Maaari pa tayong mag-isip ng mas matagal—”

“Sigurado na ako, Tita,” Robyn said, her voice steady in Tagalog. “Ito ang tamang gawin. Para kay Elise, para sa atin… at marahil pati na rin para sa kumpanya at sa lahat ng taong nagtatrabaho doon.”

We signed the contract—three copies each—then I called Marcus to have them notarized immediately. As Robyn folded her copy carefully and slipped it into her bag, my phone buzzed with a message from the hospital.

“Elise Dela Cruz’s pre-transplant evaluation scheduled for Wednesday, 9 AM. All tests approved. Dr. Santos will be handling her case.”

I showed the message to Robyn, and this time when she smiled, it reached her eyes—genuine and bright, like the sun breaking through rain clouds.

“Maraming salamat,” she said simply in Tagalog.

“I told you—we’re helping each other,” I replied, standing up. “Now, let’s go see your sister. I want to meet her, and I want to talk to Dr. Santos about her treatment plan personally. After that, we’ll go look at the house—so you can choose which rooms you want for your family.”

As we walked out of the conference room together, I caught Robyn’s hand briefly as she stumbled on the carpet. She didn’t pull away immediately, and for a second, I felt a jolt of something I hadn’t expected—something warm and solid that had nothing to do with contracts or business arrangements.

But I pushed the feeling aside. We had a plan, we had rules, and we both knew what we were signing up for. Still, as I watched her hold Tita Mona’s arm while we waited for the elevator, I found myself making a new promise to myself—one that wasn’t written anywhere in our contract.

I would not only keep her safe—I would make sure she never regretted trusting me.