Maid for The CEO’s Desires

I said yes the next day.I wish I could say I fought harder.I wish I could say I found another way.I didn’t.By ten in the morning, tumawag na ang lawyer namin to confirm na “willing to suspend formal escalation” ang Del Fierro Holdings as long as pumayag ako sa terms. Pagsapit ng tanghali, dalawang beses nang umiyak si Mama, tuluyan nang nanahimik si Papa. At ako, I had signed a contract with trembling fingers.One year.Private maid.Personal attendant.The language of the contract was clean. Professional. Almost elegant, even.Pero simple lang ang mensahe.I was no longer mine.“Anak…”I looked up from the copy of the contract in my lap.Nakatayo si Mama sa may front door, twisting her hands together. Sa likod niya, sobrang normal pa rin tingnan ang buong bahay namin in the most painful way. The cream walls. The framed family photos. Iyong lamp sa sulok na kailanman ayaw palitan ni Papa kahit ang pangit na nito since 2014.Everything looked exactly the same. Which was funny, beca

“And you’re still holding my waist.”Neither of us moved.Dapat tumayo na ako.Instead, nanatili ako roon, nakabitin sa ibabaw niya, nakadiin ang mga kamay ko sa dibdib niya, my body fitting far too easily against his.Bahagyang humigpit ang hawak niya sa baywang ko.Lalong nagdilim ang mga mata niya.And for one terrifying second, inisip kong baka tuluyan niya talaga akong hilahin pababa sa natitirang pulgadang iyon at halikan ako o baka delusyonal lang ako.“Selene,” he said, and my name sounded wrong in his mouth like that. Too soft. Too heated.I hated that some part of me wanted him to say it again.Kumuyom nang bahagya ang mga daliri ko sa dibdib niya. Pasimple siyang huminga nang malalim.This was bad.This was so bad.I leaned back first, sapat lang para magkaroon ng kaunting space sa pagitan namin, but even that felt impossible when his hands were still on me and his eyes were still doing that thing.That terrible, unfair thing na parang tinutunaw niya ako sa tingin. The nec

“You can’t be serious.”Matalim ko siyang tinignan mula sa kabilang side ng office, nakakuyom pa rin ang mga daliri ko sa gilid ng blue file like I might use it as a weapon if he annoyed me one inch more.Vladimir leaned back against the desk, all white shirt, loosened tie, at nakakairitang kalmadong aura.“I rarely repeat myself for entertainment,” he said.Napakurap ako. “You want me to change your bedsheets.”“Yes.”I let out a short laugh. “That is so psychotic.”“One last thing,” he said, “Change my bedsheets. Then wait for me there.”Saglit na bumaba ang tingin niya sa note sa ibabaw ng desk.Then back to me.“And after that,” mahinang sambit niya, “I’ll tell you what you forgot.”Napatitig ako sa kanya nang isang buong segundo, habang iniisip kung ihahagis ko ba ang note sa mukha niya o ang sarili ko na lang sa pinakamalapit na bintana.Nilabanan niya ang mga titig ko. Like he already knew I was going to obey and was enjoying the fact far too much.I folded my arms. “You really

“You cannot just make my ex wait outside your gate like that.”His gaze lifted, calm and infuriating. “I can.”Baliw na ’to.“He came here uninvited.”“So?”“So he waits.”May kung ano sa paraan ng pagkakasabi niya no’n na biglang nagpahigpit sa sikmura ko. Too calm. Too final.I folded my arms. “You don’t get to decide who I see.”One brow lifted. “No?”“No.”He leaned back slightly. “Then go ahead.”Kumunot ang noo ko. “Why does that sound like a trap?”“Because you assume everything I say is one.”Sarkastiko akong tumawa. “Can you blame me?”“No.”Five minutes later, pumasok ako sa isa sa mga receiving room nang tuwid ang balikat at ubos na agad ang pasensya.Nakatayo si Caleb Del Rio sa may fireplace, one hand in his pocket at ang isa naman hawak ang phone niya. Lumingon siya sa mismong sandaling marinig niya ako.“Selene.”I stayed near the doorway. “What are you doing here?”He let out a breath. “I’ve been trying to see you.”“That should’ve been your sign not to come.”His face

“Then maybe I’ll hate you for that too.” He smirked. Bago ko pa mahimasmasan ang sarili ko, before pride could save me or anger could put itself back together, he leaned in. Hindi naman buong-buo. Just enough na dumampi ang gilid ng labi niya sa sulok ng sa akin. Too quick to be a real kiss. Too deliberate to be an accident. My breath caught so sharply it almost hurt. Parang nagliyab ang bawat nerve sa katawan ko nang sabay-sabay. And pagkatapos, he pulled back. Sapat lang para matitigan ako. Still close. Still warm. Still devastating. I stared at him, completely wrecked by one half-second of contact. “You are unbelievable,” I whispered. His hand slid from my wrist to my waist. Just once. Sapat lang para alalayan ako nung muntik na akong pagtaksilan ng mga tuhod ko. His voice, when it came, was low enough to ruin me all over again. “No,” he said. “I’m being careful. Go back to your room, Selene. Goodnight.” I didn’t have a good night. Hindi ako nakatulog ulit. I mean,