Chapter 3

“You’re glaring at your plate,” Vladimir said.

For a whole five minutes, magkaharap lang kaming nakaupo habang tahimik na umiikot sa mesa ang mga staff, serving food that looked expensive enough to make me nervous. The dining room was all candlelight and polished silver.

I looked up. “I’m thinking.”

“You look offended.”

“I am offended.”

His mouth tilted slightly. “By the food?”

“By everything.”

Ngumisi lang siya.

May isang staff na lumapit para salinan ulit ang wine glass niya.

Vladimir didn’t even look at her.

“Leave it,” he said flatly.

She froze. “Sir?”

“I said leave it.”

Agad siyang umatras. “Yes, sir.”

I blinked.

Then Vladimir looked at me.

“Pour it.”

I stared. “Excuse me?”

His voice stayed calm. “You heard me.”

For one second, tinignan ko lang siya.

Then at the bottle.

Then back at him.

“Oh, wow,” I said softly. “Straight to the humiliation. Bold.”

His gaze didn’t shift. “You’re my maid, Selene. Not a guest.”

Tinitigan ko siya nang ilang segundo bago kinuha ang bote ng wine.

Fine.

If he wanted the performance, I’d give him one.

Tumayo ako, leaned toward his side of the table, and poured the wine carefully into his glass.

The candlelight caught the red wine as it rose, at halos pagpawisan ako kahit malamig naman ang buong silid.

Mostly because he was watching me.

Not the bottle.

Not the glass.

Me.

I set the bottle down with more force than necessary. “Anything else, sir?”

“Sit.”

Bumalik ako sa upuan ko. “You really enjoy this.”

“Sometimes.”

Kumunot ang noo ko. “Do you always talk to people here like one mistake could get them fired?”

Inangat niya ang basong kakasalin ko lang ng wine and took one slow sip. “Only when they forget instructions.”

“So dramatic.”

Nag-angat ang tingin niya sa akin mula sa ibabaw ng rim ng baso. “You’ll learn.”

May kung ano sa paraan ng pagkakasabi niya noon na biglang nagpahigpit sa sikmura ko.

I set my fork down. “Then maybe start teaching.”

Tumalim ang tingin niya. “Excuse me?”

“The rules,” I said. “If I’m stuck here for one year, I want to hear them from you.”

A pause. Dahan-dahan niyang ibinaba ang baso with slow precision.

“Fine.” He stood from his seat.

Mabilis akong tumayo. “Where are you going?”

He looked at me like the answer should have been obvious. “You asked for the rules.”

“So?”

“So you’re coming with me.”

Nagsalubong ang mga kilay ko. “Where?”

“My office.”

Napalunok ako. Sumunod ako sa kanya palabas ng hallway because apparently, iyon na ang buhay ko ngayon. Ang sumunod kay Vladimir Del Fierro sa sarili niyang mansion habang pilit na hindi pinapansin na nakakainis kung gaano siya kabango kapag malapitan.

The house was quieter at night.

More intimidating.

More him.

Dumaan kami sa isang mahabang corridor na may dark wood panels at soft wall lights hanggang sa huminto siya sa harap ng isang pares ng double doors. Binuksan niya ang isa nang hindi man lang ako tinitingnan.

Pumasok ako sa loob at halos mapatigil sa kinatatayuan ko.

His office was exactly what I should have expected.

Malaki. Malinis. Madilim. Minimal. May floor-to-ceiling windows sa isang gilid. Sa kabila, mga shelves na puno ng books at files. Isang napakalaking desk sa gitna.

Isinara niya ang pinto sa likod namin.

The click of the lock was soft. Still enough to make my pulse jump.

Agad ko siyang nilingon. “Did you just lock that?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“So we’re not interrupted.”

I folded my arms tightly over my chest. “That’s not suspicious at all.”

Nilagpasan niya ako na parang halos hindi man lang nag-register sa kanya ang sarcasm ko, saka dumiretso sa desk. “You’re free to stand there all night if you want.”

I stayed where I was.

Partly because I was stubborn.

Partly because if I got any farther inside, it would feel too much like stepping voluntarily into his space.

Binuksan niya ang drawer at naglabas ng manipis na itim na folder.

“Come here,” he said.

I gave him a look. “You love saying that like I’m supposed to obey automatically.”

Nag-angat ang tingin niya. “Are you going to make me repeat myself every time?”

“Maybe.”

For one second, walang gumalaw. Isinara niya ang folder at ibinaba iyon sa mesa nang dahan-dahan.

He walked around the desk and toward me.

One step.

Two.

Three.

And suddenly all I could hear was my own pulse.

I told myself not to move.

Huminto siya mismo sa harap ko.

Too close.

Again.

He really needed to stop doing that.

“You enjoy testing me,” he said.

I tipped my chin up. “You enjoy controlling people.”

“Yes.” The answer came too fast. Too honest.

Nanikip ang tiyan ko. “Good for you.”

Saglit na bumaba ang tingin niya sa bibig ko bago muling bumalik sa mga mata ko. “You have no idea.”

Umiwas ako sa kanya bago pa may nakakahiya akong magawa, like visibly react, at dumiretso ako agad sa desk. “Fine. What’s in the folder?”

His voice came from behind me, kalmado at mababa. “The map of the estate. The restricted areas. Emergency contacts. Staff assignments.”

I turned. “Staff assignments?”

“You’ll report directly to Mrs. Alvarez for household matters. You answer to me for everything else.”

My brows lifted. “Everything else?”

Lumapit ulit siya sa ‘kin, slower this time, and opened the folder beside me. “Read.”

I looked down.

A printed outline of the estate. Color-coded sections. Notes. Schedules.

He wasn’t kidding.

May mga kuwartong may markang private, mga wing na may label na restricted, at isang buong section sa third floor na completely blocked off.

I tapped it. “What’s there?”

“Not your concern.”

Before I could answer, there was another knock on the door.

Umatras palayo sa ‘kin si Vladimir.

“Come in,” he said.

Pumasok si Mrs. Alvarez with the same perfect posture she always had. “Sir, the call from Singapore is waiting.”

Tumango si Vladimir. “I’ll take it in ten.”

Mrs. Alvarez turned to me next. “Miss Monteverde, your uniform measurements will be taken tomorrow morning.”

I blinked. “My what?”

“Your uniforms.”

I looked from her to him. “I’m sorry, uniforms?”

“Yes,” Vladimir said. “You’ll need them.”

I stared at him. “You cannot be serious.”

“I’m always serious.”

“Of course you are.”

Mrs. Alvarez, who clearly had a gift for pretending tension didn’t exist, placed a small stack of papers on the desk. “These are the house schedules, sir.”

Then she left.

Pagkasara na pagkasara ng pinto, bumaling ulit ako kay Vladimir.

“Uniforms?”

“You’re staff.”

“I am not staff.”

His brow lifted. “No?”

“No. I’m here because you forced me into some psychotic arrangement that probably has at least three human rights violations.”

“And yet,” he said, maddeningly calm, “you still signed.”

Gusto kong sumigaw.

Instead, I took a step toward him. “You know what your problem is?”

“I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”

“You think because you can control a room, you can control everything.”

Tumitig siya sa ‘kin ng ilang segundo.

Then, quietly, “Not everything.”

Kumunot ang noo ko. But before I could say anything, he looked away and picked up the phone note Mrs. Alvarez had left.

“Go to your room, Selene.”

I stared at him. “Excuse me?”

“That wasn’t a suggestion.”

Sarkastiko akong tumawa. “You really love ordering me around.”

He set the note down. “And you really love pretending you’re not affected when I do.”

Uminit ang mukha ko.

God.

I hated him.

Dinampot ko ang estate map mula sa mesa at itinaas iyon. “Fine. But just so we’re clear, this psycho rich-house hostage situation you’ve got going on? I’m not making it easy for you.”

Nakatingin lang siya sa akin. Steady. Dark. Annoyingly unreadable.

“I know,” he said.

I turned toward the door.

Then stopped.

May isang maliit na bagay sa desk niya, halos natatakpan ng isa pang folder. Gold. Delicate. At sobrang pamilyar, enough to make my whole body go still.

A necklace.

Not just any necklace.

Mine.

Huminga ako nang malalim. 

No way.

Kilalang kilala ko ang kuwintas na iyon. Iyong maliit na gold locket na may munting bato malapit sa clasp. Ibinigay iyon ni Mama sa akin noong eighteenth birthday ko, at sobrang dalas ko iyong isuot noon na parang second nature na lang ang paghawak ko rito. Sa loob noon, may maliit na litrato namin ni Mama.

I lost it years ago.

After that night, nung nalasing ako nang sobra dahil kay Caleb! That night when I met someone and had a—

My pulse kicked hard against my ribs.

I stepped toward the desk. “That’s mine.”

Biglang bumaling ang tingin ni Vladimir sa kuwintas, saka muling bumalik sa akin.

I reached for the necklace, pero mas mabilis siya. His hand came down over it first, covering the chain.

Uminit bigla sa silid niya. My heart was pounding too hard now.

“Where did you get that?” tanong ko.

Hind siya sumagot.

“Vladimir.”

His jaw tightened.

I stared at his hand over the necklace, then at his face.

No.

There was no way.

Sinubukan kong hilahin ang kuwintas palabas mula sa ilalim ng palad niya, pero nahuli niya ang pulsuhan ko bago ko pa magawa.

“Let go,” I snapped.

“No.”

“That necklace is mine.”

His eyes held mine. “I know.”

That hit so hard I actually froze.

You know.

Not I think so.

Not maybe.

He knew.

Biglang kumabig pababa ang sikmura ko.

“What do you mean, you know?”

“Selene.”

“Don’t say my name like that and then expect me not to ask questions.” Mariin kong hinila ang kamay ko mula sa hawak niya “Let go of me.”

Imbes na sumagot, tinaas niya ang kwintas at hinigpitan ng isang kamay niya ang hawak sa ‘kin. 

Absolutely not.

Ilang beses kong sinubukang abutin iyon gamit ang malaya kong kamay.

Big mistake.

Because the next second, everything happened too fast.

Nawalan kami ng balanse.

Dumulas sa kamay niya ang kwintas.

Sumabit ang takong ko sa gilid ng rug.

At bigla na lang, pareho kaming bumagsak.

Halos wala na akong oras kahit mapasinghap bago ako tumama sa sahig, with Vladimir beneath me.

Sa loob ng isang gulat na segundo, wala ni isa sa amin ang gumalaw.

Then all at once, I became painfully aware of everything.

Ang mga palad ko na nakadiin sa dibdib niya.

Ang katawan niya sa ilalim ko.

Solid. Warm. Hard in a way that made my whole brain go blank for one dangerous second.

Bahagyang nausog ang shirt niya nang bumagsak kami, at kahit sa ibabaw ng tela, ramdam ko pa rin ang matigas na linya ng muscle sa ilalim ng mga palad ko. My thigh was trapped against his hip. My hair had fallen forward over one shoulder. At pinakamasama sa lahat, masyadong napalapit ang bibig ko sa mukha niya.

Too close to his jaw.

Too close to his chin.

Isang maliit na galaw lang, didikit na sana ang mga labi ko sa balat niya.

Ramdam ko ang bawat paghinga niya nang malalim at alam kong gano’n din siya.

God.

Tahimik ang buong silid. Parang huminto ang oras. 

All I could think about was the fact that I was on top of Vladimir Von Del Fierro and his hands were now gripping my waist.

Bahagya kong iniangat ang ulo ko para tingnan siya.

Huge mistake.

Because he was already looking up at me with that same dark, impossible stare that made everything feel too hot and too close and too dangerous.

His chest rose once beneath my hands.

I could feel every breath.

Every inch of tension.

Every second of restraint.

“Move.” His voice was low and rough. 

But his hands didn’t even move. They stayed exactly where they were. My waist.

Lumunok ako nang malalim. “Then let go.”

His jaw shifted under the light.

“You fell on me.”

“You pulled me, and you took my necklace.”

Saglit na bumaba ang tingin niya sa labi ko. Then back to my eyes.

That one tiny movement sent heat all the way down my spine.

“You’re still on top of me,” he said.

“And you’re still holding my waist.”