CHAPTER 2: RULES OF HIS BED, RULES OF HIS BODY

Hindi ako makagalaw.

Nakaupo pa rin ako sa marble bar ni Zach, n*******d mula bewang pababa. Nanginginig parin ang mga binti ko, at yung katas niya tumutulo pa rin sakin pagkababae at tumatagas sa mamahalin niyang bato. Yung punit na pantyhose ko nasa sahig, katabi ng basag na baso ng whiskey. Hindi pa rin tumitigil yung malakas na ulan na tumapatak sa bintana, at hindi parin tumitigil ang panginginig ng kamay ko at yung kaba na namumuo sa dibdib ko.

Mrs. Monteverde. The two words tasted like ash and sin and something terrifyingly permanent.

Tumunog ulit yung elevator galing sa hallway. Nagmamadali kong hinila pababa ang punit kong pencil skirt para takpan sarili kong nakabuhad sa kagagawan naming ni Zach kanina. Pero ito si Zach nakabalik na sa bar area. Tinanggal niya na yung suit jacket niya. Naka-untuck yung puting polo niyang tatlong butones sa taas nakabukas, kitang-kita ko na naman ang nakakainis na dragon tattoo niya."

"Get dressed, Kaizhyne," Malamig na tugon niya "My driver is downstairs. He's taking you to your apartment in Tondo to pack one bag."

"Now? It's 12:18 AM, Zach."

"Mr. Monteverde," He corrected. "And yes, now. If my new wife isn't in my bed by 2 AM, Damon gets the company."

He tossed a black keycard onto the bar. "Penthouse. 68th floor. Code is 0927. Don't lose it."

September 27. My birthday. He knew.

"Your mom's bills are paid," He continued, pouring whiskey. "Full payment to St. Luke's. But the contract says: Play the loving wife in public. Share my bed when necessary. Give me an heir if Lolo demands it."

My breath hitched. An heir.

"So, here's Rule #1, Mrs. Monteverde," He said, stepping close. "When I want you, I take you. When I want you, you give."

Before I could answer, his phone buzzed. He looked at it and swore.

"We're leaving. Now." He grabbed my arm and pulled me up. "Lolo's spies are in the lobby. We need to be seen entering the penthouse together. As husband and wife."

Tumagos yung sikat ng araw sa floor-to-ceiling windows at tumama mismo sa mga mata ko. Napadaing ako init at sinubukan kong humarap sa kabila pero may mabigat na braso na nakapatong sa bewang ko. Nakaipit ako sa kama, Isang hubad na hubad at sobrang titigas na kama. The sheets smelled like him. Like whiskey, cedarwood, and sex. Last night came crashing back. The bar. The contract. The way Zach took me on his marble bar like I was his to own.

"Morning, wife." Zach's voice was rough with sleep, rumbling against the back of my neck. His hand slid down my stomach and stopped on my hip, thumb brushing the four dark hickeys he left there last night. "Did you sleep at all?"

"No." I whispered because if I talked louder, I'd cry. "You were shaking all night."

"I was making sure you didn't run." His arm tightened around me, pulling me flush against his chest. I felt him — hard and warm against my back. "Where would you go, Kaizh? Mama's bills are paid."

Tama siya. Alas 4 ng madaling araw nakita ko yung text galing sa St. Luke's. Payment Received: ₱847,000.00. Sa unang pagkakataon sa loob ng 6 na buwan at nakahinga na rin ako ngunit bigla pumasok sa isip ko ang mga nanyare kagabi, labis ko iyon pinagsisihan ngunit wala nang magawa ang pagsisisi kung nanyare na at iniisip ko nalang na para ito kay mama, hamda ko gagawin lahat para lang sa kanya. Bago pa man ako makasagot, tumunog yung phone niya. Isang beses. Dalawang beses. Tatlong beses sa nightstand."

Zach swore under his breath and reached for it without letting go of me. "Lolo," He answered, voice instantly going cold and professional. "It's 7 AM."

“Zachary. I’m bringing breakfast. And a priest. We’re blessing the marriage. I’m at the lobby. 10 minutes.”

The call ended.

Zach threw the phone across the room. It bounced on the rug. "Shit. Don Emilio doesn't announce visits. He ambushes."

I shot up in bed, sheets pooling around my waist. "Now? We're not even—"

"We are." He turned to me and his eyes went black. Not with sleep. With possession. His gaze dragged down my naked body, lingering on my bruised collarbone, the bite marks on my breast. "And we need to prove it, Kaizhyne. Now."

"Zach, I'm sore—"

"I know, baby." He cupped my face, thumb wiping under my eye where I must've cried in my sleep. For once there was no CEO mask. Just Zach. "But if Lolo doesn't see us... touching, he'll know it's fake. And Damon gets everything. Including your mother's hospital account."

Fear cut through me. "What do you need me to do?"

Hindi siya sumagot ng salita. Pinihit niya ako nang sobrang bilis hanggang nakahiga na ako. Napabuntong-hininga nalang ako nang lumubog ang kama sa bigat niya habang kinukulong niya ako sa magkabilang brasong nasa tabi ng ulo ko. Tumama yung liwanag ng umaga sa mukha niya at sa unang pagkakataon... nakita ko siya nang totoo, ang maamomg mukha niya, ang magulong buhok at hanggang sa bumaba ang aking tingin napunta sa labi niya na mapula nang napalunok nalang ako kasabay nang pag-init ng maukha ko. Hanggang sa bumalik ang tingin ko sa mga mata niya nang nagkatugma kami nakita ko ang pagod niyang mata pero yung tingin niya sakin... parang ako lang yung nag-eexist sa mundo.

"Look at me," He whispered. "No cameras. No contract. Just me and you."

Iba ito kumpara kagabi, kagabi parusa yun na may kasamang galit. Ito... mabagal na parang sumasabay sa bawat tibok nang puso naming dalawa, bumaba ang labi niya sa bibig kong malambot. Mahinahon nung una parang humihingi ng permiso. Nung hindi ako umatras, pinalalim niya yung halik. Pinasok yung dila niya, tinikman ko, inaral ko hanggang sa napunta yung isang kamay niya sa buhok ko habang yung isa naman sinundan yung kurba ng bewang, ng balakang ko... parang inaalala niya ako sa isip.

"Zachary," I breathed when he broke the kiss to trail down my neck. He sucked right over the hickey from last night, making me arch.

"Say it again." He bit my earlobe. "My name."

"Zach," I moaned. "Please—"

"I've got you." His hand slid between my thighs and I jolted. I was already wet. Humiliatingly so. From his voice. From the way he was touching me like I was precious. "You don't have to fake it, Kaizh. Not with me. Not in my bed."

He entered me slow. So slow I felt every inch. No bar. No rushing. Just us and the morning sun and the sound of rain still dripping from the windows.

"Oh god," I whimpered, nails dragging down his back. "It's too much—"

"It's just right." He started moving, a steady, deep rhythm that had me climbing in seconds. His forehead rested against mine. Sweat dripped from his temple to my cheek. "Come for me, wife. Come on my cock like a good girl."

I did. I shattered with his name on my lips — "Zach! Zach, I'm—" — and he followed right after, burying himself deep and groaning into my neck like I’d just saved his life.

We stayed like that. Breathing hard. Tangled. Real.

Then his phone buzzed again.

“I'm outside. Where's my granddaughter?”

Zach cursed and rolled off me, pulling me with him. "Shower. Now. 5 minutes."

10 minutes later we were downstairs. Me in one of his button-down shirts that swallowed me, him in a suit like nothing happened.

Don Emilio was in the living room. With a priest. And a camera crew.

"Kaizhyne," Lolo smiled, eyes sharp. "My new granddaughter. Come here, child."

I walked to him, heart pounding. Zach slid his arm around my waist instantly. Possessive. Protective.

"Show me you're happy," Lolo said quietly, just for us. "Show me this marriage is real."

Zach looked at me. Then he dipped me low and kissed me. Not soft like upstairs. Not rough like last night. Something in between. Something that made the camera crew ahh and Lolo nod.

When he pulled back, Lolo was crying. "Good. Very good." He handed me an envelope. "For your mother. Best hospital in Singapore. She leaves tonight."

I broke down. Right there in Zach's arms.

After Lolo left, I turned to Zach. "Why did you do that? The slow one? Upstairs?"

He stared at me for a long time. Then he kissed my forehead. "Because last night I took you. This morning..." He paused. "This morning I wanted you."

The elevator dinged and the doors opened to the 68th floor.

Cold air hit me. Not from the AC. From fear.

Zach pulled me out by the hand, his grip tight like he was scared I'd bolt. We walked down the hallway in silence. My torn pencil skirt. His messy suit. The keycard in his other hand.

The hallway cameras were red. Recording.

"Smile, Kaizh," He whispered, but it wasn't a request. It was an order.

He pressed his thumb on the scanner.

The door opened to darkness. To marble floors. To a house that was bigger than our entire apartment building in Tondo.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Monteverde," He said, voice flat. Then he flicked the lights on.

I gasped.

The penthouse was all white and glass and gold. Floor-to-ceiling windows showed all of Makati below us, drowning in rain. There was a grand piano. A 12-seater dining table. And one king-sized bed in the middle of the living room, with red rose petals scattered on white sheets.

My face burned. "What is this?"

"Proof." He kicked the door shut behind us. "For the cameras in the hallway. For Lolo's spies. For Damon." He dropped the keycard on the counter. "We have to be seen entering. And we have to be seen... not sleeping in separate rooms."

My stomach dropped. "You want to sleep with me? Now? Again?"

Zach turned to me. He looked exhausted. The CEO mask was gone. Just a man in a wrinkled shirt. "I want a lot of things, Kaizhyne. But right now I need you to survive the next 6 months."

He walked to the bed and sat down. Patted the space beside him. "Come here."

I didn't move. "I'm tired. I'm sore. I just—"

"I know." His voice softened. "That's why we're not doing what we did in the bar." He held out his hand. "Just sleep, Kaizh. With me. So the cameras see us go in together at 2 AM and stay together until morning."

Reluctantly, I walked to him. The second I sat down, he pulled me into his side. His arm was heavy. Warm. His scent surrounded me.

"Rule #2," he murmured into my hair. "In this bed, you don't lie to me. If it hurts, say it. If you need water, say it. If you want me to stop touching you, say it."

"Are you going to touch me?"

His hand froze on my hip. Then slowly, he threaded his fingers through mine. "No. Not tonight. Tonight you sleep."

And I did.

For the first time in months, I slept without worrying about Mama's bills. Without worrying about debt collectors. In the arms of the devil who bought me.

3:14 AM I woke up to him shaking.

Zach was having a nightmare. Sweat soaked his shirt. His jaw was clenched. "No," he muttered. "Dad, no. Don't—"

"Zach," I whispered, touching his face. "Wake up. It's just a dream."

His eyes snapped open. Black. Wild. Then they focused on me. On my hand on his cheek.

For a second, he looked lost. Like a little boy.

Then the mask slammed back down. "Go back to sleep."

But he didn't let go of my hand.

We laid there in silence, listening to the rain. His thumb traced circles on my knuckles.

"Why did you do it?" I asked quietly. "Why me?"

He was quiet for so long I thought he fell asleep.

"Because you don't look at me like money," he finally said. "Everyone in this city wants something from me. You just wanted your mom to live."

Tears burned my eyes again. "That's not fair, Zach."

"I know." He pulled me closer until my head was on his chest. I could hear his heart. Fast. "Sleep, Kaizh. We have a long day tomorrow. Lolo wants to meet you for breakfast. At 7 AM."

"That's 4 hours from now."

"I know." His lips brushed the top of my head. "So sleep, wife."

6:45 AM His phone rang. Loud. Insistent.

Zach answered on the first ring. "Lolo's"

"I’m here. With breakfast. And Father Reyes. Open the door, Zachary.”

Zach swore and was instantly out of bed. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up too. "Shower. 3 minutes. Wear this."

He tossed me one of his white button-down shirts. It fell to my knees on me.

5 minutes later, we were downstairs. Me barefoot in his shirt. Him in a suit like he hadn't just woken up.

The door opened.

Don Emilio in a wheelchair. A priest. Two nurses. And three men with cameras.

Zach didn't hesitate. He pulled me to his side and kissed me.

Not rough like earlier.

Not slow like a promise.

This was desperate. Possessive. Like he needed Lolo to believe every second of it.

When he pulled back, we were both breathing hard.

Lolo was crying. "Good boy. Very good." He rolled forward and took my hand. "Welcome to the family, Kaizhyne."

"I've got you." His hand slid between my thighs and I jolted. I was already wet. Humiliatingly so. From his voice. From the way he was touching me like I was precious. "You don't have to fake it, Kaizh. Not with me. Not in my bed."

He entered me slow. So slow I felt every inch. No bar. No rushing. Just us and the morning sun and the sound of rain still dripping from the windows. "Oh god,"

I whimpered, nails dragging down his back. "It's too much—"

"It's just right." He started moving, a steady, deep rhythm that had me climbing in seconds. His forehead rested against mine. Sweat dripped from his temple to my cheek.

"Come for me, wife. Come on my cock like a good girl."

I did. I shattered with his name on my lips — "Zach! Zach, I'm—" — and he followed right after, burying himself deep and groaning into my neck like I’d just saved his life.

We stayed like that. Breathing hard. Tangled. Real.

Then his phone buzzed again.

“I'm outside. Where's my granddaughter?”

Zach cursed and rolled off me, pulling me with him. "Shower. Now. 5 minutes."

10 minutes later. I was shaking in the bathroom. Wearing his white button-down shirt that fell to my knees. Barefoot. With hickeys on my neck that no amount of foundation could cover.

The door opened. Zach in a suit. Hair wet. Jaw tight.

"Look at me," he said.

I looked up. Tears were already falling.

"Hey." He knelt in front of me and wiped my tears with his thumbs. "Breathe, Kaizh. This is the last performance, I promise. After this, we go to the hospital. You can see Mama."

My chest cracked. "What if he knows? What if Lolo knows I'm not—"

"He won't." Zach stood and pulled me up. His hand found mine and squeezed. Hard. "Because I'm going to make sure he believes it. Every second."

We walked downstairs together.

Don Emilio was in the living room. In a wheelchair. Oxygen tank beside him. A priest standing behind him. And three men with cameras.

"Kaizhyne," Lolo's voice was weak but sharp. "Come here, child."

I walked to him. My legs felt like jelly.

Zach didn't let go of my hand. He pulled me to his side and slid his arm around my waist. Possessive. Protective.

"Show me," Lolo said. "Show this old man that my grandson is happy."

The room went silent. The cameras were rolling.

Zach looked at me. Really looked at me. Then he dipped me low and kissed me.

Not rough like the bar. Not desperate like last night. This was different. This was public. This was for Lolo.

His hand went to the small of my back. His other hand cupped my face. And he kissed me like the world was ending. Like I was the only reason he was still breathing.

When he pulled back, we were both breathing hard. My lips were swollen. My cheeks were red.

Lolo was crying. "Good. Very good." He motioned to a nurse who handed me an envelope. "For your mother. St. Luke's Singapore. Private jet leaves at noon."

I broke down. Right there. In Zach's arms.

"Thank you," I sobbed. "Thank you, Lolo."

After they left, the penthouse went silent.

Zach turned to me. His CEO mask was gone. "You did good, Kaizh."

"Was it convincing?" My voice was small.

He stared at me for a long time. Then he pulled me into a hug. Tight. Like he was scared I'd disappear.

"Too convincing," he whispered into my hair. "Because this morning... I wasn't acting."