Owned By Contract

Ingrid Alessia's Point of View Habang nasa biyahe pa lang ako pauwi, parang may nakadagan na sa dibdib ko. Wala pang detalyeng binibigay si Mama kung bakit urgent 'yung tawag niya kanina, pero sa boses pa lang niya, alam ko na. May mali, e. May nangyaring hindi maganda. At hindi siya basta-basta magpapanic kung simpleng bagay lang ‘yun. Ano na naman kaya 'yun? Pagbaba ko ng kotse sa harap ng Romano mansion, ang bigat agad sa pakiramdam. Napaka unusual 'yung katahimikan. Parang feeling ko tuloy na-lowbat 'yung tawa ni mama. Walang ingay ng kutsara sa kusina, o yabag sa hallway. Parang may dead air nga o kaya nag-riring na 'yung pandinig ko. Pagpasok ko sa loob, Ganon pa rin naman‘yung ayos ng bahay, pero iba na ‘yung na-f-feel ko. Naroon sila, si Papa nasa favorite armchair niya, nakatungo. Si Mama, pabalik-balik sa likod ng sofa, para bang sinusubukang buuin ang mundo gamit lang ang lakad niya. Bibiruin ko pa nga sana siyang parang kiti-kiti kaso mukhang seryoso talaga at mapapasu

Leonhardt Dietrich's point of view “Settle down or lose your inheritance.” Those were the exact words my father spat as he tossed a crystal glass across the room. Scotch stained the Persian rug. My mother stood behind him, her arms folded, face blank, at 'yung kaliwang mata niya, kumikibot. Palatandaan 'yon ng inis niya na hindi niya na kayang itago. “This isn’t a fucking request,” she added, cold as ever. “You’re not a child anymore, Leonhardt. The Board wants security and stability. Not a heartbroken heir with a knife for a smile.” Heartbroken? Damn it. Wala silang alam. My jaw tensed. “So, ganito na lang? Emotional blackmail para lang manatili ako sa business?” “Don’t flatter yourself. There’s nothing emotional about it,” My father snapped. “You either marry someone who doesn’t destroy our reputation, or you walk away with nothing.” At syempre, binanggit pa talaga nila si Ashley. Not literally, though. Yung ex na gusto nilang ibalik sa buhay ko. Destroy our reputation? My as

Ingrid Alessia's point of view The day had come. The supposed-to-be grand wedding na dati kong inisip na may orchestra, petals sa aisle, at hundreds of guests watching with awe, had turned into something unrecognizable. Ni hindi ko manlang ma-invite 'yung mga kaibigan ko from other country. Wala rin 'yung mga favorite kong flowers. Pati 'yung vows hindi napaghandaan. Walang mga taong umiiyak sa tuwa o nagtatawanan sa speeches. Just a sterile courtroom, a bored judge, and the sound of papers shuffling like it was just another Tuesday. At higit sa lahat hindi ako masaya sa sarili kong kasal. I wore white, not a gown, but a plain tailored dress na pinili ng stylist para sa media. Gusto ko sana sa wedding ko ay 'yung kaibigan ko ang gagawa ng gown. Wala talagang kadrama drama sa buhay. Just enough elegance to look acceptable on camera, but simple enough para hindi halata kung gaano kabigat ‘yung bigat sa dibdib ko. Leonhardt arrived exactly on time. Ni hindi manlang siya sumulyap sa

Ingrid Alessia’s Point of View I opened my phone, still hoping maybe it was a mistake. But when I saw the unknown number, I already knew it was her, Ashlie. Ashlie: “You really think you’re the one he’ll choose, Ingrid? You’ll never be enough. I’ll make sure of it. I have everything you need to know.” I froze, my fingers barely able to swipe. Pagbukas ko pa lang ng message, nakita ko na agad ang mga larawan, mga litrato nila ni Leonhardt na magkasama, masaya, at walang mga pighati. They looked like they were in a different lifetime, a different world. It was almost like I could hear the joy in their laughter through the images. May isa noong nasa party sila, nakayakap siya sa bewang ni Ashlie, at ngiting-ngiti siya sa kanya na parang siya na ang mundo niya. Another where they were in Paris, looking at the Eiffel Tower, their eyes locked in a perfect moment, one that should’ve been left in the past. I felt the knot in my chest tighten. So this was the woman who still had a hold on

Ingrid Alessia's point of view Nakahiga na ako sa kama habang hawak ‘yung marriage contract naming dalawa ni Leonhardt. I’ve read this twice already pero somehow, binabalik-balikan ko pa rin. Maybe because I needed something solid to remind myself why I agreed to all of this. Two years. Dalawang taon na puno ng pagbabalat-kayo, dinners na puro pilit, at image-building para sa mga taong hindi naman kami talaga kilala. “For the company,” I whispered. “For Dad. For the family name. For the goddamn legacy.” I flipped the page again. Two years was enough time to stabilize our company’s finances, thanks to the Moretti name. In exchange, the Moretti Corporation who’s planning to expand their firm internationally, gets the perfect clean image, a stable marriage, strong family values, and one hell of a power couple. Napatingin ako sa gilid ng mesa kung saan nakapatong ang mga law books ko, mga librong dati kong kinagigiliwan. I was a Corporate Lawyer for a reason. I liked precision, I lik