All Chapters of Contract Marriage: Marrying The Gentle Billionaire: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

If You Still Choose MeThe rain finally stopped at dawn. But the silence it left behind stayed. Zia was already awake when the first light touched the penthouse. She didn’t remember sleeping properly. Or maybe she did, in fragments—short moments of drifting in and out of consciousness where her mind kept returning to the same place. Christian’s voice. Short replies. The space between them. ⸻ She sat on the edge of the bed, motionless for a while. Then slowly stood. Bare feet touched the cold floor again. Familiar now. Like everything else she was starting to accept without question. ⸻ The penthouse was quieter than usual. Not empty. Just… unclaimed. ⸻ A cup of coffee sat on the counter. Fresh. Waiting. Of course. ⸻ Zia stared at it longer this time. Then walked past it. Didn’t touch it. ⸻ She opened the window instead. Cool air entered the room. Soft. Neutral. Like it didn’t belong to anyone either. ⸻ Her phone buzzed. No hesitation this time. She pi

Normal Life Hurts More Than War Normal life didn’t arrive with relief. It arrived with pressure. Quiet. Constant. Unforgiving. ⸻ For Zia, it started with something as small as a calendar notification. Meetings. Approvals. Board updates. Media briefing. ⸻ Simple words. But they stacked inside her mind like weight she couldn’t step out from. ⸻ She stared at her schedule that morning longer than usual. Not because it was complicated. But because it was ordinary. And somehow, that felt worse. ⸻ Christian had already left. Again. No note this time. Just absence. Clean. Unspoken. ⸻ Zia closed her phone and exhaled slowly. “Normal,” she whispered to herself. As if the word needed testing. ⸻ Then she got dressed. Not armor. Not survival clothes. Just business attire. The kind she used to wear before everything collapsed into Four Founders, pocket watches, and rewritten realities. ⸻ Except now— it felt heavier. Because before, she was someone navigating cha

What We Are Without the Past Tahimik ang mundo ni Zia. Hindi yung tahimik na komportable. Kundi yung klase ng tahimik na parang may kulang—pero hindi mo alam kung ano. ⸻ Lumipas ang dalawang araw. Walang tawag. Walang message na humahabol. Walang Christian na bumubukas ng pinto ng kwarto niya. ⸻ At sa unang pagkakataon sa mahabang panahon— siya lang. ⸻ Nasa maliit siyang apartment na inupahan niya pansamantala. Hindi ito marangya. Hindi rin naman sira. Sakto lang. Plain walls. Isang sofa. Isang maliit na kitchen. Isang kama na parang hindi pa sanay sa presensya niya. ⸻ At doon niya na-realize— kapag wala si Christian, ang buhay hindi nagiging mas magulo… nagiging mas malinaw. At mas masakit. ⸻ Umupo siya sa sahig isang umaga, nakasandal sa sofa. May hawak na mug ng kape na hindi pa niya iniinom. ⸻ Tahimik. ⸻ “Ganito pala kapag mag-isa,” mahina niyang sabi. ⸻ Pero hindi totoo na mag-isa siya. Kasi ang totoo— kasama

A Marriage That No Longer Needs a Contract Tahimik ang umaga. Pero hindi na iyon yung katahimikang mabigat na dati nilang kinatatakutan. Ngayon, iba na. Parang hangin na dumadaloy lang—hindi nanghihimasok, hindi nanggugulo. ⸻ Si Zia ang unang nagising. Hindi dahil may alarm. Kundi dahil sanay pa rin ang katawan niya sa dati—yung laging may kailangang harapin. ⸻ Pero ngayon… walang urgent message. Walang emergency call. Walang pangalan na kailangang takbuhan. ⸻ Sa tabi niya, si Christian. Mahimbing ang tulog. Hindi yung tulog na pagod lang. Kundi tulog na walang iniwang laban sa loob ng isip. ⸻ Zia stared at him quietly. Matagal. Parang inaalala niya kung kailan siya huling nakatingin kay Christian nang walang takot sa susunod na mangyayari. ⸻ “Ganito pala ‘pag walang gulo,” mahina niyang sabi. ⸻ Pero hindi ito gulo. Hindi rin kapayapaan lang. ⸻ Ito yung pagitan ng dati at bago. ⸻ ⸻ Sa kusina, nagluto siya ng simpleng almu

Learning Each Other’s Silence… and the One Who Never Left Their Past Si Zia ang unang nagising, gaya ng nakasanayan niya noong mga nakaraang araw. Pero ngayon, hindi na siya bumangon na parang may hinahabol. Dahan-dahan lang. Parang may karapatan siyang magtagal sa pagitan ng tulog at gising. ⸻ Sa tabi niya, si Christian. Mahimbing pa rin. Pero hindi na yung “alert sleep” na dati—yung kahit tulog ay parang handa sa digmaan. Ngayon, relaxed na ang mukha nito. Mas bata tingnan kapag walang mabigat na iniisip. ⸻ Zia stared at him quietly. “Ang dami mong pinagbago,” mahina niyang bulong. ⸻ Hindi niya alam kung sino ang kausap niya noon— ang dating Christian na kontrolado ang lahat, o ang Christian na ngayon na natutulog lang sa tabi niya nang walang iniisip na panganib. ⸻ Dahan-dahan siyang bumangon. Pero bago pa siya makatayo, nagsalita si Christian kahit nakapikit pa rin. ⸻ “Alam ko gising ka na.” ⸻ Natigilan si Zia. “…Hindi ka pa gising ah?” ⸻ “Gising ako,” sa