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Lahat ng Kabanata ng TIED BY CONTRACT : Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

27 Kabanata

ONE

KATE'S POV: I could barely feel my legs as I walked down the aisle with my father by my side, holding my left arm and my right arm clutching my wedding bouquet. Or rather my sister's wedding bouquet. Each step felt like betrayal sinking deeper into my bones. The weight of the satin gown clung to my body like a chain. Her gown. The one Nikolai had picked out for Rhea. Every stitch, every bead on this dress was meant for her. Everything today was meant for her, but it was me instead. And here I was, Kate Valdez, the half sister nobody wanted, cloaked in her half sister's identity, her secrets, her scent, about to marry the most dangerous man I have ever laid eyes on. The church was bathed in golden light, sunlight streaming through stained glass windows, painting patches of crimson and sapphire onto the red carpet ahead of me. And again, this wasn't my wedding. This wasn't my dress. This wasn't my life. But I was walking into it anyways. My father's arm ti

TWO

KATE POV:I stood frozen in the marble foyer long after Nikolai disappeared up the stairs, the crushed bouquet still clutched in my hand. I wonder why I still have this with me, I could have tossed it away after the wedding. The scent of gardenias were faint now, overtaken by the sterile cold of polished stones, high ceilings, and gilded silence. This place didn't feel like a home. No place felt like home for me. It felt like a prison in disguise. After what felt like an eternity, one of the hand maids, young, sharp eyed, wearing a crisp black dress and white apron, emerged from the shadows. She didn't meet my gaze. Her head lowered to the ground. She needs to know that I'm more of a prisoner than her boss. "Ma'am," she said softly, "I'll show you to your room." I followed her through the stairs, down a long hallway lined with portraits of men who looked like they'd never smiled a day in their lives. And then, there was Nikolai's portrait hanging at the fair end of the wall,

THREE

NIKOLAI'S POV: The morning sun filtered through the tall glass window of the dining room, casting golden streaks across the long mahogany table. I sat at the head, as always, a cup of black coffee in front of me, steam curling up in thin tendrils. Across from me, she sat. Katie. I don't know why I kept calling her Katie. Her name is Kate. My jaw tenses the moment my eyes flickered in her direction. She wore a cream colored satin robe, that looked exactly like mine, or maybe it is mine. I don't know. Her hair tucked behind her ears, eyes lowered respectfully. She hadn't spoken a word since we woke up. Not that I expected her to. I kind of enjoyed the silence. Anytime she opens her mouth, I am reminded of how I was played a fool by the Valdez family. I'm still surprised on how I didn't see that coming. I mean Rhea had a sketchy personality right from the beginning. And the family were up to no good. But I didn't think they could actually pull something like this off. Ka

FOUR

KATE POV: (The night before the Wedding.) The house was cloaked in silence, the kind of heavy stillness that comes only in the dead hours of the night. I was lying in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, when the sound of urgent knocking at my door startled me upright. "Kate," came a desperate, broken whisper. "Please, open up. It's me." Rhea.What could she want by this time of the night? I swung my legs off the bed and padded quickly to the door, heart hammering. I cracked it open—and there she was, disheveled, trembling, her eyes wide and wet with tears. Without waiting for an invitation, she stumbled inside and collapsed against me, clutching the fabric of my nightgown. I've never seen her this way before, she was trembling like she had seen a ghost in her sleep. "I can't do it," she sobbed against my chest. "I can't marry him. Kate, you have to help me. Please. He's a dangerous man, Kate." she said. For a moment, all I could do was stare at her in stunned confusion. "Wha

FIVE

KATE POV:I stepped out of the steaming bathroom, toweling my damp hair as I moved toward the vanity. The early morning sunlight filtered in through the French windows, warm and golden against the cold marbled floors of the mansion. It was my second day as Mrs. Voss, and still, I hadn’t managed to feel like I belonged here.After slipping into a simple white blouse and a pair of jeans, I walked out of the room and headed downstairs. My stomach growled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten that much food last night, more out of nerves than hunger.The dining room was bathed in golden light. And there he was Nikolai Voss already seated at the long table, a half-eaten plate of eggs and toast in front of him. He didn’t glance up as I walked in, and I didn’t offer him the courtesy either. Our silent war was intact.We were still going around with the silent malice, and I don't plan on breaking it anytime soon. As long as he doesn't give me a hard time. Then I don't care if he ignores me. As long as

SIX

NIKOLAI POV: Silence ruled my office. The heavy curtains were drawn halfway, allowing only a sliver of sunlight to touch the marbled floor. I was seated at my massive oak desk, a half-drunk cup of coffee growing cold beside my laptop. The screen before me was frozen, the words on the email blinking—taunting me. The media was eating Katie up, but she had managed to get away from them without giving them any information or anything. "VOSS BRIDE STEALS THE SHOW AT LUXURY MALL" "MEET KATE VOSS: THE NEW QUEEN OF VOSS EMPIRE?" "IS THIS THE REAL BRIDE? WHERE IS RHEA VALDEZ?" There were ten more headlines just like it, flooding every tabloid blog and social feed. Photos of Kate walking confidently into the mall, flanked by a Voss-appointed maid, head held high in elegance. Wearing that damned soft cream dress, sunglasses too big for her face, and an expression that screamed untouchable. The Voss card. My personal car. My name. And not once had she asked for permission. Della h

SEVEN

KATE'S POV: The moment I stepped into the quiet sanctuary of my bedroom, I felt the tension begin to slip off my shoulders like a worn coat. The space smelled faintly of lavender and crisp linen, the curtains gently fluttering in the late afternoon breeze. My heels clicked softly against the polished wooden floors as I made my way to the bed, where the shopping bags were stacked like trophies from a well-earned victory.The shop manager had managed to convince me into getting a lot of things. Things I never thought I would have bought. I dropped my purse on the edge of the bed and turned to the full-length mirror, surveying myself. My makeup was still intact, the dress unwrinkled, the confidence I had worn all day like a second skin still clinging to my posture. But now, in the solitude of my room, I could finally let out the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Ignoring the slight ache in my feet, I knelt beside the bed and began the process of unpacking. One by one, I lif

EIGHT

NIKOLAI POV: The house was too quiet. It was a rare thing for me to notice silence. Most days, I chased it, welcomed it. Silence meant control. But today, with Kate in the house moving about like she belonged, the silence felt off. It felt… full. Weighted. I stood at the window of my home office, fingers laced behind my back, watching the garden below. She’d been down there yesterday. Planting. Smiling, even. Not at me no, never at me but at the flowers. Like she’d already made the place hers. She had made the garden her sanctuary, a place where she marked as hers. I didn't really my mind what she did with the garden, as long as it's beautiful. But I hated how easily she fit in. I hated how I noticed it. How I was easily distracted anytime she's around, her scent was everywhere. Confusing my thoughts. Shaking my head, I turned away and walked to my desk. I picked up my phone and dialed. "Get me Jeremy," I said the second my secretary picked up. Within seconds, Jeremy

NINE

NIKOLAI'S POV: The morning sun filtered through the tall windows of the Voss estate, casting a soft golden hue over the marble floors. I stood by the grand window in my study, a mug of black coffee in one hand and a tablet in the other, scrolling through the morning headlines. Most had been scrubbed clean, just like I ordered. Any trace of Kate's photo from the mall was gone, erased like chalk off a slate. I had made good on my promise not for her, but for my name. The Voss name had weight, and it was my duty to ensure it remained untarnished. I took a long sip of the bitter coffee and exhaled. She hadn’t acknowledged me again. Not yesterday. Not this morning. It was unsettling. Kate had walked right past me last night without even a glance. No hesitation. No pause. As if I were the maid polishing the chandelier or the statue in the hallway. It shouldn’t have bothered me. But it did. It bothered me to my very core. The intercom buzzed. "Sir?" It was Della. I press

TEN

KATE'S POV: The garden had quickly become my sanctuary, the one place where the walls didn’t whisper his name or remind me of the heavy weight I now carried as a Voss bride in name only. The morning air was crisp and light, dancing over my skin as the sun pushed gently past the clouds. Birds chirped from the high branches of the sycamore tree that loomed on the right side of the estate’s back lawn.The view from my bedroom window was beautiful. But I haven't had the time to just sit by the window and watch the stairs. I wore one of the cotton dresses I had purchased during my last outing. A pale blue one with short sleeves and ruffles that stopped mid calf. It was light, easy to move around in, and quite possibly ruined now that I was knee deep in flower beds. The hem was stained with fresh earth, my hands soaked in mud as I worked my fingers into the soil. I'd always loved the feel of dirt between my fingers. There was something so soothing about it, about how something so sim

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