《The CEO's Desperate BARGAIN》全部章節：第 11 章 - 第 20 章

The CEO's Desperate BargainElara sat on the cold hospital chair, eyes swollen from crying. Damien was beside her, holding her hand tightly, pero pakiramdam niya ay parang numb na ang buong katawan niya. Dalawang oras na ang nakalipas mula noong ipasok si Mama sa operating room. Walang balita. Walang update.“Damien… kung mawawala siya…” bulong ni Elara, boses na putol-putol. “Kung mamatay si Mama dahil sa lahat ng stress na ‘to… hindi ko alam kung paano ko tatanggapin.”Damien pulled her closer, wrapping his strong arms around her. “Hindi mangyayari ‘yun. I already talked to the best doctors. They said the procedure is going well.” Hinalikan niya ang tuktok ng ulo ni Elara. “At kahit anong mangyari, nandito ako. Hindi kita iiwan.”Elara looked up at him. Sa kabila ng lahat — ng kasinungalingan, ng dugo sa nakaraan niya, ng galit niya — ang mata pa rin niya ang tanging bagay na nagpaparamdam sa kanya na buhay pa siya.“Bakit mo ginagawa ‘to? Mawawala na sa’yo ang kompanya… mawawala na

The CEO's Desperate BargainElara woke up to the feeling of soft kisses on her bare shoulder. Damien was behind her, his warm body pressed against hers, one arm possessively wrapped around her waist. For the first time in weeks, there was no immediate meeting, no boardroom war, no urgent phone calls. Just them.“Good morning, my wife,” bulong ni Damien, boses pa rin husky sa antok. Hinalikan niya ang likod ng leeg niya, dahan-dahan, parang sinisipsip ang bawat segundo.Elara smiled weakly and turned to face him. “Asawa mo pa rin ba ako kahit wala ka nang kompanya?”Damien’s stormy gray eyes softened. He brushed the hair away from her face. “Lalo na ngayon. Walang kontrata. Walang deadline. Ikaw lang talaga ang akin.”He pulled her closer and kissed her slowly, deeply. This time, there was no rush. No anger. Just pure, aching love. His hands roamed her body gently — cupping her breast, sliding down her waist, then between her thighs. Elara moaned softly into his mouth when his fingers

The CEO's Desperate BargainElara’s phone rang at 3:17 AM.She jolted awake, heart pounding. Damien stirred beside her, instantly alert. The caller was the head nurse from the hospital.“Mrs. Torres… your mother had a sudden cardiac arrest. We’re doing CPR now. Please come immediately.”The world stopped.“Ma…” bulong ni Elara, parang sinaksak ang dibdib niya. Tumulo agad ang luha niya. “Damien… si Mama… hinatay na siya!”Damien’s face turned deadly. He didn’t waste a second. He dressed quickly, helped Elara put on clothes, and drove like a madman through the empty streets of Makati. Sa loob ng sasakyan, umiiyak nang umiiyak si Elara, hawak nang mahigpit ang kamay niya.“Bakit ganito? Bakit lagi na lang kaming nasasaktan? Ano ba talaga ang kasalanan ko?” she sobbed.Damien’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel. “Hindi mo kasalanan. Kasalanan ko ‘to. At sisiguraduhin kong babayaran ni Rafael ‘to.”Pagdating sa hospital, chaos ang nasa loob ng ICU. Doctors and nurses were moving f

The CEO's Desperate BargainElara woke up to the smell of antiseptic and the steady beeping of machines. Her head was throbbing painfully, and when she tried to move, a sharp pain shot through her side.“Damien…” ang unang salita niya, boses na mahina at puno ng takot.“Andito ako, baby. Nandito lang ako.”Damien was sitting beside her hospital bed, holding her hand tightly. His left shoulder was heavily bandaged, dugo pa rin ang tumagos sa puting damit niya. Mukha niya ay puno ng pagod at sakit, pero ang mga mata niya ay puno ng pag-aalala habang tinitingnan si Elara.“Anong nangyari?” tanong niya nang mahina. “Si Mama…?”“Stable pa rin siya. At ikaw… may mild concussion ka. They hit you on the head.” Damien’s voice cracked. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it repeatedly. “Sorry… sorry talaga. Dapat hindi kita iniwan.”Elara’s eyes filled with tears. She reached out and touched the bandage on his shoulder. “Ikaw… binaril ka? Damien, bakit mo ginawa ‘yun? Baka namatay ka na!

The CEO's Desperate BargainElara woke up screaming.“Ma! Huwag! Ma!”Damien immediately wrapped his arms around her, ignoring the sharp pain in his wounded shoulder. “Shh… baby, nandito ako. Nandito lang ako,” he whispered repeatedly, rocking her gently like a child.Umiiyak nang umiiyak si Elara, pawis at luha ang magkakaloob sa mukha niya. “Damien… nanaginip ako na wala na si Mama… na iniwan niya na ako… na lahat ng sakripisyo ko, sayang lang…”Damien’s heart broke seeing her like this. He kissed her forehead, her wet cheeks, her trembling lips. “Hindi mangyayari ‘yun. Lalaban siya. Tulad mo. Tulad natin.”The hospital room felt too small for all their pain. Damien helped her sit up and gave her water. Then, without a word, he climbed into the bed with her again, pulling her onto his lap facing him.“Damien… masakit pa ang sugat mo—”“Mas masakit kapag hindi kita nahahawakan,” he cut her off, voice husky and desperate.He kissed her deeply, pouring all his fear, love, and guilt int