Dangerously Yours

They say every woman remembers the night she becomes a wife. I remember the night I stopped being Elena Rivera. It was raining that night. Not the soft kind of rain na gusto mong manatili sa loob ng bahay, may hawak na kape habang nakabalot sa kumot. It was the kind of rain that came violently, beating against the windows as if the sky itself was angry. And maybe it was. Because that night, everything I knew was about to disappear. I stood in the middle of our living room, staring at the papers scattered across the table. My fingers were cold, even though the room wasn't. Thirty million pesos. That was the number written on the first page. Thirty million. I read it again. And again. As if staring at it long enough would somehow make the number smaller. But it didn't. My father sat across from me with his head bowed. My mother was beside him, silently crying, her fingers trembling as they clutched the fabric of her dress. I looked between them, my heart already pounding with fear. “Tell me this isn't real,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. Neither of them answered. “Dad.”This time, my voice was firm. My father slowly lifted his head. His face looked exhausted, as if he had aged ten years in a single night. “It’s real,” he admitted quietly. My chest tightened. “How?” I asked, disbelief evident in my voice. “I borrowed money to keep the company alive,” he explained, avoiding my eyes. “You borrowed thirty million?” I asked, my voice rising. “I thought I could pay it back,” he answered weakly. “You thought?”A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “You thought?”My father finally looked at me. “I was trying to protect our family,” he said, his voice trembling with guilt. “You lied to us,” I whispered, my eyes beginning to burn with tears. “I know,” he replied softly. “You told me everything was fine.” “I know, Elena.” “You watched me go to school every day, worrying about exams and my future, habang ang buong pamilya natin unti-unting nalulunod sa utang.” His eyes filled with tears. “I wanted you to have a normal life,” he said helplessly. I laughed bitterly. “A normal life?”I pointed toward the papers, my hand shaking. “This doesn't look normal to me.” My mother reached for my hand. “Elena…” she whispered, her voice breaking. I immediately pulled away. “How long?” I asked. My father lowered his eyes. “How long do we have?” I repeated, this time more desperately. “Fourteen days,” he finally answered. My stomach dropped. Ano? “Fourteen days?”He nodded. “And if we can't pay?”My father looked at my mother. She immediately broke down, covering her mouth as a sob escaped her. "They'll take the company,” he whispered. “And the house?”He nodded slowly. “Everything.”I stared at him, feeling like the floor beneath me had disappeared. “Who do we owe?” I asked quietly. Silence. Then my father finally spoke. “Damien Blackwood.”I froze. Damien Blackwood. Everyone knew that name. The heir to one of the most powerful families in the city. Wealthy. Influential. Untouchable. And according sa lahat ng narinig ko tungkol sa kanya, ruthless siya, cold-blooded. “What does he want?” I asked, my voice suddenly smaller. My father looked at me. And the expression on his face made my blood run cold. “He offered a solution,” he said carefully. “What solution?” I asked, already afraid of the answer. My father looked away. “He wants you to marry him.”For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. Kalokohan. Then I laughed. Not because it was funny. But because my mind refused to believe what I had just heard. “That’s not a solution,” I said, forcing a bitter smile. Solution? Feels like a... “Elena…” “No,” I interrupted, shaking my head. I stood up so quickly that the chair scraped against the floor. “You can't be serious.” “He will erase the debt,” my father explained quietly. “In exchange for me?” I asked, pointing at myself, disbelief and anger mixing in my voice. I can't believe it sarili Kong magulang pa talaga? My father said nothing. I stared at him. “This is insane,” I whispered. “I know,” he admitted, his voice breaking. “You're asking me to marry a man I don't even love.” “I know.” “A man I barely know.” “I know.” “Dad!”My voice cracked as tears finally spilled down my cheeks. My father covered his face with his hands. “I don't have another choice,” he whispered brokenly. I stared at him. And suddenly, I understood. This wasn't a question. It wasn't really a choice. It was a sacrifice. Mine. My sacrifice. That night, I called Lucas. He answered on the second ring. “Elena?” he asked, his voice warm but immediately concerned. “Where are you?” I asked, desperately trying to keep my voice steady. “Training. Why?” he replied, slightly breathless. “I need to see you,” I whispered. His tone immediately changed. Kailangan kong makita ang aking takbuhan. “What happened?” he asked seriously. “I'll tell you when I see you.” “Are you crying?” he asked softly. “No,” I lied. “You are,” he replied quietly. I closed my eyes. “Lucas, please.”There was a short silence. “Where?” he finally asked. “The old swimming center.” “I'll be there,” he promised without hesitation. He didn't ask another question. Twenty minutes later, I saw him running toward me through the rain. Lucas Santiago. My Lucas. The boy who had been my best friend before he became the love of my life. The swimmer who trained before sunrise and came home exhausted but still found a reason to make me smile. The man who had promised me that someday, kapag naging successful na siya sa career niya, dadalhin niya ako sa lahat ng lugar na gusto kong puntahan. At higit sa lahat at dadalhin nya ako sa harap ng altar. He stopped in front of me. His hair was soaked. His breathing was heavy from running. But the moment he saw my face, the worry in his eyes became obvious. “What happened?” he asked, breathless and frightened. I looked at him. And suddenly, I didn't know how to say goodbye. “My family is in debt,” I finally whispered. His expression changed. “How much?” he asked cautiously. “Thirty million.”He went completely silent. “Thirty?” he repeated, disbelief written all over his face. I nodded. “Who?” he asked, his jaw tightening. “Damien Blackwood.”His expression immediately hardened. “What does he want?” he asked coldly. I looked away. “He offered to erase the debt.”Lucas stepped closer holding my cheeks. “How?”I couldn't answer, I didn't know how. “Elena,” he urged gently, his voice softening. I swallowed hard. “He wants me to marry him.” Silence. The rain seemed louder. Lucas stared at me as if waiting for me to laugh and tell him it was all a joke. Then he laughed once. It was empty. Painful. “You're joking,” he said, shaking his head. “I wish I was,” I whispered. “No,” he said firmly. “Lucas—” “No,” he repeated, louder this time. He shook his head, refusing to accept it. “Absolutely not.” “I don't have a choice,” I whispered. “You always have a choice,” he argued, his voice filled with desperation. “Not when my family is at risk,” I replied, tears slipping down my cheeks. “We'll find another way,” he promised. “How?” I challenged quietly. “I don't know,” he admitted. “Exactly.” “I'll work,” he insisted. “You're an athlete.” “I'll find sponsors.” “Thirty million isn't something you can earn overnight.” “I'll figure it out,” he said desperately. “You can't sacrifice your future for my family.” “I can sacrifice anything for you,” he answered without hesitation. My heart shattered. My eyes filled with tears. “That's exactly why I can't let you,” I whispered. He stared at me, hurt flashing across his face. “You're choosing them,” he said quietly. I looked down. “Yes.”His voice became even softer. “You're choosing your family.” “I have to.” “And what about us?” he asked, pain evident in every word. I closed my eyes. “I don't know.”He stepped closer. “Look at me,” he whispered. I forced myself to meet his eyes. “I love you,” he said, his voice trembling. My lips trembled. “I love you too.” “Then stay,” he pleaded. “I can't.” “Why?” “Because I can't watch my family lose everything.” “We'll survive,” he insisted. “What if we don't?” “Then we'll lose it together.”I shook my head. “You don't understand.” “Then make me understand,” he pleaded, his voice breaking. “I can't.”He stared at me for a long moment. His eyes slowly became glassy. “You've already decided,” he whispered. I didn't answer. That was answer enough. He nodded slowly. “Okay,” he whispered, forcing himself to accept what he didn't want to accept. “Lucas…” “I understand,” he said, attempting a small smile. “You don't,” I whispered. “I do.”He reached for my hand. His fingers were cold. “I just wish you had chosen me,” he admitted, his voice breaking. My heart shattered completely. “I did,” I whispered. He looked at me. “No.” He gave me a sad smile. “You chose them.”I couldn't deny it. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. One last time. “Goodbye, Elena,” he whispered. He turned around. “Lucas,” I called desperately. He stopped. For one second, I thought he would turn around. I wanted to run to him. I wanted to tell him nagbago na ang isip ko. I wanted to throw away the contract and let everything collapse. But my feet refused to move. He walked away. And I let him. At 11:42 p.m., Damien arrived at our house. He walked into the living room carrying a black folder. He placed it on the table with a quiet thud. “The contract,” he said calmly. I stared at him. “You really expect me to do this?” I asked bitterly, trying to hide how terrified I was. “No,” he answered. His eyes met mine. “I expect you to make your own decision.” “You know what my decision will cost,” I said coldly. “Yes,” he replied without hesitation. “You don't care.” “No,” he answered simply. His honesty hurt more than I expected. I opened the folder. The conditions were simple. One year of marriage. No divorce until the contract ended. Public appearances when required. Complete discretion. And in exchange, my family's debt would disappear. I stared at the signature line. My name was already printed there. “You planned this,” I whispered suspiciously. Damien remained silent. “Why me?” I asked. He stared at me for several seconds. “Because I want you,” he answered calmly. “Why?” I demanded. His expression remained unreadable. “You'll find out.” “I hate you,” I whispered. “I know.” “I will never love you.” His expression didn't change. “I didn't ask you to.”i picked up the pen. My hand was shaking so badly that I almost dropped it. Behind me, my mother was crying. My father whispered my name. “Elena, don't,” he begged. I looked at him. “You said you wanted to protect me.” “I did,” he answered sadly. “Then let me protect you.” My father shook his head. “No daughter should have to do this.” “I know,” I whispered, tears falling silently. I looked at the contract. Then at the clock. 11:58. Two minutes. Two minutes before my family's life changed. Two minutes before mine ended. I thought about Lucas. His smile. His voice. His hands. The way he always looked at me like I was the most important person in the world. I thought about the future we had imagined. Then I thought about my mother crying. My father losing everything. The house where I grew up. The family that had given me everything they had. I closed my eyes. And signed. Elena Rivera. The pen slipped from my fingers and hit the table. Silence filled the room. Damien picked up the contract. He looked at my signature. Then at me. “It's done,” he said quietly. I swallowed. “No.” He raised an eyebrow. “You're legally my wife now,” he stated calmly. I looked at him. “I may have signed your contract,” I said, my voice trembling. “But you will never own me.” Something unreadable passed through his eyes. For the first time that night, I saw something other than indifference. Then it disappeared. He smiled faintly. “We'll see,” he murmured. He turned toward the door. Before leaving, he stopped. “Welcome to the Blackwood family, Elena,” he said, his voice calm, almost dangerously soft. Then he walked out. The door closed behind him. I stood there, staring at the empty doorway. My mother immediately wrapped her arms around me. I cried against her shoulder. My father looked away, silently wiping his tears. And somewhere outside, the man I loved was walking away from me. That night, I lost everything. My freedom. My future. My love. The life I had imagined. Everything I thought I knew about forever. It was the night everything was burned. I didn't know why Damien had chosen me. I didn't know what secrets were hidden inside that contract. That night, I only knew one thing. I was Elena Rivera. And by midnight... I belonged to Damien Blackwood.