Owned by Obsession M2M [MPREG]

Some men are born to be loved. Others are born to be feared. And some are so afraid of losing the person they love that they turn love itself into a prison. 11:47 PM - Devereaux Grand Estate Malakas ang buhos ng ulan sa labas ng napakalaking mansion ng pamilya Devereaux. Sa bawat patak na tumatama sa floor-to-ceiling windows, tila mas lalong lumalalim ang katahimikan sa loob ng private study. Sa likod ng isang eleganteng mahogany desk, nakaupo si Zephran Devereaux. Black suit. Expensive wristwatch. Perfectly styled black hair. Walang bakas ng emosyon sa mukha niya habang binabasa ang dokumentong hawak niya. His dark eyes moved across every line, carefully examining the evidence of a betrayal committed by someone inside his own organization. Sa harap niya, nakaluhod ang isang lalaking halos hindi na mapakali. "Please, Mr. Devereaux. I can explain everything." Hindi agad sumagot si Zephran. Dahan-dahan niyang ibinaba ang dokumento sa mesa bago itinaas ang kaniyang tingin. "Then explain." "Sir, hindi ko po alam na fake ang mga documents. I was only following orders!" "Whose orders?" Natigilan ang lalaki. Sandaling lumipat ang tingin nito sa dalawang bodyguard na nakatayo malapit sa pinto. Napansin iyon ni Zephran. Of course, he did. A faint smile appeared on his lips, but there was nothing warm about it. "Interesting." Isinara niya ang folder. "You were brave enough to betray my family for money, but now you're too afraid to name the person who paid you?" "Sir, please-" "Take him away." Agad na kumilos ang mga bodyguard at inilabas ang lalaki sa silid. Nang tuluyang sumara ang pinto, muling bumalik ang katahimikan. Zephran leaned back against his chair, his fingers tapping once against the armrest. Someone was testing his family. Someone had access to confidential information, enough money to bribe his men, and enough confidence to believe they could get away with it. He hated unanswered questions. Biglang nag-vibrate ang kaniyang phone. Isang message mula sa unknown number ang lumitaw sa screen. UNKNOWN: Your father was wrong about one thing, Zephran. Bahagyang kumunot ang kaniyang noo. Another message followed. UNKNOWN: Even a man who owns the world can be destroyed by the one person he cannot afford to lose. For the first time that night, tumigil ang mga daliri niya sa paggalaw. His eyes narrowed. "Find the sender," malamig niyang utos nang sagutin ng kaniyang chief of security ang tawag. "Immediately, sir." "And find out what they know about me." Pinatay niya ang tawag at muling tumingin sa mensahe. Whoever had sent it had made a serious mistake. They had just given Zephran Devereaux another reason to hunt. At kapag may hinabol si Zephran, hindi siya tumitigil hangga't hindi niya nakukuha ang sagot na gusto niya. 12:16 AM - Convenience Store, Downtown Manila "I'm officially declaring na dapat may special compensation ang mga taong pinagtatrabaho nang lampas sa schedule nila." Napatingin si Caelum Rosenthal sa orasan sa ibabaw ng convenience store counter. 12:16 AM. Halos isang oras nang tapos ang shift niya, pero narito pa rin siya, nagbibilang ng receipts dahil biglang nagkaroon ng importanteng appointment ang coworker niya. Apparently, that appointment involved sleeping. Sa sariling kama. Habang si Caelum ay nagdurusa sa liwanag ng fluorescent lamps. "Fantastic," bulong niya. "Love that for me." Tinapos niya ang pag-aayos ng cash register, kinuha ang bag niya, at isinuot ang jacket. Paglabas niya, sinalubong siya ng malamig na hangin at ng ulan na tila walang balak humina. Kinuha niya ang phone niya at nakita ang tatlong missed calls mula sa best friend niya. May kasunod ding message. BEST FRIEND: Please tell me you're already home. CAELUM: I'm outside. Halos agad ang reply. BEST FRIEND: OUTSIDE WHERE? CAELUM: The store. BEST FRIEND: CAELUM, IT'S ALMOST ONE IN THE MORNING! Napangiti siya habang nagta-type. CAELUM: Thank you for the information, news reporter. Inilagay niya ang phone sa bulsa at nagsimulang maglakad patungo sa pinakamalapit na taxi stand. Hindi naman siya ignorante sa mga panganib ng siyudad. Alam niyang hindi magandang maglakad nang mag-isa sa dis-oras ng gabi. Pero hindi rin naman niya puwedeng ikulong ang sarili niya sa bahay dahil lang sa lahat ng posibleng masamang mangyari. At saka, pagod na pagod na siya. Ang gusto lang niya ay makauwi, maligo, kumain ng instant noodles, at matulog nang walang istorbo. Simple. Peaceful. Walang drama. Unfortunately for him, the universe had other plans. Sa kabilang bahagi ng kalsada, may isang lalaking matagal nang nakamasid sa kaniya. At ilang minuto lamang ang layo, isang black luxury sedan ang papalapit sa parehong intersection. Sa loob nito, nakaupo ang isang lalaking hindi dapat makasalubong ni Caelum. 12:29 AM - The Intersection Isang malakas na putok ng baril ang biglang umalingawngaw sa kalsada. Napahinto si Caelum. For one terrible second, hindi niya maintindihan kung ano ang narinig niya. Then came the screaming. Isang itim na SUV ang mabilis na lumiko sa intersection. Dalawang lalaki ang tumakbo mula sa makitid na eskinita, habang ang isa ay hawak ang tagiliran nito. Another gunshot shattered the night. "Holy-!" Mabilis na yumuko si Caelum sa likod ng isang nakaparadang sasakyan. His heart pounded violently against his chest. Hindi ito ordinaryong away sa kalsada. Hindi ito simpleng gulo na puwedeng balewalain. Someone had a gun. And someone was bleeding. "Okay, Caelum. Stay there," bulong niya sa sarili. "For once in your life, don't be a hero." Then he heard a groan. May isang lalaking nakahandusay malapit sa entrance ng eskinita, isang kamay ang nakadiin sa balikat nitong duguan. Napapikit si Caelum. "Damn it." He ran toward him. "Hey! Can you hear me?" Hinawakan ng sugatang lalaki ang kaniyang wrist. "Go," mahina nitong sabi. "You need to leave." "Yeah, well, I'm not exactly good at leaving people to die." Hinubad ni Caelum ang jacket niya at idiniin iyon sa sugat ng lalaki. "Keep pressure here. I'm calling for help." Bago pa niya mailabas ang phone niya, may malalakas na headlights na biglang tumapat sa kanila. Isang black luxury sedan ang huminto ilang metro ang layo. Bumukas ang rear door. At mula roon ay bumaba ang isang lalaking nakasuot ng itim na suit. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Immaculately dressed. His polished shoes touched the wet pavement as he approached them with unhurried steps. Agad na tumuwid ang mga lalaking nakapaligid sa kaniya. "Sir." Caelum barely noticed them. Nakatutok ang pansin niya sa lalaking palapit nang palapit sa kanila. The stranger's dark eyes moved from the injured man to Caelum's hand pressing against the wound. Then, slowly, his gaze settled on Caelum's face. "Who are you?" Mababa at malamig ang boses nito. Napakurap si Caelum. "Someone trying to stop your guy from bleeding to death?" Biglang tumigas ang ekspresyon ng isa sa mga bodyguard. The stranger didn't react. "Let go of him." "Gladly. Just get someone to help him." "I didn't ask you to explain yourself." "And I didn't ask to become part of your midnight shooting incident." For a moment, the entire alley fell silent. One of the bodyguards looked as though he had just witnessed someone sign his own death warrant. Nobody spoke to Zephran Devereaux that way. Nobody dared. Yet this stranger seemed completely unaware of the danger standing in front of him. Zephran studied him carefully. Most people lowered their eyes when they recognized him. Others became nervous, stumbling over their words just to avoid offending him. But this man? He was looking at Zephran as though he were nothing more than an arrogant stranger who had interrupted his evening. "Take the injured man to the car," utos ni Zephran sa mga tauhan niya. "Get a doctor." Agad na kumilos ang dalawang bodyguard. Caelum stepped aside to give them room. "Finally. A reasonable decision." Dahan-dahang bumalik ang tingin ni Zephran sa kaniya. "You talk too much." "And you give terrible first impressions." The bodyguard standing nearby looked ready to faint. Pero si Zephran ay nanatiling kalmado. Inayos lamang niya ang cuff ng kaniyang suit bago muling nagsalita. "Name." Caelum frowned. "Excuse me?" "Your name." "Why?" "Because I asked." Napatawa si Caelum, hindi makapaniwala sa narinig. "Wow. Does that usually work for you?" Isang hakbang ang ginawa ni Zephran palapit sa kaniya. Mas lalong naging intimidating ang presensiya nito nang makita ni Caelum ang talas ng mga mata nito at ang halos perpektong kontrol sa bawat galaw. "I'm not accustomed to asking twice." Caelum held his gaze. "Then maybe tonight is a good time to practice patience." Walang nagsalita. The rain continued to fall between them. Sa loob ng ilang segundo, tila sinusubukan nilang alamin kung sino ang unang titingin sa ibang direksiyon. Then Caelum stepped around him. "Good night, Your Highness." At naglakad siya palayo. Isa sa mga bodyguard ang napatingin kay Zephran. "Sir, should we-" "No." Hindi inalis ni Zephran ang tingin sa lalaking unti-unting nilalamon ng dilim ng kalsada. "Find out who he is." Nag-alangan ang kaniyang chief of security. "Do you believe he's connected to the attack?" Zephran's eyes narrowed slightly. "I believe a stranger walked into an active crime scene, treated one of my men, insulted me three times, and left without asking for anything." He paused. "People don't usually do that." "Understood, sir." Sumakay si Zephran sa sasakyan, ngunit bago niya tuluyang isinara ang pinto, muli siyang napatingin sa direksiyon kung saan nawala ang lalaki. He remembered those eyes. Fearless. Annoyingly honest. And entirely unimpressed by him. Hindi niya alam kung bakit, pero gusto niyang malaman ang pangalan ng lalaking iyon. At higit sa lahat, gusto niyang malaman kung bakit hindi ito natakot sa kaniya. 1:03 AM - Caelum's Apartment Pagkasara pa lamang ng pinto ng apartment niya, agad na sumandal si Caelum rito at napapikit. For a few seconds, he simply breathed. Then he slowly slid down until he was sitting on the floor. "What the hell was that?" Tiningnan niya ang nanginginig niyang mga kamay. He had almost been shot. He had helped a stranger in the middle of a shooting. At mas malala pa roon, nakipagtalo siya sa isang lalaking ang mga bodyguard ay mukhang kayang magpalibing ng tao bago pa mag-almusal. Tinakpan niya ang mukha niya gamit ang dalawang palad. "I'm going to die because I have a hero complex." Biglang tumunog ang phone niya. Best friend niya. Agad niyang sinagot ang tawag. "Before you say anything, I'm alive." "WHERE ARE YOU?" "At home." "WHY DO YOU SOUND LIKE YOU'VE SEEN A GHOST?" "Because I might have met one." "What?" "Never mind." Tumayo si Caelum at itinapon ang duguang jacket sa laundry basket. Bukas na niya iisipin ang lahat. Bukas na niya iuulat ang shooting. At bukas na rin niya kakalimutan ang malamig na mga mata at nakakainis na boses ng lalaking nakilala niya. Most importantly, hindi na siya dadaan sa lugar na iyon. Problem solved. At least, iyon ang gusto niyang paniwalaan. Hanggang sa nag-vibrate ang phone niya. Isang message mula sa unknown number. UNKNOWN: You should have walked away tonight. Unti-unting nawala ang ngiti sa mukha ni Caelum. Another message appeared. UNKNOWN: Now you've been noticed. Nanlamig ang mga daliri niya habang nakatitig sa screen. Mabilis siyang nag-type ng reply. CAELUM: Who is this? Hindi naipadala ang message. Sinubukan niya ulit. Nothing. Then his phone rang. Unknown caller. Nag-alinlangan siya bago sinagot ang tawag. "Hello?" Ilang segundo ang lumipas na puro katahimikan lamang ang maririnig. Then a distorted voice spoke. "You met Zephran Devereaux tonight." Biglang bumilis ang t***k ng puso ni Caelum. "Who are you?" "Someone who knows what happens to people who get too close to him." The call ended. Hindi agad gumalaw si Caelum. Dahan-dahan niyang ibinaba ang phone at napatingin sa bintana ng apartment. Outside, thunder rolled across the city. At sa unang pagkakataon nang gabing iyon, hindi ang lalaking may baril ang kinatatakutan niya. Kundi ang posibilidad na ang simpleng pagtatagpo nila ni Zephran ay simula pa lamang ng isang bagay na hindi niya kayang kontrolin. 1:17 AM - Devereaux Grand Estate Isang folder ang inilapag sa mesa ni Zephran. Nakatayo sa harap niya ang chief of security, naghihintay ng kaniyang susunod na utos. "Caelum Rosenthal," pagbasa ni Zephran sa pangalan sa unang pahina. May nakakabit na litrato ng lalaking nakilala niya sa eskinita. The same dark hair. The same expressive eyes. The same face that had looked at him without a trace of fear. "Any criminal record?" "None, sir. He appears to live an ordinary life. He works at a convenience store and has no known association with rival families." Zephran turned another page. School records. Employment history. Residential information. Nothing immediately suspicious. And yet something about the encounter refused to leave his mind. "Keep him under discreet observation." Bahagyang tumaas ang kilay ng kaniyang chief of security. "Do you suspect he's involved?" "I don't know." "Then why watch him?" Isinara ni Zephran ang folder. "Because someone sent a message threatening people who get close to me." Tumingin siya sa bintanang nababalot ng patak ng ulan. "And tonight, someone got close." "Understood, sir." Pagkaalis ng kaniyang chief of security, naiwan siyang mag-isa sa study. Dapat ay nakalimutan na niya si Caelum Rosenthal. A stranger. A civilian. Someone who had simply found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. He had no reason to care. No reason to remember. No reason to wonder whether Caelum had reached home safely. Kinuha ni Zephran ang phone niya at tinawagan ang head of security. "Double the security around the estate." "Is there a new threat, sir?" "Yes." "What kind of threat?" Sandaling tumahimik si Zephran. Muli niyang tiningnan ang litrato sa folder. "The kind I haven't identified yet." Pinatay niya ang tawag at inilagay ang folder sa isang locked drawer. He told himself it was a precaution. A strategic decision. Nothing more. Pero habang patuloy ang pag-ikot ng mga minuto, bumabalik ang isip niya sa parehong alaala. Caelum Rosenthal had looked directly into his eyes and refused to be intimidated. At sa loob ng maraming taon, iyon ang unang pagkakataong may isang taong nagdulot sa kaniya ng ganitong uri ng curiosity. Hindi pa niya alam na ang lalaking iyon ang magiging pinakamalaking hamon sa lahat ng pinaniniwalaan niya tungkol sa kapangyarihan, tiwala, at pagmamahal. At kapag dumating ang araw na tuluyan nang mabunyag ang mga lihim na nag-uugnay sa kanila, wala sa kanilang dalawa ang makababalik sa dati nilang buhay. Because some encounters are accidents. Some are traps. And some are the beginning of an obsession. END OF PROLOGUE OWNED BY OBSESSION ©2026 Some hearts are not conquered by force. They are changed by the one person who refuses to surrender.