TAINTED INNOCENCE

Chapter 1

“Minsan, kahit sanay ka sa mundo ng yaman… hindi ka pa rin sanay sa larong nilalaro ng matatanda.”

“Bella, chin up. You’re representing the Santiago name tonight.”

Umiikot ang mata ni Isabella habang pinaplastik ang ngiti. Her mother, Elena Santiago—elegant, poised, and cold as ever—tightened her grip on Bella’s wrist as they entered the grand ballroom of The Imperial Hotel.

Chandeliers glowed like diamonds from the ceiling. The guests? All dripping in wealth, pearls, and polite hypocrisy.

Bella wore a champagne silk gown—specially designed by a Parisian couturier her mom swore by. The neckline was modest, the slit barely visible. Exactly how her family wanted her to appear: respectable, untouched, and untouchable.

Pero kahit maganda ang gown, hindi siya mapakali.

Her father, Carlos Santiago, nodded politely to business associates. Her younger sister, Bianca, looked perfect as always—flirting with the eldest son of a congressman.

And Bella? Bella just wanted to disappear.

“Sana nagpaiwan na lang ako sa bahay,” she whispered, eyes scanning the unfamiliar crowd of high society.

"Good girls don't skip galas, Bella," bulong ni Elena sa kanya. "This is your world. Learn to own it."

Her world?

A world where power is currency, and women like her are dressed, paraded, then promised to powerful men for alliances.

She was twenty—but still a prisoner in pearls.

Bella inhaled deeply, trying to slow the panic rising in her chest.

Kahit ilang beses na siyang sinama sa mga high society events like this, hindi pa rin siya nasasanay. She still felt like an outsider—like a pretty painting framed on a wall. Beautiful, yes, but silent. Decorative. Untouched.

All around her, people sparkled.

Laughter rang out like clinking champagne glasses.

Scent of expensive perfume mixed with cigar smoke and lies.

And in the middle of it all, she stood still, feeling every eye that lingered a little too long on her body.

“May I just say,” sabi ng isang matandang babae na may pearl choker at matalim na ngiti, “you look like such a proper young lady. I’m sure your parents are very proud.”

Bella forced a smile. “Thank you po.”

“Ganyan din ako noon,” dagdag pa ng matanda, sabay sip ng wine. “Before I married a senator and learned the real game.”

Napilitan siyang tumawa. She didn’t even know what that meant, pero sa mundong ito, parang lahat ng jokes may double meaning.

Her gaze drifted toward her mother, Elena, na kasalukuyang kausap si Mrs. Villarosa, a fashion critic and family friend. Elena looked radiant, as always—chin up, shoulders back, words carefully calculated.

Bella admired her. But she also feared becoming exactly like her.

“You don’t have to enjoy it,” sabi ng boses ni Trisha sa likod niya, “but you do have to pretend.”

Bella jumped slightly. “Akala ko nasaan ka—”

“Yung waiter kasi cute, eh,” sabay kindat ni Trisha habang humihigop ng champagne. “Gusto ko sana i-charm, kaso mukhang mas gusto niya ‘yung best man sa kabilang table.”

Bella giggled. Finally, a breath of air.

Trisha Villaraza had been her best friend since they were fifteen. Magkaibang-magkaiba sila—Trisha was wild, flirty, and unapologetically bold. Samantalang siya? Well… she was still figuring herself out.

“Girl, you need to loosen up,” bulong ni Trisha habang pinapanood ang crowd. “You look like you’re about to faint.”

“I feel like I’m about to faint,” Bella muttered. “Everyone’s staring.”

“Of course they are. You’re beautiful. And may chika akong narinig—may magpropropose daw sayo tonight.”

“What?!” Halos matapon ni Bella ang tubig sa kamay niya.

Trisha shrugged. “That’s the rumor. Anak daw ng shipping magnate. Yung medyo kalbo? Naka blue na tux?”

Bella turned sharply, scanning the crowd. She saw him—forty, at least. Smiling at her. With teeth too white and eyes too assessing.

“Dear God,” she mumbled. “Mukhang tito ni Santa Claus.”

“Correction: mukhang sugar daddy. Pero may yaman, so…” Trisha smirked.

Bella elbowed her. “Hindi ito nakakatawa, Trish.”

“I’m serious, Bella. If you don’t speak up soon, your parents will marry you off to the highest bidder before you even know what good s*x feels like.”

“Trisha!” she hissed, glancing around.

“Relax. Everyone here’s too busy acting rich and miserable to care.” Tumikim ulit ng champagne si Trisha, then leaned closer. “Speaking of... ikaw, virgin ka pa rin?”

Bella’s cheeks turned scarlet. “Seriously? Now?”

“Yup, now. Because that,” turo ni Trisha sa crowd, “is the kind of place na kahit virgin ka, feeling mo may kasalanan ka na.”

Bella sighed, looking down at her untouched wine glass. “Alam mo namang hindi ako katulad mo.”

“Oh babe, I know. Ako 'tong appetizer. Ikaw 'yung full-course meal.”

“Trisha,” she groaned.

“I mean it,” Trisha said more seriously now. “You’re the kind of girl men obsess over. The kind they want to own. Kasi alam nilang wala ka pang bahid. Parang snow. Or glass.”

Bella shivered, unsure if that was meant as a compliment or a warning.

Trisha continued, softer this time. “Pero sa totoo lang, nakakatakot 'yan, Bells. 'Cause once you let someone touch you… even just one man… you’ll never be the same.”

Bella stared ahead blankly. The chandelier above her suddenly looked too bright. Her chest felt too tight. Her dress, too tight. Her skin, too hot.

Maybe it was the crowd.

Maybe it was the words.

Maybe it was the way her whole life had been planned for her like an itinerary.

Maybe… it was the fact that she didn’t even know what she wanted anymore.

“Gusto ko lang…” she paused. “To breathe.”

Trisha tilted her head. “Then stop living for them. Start living for you.”

It sounded so simple when Trisha said it. Like breaking years of rules and expectations was just one step away.

But Bella had spent her whole life being the good daughter. The quiet girl. The perfect Santiago.

How do you break free from a life that’s all you’ve ever known?

She looked around again. Everyone still wore masks of perfection.

And somewhere deep in her, a quiet voice whispered: I don’t belong here.

But before she could process the thought, something… someone… entered the room.

And in an instant, the air changed.

Heads turned.

Voices hushed.

The temperature dropped… or maybe rose.

Even Trisha froze mid-sip. “Holy. Shit.”

Bella followed her gaze—and saw him.

“Aminin mo,” Trisha leaned in close, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes, “nalilibugan ka na.”

“Trisha!” bulong ni Bella, halos malaglag ang wine glass sa gulat. “Ano ba?!”

Trisha only laughed, unapologetic and bold. “Ang pula ng pisngi mo, girl. ‘Di na kailangan ng blush. Alam ng balat mo na birhen ka pa.”

Bella rolled her eyes, trying to stay composed as a pair of socialites passed by in glittery gowns. “Can we not talk about this here? Gala ‘to, hindi girls' night.”

“Exactly,” sabay lagok ni Trisha ng wine. “Mas masarap pag bawal pag-usapan. Nakakakiliti.”

Bella shook her head, trying to hide her smile. She loved her best friend, but damn, she had no filter. “Why do you always have to bring this up?”

“Because, babe, ikaw na lang sa barkada ang hindi pa nadi-devirginize.” Trisha wagged a manicured finger at her. “Ikaw ang last-standing unicorn. A mythical creature.”

“Hindi naman yun competition,” sagot ni Bella, trying to sound firm.

“Of course not,” Trisha said, nodding dramatically. “Pero seryoso, Bells. Twenty ka na. You're hot. You’re sweet. You’re curious. Aminin mo.”

Bella stayed silent.

“Exactly,” Trisha grinned wider. “Na-te-tense ka lang tuwing nadadala kita sa ganitong usapan. Kaya nga mas gusto kong pag-usapan pa.”

Bella glanced around nervously. “Can we please not do this here?”

“Bakit? Takot kang may makarinig na virgin ka pa?” Trisha teased. “Girl, wala namang masama doon. Actually, it’s kinda sexy.”

“Sexy?”

“Yeah. Sa mga lalaki, virgin girls are like treasure chests. Locked. Mysterious. Tempting. But you know what the problem is?”

Bella arched an eyebrow.

“You’re the one holding the key… and ayaw mong gamitin.”

Bella laughed softly, half-annoyed, half-flattered. “You’re impossible.”

“Listen,” Trisha said, shifting to a more serious tone, “you’re twenty. Hindi kita pinipilit, okay? But you can’t keep living like your body is a glass cabinet. Pang-display pero never ginagamit.”

“Hindi naman sa ayaw ko…” Bella admitted softly, eyes falling to the floor. “I just… hindi ko pa alam kung ready na ako.”

“Ready?” Trisha tilted her head. “Girl, no one’s ever really ready. You just find someone who makes you feel safe enough to try.”

Bella sighed. “Baka kasi… once I give it, I can’t take it back.”

“And why would you want to?” tanong ni Trisha, leaning closer. “s*x isn’t something you lose. It’s something you experience. Something you own.”

Bella stayed quiet. Trisha’s words hit harder than she expected.

Maybe she was scared.

Maybe she didn’t want to admit it.

Maybe… deep down, she was tired of being so perfect, so controlled, so… untouched.

“Kapag ready ka na,” Trisha continued, smiling gently, “gawin mo ‘cause ikaw ang may gusto. Not because someone told you. Not because society made you feel ashamed. But because you choose it.”

Bella looked at her best friend. Despite her wildness, Trisha always made sense when it counted.

“Ako ba… weird na virgin pa rin?” tanong niya, voice small.

Trisha’s eyes softened. “No, Bells. Hindi ka weird. You’re just… protected. But promise me this—don’t mistake protection for imprisonment.”

Bella’s breath hitched. For a moment, they weren’t in a ballroom. They were just two girls—one who’d experienced the world, and one who still stood on the edge of it.

“Wag kang matakot,” Trisha whispered. “First times can be beautiful. Or messy. Or awkward. Pero lagi silang memorable. And someday, gusto kong marinig ‘yung kwento mo.”

Bella smiled, biting back a nervous laugh. “Kung magkaka-kwento man.”

“Oh, magkaka-kwento ka,” Trisha grinned wickedly. “At pag dumating na ‘yung tamang guy… God help him. Kasi sobrang tagal mong inipon ‘yang libido mo.”

“Trisha!” Bella laughed, finally letting her guard down.

Her laughter echoed softly beneath the classical music playing in the background. For the first time that evening, she felt a little lighter.

Still confused. Still overwhelmed.

But somehow… also a little excited.

And that scared her even more.

Bella was just about to sip her wine again when something shifted in the room.

A hush. A pause. A subtle tightening of the air.

Trisha, mid-rant about s*x positions she swore by, suddenly stopped.

“s**t,” she muttered, eyes locked on the grand entrance of the ballroom.

Bella followed her gaze.

And that’s when he entered.

Dominic Valencia.

The kind of man who didn’t just walk into a room—he owned it with every calculated step.

He wore black-on-black. Silk shirt, open slightly at the chest, tailored blazer that fit him like a sin. His hair was messy in a way that screamed effortless rebellion. Jaw sharp, cheekbones carved, and those eyes—those damn eyes—piercing, dark, heavy with secrets.

People turned. Women stared. Men watched with veiled envy.

Even the music seemed to lower itself.

Bella swallowed, heart suddenly pounding for no logical reason.

“Whew,” Trisha whispered. “Now that is what I call danger in a tux.”

Bella didn’t respond. She couldn’t. She was frozen, like her body had been momentarily possessed by something unexplainable.

She had seen attractive men before. She had attended galas, fashion shows, even posed with models for her mom’s campaign shoots.

But Dominic?

He wasn’t just attractive.

He was magnetic.

Intimidating.

Alive in a way that made everything around him dull in comparison.

Parang may sariling gravity ang lalaki. And Bella… she was already tilting.

Then it happened.

He turned.

Their eyes met—just for a moment. A flicker.

But it was enough.

Her breath caught. Time paused. Every laugh, every glass clink, every violin note in the background faded into nothingness.

All she saw were those eyes.

Dark. Cold. Calculating.

But curious.

Dominic held her gaze for less than five seconds.

But it felt like her soul had been stripped bare.

Then, just as quickly, he looked away—his expression unreadable as he continued walking deeper into the ballroom.

Bella exhaled sharply, realizing she hadn’t been breathing.

Her hands trembled slightly around her glass.

“Girl,” Trisha said beside her, blinking. “Did he just look at you?”

“I… I don’t know,” Bella said softly, dazed.

“Don’t ‘I don’t know’ me,” Trisha whispered. “You two just had a freaking movie moment. You okay?”

No.

Yes.

She didn’t know.

But something in her had shifted. A flicker had been lit somewhere deep, dark, and untouched.

And for the first time in her carefully controlled, well-mannered life…

Bella felt something raw.

Something she didn’t understand.

Something she couldn’t name.

It scared her.

And thrilled her.

All at once.

Her skin still tingled. Her lips parted slightly. Her heart hadn’t calmed down.

“Who is he really?” she asked, not even realizing she spoke the words aloud.

Trisha smirked, sipping her wine again. “Dominic Valencia.

Business devil. Party king. Trust fund rebel.

And now, apparently… curious about you.”

Bella looked back toward where he disappeared into the crowd.

She didn’t believe in fate.

She barely believed in love.

But that look?

That brief, silent collision of two very different worlds?

It was the kind of beginning that only existed in stories.

And maybe—just maybe—hers had already started.

Bella stared at the crowd, but her mind was no longer there.

Her glass of wine, untouched.

Trisha’s voice, a distant hum.

The music, the laughter, the polished lies of the rich — all blurred into the background.

All she could think about was him.

That look. That fleeting second where their eyes locked.

What was that?

A glance lang naman, ‘di ba?

Wala pa ngang salita.

No touch.

No smile.

No introduction.

Pero bakit parang... may nangyaring malaki?

She felt it somewhere deep — in the pit of her stomach, in the back of her neck, in the way her skin tingled as if something had brushed against her without permission.

Was it attraction?

No… it was more.

It was the kind of heat she had only read about in novels hidden beneath her Catholic school textbooks.

The kind of ache she pretended not to feel every time her body begged to be explored.

The kind of hunger she was taught to be ashamed of.

But now, here it was — pulsing through her veins like wildfire.

Was this desire?

Bella’s knees felt weak.

She quickly excused herself from the crowd, leaving Trisha mid-sip and oblivious, and slipped into one of the hall’s quiet balconies.

Cool air greeted her, brushing her shoulders like a secret.

She leaned against the marble railing, pressing a hand to her chest.

Her heart was racing.

Hindi ito normal. Hindi ito ‘yung kabang nararamdaman niya kapag late siya sa trabaho o kapag napapagalitan siya ng daddy niya.

This was different.

This was… dangerous.

And yet, her body didn’t want to run from it.

It wanted more.

She closed her eyes, trying to shake off the feeling—but instead, she saw him again.

That face.

That jaw.

Those intense, unreadable eyes that looked at her like she wasn’t supposed to be there—but somehow, he saw her anyway.

He looked at her like a secret.

Like he could ruin her, and she wouldn’t stop him.

Bella’s thighs pressed together instinctively, and her eyes flew open in shock.

What the hell was that?!

She stared down at her trembling hands.

Her body was reacting—no, betraying her.

She had never been touched. Never even been kissed properly.

But in one look… Dominic Valencia had undone something inside her.

Parang may pinto na matagal nang nakakandado… at sa isang sulyap lang, bumukas ng kusa.

Her breath hitched again.

Was this what Trisha meant?

Was this the urge she always teased about?

The fire? The ache? The unexplainable want?

Because right now, standing alone with the stars above her and the heat between her legs—Bella Santiago finally understood what it meant to feel.

And she hated it.

And she loved it.

All at once.

“s**t…” she whispered to herself, cheeks burning.

Hindi siya ready. Hindi pa dapat.

But her body no longer cared what was proper.

Her thoughts no longer obeyed her upbringing.

And her innocence… it was already starting to slip, piece by piece, all because of a man she didn’t even know.

And yet…

She knew.

Deep down.

That this wasn’t the end of it.

No.

This was just the beginning.