"MY BOSS'S CONTRACT BABY"

CHAPTER 5: THE ULTRASOUND

*DISCLAIMER*

This is a work of fiction. All characters are 18+.

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*AMARA'S POV*

The smell of coffee used to be the first thing I looked forward to every morning.

Lola and I had a ritual. 6 AM sharp. Black coffee, two sugars, sitting on our little balcony in Tondo while the city woke up. She'd tell me stories about Lolo. About how she raised my mom alone after he died. About how proud she was of me for getting a job at Castro Group.

"Anak," she'd say, patting my hand. "Kaya mo 'yan. Basta magtrabaho ka ng maayos."

But this morning, the moment Nina poured the coffee into Zian's expensive ceramic mug, my stomach lurched.

I didn't even make it to the sink. I ran to the bathroom and threw up.

"Ma'am?" Nina's voice was worried from the other side of the door. "Are you okay?"

I gripped the edge of the sink. My knuckles were white. The mirror showed a girl I barely recognized. Dark circles under my eyes. Pale skin. Hair tied in a messy bun because I didn't have the energy to do anything else.

"I'm fine." My voice came out hoarse. "Just didn't sleep well."

But that was a lie. And we both knew it.

I was late. Two weeks late.

I counted in my head again. February 1. That was my last period. Today was April 12.

Twelve weeks.

The number hit me like a punch. Twelve weeks ago was Boracay. Twelve weeks ago was that hotel room. Twelve weeks ago was Zian Castro, before he was my husband, before he was cold and distant and offering me 5 million pesos to pretend to be his wife.

Twelve weeks ago I got pregnant.

I splashed cold water on my face and stared at my reflection. My face looked rounder. My uniform blazer, the one I bought from Divisoria and altered to fit me, felt tighter around the waist.

"Kaya mo 'to, Ara." I whispered. "Para kay Lola. Para sa baby."

When I came downstairs, breakfast was already set. Zian was at the head of the long dining table, dressed in a gray suit, scrolling through something on his tablet. He didn't look up when I entered.

Luna was sitting next to his chair, drawing on a big sheet of paper with crayons. She looked up and beamed when she saw me.

"Mommy!" She pushed her chair back and ran to me. "Good morning!"

"Good morning, baby." I knelt and hugged her. She smelled like strawberry shampoo. "What are you drawing?"

She held up her paper proudly. Three stick figures. The tallest had black scribbles for hair. The smallest had pigtails. The one in the middle had long hair like mine. They were all holding hands.

"It's us!" She said. "Tito, Mommy, and me. We're a family."

The word family cracked something in my chest.

"That's beautiful, anak." I kissed her forehead. "Thank you."

Zian finally looked up. His gray eyes swept over me, cold and assessing. "Sit down."

I did. My hands were shaking as I picked up my fork. I tried to eat the pandesal on my plate. One bite and my stomach turned again.

I covered my mouth and ran to the bathroom.

When I came back, Zian was still watching me.

"What’s wrong with you?" His voice was flat. Accusatory.

"Nothing." I said too quickly. "Just an upset stomach."

"You've been throwing up for three days."

I froze. He noticed. Of course he noticed. Zian Castro noticed everything.

"I said I'm fine." I sat down and pushed the food around my plate.

Luna hummed as she colored. The silence was heavy.

After breakfast, while I was helping Nina clear the table, she leaned in close.

"Ma'am," she whispered. "May appointment po kayo today. 10 AM. Sa St. Luke's BGC."

I blinked. "What appointment?"

"OB check-up po. Si Sir nag-book last week pa." She smiled. "Sabi niya part daw ng contract. Medical coverage."

My blood ran cold. Zian booked it. Without telling me.

At 9:30 AM, the black SUV was already waiting in the driveway. Zian was in the backseat, typing on his phone. He didn't look up when I got in. He just shifted over to give me space.

The ride to BGC was 40 minutes of pure silence. Makati traffic was terrible, but the silence in the car was worse.

"Why are you coming?" I finally asked. My voice was small.

Zian didn't look up from his phone. "Section 4 of the contract. Party A will cover all medical expenses for Party B and dependents."

"That doesn't mean you have to come with me."

Now he looked up. Gray eyes cold. "And leave you alone with a doctor you don't know? What if something happens?"

"Nothing will happen."

"You don't know that." He went back to his phone. "I'm coming."

St. Luke's BGC was the kind of hospital where everything was white and clean and expensive. The chairs in the lobby were leather. The nurses wore white gloves. The air smelled like disinfectant and money.

A far cry from the public hospital where Lola almost died.

"Mrs. Castro?" A nurse with a kind smile approached us. "Room 304. Dr. Lim is waiting for you."

Zian stood and followed me. I didn't tell him not to. What was the point?

Dr. Lim was in her 50s. Kind eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses. She smiled warmly when we entered.

"Good morning, Mrs. Castro. And you must be Mr. Castro." She shook Zian's hand. "Please, have a seat."

I sat on the examination bed. The paper crinkled under me. Zian sat on the chair across from me, arms crossed. Like he was in a board meeting and not an OB check-up.

"How have you been feeling?" Dr. Lim asked, typing on her computer.

"Tired. Nauseous in the mornings. My back hurts sometimes."

"Normal for 12 weeks." Dr. Lim nodded. "Any bleeding? Cramping? Dizziness?"

"No."

"Good. Let's do an ultrasound to check on the baby and make sure everything is progressing well."

The word baby made my heart clench.

The lights dimmed. The room became cold. Dr. Lim squeezed cold gel on my stomach and pressed the transducer down.

Static on the screen. Then—

_thump-thump-thump_

Fast. Strong. Steady.

My breath caught. Tears immediately burned my eyes.

There it was. On the screen. A tiny blob. With a flickering spot where the heart was. Arms and legs. A head.

My baby.

"Everything looks good." Dr. Lim smiled. "12 weeks and 2 days. Heartbeat is strong. Baby is measuring right on track. No abnormalities so far."

She turned the monitor toward us. "Would you like to see?"

I nodded, unable to speak.

Zian leaned forward slightly. His expression didn't change. But his jaw ticked.

"That's the baby?" He asked. His voice was quiet. Almost hesitant.

"Yes." Dr. Lim pointed. "There's the head. And here are the arms and legs. Still too early to tell the gender. We'll know around 18 to 20 weeks."

She printed a photo and handed it to me. I took it with shaking hands.

A black and white photo. My child.

"Any questions?" Dr. Lim asked.

Zian spoke before I could. "12 weeks?"

"Yes, Mr. Castro. About 12 weeks and 2 days."

"And the due date?"

"Around May 15th next year."

Zian was quiet. Too quiet.

"Thank you, Doctor." He stood up abruptly. "We'll take the photo."

In the car, he didn't speak. He stared out the window. The ultrasound photo was in my lap. I held it like it was made of glass. Like if I squeezed too hard it would break.

"12 weeks." He said finally. Not a question.

I didn't answer.

"Boracay was February 14." He turned to me. "That was 12 weeks ago."

My heart was pounding so loud I was sure he could hear it.

"Amara." His voice was low. Dangerous. "Is this mine?"

The lie was right there. On my tongue. Ready.

"No." I whispered. "It's not."

He laughed. But it wasn't a laugh. It was bitter. Ugly.

"Not mine." He repeated. "Then whose?"

"David's." The name tasted like ash in my mouth. "It's David's."

Zian turned fully to face me now. "David. The ex who left you when he found out you were pregnant."

"Yes."

"And you still signed the contract." He shook his head. "You came to me, 8 weeks pregnant, drowning in debt, and you let me pay you 5 million pesos to pretend to be my wife."

"I didn't know—"

"You didn't know?" He cut me off. "Or you didn't tell me?"

I couldn't answer. Because both were true.

"Section 3 of the contract, Amara." His voice was ice. "No complications. No pregnancy. You breached it the moment you signed."

Tears were falling now. I couldn't stop them. "Zian, please—"

"Don't." He looked away. "Just... don't."

We pulled into the mansion in silence. Luna was waiting at the door with Nina.

"Tito! Mommy!" She ran to us. "What’s that?" She pointed at the photo in my hand.

I quickly hid it behind my back. "Nothing, baby."

"Let me see!" Luna tugged at my sleeve.

Zian knelt in front of her. His face softened for just a second. "Luna, go upstairs. Tito and Mommy need to talk."

"No." Luna crossed her arms. "Family talks together."

Zian closed his eyes. When he opened them, the softness was gone. Replaced with something cold.

"Fine." He stood up. Looked at me. "New amendment to the contract."

My stomach dropped.

"Effective immediately. 10 million pesos. Until the child is born. After that, we renegotiate terms. Including custody."

"What?" I whispered.

"You heard me." He walked past me. "Lawyers will send it tonight. Sign it, or the original 5 million is void and I sue you for breach of contract and fraud."

"Zian—"

"Don't call me that." He stopped at the stairs. Didn't turn around. "It's Mr. Castro to you."

He went upstairs.

Luna looked up at me with big confused eyes. "Mommy, why is Tito mad?"

I knelt and hugged her. "He's not mad, baby. He's just... tired."

That night I didn't sleep.

I sat in my room, staring at the ultrasound photo. 12 weeks. A baby. His baby.

At 2 AM, there was a knock.

Zian.

He stood in the doorway. Still in his suit. Tie loosened. Hair messy like he'd been running his hands through it.

"12 weeks." He said. No greeting.

"Yes."

"You were pregnant when you signed."

"Yes."

"And you still said yes."

"Yes."

"Why?" He stepped into the room. Closed the door behind him. "Why would you do that?"

Because it was you. Because that night in Boracay was the only time I felt safe. Because I'm in love with you and I'm terrified.

"Because of the money." I lied. Again. "Because Lola needed it. Because I needed it."

Zian studied me for a long time. Then he nodded once.

"Alright." He turned to leave. "Sign the amendment tomorrow."

"Zian, wait—"

He stopped but didn't turn around.

"Are you going to tell me the truth eventually?"

I wanted to. God, I wanted to.

"No."

He nodded. And left.

I sat there in the dark, hand on my stomach.

"I'm sorry, baby." I whispered. "I'm so sorry."

The next morning, the amendment was on the table. 10 million pesos. Until the baby is born. Custody to be discussed after.

Zian was already gone when I woke up.

Luna sat across from me at breakfast. Quiet. She knew something was wrong.

"Mommy?" She whispered. "Are you and Tito fighting?"

I forced a smile. "No, baby. Grown-ups just... talk a lot."

She nodded, but didn't look convinced.

Later that day, I was in the garden. Trying to breathe. Trying to think.

The ultrasound photo was in my pocket. I pulled it out. Stared at it.

A knock on the gate.

David.

My ex.

He was leaning on the gate, wearing sunglasses and a smirk.

"Well, well." He said. "Mrs. Castro."

My blood ran cold.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just came to visit my baby's mommy." He grinned. "Heard you hit the jackpot."

I stepped forward. "Leave. Now."

"Or what? You'll tell your billionaire husband?" He laughed. "I have pictures, Ara. From Boracay. Of you. Want me to send them to Mr. Castro?"

My hands were shaking. "What do you want?"

"2 million." He said easily. "And I disappear. Forever."

I looked up at the house. At the window where I knew Zian was probably watching.

"I don't have 2 million."

"Then he does." David shrugged. "Think about it. You have until Friday."

He walked away.

I stood there, shaking. Holding the ultrasound photo so tight it crumpled.

10 million.

A lie.

And a threat.

How was I supposed to survive this?

_TO BE CONTINUED..._