Bound by the Billionaire's Command

Chapter 1: The Price of Desperation

TRIGGER WARNING: Explicit Sexual Content: High-frequency, detailed descriptions.

Ang gabi sa Forbes Park ay laging tahimik, pero para kay Bianca ang katahimikang iyon ay tila isang dambuhalang kamay na sumasakal sa kanyang leeg.

She's standing in front of the massive steel gates of the Calder Estate. Limang taon na ang nakalipas simula noong huli siyang tumapak dito. Noon, she was the princess of the Moon Group of Companies, the girl who had the world at her feet. Pero ngayon? She was just a woman with a dying brother and a bank account that read zero.

"I'm here to see Mr. Ethan," she told the security guard. Her voice was steady, but her knees were shaking inside her tight pencil skirt.

"Do you have an appointment, Ma'am?"

"Tell him... it's Bianca. Bianca Moon."

Hindi nagtagal, bumukas ang gate. The walk to the main mansion felt like a march to the gallows. Pagpasok niya, sinalubong siya ng amoy ng mamahaling leather, citrus, at ang pamilyar na scent ni Ale, the scent of power. She found him in his private study. The room was dimly lit, the only source of light being the moon outside and the amber glow of the desk lamp.

Alexander was sitting behind his desk, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing the intricate ink on his forearms and the gold Rolex that cost more than her family's house. He didn't look up. "You're five minutes late, Calista," Alex said. His voice was deeper than she remembered, like a low vibration that traveled straight to her core.

"The traffic was—"

"I don't care about the traffic," he cut her off, finally looking up.

Bianca felt the air leave her lungs. Alex had grown even more handsome, but his eyes... they were cold as ice. Wala na ang init na dati ay nakikita niya tuwing tinitignan siya nito noong college sila.

"Sit down," he commanded.

Bianca obeyed, her hands clasped tightly on her lap. "Natanggap mo ba ang email ko? About the loan?"

Alex chuckled, a dark, humorless sound. He stood up and walked around the desk. Every step he took was predatory. He stopped right in front of her, leaning against the desk, his presence overwhelming. "Five hundred million pesos, Bianca? That's not a loan. That's a bailout," he whispered, leaning down until their faces were inches apart. "Bakit ko gagawin 'yun? After you rejected me in front of everyone? After you told me I wasn't classy enough for your world?"

"Ethab, please... nagkamali ako noon. Bata pa tayo that time. My brother is dying. He needs the bone marrow transplant sa Singapore. At ikaw lang ang kilala kong may ganoong karaming liquid cash."

"Oh, I have the money," he said, reaching out to trace the line of her jaw with his thumb. His touch was electric, burning her skin. "But I'm a businessman, Calista. I don't give handouts. I want an investment."

"Anong... anong gusto mo?"

Alex's gaze dropped to her lips, then down to the swell of her breasts. The tension in the room became thick, suffocatingly hot. "I want you. In my house. In my bed. Every night for a year," he said, his voice dropping to a gravelly whisper. "I want the woman who thought she was too good for me to be at my beck and call. You will be my companion, my stress-reliever... my property."

Bianca's breath hitched. "You want a mistress?"

"I want you, Bianca Calista. Undivided. Unconditional." He reached for a fountain pen and pushed a contract toward her. "Sign this, and the first hundred million will be in your account in five minutes. Take it... or watch your brother fade away."