Chapter Text
Maiko Lim adjusted the cuff of her tailored silk blazer, her heart hammering against her ribs. She had spent years perfecting her composure, a necessity as the heiress to a shipping empire, but standing here—waiting for the woman who had been the protagonist of every dream she’d had since she was sixteen—felt like standing on a ledge.
"Fix your face, Maiko," her mother hissed, her voice a sharp blade. "This merger is the only reason the Arcetas are staying afloat. Just sign the papers and look like you want to be here."
Merger. To the world, it was a business deal. To Maiko, it was a desperate, guilty hope.
The heavy mahogany doors finally opened, and Aiya Arceta appeared.
She didn't drift tonight. She marched. Her gown was a striking crimson, but her face was a mask of pure, unadulterated fury. She was the girl who used to read poetry under the narra tree in high school, but now, her eyes were cold enough to freeze the room.
As their parents retreated to the dining hall to finalize the exchange of shares and titles, the silence in the hallway became violent.
"I hope you're happy," Aiya said, her voice dripping with venom. She didn't even look at Maiko. "Binili mo na nga pala ang buong pagkatao ko, 'di ba?"
Maiko flinched as if she’d been struck. "Aiya, listen to me—"
"No, you listen!" Aiya turned, her eyes red-rimmed with unshed tears and rage. She stepped into Maiko’s personal space, her voice a low, dangerous tremble. "Bakit pumayag ka? You’re a Lim. You have the power. You could have walked away from this deal, but instead, you’re letting them sell me to you like some piece of property."
Maiko took a breath, trying to steady her hands. "I didn't force your parents' hand, Aiya. They were the ones who—"
"But you said yes!" Aiya interrupted, a bitter laugh escaping her. "That’s the worst part. Alam ko namang sakim ang mga magulang ko, pero ikaw? I thought you were better than this. Pinanood mo lang silang itali ako sa'yo. Do you really want a wife who hates the very sight of you?"
"I don't want you to hate me," Maiko whispered, her voice cracking. "Ever since high school, Aiya... I just wanted to be near you. I thought if I was the one you married, at least I could protect you from the people who would treat you like a trophy."
"Protect me?" Aiya took another step forward, her finger poking Maiko's chest. "You’re not my hero, Maiko. You’re my jailer. Kahit anong gawin mo, hinding-hindi ko makakalimutan na pinilit lang ako dito."
Maiko looked down at Aiya’s trembling hands. Even in her rage, Aiya was twisting the ring on her finger—a nervous habit Maiko had memorized a decade ago.
"I know you're terrified," Maiko said softly, refusing to back away. "I know you hate the rain because it makes your hair frizzy. I know you drink your coffee black just to feel something when you're tired. And I know na ngayon, you want to scream at the world for taking away your choice."
Aiya froze, her breath hitching. The fury in her eyes flickered, replaced for a split second by a raw, naked vulnerability.
"How do you know those things?" Aiya whispered.
"Because I never stopped looking," Maiko replied, her gaze steady and filled with a sorrowful kind of love. "I know you don't want this marriage. And I know you might never want me. But I’d rather you be 'trapped' with someone who actually knows your soul than be sold to a stranger who only wants your last name."
Maiko reached out, her fingers hovering near Aiya’s arm but not touching. "I promise you, Aiya... you can hate me all you want. You can treat this house like a prison. But I will spend every single day proving to you that you still have a choice. Even if that choice is to never love me back."
Aiya searched Maiko’s face, her jaw tight. She didn't soften. She didn't smile. She just pulled her arm away and looked toward the dining room.
"Magsisimula na ang pirmahan," Aiya said, her voice cold and flat once more. "Let’s get this nightmare over with."
As Aiya walked past her, the scent of jasmine lingered, leaving Maiko standing in the cold hallway—victorious in the eyes of the world, but completely defeated in the only heart that mattered.
The drive to their new home was a hollow, echoing silence. The house—a sprawling, modern minimalist glass box in an exclusive subdivision was a "wedding gift" from their parents. In reality, it was just a more expensive cage, decorated with furniture they hadn't picked and a bed they didn't want to share.
Maiko parked the car, but neither of them moved. The engine ticked as it cooled down, the only sound in the dark driveway.
"Nandito na tayo," Maiko said softly, the words feeling heavy in the cramped space of the car.
Aiya didn't look at her. She stared out the window at the sleek white walls of the house. "You mean, dito na yung bagong opisina mo? Because that’s all this is, right? A satellite branch of the Lim-Arceta merger."
Maiko winced, but she stepped out and opened Aiya's door. Aiya ignored her offered hand, stepping out on her own and marching into the house. Inside, the lights flickered on—motion sensors, cold and clinical.
"Aiya, can we just talk for one second? Without the sarcasm?" Maiko asked, closing the front door. The click of the lock sounded like a gavel.
Aiya whirled around, her heels clicking sharply on the marble floor. "Talk about what? Kung gaano kaganda yung tiles? O kung magkano yung binayad ng pamilya mo para makuha ako? Let’s face it, Maiko. You bought a wife. Binili mo ako. So don't act like we’re a normal couple."
"I didn't buy you." Maiko finally snapped, her composure fracturing. "I saved you."
"Saved me?" Aiya laughed, a sharp, jagged sound that filled the empty living room. "You call this saving? You tied me to a contract! You took away my chance to actually find someone I might have actually loved!"
Maiko stepped closer, her shadow stretching long across the floor. "Your parents were going to sell your hand to the highest bidder regardless, Aiya! Do you think I don’t know about the debts? I saw the ledgers. Your father was already talking to the Cruzes and the Sy family. At least with me, you’re safe."
"Safe?" Aiya’s voice dropped to a whisper, trembling with venom. "I'm a payment, Maiko. Ginawa akong bayad sa utang. And you were the one who signed the check. How am I supposed to look at you and not see the person who owns my debt?"
Maiko felt the sting in her chest, a physical pain that made it hard to breathe. She reached out, trying to grab Aiya’s hand, but Aiya pulled back as if Maiko’s touch was acid.
"Listen to me," Maiko said, her eyes burning with a desperate, fierce intensity. "I will try everything. I will work myself to the bone to make this work. Susubukan ko ang lahat para maging maayos tayo. I’m going to make sure you never have to step foot in that boardroom again just to be a bargaining chip."
Aiya let out a breathy, bitter sob. "You don't get it."
"No, you don't get it," Maiko countered, her voice low and steady. "I won't let your family use you ever again. Hinding-hindi ko hahayaan na gamitin ka ulit ng pamilya mo para gawing pang-bayad sa utang. I closed that door for them the moment I signed those papers. You are an Arceta by name, but you are under my protection now."
"I don't want your protection! I want my life back!" Aiya screamed, the sound echoing off the glass walls.
"This is your life now!" Maiko shouted back, then immediately softened, her shoulders sagging. "And I know it’s hurtful. I know it kills you to be here with me. Pero mas gugustuhin ko nang kamuhian mo ako dito sa loob ng bahay na 'to, kaysa makita kang miserable sa piling ng taong hindi ka man lang kilala."
Maiko turned away, unable to look at the raw hatred in Aiya's eyes. "The guest room is upstairs to the left. I'll stay in the master's. I won't cross that line unless you ask me to."
Aiya stood in the center of the cold, beautiful living room, her silhouette looking small against the expensive art. "Then prepare to be lonely, Maiko. Because I will never ask."
Maiko didn't reply. She just walked up the stairs, each step feeling like she was dragging lead, leaving Aiya alone in the dark of their "gifted" home.
How can Maiko possibly bridge the gap when Aiya views every act of kindness as a reminder of her "price"?