CHAPTER 2

Slap!

My face turned to the side as I received the slap my future mother-in-law gave me as a welcoming gift. I pursed my lips and closed my eyes, bracing myself for another slap when she lifted her hand again, but nothing came. 

When I blinked to open my eyes, I saw Joaquin—my last client—stopping his mother from slapping me once more as he looked at me with anger filling his eyes. I looked away, but I could still see him—them—from my peripheral vision. 

“Tita Claudia, stop…” Joaquin’s voice was soft but firm and authoritative. 

And I only realized it now that Joaquin didn’t call the woman mom. Instead, he called her tita. It meant that the woman named Claudia wasn’t his biological mother. Perhaps a relative… or his father’s second wife… or mistress. 

I looked at them again. Claudia took her hand back from Joaquin’s hold and stepped back. 

“I can’t believe you allowed this kind of woman in your penthouse, Joaquin! And what… she pleasured you?” Her voice trembled with disgust which made me purse my lips. “A video was released last night. A video of you and that woman fucking in your room, Joaquin! The news immediately spread like wildfire! Your father saw it!”

My lips parted at the sudden information I heard from Claudia. A video? 

Claudia handed Joaquin a gadget while a video was playing on it. I saw myself in the video, leaning forward to the glass wall of Joaquin’s room as he fucked me from behind. The video was taken outside the building. But it was so clear, only that there’s no sound coming from it. But my face was clear enough to know who exactly I was. 

“She’s a prostitute for goodness’ sake, Joaquin!” Claudia harshly said as she looked at me sharply. 

I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t even move from where I was standing. It was as if I was paralyzed. My whole body started to ache for some reason. And I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t expect that something like this would happen. 

Joaquin sighed but he wasn’t surprised. He looked at me after giving the gadget back to Claudia. He took my hand and whispered, “It’s okay. I got this…” 

I knew he was trying to assure me that everything would be fine, but it didn’t feel like that. I couldn’t relax. I was nervous, scared, and mad all at the same time. I didn’t wish for any of this to happen. Not when I just tried to end my life last night. I wanted to escape from that shithole, but another punishment had me on my neck now. 

“You can’t marry me, Joaquin…” I tried to convince him. 

“Joaquin, son, please. You must stop this nonsense. Everyone is expecting that you’re going to get engaged with Grace Chua at the end of this year!” 

Joaquin didn’t pay attention to Claudia’s words. Instead, his eyes were focused solely on me. Like I was the only thing that mattered to him right at that moment. 

“I’m sorry. I never should have agreed–” 

He cut me off with a soft hush. “I paid you already. You have to marry me in order to stop the upcoming engagement. And in exchange, I will give you a grand life and everything you desire to have. You already signed a contract, Mira Hernandez…” he reminded me. 

Last night, when I agreed to his suggestion of marrying him. He brought me back to his penthouse and made me sign a contract. He didn’t manipulate me. It was my choice, my own free will. Because I knew I needed him if I wanted to get everything that was rightfully mine in the first place. 

And I was close to giving up before he came to rescue me from ending my life. He was my savior and I knew I needed him just as much as he needed me… 

“I didn’t want to be engaged with Grace Chua in the first place, Tita Claudia,” Joaquin said. “It was Dad who wanted me to marry her and I didn’t agree. And I still don’t agree. Mira is the one I want to marry…” he declared and my eyes widen instantly despite knowing exactly what he meant. 

“You can’t do that, Joaquin. Your father collapsed and had an attack when he heard and saw the news, Joaquin. He’s in critical condition. You can’t do that to your father!” 

Claudia was looking at me when she said those. It was as if she’s telling me that it was all my fault. But when Joaquin looked back at her, she immediately changed her expression into pleading. I sighed and looked at Joaquin again. His eyes were dark and full of menace. 

“I’m gonna do whatever the hell I want, Tita. I’ll marry Mira and that’s final. I don’t care what my father wants. He can go to hell for all I care.” I felt him tightening his hold on my hand. “Let’s go,” he said as he pulled me away from the house where his father and Claudia lived. 

***

BREAKING NEWS: Joaquin Alfonso Agravante—the most respected and the wealthiest businessman in the country, and the heir to the Agravante Inc., who has been promised to marry the daughter of the owner of Chua Holdings, was caught on camera while having the hottest night of his life… with a prostitute. Now known as the epitome of darkness; the most handsome beast of his generation was never expected to do such a thing just to pleasure himself. What a very scandalous affair, indeed. Such an event only proves that once lust takes over, not even a saint can escape the chains of temptation. 

I bit my lower lip as fear and humiliation enveloped my whole body upon watching the news on the TV. The video was also included in the news as the reporter continued telling their piece. It was viewed as a scandal and I couldn’t agree more. My body was blurred in the video and so was Joaquin’s but our faces remained clear. 

I continued watching until Joaquin grabbed the remote from my hand and pushed its off button then placed the remote on the coffee table in front of me. 

“Stop watching that. My legal team is already on it. You should worry about our upcoming wedding instead of pushing yourself to the edge because of a mere video of us fucking…” My blood boiled upon hearing what he said. 

I stood up and looked at Joaquin. “How can you say that so coldly like none of this matters to you? It was us in the video, Sir Joaquin! You fucked a prostitute! It would leave an unerasable stain in your name and I will forever be viewed as a low gold digging prostitute for the rest of my life. And you’re telling me to not worry about a mere video of you fucking me from behind spreading around the whole country?” 

My tears threatened my eyes and it was probably just my imagination that I thought I saw shock and guilt in Joaquin’s dark eyes. That’d be impossible. 

He sighed and stepped towards me, closing our distance. “I’m sorry. That was insensitive of me to say. But I promise you. My legal team will soon eradicate every trace of that video. And I will marry you. I will let the whole country know how serious I am about marrying you. And nothing would ever make me back out even if it’s the fact that you worked as a prostitute…” 

“Why would you even choose to marry someone like me? Why would you choose to marry a prostitute?” I asked him, tears falling from my eyes. 

“Because I know you need my help and I need yours. You are the best candidate for me. You are perfect for me and my plans. And I will help you get everything you desire. That’s what we agreed, right?” I gulped at the sudden indifference in his voice. I blinked my tears away as I nodded. 

Joaquin cupped my face and pulled it right up to his, reaching for my lips to kiss me. And we shared another intense night that I thought I would never forget for the rest of my life. 

Soon after our video scandal was removed from news and from all sites and devices, we had a private grand wedding. No one was invited and it was only the two of us inside the church with the pastor. It was a very peaceful and intimate wedding. No one would even think of having while his father was still in coma. But Joaquin was different. And it was clear that he hated his father to the core. 

“Are you okay? Do you feel sick?” he asked as he helped place my things inside his car. 

“I’m fine…” I assured him. 

We’re going to have our honeymoon here in Greece. I honestly wanted to stay in the Philippines, but he told me that it would be fun if we leave the country for our honeymoon. I actually never expected that we’d also do something like this. Since we’re only married by papers and contract. 

As soon as we checked into our room, Joaquin attacked me with his fiery kisses on the way to our suite. I was moaning while he was carrying me to the bedroom. Our things were already inside the suite. He put on the bed and continued kissing me. 

“Wait… Ah…” I moaned as his lips touched my peaks. 

“You are so beautiful…” he whispered against my neck as he planted more kisses on it. 

“Aren’t you tired?” I asked him. 

He stopped kissing me to look at me. 

“Are you? We can stop if you want,” he whispered as he gently caressed my face. It was so gentle that even I couldn’t help but think how he’s good at pretending. 

“No. I want to. I want to pleasure you…” I whispered so weakly, his eyes drowning me. 

He sighed and nodded then continued where we left off. 

Greece was beautiful. And Joaquin let me enjoy its beauty with him. I never imagined that I would come to this point of my life where I’d be able to enjoy traveling. I couldn’t even travel locally, but now… Joaquin made it all possible. I couldn’t thank him enough. 

“Are you enjoying it?” he asked, placing my food in front of me. 

“Yes. Thank you. I like it here,” I genuinely said and hoped that he’d see how grateful I am. 

“We can come back here anytime you want. We have a lot of time ahead of us, after all…” He smiled at me.

I’m starting to think that he’s really kind. Despite his cold demeanor and his dark aura, there’s still kindness amidst it. And I couldn’t help but want to see more of it for myself. 

“You still haven’t told me what you want, Mira…” I was caught off guard by his sudden question. “We’re already married. And we’re going to be together for 3 years as per our contract. You helped me get out of  the chain my father put on me. Now, it’s my turn to help you with whatever you want…” He was calm while saying that. 

I sighed. I guess I better get started if I want to get everything back as soon as possible. 

I looked at him straight in his eyes. He was serious and all business. Right, this marriage is a business to him. I shouldn’t get a hold of myself just because he became a little bit nice. I still don’t know anything about him aside from everything that he put outside for everyone to see. 

But getting everything back is my priority. 

“I want to stop working as a prostitute, but my employer wouldn’t allow me. I just escaped from the house and I’m sure–”

“I already took care of that, my sweet Mira…” The way he called me twitched something inside of me. It was a bit sensual, given how he always called me that way every time we fucked each other. “I paid your employer what your contract with them was worth in exchange for your freedom…”

I was shocked. My eyes widened at what he said. He just paid me two million dollars in exchange for marrying him and he even paid my employer just to help me get out of the house? 

“When did you?” I asked. 

He sighed and took a sip on his wine. “While we’re fucking each other, I had my butler do the job for me…” he said, grinning confidently behind his wineglass. 

I was really shocked and my emotions were all over the place. I honestly couldn’t figure out what I was feeling right at that moment. 

“Thank you, I…” 

“Shh,” he hushed me. “I just did what I had to… for my plans to go well. But… you’re welcome…” He put his glass back on the table and looked at me darkly. “So, going back to your business… what do you want, Mira?” 

I blinked my eyes and pursed my lips, turning my fist into balls. My heart hammered against my chest. Nervousness wrapping me coldly. 

“I, uhm…” My lips trembled. And when I looked at Joaquin again, he was expectant and amused. I gulped. “I want you to put someone behind bars for me…” I finally said and I was suddenly surprised at how easily the words came out of my mouth. It was shocking and scary. 

Joaquin chuckled softly, but darkly. “Now, this is getting interesting…”