EPISODE 6: The Contract Marriage

A week has gone by and another day has come to hit the quiet penthouse of Veronica Santiniez, she wakes up and does her morning routine. When those scenes from that night began to hit her memories again, she just released a sigh.

'Marry me.'

Veronica can clearly recall how blunt and empty Sebastian's proposal to him caused her to glare at him. She was giving him a disbelief look and even told him about losing his mind from asking her like that out of the blue. She even wished not to see him again. But even though she was annoyed, she could not shake the fact of familiarity that she was feeling around him. 

'Marry me.'

But Veronica kept recalling those particular words that struck her the most. "It's been a week and here I am thinking of it, AGAIN..." She muttered to herself with a sigh as she put some ointment on her face before putting on her mask. "But who cares? I'm not planning on meeting him again..." She was determined but her heart was reacting differently. "...yet, I felt like I've known him before." she wondered as she finished wearing her suit for her working day. "Have we met before?"

When Veronica was done with her usual routine and looking a professional businesswoman, she went straight to her company Ciel De Luna. Upon her arrival, she didn't wait for her driver to open it for her and just went on her own immediately. With her intimidating walk as she waltzed on her own company, everyone greeted her with a smile that she politely returned until her secretary came to her side.

"Is it a good morning or a bad one?" Veronica's secretary asked in familiarity causing her to sigh.

"Neither." She responded briefly. "Anything happened while I'm gone?"

Her secretary and only trusted friend, Yuna answered. "Ms. Ashley Salazar requested a meeting for the investment plan that emailed us."

Veronica almost stopped in her tracks when she realized the surnames of the potential investors for her El Fregamo and the man she met twice already. 'Why I'm surrounded by the Salazar?' she wondered to herself and entered the elevator.

Yuna kept informing her boss. "Also, there was news from our security that somebody was trying to hack our system."

Veronica scoffed. "Hacking our system? Are they nuts?" But Yuna was not saying anything anymore and wearing a worried expression. "What they were after?" she asked as they walked to the empty hall of her floor.

"Valerie Sterling." upon hearing that name, Veronica stopped in her tracks as her heartbeat rang through her ear.

"I see..." She took a deep breath before proceeding to walk. "Anything else, to add?" she coldly wondered.

Veronica half opened the door of her office when Yuna answered. "Mr. Sebastian Salazar is already in your office." She glared at Yuna who mouthed her apologies. "Sorry."

Then a charming and amused tone from a man but an irk voice for Veronica suddenly greeted her. "Good morning, my enchantress. Coffee?"

Veronica mustered up all of her control not to strangle the multi-billionaire CEO who was sitting on her chair as if he owned it. "Nothing is good now that you're here."

"It's my annoying charm for you." Sebastian grinned.

Veronica sternly looked at him. "I know you're not here to annoy my morning, so, what brought you here?"

"A marriage proposal." It caught Veronica's attention since nobody dared to make a deal with her through a marriage contract.

"A What?" Veronica could not believe what she just heard from Sebastian.

"Oh, let me rephrase that." Sebastian realized that it came out differently. "Let's do a contract marriage."

Veronica nodded as she removed her coat and let it rest on the couch. "For what reason do I agree with that?" she wondered while arching her left eyebrow with crossed arms.

Sebastian noticed the stern look and understood what it meant. But didn't move it was like challenging the boss of the company. Veronica wanted to hit his beautiful face with the charming but challenging smile he was showing but she didn't. She keeps her cool. 

"Personal reason." He answered but Veronica was not buying it without a right reason.

Veronica set her annoyance aside and became the CEO of her company. "Kindly elaborate on it before you can hear my answer." 

Sebastian sensed it and composed himself like one as well. "Very well then, I will be honestly blunt with you about my sudden offer." he started with a sigh at the end. "...my family, especially, my grandparents have been insisting I get married."

Veronica understood that part easily. "Then why I'm suddenly in the picture?" she wondered.

"From what I could see at last week's event, you don't like to be disturbed by those types of men." He answered as Yuna gave them a refill of their coffee. "I doing the honor of protecting you from those men."

"I can see that but you also knew that I'm not that kind of girl you've known. I'm capable of protecting myself." She confidently countered.

Sebastian nodded but he was not backing down. "I understand but only you that I can see playing as my wife and please my family." Veronica sternly looked at him but didn't say anything. "There was something about you that felt familiar and at ease. I know you won't harm my family I will be glad to do the same for you." he continued.

"What do you mean?" she was puzzled.

Sebastian liked that curious tone from her. "Help me and I will help you with everything that you needed my help." He honestly offered. "I won't boss you around since you're already the boss here. And besides what harm could happen when you're just going to have a contract marriage with me?" he was smirking.

"So many things could happen by marrying you even if it was just a contract." Veronica still finding ways to reason with him. "I don't want to be tied down with conflict since I have my baggage that can't be shared with anyone."

Sebastian quickly dropped it. "Then don't carry it alone." Veronica just gave him a scrutinizing look. "Marry me, Veronica and you won't be alone to deal with it. Like I said, whatever it might be I help you since I'm capable of doing it." He still insisting.

"I don't know what to say, Mr. Salazar. We've just met last week and you're just offering me a contract marriage..." Veronica was trying to weigh things since a lot of things could happen in one simple move. "... it's too fast. You don't know me and you'll hurt your family by lying like this." Hearing that, Sebastian smiled genuinely.

"We're not even married yet and here you are worried about me lying to my family." Sebastian pointed out. "We don't have to lie. We're going to get married but in contract. If we fall in love with each other then we can revoke it or even remarry each other. And sadly if not, we can divorce each other." he went on explaining to her what he had in his mind. "The only thing in part is to marry me, be my wife, and be a member of my family. I will do the same for you. Whatever you need, I'll be a good husband and support you all the way."

Veronica sighed since Sebastian was good at making deals. He already knew that Veronica was dealing with something and that was fake suitors who only wanted her fast-growing businesses. But she needed to be cautious about agreeing with his offer.

"Alright, anything else you would like me to know?" she asked.

Sebastian thinks for a second before speaking again. "Just agree to help me, I will help you in return even if there's blood need to take."

"Don't say it lightly." Veronica sighed.

He shook his head. "I am not. I am keeping my word. Just don't betray my trust." She sensed a warning when Sebastian said them.

"Then let me think about it." She sighed as she considered his offer.

Sebastian grinned like he was close to winning the bargain. "Okay, once you agree, there's turning back, Ms. Santiniez. This might be a personal matter for me but it's a win-win for both of us." he reminded her.

Veronica could read him. "I know but I'll consider it and give you a call." But she also knew that his offer could help him in some aspects and yet, she needed to know where to put them to good use.

Sebastian handed his direct calling card. "Then, here's my phone. Call me directly since it's a personal matter." He grinned before thanking her. "Thank you for accommodating me even if it's urgent."

Veronica rolled her eyes in annoyance. "As if I could kick you when you sit on my chair as if you own my company." She sternly said making Sebastian get up from her chair while giggling.

"Well, we have the same taste. My office is like this as well." He admitted.

"I didn't ask." She countered with annoyance.

"Just saying." Sebastian defended. "I'll be waiting for your call, my enchantress." But he liked the familiarity that he was feeling around Veronica Santiniez.

She sighed. "Veronica will do." 

"See you around, my wife." Sebastian teased and quickly went out of the office after seeing the death glare from Veronica.

When Sebastian was out, Veronica sighed while pinching the bridge of her nose. She was annoyed by the familiarity that Sebastian was giving her. But what made her think was his offer.

Yuna handed her boss some files to work on before asking. "Are you going to accept his proposal?" she even sounded worried.

"You sound worried." Veronica took notice of it.

"I am worried, my lady." She admitted with a sigh. "He is a well-known multi-billionaire which also means he's close to danger," she explained her reason for being worried.

"Yuna, I am a walking danger." She reminded her secretary and trusted friend who she was. "And besides his offer is delicious on my appetite to get what I needed." she even grinned when she thought of Sebastian's offer.

"Think about it carefully, my lady, or your hard work will fail." Yuna sighed and let her boss do her thing.

"I'm not going to let that go." She firmly said. "I am thinking where to put it if I ever agreed on this contract marriage."

Yuna understood the carefulness that her boss was doing whenever it was about her business. "Well, I will be honest, my lady, he's the first one who done it and very bold." she even chuckled over the bluntness of Sebastian toward her lady.

"True, even though it's annoying," Veronica admitted.

"But you like it." She smirked at her boss.

"It's fun but it makes me want to annoy him too." She joked.

Yuna thought for a second before voicing out her idea. "Then, make him wait for your response and be hard to get."

Veronica took note of it. "That will do but if I do, won't it bounce back at me?" she wondered.

"It will, my lady," Yuna confirmed it. "But be careful once you agree, you're going to be more open to the business world." but she still warned her boss since she didn't want Veronica to suffer again.

"That's more like it, Yuna." Veronica grinned sinisterly. "I better keep my prey closer before things bite back on them. I will even make sure there's no way that they could escape from my vengeance."