The Billionaire Legal Wife

It was only 7:00 AM when Jayzee arrived at the office on a Monday morning. His entire family was still away since their flight back had just landed. He had spent the whole weekend watching sports on cable and swimming in the pool. He wasn't in the mood to go to the club, so he stayed in his condo for two whole days. For the first time in his adult life, it seemed like he actually had some 'me' time.

From a distance, he could already see the bright light near his office. He saw Anikka sipping her coffee while looking at the screen, her back leaning against her swivel chair. In his opinion, she seemed to get more beautiful every day. He also noticed that the awkwardness between them had disappeared, and her gaze was no longer elusive like it used to be.

"Good morning," he greeted her. She seemed surprised by his unexpected appearance, as it was still early.

"Good morning," she replied. "Coffee?" she offered. He sat at the side of her desk and smiled.

"Would you allow me to sip your coffee?" he asked. Whenever he teased her, she would quickly come up with an excuse to avoid him. But he wasn’t going to let it slide this time. The longer this went on, the more challenged he felt by this woman who seemed uninterested in his charm.

"No," she replied quickly, which only made him smile more.

"Why not? I don’t have any contagious diseases."

"I’ll just make you one," she said. But before she could get up, he grabbed the paper cup and brought it to his lips.

"Iced coffee in the morning?" He frowned when he realized it was cold. He quickly placed the cup on her desk.

"I prefer it cold," she answered. He waited for her to take the cup and drink from it. Perhaps she was too shy, so she eventually took a sip.

"Now you’ve tasted my lips, sweetheart," he said with a grin as she still held the cup. He noticed her face turning red. "How does it taste?"

"Tastes like coffee," she shrugged, turning her eyes back to the screen. He was getting more irritated by her reactions. He quickly stood up and walked toward his office. "We’ll talk about my schedule today, Anikka," he said while walking away.

Less than five minutes later, she entered his office holding a pen and several folders. He stood up and sat at the side of the desk in front of her.

"What’s my schedule for today, sweetheart?"

"You only have three meetings today because Mr. del Mundo suddenly canceled yesterday," she replied.

"Yesterday was Sunday, Anikka."

"He called my number," she responded, which made him frown even more.

"He’s calling you outside office hours?"

He had given Anikka a company phone, which she used to communicate with clients even after work hours.

"Only to cancel today’s meeting," she quickly explained.

"Is Oliver calling you often?" he asked, referring to the supplier who was often in front of her desk lately.

"Sort of." She shrugged again.

He secretly cursed under his breath.

"Add to my schedule a visit to Zenclub at six," he said as he returned to his swivel chair. "You’re coming with me," he added.

"It’s outside work hours, Jayzee," she declined, as he had expected. He ignored her and began flipping through the folders she had brought.

"From now on, you’ll take the minutes of the meeting," he ordered, just like the secretary his father used to have. "You’ll be with me in the conference room later."

"Is it really that sudden?" he said with a smile. She, on the other hand, was fuming with irritation at the thought that Oliver always talked to her whenever he was out of the office.

"That's part of your job as my secretary. I just didn’t put you in it immediately because you’re new," he said.

"Okay, boss," she replied, teasing him while still smiling, although he was already serious. "Do you need anything else?"

"I need a coffee," he said, not looking at her.

"Hot or cold?" she asked. She threw him a glance and saw that he seemed to be enjoying the irritation he could sense from her.

"I don't drink cold coffee, sweetheart." He stared at her intently. "I want it as 'hot' as you." He emphasized the last part, but there was still no reaction from her. A few moments later, she left his office and returned with a cup of coffee.

"Here's your hot coffee, sir," she teased. He stood up and met her.

"Is this as hot as you?" he asked with amusement, deliberately touching her hand when she handed him the cup. If she thought she could get the better of him with her teasing, she was wrong. And if Oliver thought he could outpace him with her, he was also mistaken. He wasn’t Jayzee Albano if he would be outdone by another man.

"You decide," she replied, waiting for him to sip the coffee before he could answer her question.

"I can't decide yet," he said after taking a sip. The truth was, the coffee had burned his tongue slightly because it was still too hot. But he had to stick to what was on his mind.

"Why not?" she challenged him.

"Because I haven't tasted you," he almost whispered, and instinctively wrapped one arm around her waist and kissed her, catching her by surprise. He quickly placed the cup on the table and raised his hand to the back of her neck to deepen the kiss. To his surprise, Anikka responded in a way only she knew, which further lost him in his senses. They both gasped for breath afterward. "I think you're hotter," he quickly said, trying to ease the embarrassment between them. She didn’t reply but swiftly turned and left his office.

He sat down in the swivel chair afterward. Her mouth was sweet; a mixture of mint and coffee. One of his curiosities about Anikka had already been answered – how she kissed and what her kisses tasted like. He was sure it was her first time. He smiled and felt a sense of pride. He promised himself it wouldn't be the first and the last.

Welcome to my world, Anikka Merced... he told himself.

**April 1997**

"My child, Agusto! Where is Ana?" Diana cried out to her husband as she lay on a stretcher inside a hospital in Quezon Province. They were on their way to Manila, riding in her father's Pajero, when their vehicle collided with a bus traveling to Manila. A car crash ensued on the zigzag road, and she suspected her father's brother, Octavio, was involved. She even suspected that the accident at the family's mining site in Camarines Norte had something to do with Octavio—though she still needed to prove it.

"I'll find Ana, Diana. I promise," her husband replied, nodding quickly as Diana continued to weep. He left her side to search for survivors, but their daughter was nowhere to be found. He prayed desperately that Ana wasn’t among the bodies they recovered. Since the chaos and the moment Ana was separated from the crowd, he hadn’t seen her.

There were seventy people aboard the bus, making it hard to locate their daughter, especially with some of the victims’ relatives already arriving. He exited the hospital and saw the bodies that had been declared dead. His heart raced as he inspected each one. The last body he saw was that of a young girl, almost the same age as his daughter.

"Anikka..." A young woman cried out, possibly the mother of the child, holding the girl’s hand. He couldn’t bear the sight, imagining that Ana could have met the same fate. He couldn't bear the thought of losing his only child.

He walked around again, continuing his search for Ana, but once again, he was unsuccessful. He couldn’t even face his wife because it would only make her cry harder. He sat in the emergency waiting area, his eyes still searching.

"Papa..." A small voice called out, sending a jolt of hope through his chest.

"Ana?" He scanned the area and saw his daughter being held by the same woman who had been crying over the body of the other child. "Ana!" He immediately embraced her, breathing a sigh of relief. He looked up at the woman, who gave him a slight smile.

"Thank you so much," he said to her. "I’m so sorry for what happened to…" The woman nodded, her face still filled with sorrow. "If there’s anything I can do, just let me know."

"I just need to bring Anikka home," she replied between sobs. He could feel the pain she was going through.

"I’ll help you. Where do you live?" he asked.

"In Nueva Ecija. We were just visiting a relative of my daughter’s when this happened. I wish I hadn’t brought her," the woman wept again, allowing her grief to take over.

"I’ll take care of everything. Wait here; I just need to check on my wife because she’s worried about Ana." The woman nodded. "I’m Agusto Mondragon. And you are?"

"Lucila Merced," she answered. He nodded before leaving her side to check on his wife.

After safely bringing Ana to Diana, Agusto called a friend who would help them leave the area. Octavio didn’t need to know about their situation right now. He had to keep his family away from his brother’s evil plans.

"I can’t stand being away from Ana, Agusto," Diana said when he told her about the plan to take Ana far from Rancho Mondragon.

"We need to make it look like Ana is missing, Diana. Octavio won’t stop until he’s had his revenge. She’ll be safe away from him. I’ll have her stay with Nanay Tina. We won’t let her come to harm." Nanay Tina, Agusto’s aunt, now lived outside the Hacienda Mondragon, having stopped working at the mansion. She was Agusto’s father’s sister.

Diana remained silent, understanding why Octavio was so angry with them. He was Diana’s first love, and she got pregnant with his child when they were young. But when he started hurting women, Diana decided to leave him. After finding out about the child, Diana offered to marry the woman and take responsibility. That was when his feelings for her had started to grow. Octavio’s fury escalated, leading him to hurt Diana again, which resulted in her miscarriage. Octavio vowed that they would never know peace because of his betrayal.

That was only one of the many grudges Octavio held against her. Another was the loss of his inheritance from the Rancho Mondragon. The land was owned by Agusto’s mother, Manuela Mondragon. When Agusto’s father passed away, his mother ensured that Octavio, being the child of Roman Mondragon with another woman, had no claim to the estate. A year after his mother’s death, Octavio began his revenge after learning about the family’s will.

"Promise me no one will know about any of this, Diana. Ana’s safety depends on it. You don’t want to lose her a second time, do you?"

Diana nodded softly. Agusto led her away from the hospital without their daughter, Ana.

**April 2018**

"Maybe it's time for me to take you home, Nikka," Jude said when he picked her up from school one afternoon. It had been a year since she accepted his proposal after eight months of courting. But she still wasn’t ready to take their relationship to a more serious level, especially with so many secrets she had yet to tell him. Today was also the day her father had come home for an important matter that needed to be discussed.

"I can't today, Jude. Maybe next time," she offered, giving an excuse.

"You’re always making excuses. Aren't you serious about us?" he asked, his tone tinged with frustration. A headache suddenly hit her because of the conversation. Truth be told, Jude was kind and a gentleman. He had never pushed her beyond kissing. He was a 25-year-old call center agent, and she knew he genuinely cared for her.

"Dad's already home waiting for me," she added as another excuse. "Let’s set this for another day."

"I want to ask you to marry me, Nikka. You’ve already finished college."

She stared at him in surprise before quickly turning her gaze outside the car window, feeling his eyes on her. She wasn’t ready to introduce him to her parents, let alone marry him. She hadn’t even started working or built a career in her chosen course, AB in Mass Communication.

With a deep sigh, she kept looking out the window. When they finally reached her house, she saw her father’s car parked outside the gate. He was talking to her mother, Nanay Lucila, as if waiting for her to arrive. She quickly bid goodbye to Jude and kissed his cheek, but he turned and kissed her lips instead. She immediately pulled away, afraid her father would see.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your dad?" Jude asked, clearly waiting for a positive response. His face darkened when she didn’t answer. "Goodnight," he said, avoiding her gaze. She quietly got out of the car and hurried into the gate.

"Anikka’s home," Nanay Lucila said, and her father looked up and walked toward her as she entered the house.

"Hi, Pa!" she greeted, kissing his cheek with a smile.

"I’m glad you’re home. We need to talk about something important," her father said as they walked inside the house. Their home was small, with only three small rooms. She dropped her bag onto the study table. Her father stood at the door, his hands in his pockets.

"It’s time for you to go back, Ana. I’ll give you an hour to pack your things."

"Wha-what?" she asked in surprise. She knew they used to live in Camarines Norte, eight years ago, when they had to leave because of the accident that claimed Nanay Lucila’s real daughter, Anikka. She was too young to understand everything back then—why she had to go with a woman she didn’t know and take on the identity of someone else.

"You’ve finished college, Ana," her father said, and whenever he called her by that name, it felt strange, as she had grown up as Anikka. Though at school, she used her real name, Anastacia Mondragon.

"I’m fine here, Pa," she replied, taking off her sneakers.

"You need to face your real life now. You need to learn the ins and outs of our business, as well as the management of the ranch," her father continued. "I’m sorry, Anak, but you’re the only one I can count on because you’re the only child your mother and I have."

Her mind wandered to the vast lands of Rancho Mondragon, and the companies her grandmother had founded.

"Wasn’t our lives in danger back then, that’s why you kept me away from there? Why do I need to go back?" she asked, her chest tightening with anxiety.

"Because your Uncle Octavio wants to claim half of the ranch and also the profits from Golden Land Mining Corp."

"If that’s what will make him stop, why not just give it to him? He has a right to it as Grandpa’s son," she reasoned. The truth was, she didn’t want that huge responsibility. She was fine with her simple life in Nueva Ecija.

"If it were that easy, Ana," her father replied. "But your uncle is contesting his inheritance because he needs a lot of money. We suspect he’s involved in the drug trade, and having that land will make him rich and powerful."

"The more reason I shouldn’t go back there, Pa. My life was in danger thirteen years ago, and it will be now. Didn’t you declare me dead?"

"We never declared you dead, Anastacia!" her father said angrily. "You were missing, yes. But someone has been impersonating you in the mansion."

She stared at her father, confused by what he was saying. "W-what do you mean?"

"Five years after the accident, and while we were still looking for you, Octavio brought a teenage girl to the house claiming she was our daughter. We accepted her because your mother was grieving for you."

She couldn’t believe what her father had confessed. She couldn’t stop the tears from flowing at the thought that someone else was claiming her identity, and that this person was with her real parents. Even though Lucila never failed to give her attention, it still couldn’t fill the longing she had for her true family.

"So, she's using my name?"

"No. I would never let anyone use your name and your grandmother's. She's simply Ana Mondragon. We don't know where Octavio found her or what his reason was for bringing her to us. But now, everything is starting to make sense. We suspect she’s Octavio's child with another woman. Because we only have one child, there can only be one heir. If it's true that we can't find you, Ana will inherit everything – and that would favor Octavio."

"And now that your real child is coming back, what do you think she’ll feel?"

"She lived a life of comfort, Ana—"

"Anikka, Papa," she interrupted, correcting him for calling her Ana. "Let her use that name. I am no longer that person."

"You will always be my Ana," her father said emotionally, but she ignored him. "She won't suffer because we legally adopted her with your mother."

"Then Uncle Octavio still wins, Papa, if you legally adopted her."

"No. Your name is already on Rancho Mondragon when you were only eight years old. If she gets anything, it’s just shares in the company, enough for her to live comfortably."

"I wasn’t prepared for any of this, Papa. I didn’t expect it. I want to think about it first."

"Sooner or later, you still have to claim what is yours, Anikka."

"But like I said, this is the life I want. I’ve already applied for a job at a local radio station here. My friends are here, and I even have a boyfriend," she confessed.

"I’ve also arranged for you to marry the child of a close friend, Anikka."

"What?!"