My Beggar Husband

PROLOGUE

Ziarus Luxian “Lux” Valemont is a powerful multi-trillionaire who owns a vast empire of malls, luxury hotels, and world-class hospitals. Despite his immense wealth and influence, Lux often feels disconnected from reality. Surrounded by people who only see him as a walking bank account, he longs to understand how ordinary people truly live — and how they treat those who have nothing.

To satisfy this curiosity, Lux devises a bold plan—go undercover as a beggar, hiding his true identity to experience life stripped of privilege and power.

Meanwhile, Kezomi Amarae “Kez” Ardenvale, a breathtakingly beautiful supermodel whose very presence turns heads, is facing a crisis of her own. Her father, a controlling and ruthless businessman, has arranged her marriage to the heir of another powerful family in order to secure a major business alliance.

But Kez despises the idea of being forced into a loveless marriage with a stranger — someone who could turn out to be arrogant, controlling, or even dangerous. Determined to take charge of her own future, she hatches a reckless plan: find a man herself and marry him before her father’s chosen groom ever enters the picture.

(Lux' POV)

I sat on the cracked pavement, my back leaning against a crumbling brick wall. My usual life — penthouse, designer suits, luxury cars — felt like it belonged to another person. Ngayon, ang suot ko lang ay isang ripped hoodie, faded jeans, at butas-butas na boots. Kahit ang Rolex ko, tinago ko na para hindi mahalata kung sino talaga ako.

People passed me like I was nothing. Some sneered, others muttered insults, and most just… ignored me. May ilan pang nagbigay ng barya, pero kita mo sa mata nila na hindi iyon galing sa awa — it was just to clear their conscience before they went back to their perfect lives.

I kept my head low, playing my role, pero sa loob-loob ko, napapangiti ako.
So ganito pala ang mundo kapag wala kang pangalan o pera. Invisible ka, disposable ka. Tsk. Mga matapobre.

Ito ang dahilan kung bakit ako nandito — a social experiment. Gusto kong makita kung paano talaga umiikot ang mundo sa labas ng empire ko. No CEOs, no fake smiles, no "Yes, sir." Just me… and the truth.

Pero sa totoo lang, medyo nabobored na ako.
Until she appeared.

---

At first, akala ko guni-guni lang.

Sa gilid ng paningin ko, may dumating na babae. And the moment I saw her, parang nag-slow motion ang paligid. The noisy crowd seemed to part for her, like she was too untouchable to belong here.

Her silky hair shimmered under the sunlight, her dress screamed luxury. Pero hindi lang iyon ang tumama sa akin. It was her eyes — full of fire, determination, and… desperation. She wasn’t just beautiful. She was lethal, the kind of woman who could burn down the world and look breathtaking while doing it.

My curiosity piqued instantly.
Who is she? And why the hell is someone like her walking here, sa gitna ng kalye?

Then I froze.
She wasn’t just passing by.
She was walking straight toward me.

---

I straightened a bit, careful not to blow my cover.
Okay, maybe she’s here to give me coins, or maybe she’s one of those rich girls na nagvi-video ng “charity moment” for TikTok.

Pero nung bumuka ang bibig niya, muntik na akong matawa sa pagkabigla.

“I’ll make you a deal,” she blurted out, breathless, halatang galing sa intense situation.
“I’ll marry you — right now. No questions asked. I just… I just need a husband before my father forces me into a marriage I don’t want.”

I blinked.
…What?

For a moment, naisip ko, baka mali lang ang dinig ko.
Pero hindi. Tama ang pagkakarinig ko.
This gorgeous stranger just proposed marriage to me, a filthy “beggar” on the street.

Napatingin ako sa kanya, this time fully meeting her gaze.

Up close, she was even more breathtaking. Her perfect features, full lips trembling with urgency, and those haunting eyes — parang may tinatakbuhan siya, parang desperado na talaga.

My lips curved into a slow, teasing smirk.

“Gusto mo akong pakasalan?” I asked in a rough, low voice, para kunwari parang gutom at pagod ako.
“As in, here and now?”

She nodded fiercely, desperation radiating off her.

“Yes! Please. I don’t care about your past, your money, or anything. I just need someone I can trust. Someone I choose.”

And that’s when it hit me.

Oh, fate really had a sick sense of humor.
The mysterious heir her father wanted her to marry?
It’s me.

Ako mismo ang tinatakbuhan niya.
I’d been dreading that arranged marriage just as much as she clearly was. Kaya nga ako nag-decide na mag-undercover muna, bago ako ma-trap sa isang relasyon na walang saysay. I wanted to see the world without power and wealth clouding everything.

And now, here she was — standing in front of me, practically begging me to marry her.

Well, well, well… this just got interesting.

I considered telling her the truth for a split second. Pero naisip ko rin, ang dami nang babaeng lumapit sa akin dahil lang sa pangalan at pera ko. This was my one chance to see who Kezomi Amarae Ardenvale really is, without the Valemont name hanging over her head.

Besides, come on. She’s drop-dead gorgeous, fiery, and bold enough to propose marriage to a total stranger.
How could I resist?

Leaning back, I let out a low chuckle and smirked up at her.

“Sige,” I said smoothly, keeping my tone calm while my heart was thundering with excitement. “Let’s do it.”

Inside, I was grinning like the devil.
She’s reckless, desperate, stunning… and she has no idea na ako mismo ang fiancé na tinatakbuhan niya.

What was supposed to be a boring social experiment had just turned into the most dangerous — and thrilling — game of my life.