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Chapter 1
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2025-11-19 13:01:40Jasmine’s POV
Walang nakakakilala sa katahimikan ng isang babaeng sawang-sawa sa kahirapan. Sa bawat hakbang ko papasok sa Alzaro Tower, dama ko ang bigat ng mga matang nakasunod sa akin. Maaga pa, wala pang alas-nwebe, pero puno na ang lobby ng mga empleyadong mukhang may kanya-kanyang mundo. Lahat sila nakaporma, naka make-up, naka-heels, nakalapel ang ID. Samantalang ako… naka-button-down na pastel blue blouse, slacks na hindi bago, at rubber shoes na kulay puti. Hindi ako narito para makipagkumpitensya sa style. Wala ako sa posisyon para mapansin, at ayaw ko rin naman ng ganoon. Ang kailangan ko lang… trabaho. Pero kahit ilang ulit kong sabihin sa sarili, ko na hindi ko mapigilan ang kaba na kumakabog sa dibdib ko habang papalapit sa HR office. Second day. Round two. “Ma’am,” bati ng receptionist. Mas magalang na ngayon. Mukhang nag-briefing na sila tungkol sa “walk-in drama” kahapon. “May schedule po kayo today for screening and panel interview,” sabi nito. “Kindly wait po doon sa conference room.” Tahimik siyang tumango. Wala siyang sinabi, wala ring ngiti. Wala siyang lakas para sa small talk. Ang iniisip lang niya: ang kapatid niyang may lagnat sa bahay, ang overdue na kuryente, at ang nanay niyang matagal nang kailangan ng maintenance meds pero hindi na-afford. Ngayon lang. Ngayon lang ako pwedeng magkamali. Pag-upo ko sa maliit na conference room, lumingon siya sa salamin sa dingding. Normal na tingin sa iba, pero para sa kanya, alam niyang one-way mirror ‘yan. Malamang, may nakatitig sa akin sa kabilang side. Siguro si Alexander Thompson. Napangiwi ako. Ang lalaking akala mo ay may hawak ng oras ng lahat. Akala mo, Diyos. At kahit hindi niya aminin, nanginginig pa rin ang laman niya sa huling palitan nila ng salita kahapon. Hindi dahil natakot siya. Dahil sa inis. Dahil sa kapal ng mukha nito. Dahil sa yabang. Pero may parte ring naintriga siya. Dahil sa gitna ng lamig ng boses niya, sa tikas ng tindig at tindi ng titig, may kung anong bitak. Parang hindi buo ang lalaking iyon, kahit ayaw niyang aminin. “Ms. Ramirez?” Nag-angat siya ng tingin. Tatlong panelist. Dalawa sa HR. Isa, pamilyar Executive Assistant ni Alexander. Matipid siyang ngumiti, nagpakilala, diretso sa punto. Sagot sa tanong, walang paligoy-ligoy. “Bakit niyo gustong pumasok sa corporate world pagkatapos ng ilang taong NGO work?” “Dahil kailangan ko ng trabahong may long-term stability. Pero higit pa doon, gusto kong iangat ang mga adbokasiya na sinimulan ko. At naniniwala akong kung may isang kompanyang may kapasidad para gumawa ng malaking pagbabago, ito ‘yun.” “May nagsabi po sa akin, delikado raw ang mundo ng CEO. Lalo na si Mr. Thompson. Hindi raw siya basta nagtitiwala.” Napangiti siya, bahagyang sarkastiko. “Hindi naman po ako pumasok dito para maghanap ng kaibigan. Basta may malinaw na purpose, may resulta, at may respeto sa bawat tungkulin, hindi ako umaatras.” Tahimik ang panel. Tinitigan siya ng assistant ni Alexander, bago tumango. “Noted, Ms. Ramirez. We’ll forward your file.” Paglabas ko ng opisina, hindi agad ako umalis. Umupo muna ako sa isang isang upuan sa espasyong bihirang mapansin ng karamihan. Doon ako huminga. Hindi dahil kampante siya sa sagot niya. Pero dahil sa ilang minuto lang… naramdaman niya Hindi siya ginawang invisible. At kahit hindi pa siya natatanggap, kahit hindi niya alam kung may pag-asa pa siyang mapili sa dami ng mas magara ang resume, naramdaman niya guna ipaglaban niya ang sarili niya. Hindi ako tinulungan ng connection. Wala akong backer. Pero nakapasok ako sa opisina ng lalaking akala mo sinasamba ng lahat. Two days passed so quickly. Isang text. Isang tawag. Interview with the Chairman himself. At nang muli siyang bumalik sa Alzaro Tower, sa mas pribadong silid na may floor-to-ceiling windows at art piece na hindi niya mabigkas ang pangalan, naroon siya. Alexander Thompson. Nakatayo. Nakasuit. Nakapamewang habang nakatalikod sa kanya. “Ms. Ramirez,” anito, hindi lumilingon. “Bakit ikaw?” Hindi siya nagpakumbaba. Hindi rin nagyabang. “Dahil hindi ako madaling bumigay. Hindi rin ako madaling bulagin ng pera. Kung gusto niyo ng puppet, hindi ako ‘yon. Pero kung gusto niyo ng someone na may tunay na malasakit, may integridad, at may paninindigan kahit kanino, iyon ako.” Tahimik si Alexander. Paglingon ko, doon ko siya napansin ang lungkot sa likod ng malamig niyang mata. Para bang kahit ilang bilyon pa ang hawak nito, may bahagi pa ring laging pagod. Laging kulang.
Latest chapter
A BILLIONAIRE’S EXCEPTION Chapter 58
Jasmine’s POV The city skyline glittered below the penthouse terrace, lights reflecting in the river like a thousand tiny stars. I leaned against the railing, glass of champagne in hand, feeling the cool night air brush over my skin. Alexander was beside me, quiet for once, and that in itself made me curious. “You’ve been awfully quiet tonight,” I teased, nudging him with my shoulder. He turned to me, that familiar half-smile tugging at his lips, eyes dark with something I couldn’t quite read. “I’m just… thinking,” he said, his voice low. I raised an eyebrow. “About what?” “About us,” he replied simply. His hand brushed mine, warm and steady. My pulse quickened, and I felt a flutter in my stomach. Something was different tonight. He took a deep breath, then bent to his knee so suddenly I nearly dropped my champagne. “Alexander—” “Jasmine,” he said, voice steady, fierce with certainty, “I’ve loved you from the moment you walked into my life. Every day since has been better beca
A BILLIONAIRE’S EXCEPTION Chapter 57
Jasmine’s POV Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and somehow, the world outside the penthouse ceased to matter as much. Life with Alexander had settled into a rhythm that was both intoxicating and effortless despite the occasional sparks of disagreement that flared between us. Mornings were our favorite. I’d wake to sunlight spilling through the floor-to-ceiling windows, brushing against Alexander’s shoulders as he slept, chest rising and falling steadily. He always woke before I did, but he never moved just let me watch him, the softest part of him revealed only to me. “I can’t believe you’re awake,” he would murmur when I finally stirred. “I’ve been watching you,” I’d reply, teasing, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. “Careful, or you’ll start charging for the view.” He’d groan, hand threading through my hair, tugging me closer. “You’re impossible.” “Maybe,” I’d say with a grin, “but you love it.” And he did. He loved it, and I knew it, and somehow that made our ordin
A BILLIONAIRE’S EXCEPTION Chapter 56
Jasmine’s POV The penthouse was quiet again, but it wasn’t the same calm as before. The city outside continued its endless rhythm, lights flickering against the windows, but inside, everything felt slowed, suspended. Alexander and I lay tangled on the couch, skin still warm, breaths uneven, hearts still racing from the intensity we had just shared. I traced lazy circles along his chest, feeling the solid muscle beneath my fingers. Every so often, his hand would find mine, squeezing gently, grounding me, reminding me I was here with him and nowhere else. “I can’t believe how easy it is with you,” I murmured, voice husky from exertion, from the intimacy we had shared, from the way his presence had become a part of me I didn’t even notice until it was gone. He chuckled softly, brushing a damp strand of hair from my forehead. “Easy? You make it sound like torture,” he teased, though there was warmth in his tone. His thumb traced a lazy path across my knuckles. “Torture,” I said, smi
A BILLIONAIRE’S EXCEPTION Chapter 55
Alexander’s POV The moment she walked into the room, my control slipped. Not completely, but enough to make my chest tighten, my pulse race. Jasmine was mine always had been but tonight, the heat radiating from her, the subtle sway of her body, the way her eyes lingered on me… it made everything else disappear. I closed the distance between us before she could react. My hands slid around her waist, pulling her flush against me. She gasped softly, and the sound, so small, so intimate, hit me like fire. “You’re driving me insane,” I murmured against her ear, lips brushing the lobe. “I like that,” she whispered back, pressing herself closer, hips tilting into mine. I kissed her then, deep and demanding, teeth and tongue teasing, lips parting in a rhythm we both knew well. My hands roamed freely, mesmerized, yet eager for every inch of her familiar curves. She responded instantly, hands gripping my shoulders, nails tracing patterns that left faint marks, evidence of her need. She pul
A BILLIONAIRE’S EXCEPTION Chapter 54
Jasmine’s POV The penthouse was quiet, as it always was when the city lights spilled in, casting streaks of gold and blue across the polished floors. I had been here a hundred times with Alexander, but tonight, there was a tension in the air, the kind that made my pulse quicken before a single word was spoken. He leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, watching me with that slow, calculating look I had come to know so well. Not predatory never but with a quiet intensity that always made my chest tighten. “You’ve been quiet all evening,” he murmured, stepping closer. I smirked faintly. “I’ve been adjusting,” I teased, but even as I said it, I felt a thrill run through me. Adjusting… to him, to us, to everything we had been building. He shook his head, smiling that small, private smile that made my heart skip. “You’re ridiculous.” I didn’t answer. I just watched him, the way his eyes darkened slightly, the way his hands flexed at his sides. I knew that look it was the look of a m
A BILLIONAIRE’S EXCEPTION Chapter 53
Alexander’s POV I noticed the shift long before she admitted it. It wasn’t in what she said Jasmine was careful with words when she felt exposed. It was in the way she moved, the subtle hesitations in her usual ease, the slight tension in her shoulders even as she walked barefoot across the penthouse we shared. This place was ours or at least it should have felt that way but tonight, I could tell, something was off. Something quietly pressing at her from the inside. Risk. That was the word she didn’t say. We had left dinner without incident. Ordinary. Comfortable. We were routine in our late-night drives, the city stretching and curving around us as if we owned it, yet tonight it felt like a living thing observing us. Jasmine sat beside me, fingers loosely interlaced, gaze fixed on the streets illuminated in streaks of neon and white light. I could see the reflection of the city in her eyes, and yet… she wasn’t fully present. Not to me. Not to herself. “You don’t have to disap
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