Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Billionaire's Hidden Triplets: Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

—Mabel—My stomach coiled tight. Not from fear—but from the sour memory of that morning six years ago.Angelina scanned the room like a queen about to reclaim her kingdom, flanked by a group of men and women I didn't quite recognize.I glanced at Alec. Just like the rest of us, he was looking at her.The moment their eyes locked, Angelina toyed with a curl of her hair and smirked. Squaring her shoulders, she strutted to the only empty seating in the room with the placard, Solvane Corporation, the team falling into step behind her.“Sorry to be late,” she muttered to the dignitaries on the raised stage and sat down next to Alec, crossing her legs.Alec glanced at me, but I was faster. I tore my gaze away from him, to the stage just as the deep voice of the announcer filled the room.“Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the national anthem.”Chairs scraped subtly against the marble floor as everyone rose to their feet.I placed a hand over my chest, my eyes fixed on the massive Americ

—Alec—Of all times to be stuck in traffic, it had to be tonight.Suddenly, it seemed to move—only to freeze again.“Damn it!” I snapped and raked my fingers through my hair. “I hate city traffic.”Kyu-hun glanced through the tinted glass and checked his watch. “It’s not moving. We’ve got barely ten minutes.”I cursed under my breath and pulled out my phone.“What are you doing?”“I’m calling my pilot. If the streets won’t move, the sky will.”In a split second, I dialed the private helipad.“This is Alec Rivera. Ready the Black Falcon. I need immediate lift.”“Yes, sir.”I ended the call and looked at Kyu-hun. “We’re going airborne.”His eyes widened. “You’re bringing a chopper—right here?”“Yep.”“How will they find us?”“GPS,” I replied. “My car and watch are traceable—standard security protocol.”A soft hum of rotors echoed in the distance.Kyu-hun cracked the window open. “Is that...?”“Yes, it’s the Black Falcon,” I confirmed, sliding my phone back into my pocket.A minute later

—Alec—The shrilling sound of my phone’s alarm filled the air.Cursing under my breath, I snatched the phone from the nightstand and silenced it. I pried my eyes open and squinted at the reminder on the screen.Great.Today was the governor’s yacht party. Another evening of shallow conversations and fake smiles.“Kyu-hun?” I stepped into the hallway and opened the door to his bedroom—but he wasn’t there.One of the house staff appeared behind me. “Sir, Mr. Kyu-hun is in the kitchen.”I hesitated, curiosity tugging at my brow.What could Kyu-hun possibly be doing in the kitchen?But sure enough, I made my way downstairs, and the information was correct. Kyu-hun was in the kitchen, moving with the finesse of a professional chef as he fried something while the kitchen staff watched, amused.He spotted me in the doorway and lowered the music.“Annyeong, Mr. Billionaire.”“What are you doing?” I asked, stepping into the room.“I’m making us lunch.”“Lunch?”Kyu-hun chuckled. “Maybe you did

—Ruth—The weather yesterday was favorable.I was on the farm, transferring seedlings when a ding notification came up in my phone.Cleaning my hand with a towel, I reached inside my pocket for my phone and scrolled to the notification.It was a text from my best friend—Mabel, asking to see me.Curiosity flipped my world upside down.Instantly, I became worried for her and the kids. I texted her back, and a follow up text confirmed they were fine.Surprises.They make me giddy.After she told me she'd a little surprise, I couldn't relax for the rest of the day until she came through the doors of the fanciful restaurant, and broke the news.“What? Me?” I stuttered. “Yes,” she replied. “I've been asked to come with a plus one.”“...I'm a local girl, a farmer. I have no business with elite gatherings,” I said.The fact is, all my life, I'd never been to fancy parties, at least not large ones of the elites. It'd always been me, and my plants in my small part of the world.Mabel was the o

—Mabel—A dance.It would only be a dance, I told myself as Alec Rivera led me to the dance floor.But the moment his hand slid around my waist and his other hand held mine, our fingers interlaced like we were always meant to fit— a maddening sensation coursed through me.Our eyes locked, searching for something in each other—what? I couldn’t say.His hand on my back slid lower, then held me steady— his touch warm, sending a firework of sensation down my spine.The music softened into something slow and dreamy, like it was conspiring to pull us closer.I closed my eyes for a second, just for a second and allowed myself to melt into the moment. We swayed on the dance floor. I could hear his heart beat— slow and steady, his breath warm against my cheeks.“You look very beautiful tonight,” he suddenly spoke.I reopened my eyes and stared at him. “Thank you,” I muttered.For the first time, I really studied his outfit.He wore a tailored white linen suit, impossibly smooth, like it had b