บททั้งหมดของ The First Trillionaire in the World: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 10

Elara Cruz stood frozen in front of the glowing computer screen. The documents stared back at her, bold letters she wished were just a nightmare.“Acquisition Complete: All Cruz Architectural Projects are now under Veylen Corp Holdings.”Her chest tightened. Hindi siya makapaniwala. One click, one contract signed by a man she had never even spoken to, and everything—her father’s dream, her years of sacrifice, her sleepless nights drawing blueprints—was gone.“Hindi… hindi puwede,” she whispered, shaking her head as tears burned the corner of her eyes. She scrolled down frantically, hoping, praying that this was a mistake. Pero lahat malinaw, every project she had poured her soul into, the low-cost housing plan for displaced families, the eco-friendly school her father once dreamed of building… all under one name. Adrian Veylen.The world’s first trillionaire. A man who built empires of glass. A man untouchable by laws, governments, and—apparently—dreams that weren’t his.Her knees buc

The conference hall had emptied, but the echoes of chaos still clung to the air like smoke after a fire. Reporters had scattered, chattering wildly about the scene they’d just witnessed. Adrian Veylen, the untouchable trillionaire, holding a furious woman’s hand in front of the entire press.And not just any woman—Elara Cruz. So It was his father's project. The one that caught his interest.Adrian sat in the back of his sleek black car, the city lights flickering against the tinted windows. He leaned back against the leather seat, one hand lazily adjusting his cufflinks while the other tapped rhythmically on his thigh.“Mr. Veylen,” his assistant, Jordan, spoke carefully from the front seat. “Would you like me to prepare your notes for the board meeting tomorrow?”“No,” Adrian said, his voice low, but there was a sharp edge to it. “Instead… I want you to find everything about her.”Jordan hesitated. “The woman at the press conference?”Adrian’s gray eyes gleamed in the dim light. “Ela

Elara stared at the phone in her hand, the message from Adrian still glowing on the screen. She hadn’t answered him for days. But after that confrontation at the cemetery—after those words that still echoed in her head—she realized there was no escaping him."Work with me, Elara. It’s the only way you’ll finish what he started."She hated how those words had lodged themselves inside her chest, twisting like thorns.“Kung tatanggihan ko siya,” she whispered, pacing inside her small apartment, “mawawala lahat ng plano ni Papa. Pero kung tatanggapin ko, I’ll be working for the man I swore to destroy.”Her reflection on the cracked mirror looked back at her—dark circles under her eyes, determination burning in her gaze. She clenched her fists.“Fine. If I have to enter the lion’s den, then I’ll do it. Pero hindi para sa kanya. I’ll do it for Papa. And maybe…” her lips curled into a bitter smile, “…para masira siya, simula na nang pagbagsak mo Mr. Veylen.”Her hand trembled as she typed th

Elara’s hand hovered over the coffee mug. The heat should have steadied her, but when she looked at the phone held by her officemate, the world tilted a little.“The Billionaire and the Architect — New Flame or Office Scandal?”The headline blinked like a neon sign. Her own face stared back at her, framed beside Adrian Veylen’s—an image stolen from the other night. He was mid-movement in the photo, his arm protective around her waist—she looked startled, mouth half-open as if the flash had cut the moment in half.“Put—ano ‘to?!” she heard herself blurt, and she almost knocked the mug over. The porcelain clinked against the desk and she forced her hand to steady. Heat rose to her cheeks, not from the coffee but from a surge of something raw and ugly.“Elara, trending ka sa social media… look.” Lyra’s voice was small and loud at the same time, the way people sound when they’re both thrilled and nervous to be the one to deliver bad news.She leaned in. The article was venom dressed as cu

The morning air felt heavier than usual when Elara stepped out of her apartment. Before she could even take a full breath, blinding flashes exploded in her face.Reporters surrounded her from all sides — microphones, cameras, questions flying like bullets.“Miss Cruz! Miss Cruz! Is it true that you’re the CEO’s mistress?”“Are you the reason behind Cassandra Vail’s breakdown?”“Elara! How long have you been having an affair with Adrian Veylen?”“Miss cruz, totoo ba lahat ang allegations tungkol sainyo ni Mr. Veylen?””Totoo ba na ginagamit mo lang siya para sa pera?”Her stomach dropped. ”What the hell—”She tried to cover her face, pushing through the sea of bodies. Camera shutters clicked nonstop, voices overlapping, lights stinging her eyes.Nakakabingi. Nakakahilo. She wanted to scream — ”Stop it!” —pero hindi niya kaya dahil sa daming taong nakapalibot sakaniya at para bang tinraydor narin siya ng sarili niyang boses.By the time she reached the lobby of Veylen Empire, her whole