All Chapters of His Empire, Her Heart: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

EPISODE 3 – PART 1: “Playful Tension”ClaraThe next morning, I tried to psych myself up: Okay, Clara. You survived the coffee disaster. You survived the spreadsheet crisis. You can survive today.As I walked into the office, Mara waved frantically. “You won’t believe it—Sir Alexander is in a mood today. Better watch out!”I froze. “Mood?”“Yes! But… kind of playful? Dangerous playful,” she whispered, eyes wide.I gulped.Dangerous playful sounded like a category I didn’t want to survive, yet somehow I couldn’t look away.⸻AlexanderAlexander Steele strode into the office with his usual aura of calm authority—but there was a subtle curve to his lips that hinted at mischief.He scanned the room, eyes falling on Clara immediately.She’s early again. Predictable, but… good.He tilted his head, silently observing her as she walked past, papers in hand, coffee in the other. Something about her slight stumble—it wasn’t clumsiness. No, it was… human. Warm. Alive.He smirked. This is going

EPISODE 5 – PART 1: “The Shift in His Eyes” Clara (First-person) Pagpasok ko sa opisina kinabukasan, para akong lumulutang. Hindi ko alam kung dahil sa late-night coffee namin ni Alexander, o dahil sa way niya akong tinitignan kagabi… parang ako lang ang tao sa mundo. Pero kailangan kong mag-behave. He’s my boss… my billionaire CEO boss. Still, I couldn’t stop replaying it in my mind. His voice… his smile… the way our hands brushed— “Hoy, Clara! Nakikinig ka ba?” Napapitlag ako nang tawagin ako ni Mara. “Ay! Oo naman,” I lied. “Sure ka? Kasi mukha kang in love.” “M-Mara!” I whisper-shouted. “Hindi. Wala.” She smirked. “Uh-huh. Sure.” But she wasn’t wrong. Something was changing. ⸻ Alexander From inside his glass office, Alexander watched Clara walking through the floor. There it was again— that small, soft smile she didn’t even know she had. He couldn’t look away. Something about her was… magnetic. Nakasandal siya sa swivel chair niya, arms cr

EPISODE 5 – PART 3: “Close Confessions”ClaraThe office was quiet, the sun dipping low outside the tall windows. Most of the staff had already gone home, leaving only the soft hum of computers and air conditioning.I was double-checking the final version of a report when Alexander appeared at the doorway.“You’re still here?” he asked, arms crossed, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.“Yes… I wanted to make sure everything was perfect,” I replied, nervously straightening my notes.He stepped inside, his presence filling the room, and leaned against the edge of his desk. “Perfect, huh? That’s ambitious. But I like it.”I swallowed. Everything about him makes me nervous…⸻AlexanderWatching her adjust the files, he noticed the subtle tension in her shoulders, the slight flush on her cheeks.She’s trying so hard to impress… but it’s not necessary. Not with me.He moved closer, casually, as if drawn by gravity. “Clara, may I see something?” he asked softly, gesturing toward the report on

EPISODE 6 – PART 1: “Lumalim ang Lihim” ⸻ Clara Kinabukasan, maaga akong dumating sa trabaho. Kailangan ko. Ayokong maabutan ko ulit si Lila sa hallway, sa pantry, o kahit saan man. Hindi ko pa rin makalimutan yung “almost” moment namin ni Alexander kagabi. Yung paglapit niya. Yung paghawak niya sa buhok ko. Yung sinabi niyang… “You matter.” Hanggang sa pagtulog ko, yun ang paulit-ulit sa isip ko. At ngayon, pagising ko, yun pa rin. Pero kailangan kong mag-normal. Hindi ako pwedeng magmukhang… affected. ⸻ Pagpasok ko, biglang sumalubong agad si Mara. “Clara. GIRL. Come here!” “Bakit?” “Si—” she lowered her voice dramatically, “—CEO, early today. And guess what? Hindi niya pinapasok si Lila sa office niya.” Napataas ang kilay ko. “Ha? Bakit?” Mara smirked. “She looked pissed. As in ‘sink-the-company’ level pissed.” Napatigil ako. So… Alexander really wasn’t in the mood for her? “Pero ikaw, Clara…” she poked my shoulder playfully

: “Ang Pagbitaw ni Alexander… at ang Pagkasaktan ni Clara”⸻Hindi pa ako nakakalayo, nang biglang bumungad si Lila sa bukana ng hallway.High heels.Red lipstick.Tingnan pa lang—trouble.“ALEX,” tawag niya, matigas ang tono.Parang wala ako sa paligid.Alexander stopped.Nag-angat ng ulo.Nakasalubong ang kilay.“Not now, Lila.”Pero, of course, hindi siya nakinig.⸻Lila“You’ve been ignoring me since yesterday,” she said, arms crossed.“And ngayon, ni hindi mo ako pinapasok sa office mo?”Alexander exhaled slowly.Deep.Controlled.Naiinis na.“You barged into my office without permission. Twice.”“I always go inside without permission!” sagot niya.“You never complained before!”⸻Clara’s POV (First person)Ako?Nakatayo lang sa gilid.Ayokong sumali.Ayokong pakinggan.Pero hindi ako makaalis.Parang may parte sa akin na gustong marinig ang sagot ni Alexander.Bakit?Hindi ko alam.Or maybe…Alam ko.Pero natatakot akong i-admit.⸻Alexander“Lila,” he said, calm