A BILLIONAIRE’S EXCEPTION のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 41 - チャプター 50

Alex’s POV Silence. That was the first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes. The room was too quiet. Not the peaceful kind, but the kind that presses against your chest, makes the air heavier, makes every second feel like it’s echoing. I rubbed my face, trying to shake off the exhaustion. I couldn’t remember how many hours I slept. All I knew was that I stayed beside her the whole night, watching her breathe, terrified she would have another panic attack. When I turned, I saw her. Jasmine. Her breathing was soft, slow. Her face was peaceful, but the kind of peace that comes after crying too much. Even with her eyes closed, I could see the puffiness. The strain. The heartbreak. And as the first light of morning fell across her face, everything inside me twisted. Because last night… I saw her break. And I could do nothing but hold her. I leaned forward, rested my elbows on my knees, and clasped my hands together. I needed to be strong. I needed to be the one standi

Jasmine’s POV Mabilis lumipas ang mga buwan, pero sa pakiramdam ko… naiwan ako sa isang yugto ng buhay na hindi ko alam kung paano malalampasan. Pagkalabas ko ng ospital, nagpahatid ako kay Alex pauwi sa bahay namin sa Batangas. Hindi dahil ayaw ko siyang makasama, kundi dahil kailangan ko muna ng distansya. Sa probinsya, sa bahay namin, parang huminto ang oras. Parang may pader na naghihiwalay sa akin at sa mundo. Walang umaga o gabing hindi ako umiiyak tuwing naaalala ko ang nangyari sa anak namin ni Alex. Pero palagi namang nasa tabi ko ang Mama ko. Gaya ng umagang iyon, pagmulat ko pa lang, bumalik na naman ang sakit kaya napaiyak ako. Nasa ganoong kalagayan ako nang pumasok siya sa silid. “Jasmine, anak… bangon ka na para makakain ka ng champorado habang mainit pa,” sabi niya, mahina ngunit puno ng lambing, habang marahang tinatapik ang balikat ko. Ayaw ko sanang bumangon—mabigat ang katawan ko, at ang puso ko… parang may nakadagang malaking bato. Pero ayokong mag-alal

Alexander’s POV The morning sun cast a warm glow over the Batangas house, but I barely noticed it. My attention was entirely on Jasmine, who was standing beside me at the staircase, bag slung over her shoulder. She looked calm on the outside, but I could feel the tension in her grip when our hands brushed. I tightened mine around hers, a silent reassurance. She’s nervous, I thought, studying her carefully. Not about me, not about leaving… It’s leaving her parents. I can see it in her eyes she doesn’t want to disappoint them, doesn’t want them to worry. “Are you ready?” I asked softly, keeping my tone casual but steady, trying not to add to her anxiety. She nodded, though I caught the slight tremor of her lips. “I think so… but…” She trailed off, and I could hear the uncertainty even in that simple pause. I smiled and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll be right here.” Descending the stairs together, I felt my pulse quicken. It wasn’t fear, but a m

Alexander’s POV The condo was quiet. Too quiet for someone like me, someone used to the constant hum of activity, the never-ending motion of the world outside. But tonight, everything felt… suspended. I watched her from across the room Jasmine. Her hair spilled over the pillow, her chest rising and falling in a rhythm that drew my eyes like gravity. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, because the sight of her alone made something deep inside me coil tighter, demanding attention. My hands itched to touch her. To close the distance and feel her under me. But there was a war going on inside me control versus desire, restraint versus the pull of something I hadn’t allowed myself to feel. And then she moved slightly, murmuring something under her breath, and I realized just how much I’d been holding back. I strode forward, each step deliberate, the air thick with anticipation. My eyes drank in every curve, every subtle movement, every hint of need I could see. “Alex …” she w

Alexander’s POVThe taste of her lingered on my lips, a fire that refused to die. I pulled back just enough to look at her, to memorize every flushed inch of her skin, every trembling breath she tried to hide but couldn’t. I wanted to remember this not just with my eyes, but with every part of me.Her eyes wide, dark, and impossibly vulnerable locked onto mine. There was no pretense there. No walls. Just raw honesty, and it hit me harder than anything ever had. I felt the weight of her trust, the quiet surrender in her gaze, and it nearly undid me all over again.There was a part of me that wanted to stop, to freeze this moment in time and protect it from everything else. To let the world wait while I figured out what she had just awakened in me. But the other part the part that had been starving for her for months, denying itself, pretending this wasn’t inevitable refused to let go.I leaned down again, pressing my forehead to hers, my breath uneven as I whispered, “You don’t know ho