Lahat ng Kabanata ng Empire of her heart: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

The city of New York glittered beneath the evening sky like a sea of diamonds, every light flickering against the darkening horizon. From the top floor of the Cole International Tower, the world looked small, manageable—almost fragile.Adriana Cole preferred it that way.She stood in front of the massive glass window of her office, a glass of red wine resting loosely in her hand. Thirty floors below, the streets roared with traffic, horns, and life. But up here, there was silence.Control.Power.Everything Adriana had fought for.At thirty-two years old, she was one of the youngest billionaires in the country and the undisputed queen of Cole International, a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate that dominated real estate, technology, and global investments.The business world feared her.Men twice her age trembled when she walked into boardrooms.And Adriana Cole had earned every bit of it.Her assistant, Miranda, knocked softly before entering the office.“Ms. Cole, the board members a

The charity auction was in full swing.Crystal chandeliers cast warm light over the grand ballroom while wealthy guests raised small numbered paddles, bidding outrageous amounts for paintings, luxury vacations, and rare collectibles.Adriana sat beside Sophie near the front table, her posture relaxed but her eyes observant.Across the room, Luca Bennett leaned casually against the back wall, watching the event with quiet amusement.He wasn’t participating.That intrigued her.Most people here were desperate to display their wealth. The auction was less about charity and more about status.But Luca simply watched.As if he didn’t need anyone’s approval.“Adriana,” Sophie whispered, nudging her.“What?”“Stop staring at him.”Adriana lifted her champagne glass.“I’m not staring.”Sophie smirked.“You’re studying him. That’s worse.”Adriana ignored the comment.On stage, the auctioneer enthusiastically presented the next item.“And now, ladies and gentlemen, a private weekend at the Mont

Morning sunlight spilled through the massive windows of Cole International Tower, illuminating Adriana Cole’s office with soft golden light.But the warmth of the morning did nothing to soften Adriana’s mood.She sat behind her sleek glass desk reviewing financial reports, her sharp eyes scanning numbers with the precision that had built her billion-dollar empire.Yet her concentration kept drifting.Back to last night.Back to Luca Bennett.The memory of their conversation… the balcony… the kiss…Adriana leaned back in her chair and exhaled slowly.She didn’t allow distractions.Especially not men.Her phone buzzed.A message appeared from Sophie.So… did you marry him yet?Adriana rolled her eyes.She typed back quickly.It was dinner.Three seconds later another message appeared.You never have dinner with men.Adriana smirked despite herself.Her sister knew her too well.Before she could reply again, her assistant Miranda entered the office.“Your ten-o’clock meeting is here.”“S

Adriana Cole was not used to losing control.Her entire life had been built on discipline, strategy, and precision. Every decision she made was calculated. Every move in business, every deal, every negotiation all carefully planned.But the man sitting across from her in the quiet café that morning made control feel strangely… unimportant.Luca Bennett stirred his coffee slowly, watching her with that calm, thoughtful expression that both intrigued and unsettled her.“You look like you’re thinking too hard again,” he said.Adriana raised an eyebrow.“I run a billion-dollar company. Thinking is part of the job.”“Yes,” Luca said casually. “But you’re not thinking about work.”She leaned back in her chair.“And how would you know that?”“Because when you think about work, you look like you’re planning to conquer a country.”Adriana laughed softly despite herself.“And now?”“Now you look like you’re trying to figure me out.”She didn’t deny it.Because it was true.“You’re mysterious,”

Adriana Cole had built her empire on instinct.Numbers mattered. Strategy mattered. Intelligence mattered.But instinct that quiet voice that warned her when something was wrong had saved her more times than she could count.And this morning, as she stepped into the glass elevator that carried her to the top floor of Cole International Tower, that instinct was screaming.Something wasn’t right.The elevator doors opened to the executive floor where her assistant Miranda was already waiting, tablet in hand and anxiety clearly written on her face.That alone was unusual.Miranda was the calmest person Adriana knew.“Good morning,” Adriana said smoothly, handing over her coat.Miranda hesitated.“Not exactly.”Adriana stopped walking.“What happened?”Miranda handed her the tablet.“Our stock dropped nine percent overnight.”Adriana’s expression didn’t change, but inside her mind began moving rapidly.Nine percent wasn’t a fluctuation.It was an attack.“How?”“Rumors.”“What rumors?”Mi