THE BILLIONAIRE HEIR

ta Hotel

sen

of the Buenavista Mansion was alive with lights, laughter, and the steady beat of music. Dozens of elegantly dressed young

is Aunt Danica. The celebration was extravagant, as expected of the Sandoval clan. Nothing

n. The guests, mostly students from an elite university in Zambales, continued

s observing the crowd below. Five years ago, this life had been unthin

at a fast-food chain, scraping coins to pay tuition, sacrificing sleep, dreams

heart attack brought his grandfather, Don Davidson Sandoval, to the

Douglas-his grandfather's eldest son and

is family, and why they lived in a cramped apartment in Tondo when he clearly had the intellec

siness establishments in Zambales. When Duke finally stepped foot in Hac

one. Don Davidson's successor.

mining corporation, and the vast lands of Hacienda Sandoval. Aunt Danica, the ever-shrewd businesswoman, wa

just a working student. He became the bil

ineage, but because of his looks, charm, and ease with people. He was every bi

ce called from behind him. "Why aren't

eldest daughter of Aunt Danica. She leaned casually against the doorframe,

not bothering to hide the boredom in his

h? Ingrid?" She rolled her eyes dramatically. "I don't like h

s sexy, smart, and independent

dison said, clearly unimpressed. "She'

gs, no drama. We're not prete

" Addison said bluntly, eyeing him carefully. "

" he said, his voice turni

u, though? Or are you just protectin

w tigh

't you think it's time you tried again? A real relation

answer r

more to the party below, but

fire in her eyes and

e Arg

atter how far he'd come. No matt

her. Foolishl

ionship. The only girl who made him

had betr

r skirt hiked up. Her lips slightly parted. She didn't even scream when he walked

d. She didn't know how to react.

hat night had bur

ocent, why didn't she stru

n't she

voice snapped him

d and tur

u o

stiffly. "

rowed h

- her friend and, once, a fling. Maybe she thought Natalie was the one haunting his thoughts. If Natalie hadn

she never came close to the kind of love he ga

dn't

't correct

sighed, stepped forward, and wrapped one

ast ruin what's in front of you

ng for anyone,

etimes, the right o

d smile. "Go to bed, Addi

"Goodnight, billionaire hei

els clicking softly on the floor

nishing the last of his drink in silence

him, he took a deep breath and tried

of the Buenavista Hotel, the ghost

p down,

truly l

edo and carefully h

ngs in Makati earlier that day. At least his cousin's debu

t all. Events like these didn't excite him anymore. The noise, the sh

d somehow wash away the weight on his chest. But even after drying off and sinking

le

r off completely-changed his number, deleted every phot

ations, the sudden inheritance, the pressure of running

e shadows. No matter how

yone else while t

looked at a

how dee

ure h

hy it shat

time, he would heal

e was

really too

n his

n his

o-staying in a hotel room in Cebu whe

ere sh

e nothing e

adn't torn

the toot

the p

magazin

was eve

e Arg

own celebrity. He couldn't walk along Guadalupe or EDSA without seeing h

ut a bit

ly did chas

potlight. The n

he go

erase what she did. No number of magazine spr

ver fall fo

might ador

truth behind tha

s. The

meone else's arms-a moment b

pain that lived

as r

at

at hi

y he had loved someon