Chasing The Billionaire's Heart

Marcus Madrigal was the epitome of wealth and charm, a man who lived extravagantly off his father’s fortune. He indulged in fast cars, private jets, wild parties, and casual relationships with multiple women, even hiring prostitutes to fulfill his more unusual desires.

Wherever he went, women flocked to him like moths to a flame, and he basked in their adoration. An adrenaline junkie, Marcus thrived on extreme sports like paragliding, skydiving, white-water rafting, cliff diving, and car racing, becoming a master daredevil.

Last year, he went to Switzerland to fly an Albatros, a fighter jet, for an hour. Then he flew to China to hike at the majestic South Peak of Mount Hua. Although it was famous for tourists, it was also considered one of the world’s most dangerous places to hike.

There were a few who wanted to climb and reached the peak of Mount Everest. But Marcus spared himself from the long preparation and other possible troubles and just skydived past it! It’s not that he has a death wish or something, but the truth was, he was bored and he had nothing to do with his money.

And he wouldn’t want the women to miss him for long!

His father wasn’t someone to be proud of, but he was grateful to the man for passing his good looks to him, and his wealth was a bonus. Some would describe him as similar to a Greek god, Adonis, with remarkable beauty. Marcus was aware that he was extremely impressive and attractive and he used it to his advantage to seduce women of all ages.

The time came when he had to pay for his lavish lifestyle. He got sick, not just once, not even twice, but three times. He was admitted to the hospital for fatigue and his heart nearly surrendered, causing him to die young. After the third time that he was being treated at the hospital, Marcus decided to review his lifestyle and take everything slowly.

“Do you have a death wish, Marcus?” Philip Madrigal yelled at his son who was lying in a hospital bed. Marcus was his only son and heir but the bastard couldn’t do anything good that would make him happy in his old age.

“Dad, relax. I’m still breathing, you know.” Marcus answered and it infuriated Philip more causing him to storm out of the room. He giggled at his father’s reddened face before he closed his eyes to nap.

After he was discharged from the hospital, Marcus decided to try something new, away from wealth and women. He didn’t go home to live with his infamous father but went to Camotes Island instead to live differently from what he was used to.

On the island, he tried to live like the others, who wanted to settle down in a peaceful community. He then rented a space in the market where he sold general merchandise and he started to live below his means. It was hard at first but he was positive that he could manage.

Then an angel came into his life and she helped his island life to become easy. They became friends and eventually, Marcus learned to love the young and charming Veronica Cortes, a fisherman’s daughter who was able to graduate with a degree in Business Management because of hard work and determination. After a year of dating, they decided to tie the knot, and soon after, they were blessed with a baby girl.

But fate has another plan for him and it seemed that he was not meant to be happy. Could it be retribution for his past sins? He wanted to know why at a very young age, his heart was broken and there was no way it would be normal again.

After the death of his loved ones, Marcus couldn’t continue to live on Camotes Island and he was glad that his friend, Samuel Velasquez convinced him to live in Cebu with him.

Samuel Velasquez owned a sugarcane plantation in the northern part of Cebu Province. Aside from sugarcane, he inherited the cacao plantation from his grandmother.

Marcus refused to be treated as a guest in Hacienda Velasquez and insisted on working to keep himself occupied and as they were both single, they decided to take on their hobbies of raising and training horses. From then onwards, Samuel started to buy thoroughbred, Appaloosa, and Arabian horses.

For years, Marcus lived his life bitterly and refused to talk with anyone else except his friend, Samuel. Some workers in the Hacienda assumed that he was mute and deaf, but nevertheless, they were scared to be on Marcus’ bad side.

A few years passed but still, he couldn’t move on from his past. It frustrated him that justice was not yet served against the persons who caused his life to be miserable.

There was never a night that he wouldn’t have a nightmare of what had happened in the past. He used to stay in the room next to Samuel, but when his friend got saddled with a feisty woman named Jessica, Marcus transferred to one of the apartments meant for guests. With Jessica around in the hacienda, she forced him to come out from his shell and she couldn’t say no to her. He adored the brat and he enjoyed watching Samuel become a helpless man when it comes to Jessica.

It took him more than ten years to forgive himself, and he started talking to the workers, although his hard stare remained the same and it still frightened some of the farmhands.

When Samuel was occupied with his love life, it was Marcus who managed the hacienda. He hired, trained, and supervised workers engaged in planting, cultivating, irrigating, harvesting, marketing crops, and livestock raising.

He would also inspect the farm structures such as animal buildings and fences and take care of any maintenance activities as required. He was also in charge of monitoring pasture or grazing land to ensure that horses were properly fed. But for the financial aspect and employment records, he wouldn’t touch it. It was Samuel’s job to negotiate with buyers and acquire additional funds if needed.

It was a very hot day when Samuel found it necessary to check on the fence. After he repaired parts of the broken fence, Marcus went home to shower but he found Samuel waiting with a forlorn face. He wondered why he came when he was usually busy with Jessica. He opened the door and let Samuel in.

“Problem with Jessica?” Marcus assumed that Samuel had an LQ or love quarrel with his young wife.

“No, it’s about Alexander. He needed our help,” Samuel answered.

“What is it this time? Another woman?” He knew Alexander to be a master of seduction and he only has one problem in life – women!

Samuel nodded. “But this time, he is serious. In fact, he wanted her to become his wife.” He added the most vital information so he could convince Marcus to come with him on this rescue mission.

Marcus raised his eyebrows at the news that Alexander Demakis wanted to propose marriage to someone. “Really? I thought I will never see the day when that notorious bastard will settle down for good.”

For the first time, Marcus felt that something inside him seemed to be exciting for Alexander, and he also missed his friend. Ah, that chap! He remembered how he and Alexander would usually spend the night – with women and alcohol!

“The chopper’s ready in fifteen minutes, okay? I already asked my wife’s permission that I will be on a mission and you know how she favored that playboy!” Samuel said while helping himself to a cup of coffee.

“Seriously?” He asked Samuel with raised eyebrows. “No, you’re not.” Marcus refused to believe that they were leaving in fifteen minutes.

When Samuel didn’t answer, he knew that his friend was serious. He hurried up towards the bathroom and took a quick shower, then got ready with his types of equipment. He retrieved a Glock 45, AK-47, point rifle, bullets, and a ballistic knife.

His wet hair was kept in a top knot that looked messy in the mirror but he just ignored it. He looked like Antonio Banderas in his movie Desperado. Carrying the bag, which was full of the equipment and ammunition that they were going to use, they went outside the apartment and proceeded to the landing field where the chopper was waiting.

“Who is this woman?” Marcus shouted the question for Samuel to hear him while they were on the landing field.

“Ella or Emma? I’m not sure, the line was choppy when he called,” Samuel shouted back.

The name didn’t ring a bell to Marcus, but he just let it go because it had been a while since he kept himself inside the hacienda.

“She must be something then,” Marcus said because he knew Alexander better than anyone else.

“I bet she is,” Samuel chuckled.

“What did you say?” Daniella raised her voice and yelled at the people around her.

She couldn’t believe what the solicitor had read from her father’s last will and testament. There’s no way, it was legal what her father asked of her, to claim her rightful inheritance. She was the only daughter for god's sake!

“You heard me, dear. It was written in the last will. Here, take a look.”

“But that was ridiculous! How can I find a man at this rate?” She yelled while completely losing her calm even if Paloma was there when the solicitor informed her that she could only touch her inheritance once she had a child before her age exceeded the dates in a calendar.

Two months ago, she turned thirty, which meant that she only had ten months left to comply with her father’s wishes! But no matter how she thought about it, it was totally absurd and crazy!

Last week, they just laid her father’s body into his final resting place. Gregory Reyes was still young at sixty-five but there was a complication in his heart that caused his death. Her father doted on her so she found it impossible that the old man would force her to do something not to her liking – unless someone bullied him!

In fact, he allowed her to do everything she wished, and not even once that he questioned her choice of avoiding men or falling in love. Her eyes were shooting daggers at her stepmother who was sitting across.

Daniella remembered how her Aunt Erlinda has lost her mind when the man she loved betrayed her and she committed suicide because of that. Besides, she couldn’t forget how her mother became wild and violent towards her when Gregory couldn’t reciprocate her love.

Since then, Daniella promised herself that she would never fall in love, or let any man become too close to her. Daniella believed that men were capable of tricking any woman and she refused to become a victim of love.

To hell with her father’s money! She could be fine without her inheritance, but there was something, or rather someone, whom she wouldn’t want to have it all. Her stepmother, Paloma, was coyly sitting in a chair opposite to hers, listening to her outburst.

The bitch must be happy that in ten months, she would have everything that belonged to her family. Over her dead body! She couldn’t allow Paloma to win… never! Paloma smirked when she couldn’t remain seated because of her temper. When Daniella glared at her stepmother, Paloma glared back, and their seething eyes went to an all-out war.

“So, how many months do you have left?” Paloma teased Daniella as soon as the solicitor was gone.

“Why do you care? Ah, you must be excited to get everything! But…I won’t let you.” She said and exited gracefully from her father’s library where the will was read.

Paloma followed her and tried to catch up with the little monster. “Come on Ella, when you look like that, who would be interested in you?”

Then, Paloma eyed her from head to toe, insulted her appearance, and so much more! Daniella gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. She was flabbergasted when Paloma dared to look down on her. How dare she?

Yes, she would admit that she was not the type of woman who would flaunt her body through a sexy dress, but she was aware that she was still sexy and pretty! In her mind, she definitely knew how to seduce a man! She just didn’t have the time to think about men in the past because she was occupied in running their empire!

“What did you say?” she asked Paloma.

“I said, no man in his right mind would pick a woman like you.”

“Really? Wanna bet?” She challenged Paloma but she wasn’t prepared when Paloma accepted her challenge right away.

“Sure. Winner takes all,” Paloma answered confidently.

Daniella agreed to Paloma’s terms, but when she was inside the safety of her room, she started to worry. What if she would fail? She paced back and forth to look for answers on how she could win this war against her evil stepmother and every second counted!

But she was hot-blooded and determined to win…by any means possible! Her father had trained her not to back down from any challenges in life and he was wise to instill that into her brain.

The will stated that she must present an heir before she turned thirty-one years old and the solicitor didn’t mention her getting married. Surely, she could think of a way to get herself with a child, right?

Daniella retrieved her notepad and pen and started to write on qualities that she wanted in a man. First of all, he must be educated and extremely attractive as she wouldn’t want her child to look ugly.

After an hour, her list was complete. But she noticed that the list contained more physical attributes rather than qualities or attitudes. Overall, she wanted someone who’s a knockout and someone who’s good in bed as she was willing to do it just once.

The man need not be rich. He only has to look good with a body to die for. She laughed as she imagined facing her ideal man and shivered at the thought that she would be lost by staring into his eyes.

She could try searching online, but there were a lot of scammers in online dating and she could just be wasting her time. Her last option was to venture into the wide world in order to find him. But where would she go?

She listed down all the places in Cebu that were packed with tourists, and the first on her list was Bantayan Island. She has read a lot of good reviews about the island and she wanted to see it for herself.

She lived in the town of Oslob, and lately, their town has become famous because of the whale sharks or butanding and she estimated that her distance to the famous island was at least a 10-hour drive on a private car.

Then another island made it on her list – Malapascua Island!

Well, Daniella preferred the islands as they had a romantic setting most of the time. Actually, there was still another island nearby. Sumilon Island could be accessed by boat from Oslob but she could put it on the last of her list.

Daniella rarely took breaks. Managing her father’s estate kept her busy, and she hardly ever went on vacation. But today, as she looked at her list, she knew it was time to do something for herself. She was close to finding the perfect man for her plan, but before she started that, Daniella wanted to relive a happy childhood memory.

She remembered when her parents took her to Disneyland and Universal Studios, and she decided to visit those places again. She added these trips to her list, thinking it would be nice to have some fun before her life changed completely.

Or maybe, she thought, it would be good to enjoy this time first before she moved forward with her plan to find a man to help her have a baby. After all, it was only one week, and then she’d start searching.

Daniella put the list in her bag and booked a flight to Hong Kong. She did it herself, not wanting her secretary or her wicked stepmother to know where she was going.

As she packed her bags, a strange feeling came over her. What if this trip was more than just a vacation? She shook off the thought, but as she closed her suitcase, she couldn’t help but feel that something unexpected was waiting for her in Hong Kong… something that might change everything.