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A Fragile Fire
Last Updated:
2025-04-01 22:39:58
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Billionaire's Choice 1 - The Debt That Bind
Aria’s POVFour hours and twenty minutes of this shift and it feels like I’m stuck in this endless cycle of forced smiles and awkward small talk with people who didn’t even bother to look me in the eye.My legs ached, my shoes pinched, and this uniform felt like it was designed to punish me for existing."Aria! Are you blind or just lazy?"I winced. Here we go again.Mr. Blaine stood near the bar, glaring at me like I had just committed a crime.“Customers are waiting, and you’re standing there like a statue!” he barked.I tightened my grip on the tray, biting down the urge to say what I really thought. Yeah, I’m standing here because I enjoy this torture. Totally not because you overwork us and refuse to hire more staff.“Sorry, sir. I’ll get right to it,” I muttered, forcing my voice to sound calm even though I wanted to throw the tray at him.He scoffed and stalked off, probably to find someone else to yell at.I hate this job. With every ounce of energy I had left after these shif
Last Updated : 2025-01-06Billionaire's Choice 2 - The Spill
Jonathan’s POVI walked inside La Mer that evening, automatically scanning the room to look for the associates I came to have a meeting with.We’d agreed to meet here for a reason. Some deal was going down, and it wasn’t the kind of thing you wanted to talk about over the phone or in an office. I saw a couple of suited men sitting at a table and I immediately thought it was then so I walked over, but as I moved closer, I realized they weren’t the ones I was meeting.I let out a sigh, taking a seat at the nearest available table. No point in walking around like a lost dog looking for the right group. Besides, I was early anyway, so I just had to wait.I pulled out my phone and quickly shot off a message to Gabriel. “Meeting starting soon. Anything you need me to bring up?”Gabriel was always on top of things. When he wanted something on the table, you’d know before the first word left his mouth. The man could be ruthless when he needed to be, but he didn’t waste time with unnecessary d
Last Updated : 2025-01-06Billionaire's Choice 3 - Marry or lose everything
Gabriel’s POVMarry or lose everything.That was the choice my grandmother gave me. It wasn’t a suggestion, not even a request. It was an order.“You’re running out of time, Gabriel,” she had said last week, her frail hand gripping mine tighter than I expected. “The board needs stability. The family needs a leader. And you, my dear boy, need a wife.”A wife. As if I could snap my fingers and one would appear. This wasn’t about love or finding someone to share my life with. It was about control, appearances, and the family’s obsession with legacy.The company my grandfather built, and my father almost destroyed, now rested on my shoulders. And apparently, on my marriage.The Deveraux Group of Companies was founded by my grandfather, Richard, sixty years ago. He started it in a small office above a grocery store, just a dream and a handful of employees. By the time he handed it down to my father, it had grown into the largest real estate development firm in San Francisco, shaping the cit
Last Updated : 2025-01-06Billionaire's Choice 4 - An Old Face
Aria's POVThe last table of the night had just left, and La Mer’s dining room was finally quiet. I stood near the service counter, tying and untying my apron as my thoughts raced. Jonathan’s offer hadn’t left my mind all day.$10,000. A fake marriage. It sounded unreal. Like something that happens out of a movie. Too big to ignore but way too messy to agree to without thinking it through.I reached into my bag and pulled out the navy blue business card Jonathan had given me. His name and number were printed in bold, classy lettering. I just stared at it for a moment, wondering what kind of man could casually throw this kind of deal at a stranger.With a deep breath, I took out my phone and started typing in the number. My hands hesitated as I saved the contact.Jonathan Greene.Finally, I opened a blank message and began typing:"I've been thinking about your offer. There are some complications. Can we talk about the details?"I paused, re-read the text twice, and then hit send.I tu
Last Updated : 2025-01-06Billionaire's Choice 5 - Fate.
Gabriel’s POVI watched Grandma’s hand tremble as it rested on the arm of her wheelchair. Her eyes, still sharp despite her age, softened when she looked at me.“Do you remember that day, Gabriel? The day I collapsed in the parking lot?” she asked, her voice calm but serious.How could I forget? That day was burned into my memory, not because of what happened to her, but because of the chaos it caused in my life. I was in Tokyo at the time, closing an important business deal, when I got the call. They said Grandma had collapsed and needed help urgently. I had to drop everything, board the private jet, and rush home, fearing the worst.“Of course, I remember,” I said, keeping my tone short. “You scared me half to death that day.”She chuckled softly, a sound that felt out of place in this suffocating room. "Yes, I imagine it was quite the ordeal for you. But it wasn’t your quick return that saved me." Her gaze shifted to Aria, who looked as if she wanted to vanish into thin air.My eye
Last Updated : 2025-01-06Billionaire's Choice Who Is He?
I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the veil for the hundredth time. The dress fit perfectly, of course, nothing less was expected when the Deveraux family was footing the bill. There wasn’t a single flaw in the arrangements. It was all flawless. Too flawless for a marriage that didn’t feel real.I barely knew Gabriel. Sure, I knew his reputation; cold, ruthless, and every bit the businessman his family had raised him to be. But as a husband? That was laughable. This wasn’t about love, after all.The knock on the door came right on schedule. “It’s time,” a female maid said.Time to become Mrs. Deveraux. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to. Grandma Helen’s plea still echoed in my mind: “You’re the only one who can save this family, Aria.”As I sat in the backseat of the sleek black maybach with Gabriel beside me, the memory hit me like a wave. It wasn’t something I thought about often, but today, on the day I was marrying into this whirlwind of a family, I couldn’t help
Last Updated : 2025-01-23Billionaire's Choice A Wedding to Remember
Gabriel’s POVStanding at the altar, I kept my gaze fixed ahead, refusing to look at her. Aria. The woman who, in a matter of hours, would legally become my wife.How did I get here? A marriage to a stranger, orchestrated by my grandmother, Helen. The same woman who’d built this empire with her bare hands and who, now in her twilight years, thought she had the right to rearrange my life like one of her elaborate dinner table settings.This wasn’t a marriage. It was a transaction, plain and simple—a desperate bid to protect the family’s estate, legacy, and God knows what else. And Aria? She was just as much a pawn in this as I was. A woman drowning in debt, dragged into this mess because she was the "solution" to Grandma’s prophecy that only I, married to her, could secure the future.I resented her for it. For agreeing to this circus. For being here now, dressed in white and looking like someone I should care about.The officiant’s voice broke through my thoughts, dragging me back into
Last Updated : 2025-01-23Billionaire's Choice How They Met
Mexico City, Three Years Ago9:45 PM, The Gran Palacio BallroomGabriel tugged at the cuffs of his black wool double-breasted peak lapel tuxedo, more out of habit than necessity. Around him, the glittering ballroom buzzed with conversation, the kind of polished, calculated talk he had grown used to over the years.This was his world: annual galas, endless schmoozing, and deals that shaped skylines. As the CEO of the largest real estate firm in San Francisco, being here was less about choice and more about duty. Tonight, the focus was on expanding their footprint into Latin America, but Gabriel’s mind was far from the logistics of skyscrapers and property lines.“…we’re better off delaying the deal until the second quarter,” Jonathan was saying, his tone calm and practical.Gabriel nodded absently, barely processing the words. His attention had shifted the moment he heard an arresting, velvety voice. It wasn’t loud, not enough to disrupt the steady hum of conversations around them. But
Last Updated : 2025-01-24
Latest chapter
Billionaire's Choice A Fragile Fire
Gabriel's POVI didn’t say a word as the jet took off. The conversation with my father sat heavily in my mind, but I forced it aside. For now.I leaned back in my seat, exhaling slowly. The cabin lights were dim, casting a muted glow over the polished wood and leather. The hum of the engines was steady, almost soothing.Then, almost instinctively, I reached into my pocket.The familiar weight of the pocket watch pressed against my palm, cool and solid. I flicked it open with my thumb. The soft click echoed louder than it should have in the silence.And there she was, her pretty face staring back at me. My Ari, my angel. The picture was taken in our bedroom, a moment I’d stolen when she had no idea. She was in her natural state, completely unaware of the camera in my hand. Her hair was a little wild from sleep, and her eyes had that soft, distant look that made her so damn beautiful. It was a simple shot, but I loved it, because it was her, in the most authentic and unguarded way. I ha
Billionaire's Choice And Another Truth
Gabriel's POVThe silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. The air in my father's living room felt heavier than before, like the walls had closed in around us.I forced myself to breathe. To stay still. To absorb what I had just heard.Diego was family.I sat down, my body moving before my mind could fully catch up. “Explain,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me.Andrew didn’t speak immediately. He reached for the bottle of whiskey on the table, poured himself another glass, and stared into the amber liquid like it held the past itself. “You think you know the Deveraux family,” he said. “But you don’t. Not really.”I said nothing.He let out a slow breath. “This goes back to Richard,” he began. “My father. Your grandfather.”I knew that name well. The man who built the Deveraux empire. The man everyone claimed was ruthless, brilliant, untouchable.Andrew continued, “Richard had an affair while on a business trip to Mexico. A woman, who wasn’t just some mist
Billionaire's Choice The Truth
Gabriel's POVTCA wasn’t new to me. I had trained here for years, stepping into the ring whenever I needed an outlet. Back then, it was about control, about reminding myself that power wasn’t just about wealth or influence, it was about knowing I could end a fight before it even started.But now, it wasn’t about control.It was about survival.I adjusted my stance, muscles coiled with tension as Cole, my personal trainer, circled me. His gaze was sharp, unreadable, assessing, calculating. There was no sympathy in his eyes, no wasted words. Just the demand for perfection."You’re too slow," he said flatly. "Again."TCA wasn’t a regular gym. It was where professionals trained; fighters, bodyguards, men who understood that losing wasn’t an option.There were no influencers shadowboxing in front of mirrors, no weekend warriors pretending to be something they weren’t. This was a place for men who needed to be ready for war.I wasn’t new to combat, but this wasn’t about street fights or bru
Billionaire's Choice Bait.
Gabriel’s POVDominic’s update came in like clockwork.Aria had taken the promotion. No hesitation. No second-guessing. She thought it was luck. The right place, the right time, the perfect opportunity falling into her hands. And why wouldn’t she? That was the world I wanted her to live in. A world where doors opened for her effortlessly, where she could step into the future she deserved without ever knowing whose hands had cleared the path.Her brother’s scholarship had come through. Full ride. Mentorship, books, everything covered. Another twist of fate in her mind. Another reason to believe life had finally started working in her favor.I leaned back, exhaling slowly. She was happy. She was thriving. And for now, she was safe.I should have been satisfied. I should have let it be enough. But it wasn’t. It never would be. I still wasn’t breathing right.Because I wasn’t there. Because I wasn’t the one she was coming home to at the end of the day, the one she was smiling at when she
Billionaire's Choice Blessing In Disguise
Aria's POVThe walk to work was peaceful, the kind of morning that made me grateful for this change. The air was crisp, the streets quieter than what I was used to, and for once, I didn’t feel like I was constantly racing against something I couldn’t see.Lennox & Co. Publishing was not the biggest publishing house in the country, but it was reputable, respected. It had an impressive catalog of bestsellers, a growing influence in the industry, and most importantly, a work culture that wasn’t suffocating. Here, creativity thrived. Ideas were encouraged, not dismissed. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I was in a space where I could breathe.As I pushed through the glass doors, the familiar hum of morning activity greeted me. The scent of coffee lingered in the air, blending with the faint aroma of paper and ink. Editors and assistants moved around with purpose, some already deep in conversations about manuscripts and market trends.I had barely settled at my desk when I h
Billionaire's Choice The Betrayal
GABRIEL’S POVLetting her go was supposed to protect her. That was the only reason I did it. I told myself that if I walked away, if I created enough distance, she would be safe. But it had been two months, and I was lying to myself if I thought I had ever truly let her go.I wasn’t there with her. I wasn’t beside her when she woke up or when she fell asleep, but I still knew everything. Where she lived. Where she worked. Who she spoke to. What time she left her apartment in the morning. What time she returned. The smallest details of her life reached me because I made sure they did.It wasn’t about control. It was about protection.Aria thought she had a fresh start. A new city. A new job. A life away from me.But there was no such thing as away when it came to her.I knew everything.I knew she had gone back to Colorado, back to the only family she had left. I knew she lived in a small apartment a few blocks from her workplace, in a neighborhood that was safe but not safe enough for
Billionaire's Choice New Chapter
Aria’s POVIt had been exactly two months since that night.Two months since I had gasped for breath, my body thrashing against the weight of water pulling me under. Since my lungs burned, my chest clenched, my limbs flailed uselessly in the cold grip of the pool. I had never learned how to swim. The moment I hit the water, panic took over, swallowing every rational thought. I could still remember the way my pulse had hammered in my ears, the desperate way I had kicked and clawed at nothing, the helplessness of realizing I couldn’t save myself.Then hands. Strong, steady hands cutting through the water, pulling me up, dragging me toward the surface. Air rushed into my lungs in sharp, painful gulps the moment I broke free from the depths. I had coughed, sputtering, gripping onto the stranger who had saved me as if my life depended on it because it had. I never got his name. Never saw his face clearly through the haze of fear and chlorine-stung eyes. By the time my friends arrived, brea
Billionaire's Choice When Poison Wears a Smile
Aria’s POVTime blurred in Nicole’s apartment. Days and nights folded into each other, indistinguishable. I wasn’t counting them. I barely acknowledged their passing. I simply moved through them, existing in a cycle of forced normalcy.Wake up.Eat when they made me.Sleep when exhaustion became heavier than the ache in my chest.Repeat.The world outside moved on without me. But in here, in the warm cocoon of Nicole’s home, I was frozen in place.I didn’t cry. Not in front of them. Not when Liv cracked jokes that were funnier in her head than out loud. Not when Jenna threw on ridiculous reality shows, hoping for an eye roll or even a scoff from me. Not even when Nicole who was always effortlessly put together, sat cross-legged on the floor in sweats, painting my nails in silence because she knew words wouldn’t fix this.They didn’t let me sink completely.They hovered, filling the space around me with warmth, chatter, and relentless attempts to pull me back into the world.And tonigh
Billionaire's Choice Final Act of Cruelty
Gabriel's POVMorning comes like a slow, merciless execution.The sheets beside me are cold. The space where she had once been—where her warmth had lingered hours ago—is empty now. I stare at it for too long, my body still, my mind awake but unwilling to move. Maybe if I stay like this, if I don’t breathe too deep, the weight in my chest won’t crush me whole.But reality isn’t kind. It never is.Aria is gone.The realization is a sharp, unforgiving blade. I told myself last night that this was necessary, that this was the only way. I had made my choice. And yet, the silence she left behind feels like a living thing, curling around me, digging its claws in.I exhale through my nose, forcing my body upright. The world will talk. The media will speculate. That’s the least of my concerns.Because as long as Aria is still my wife, she’ll never stop being a target.I knew this the moment I saw the tattoo on the man who tried to take her. The same tattoo Antonia had. The same one I’d seen be
