Billionaire secret sweep

Billionaire secret sweep

last updateLast Updated : 2025-03-16
By:  Author Julian Completed
Language: English
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One is her father’s commerce accomplice. The other is her brother’s enemy…Before Sawyer Religious administrator, I was guiltless. He was my coach and my father’s trade accomplice. He was never implied to be my lover.The to begin with time Sawyer touched me, I was twenty-three. It felt great to do something taboo and off-base. I needed to be wrathful for a change.Between us lived a billion privileged insights, a billion stolen looks, and a billion lies.I was a trick. Sawyer was as heartless as the rest of them. I never implied to drop in adore with him, however he had this exceptional control over me. I would have given him anything. He was my to begin with cherish, my to begin with foe, and the to begin with man to break my heart.But he might not break me. And presently that somebody else has come along, he’s changing the rules of the diversion.

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Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Prologue

“If the only mark I leave upon this earth is the indelible caress of my whispered name within the downbeats of your heart, I will be satisfied.”

Fiona Summerville

Only Dark Around the Edges

THERE IS a moment in every woman’s life, be her a queen or a pawn, when she is taken so off guard the game is forever changed. Isadora Patras should have been shockproof by now, but as the pieces fell, exposing her once again to the excruciating agony of loss, her hard earned fortitude slipped and she surrendered. Game over.

Her lungs constricted around each draw of perfumed air as she pivoted away from her brother, Lucian. Dizzy, she flinched, each onlooker’s stare stabbing through her thin veneer of composure. Too many strangers.

“Isadora?”

She couldn’t whisper a single excuse to Lucian as she turned. She needed to escape. Keeping her head down she rushed toward the doorway, against the current of bodies approaching.

Her life flashed painfully through her mind with kaleidoscope glimpses of her past, tilted and jagged. Broken. Upside down and disjointed. Lumbering strides clumsily carried her away from the crowd. She struggled for elegance when everything inside of her begged to run. Escape.

A cry built in her throat, but she swallowed it back. Patrases didn’t cry —not even the female ones—according to her father.

A thousand unfinished sentiments danced on her tongue as the agony inside seeped past her lips in a clipped whimper. The pain in her heart climbed as the sob in her throat built, each step announcing the end of her courage, the acceptance of her loss.

A piercing buzz sounded in her ears as reality truly set in. She wasn’t going to make it. She was going to fall apart, right here, in front of all these people and the last of her dignity would be stolen, just as so many other things had been.

I can’t handle this…

The excruciating sorrow was hers and hers alone. No one knew the truth. They all believed the lie.

The doorway yawned only ten feet away, but bodies cluttered the exit. She needed to get through the throng of guests before the last broken pieces of her heart shattered into dust.

“Excuse me,” she murmured, keeping her head down and angling toward the hallway.

A suffocating vise closed around her heart, radiating into her shoulders with crushing, agonizing waves at the slightest brush of contact. Her knees softened as she turned the corner and came face to face with another line of strangers. Too many people.

Who were they? They were all here for him, yet she didn’t recognize a single one.

Because he wanted it that way…

The room tilted, the narrow hall shrinking as countless bystanders blended into one. Nausea churned through her empty stomach. Her veil of composure slipped, exposing vulnerabilities no one would understand. No one except the one person she couldn’t speak to about this.

She swallowed down the pain as she had so many times before, but nothing came close to the agony she was up against now. This was absolutely the last time he’d ever hurt her.

She tried to bury it, pretend it never happened, which it might as well not have, being that no one else knew the truth—except him, the one person who deserved to never see her like this. The one person she wished was here. The only person who knew the real her and accepted every imperfection she hid from the rest of the world. But asking him to accept the heartbreak she suffered for another man was simply too much. She couldn’t do that to him…

A sob gave way, slicing through the polite silence like a frigid wind cuts through the heat of a summer day. Heads jerked in her direction. She couldn’t face their judgment, their assumptions.

The hallway seemed to lengthen with each step. She’d never make it. Her vision tilted and she leaned into the wall. She had no choice but to face this alone. Always alone.

Breathe!

Her lips parted as she sucked in a lungful of air. The moment it traveled past the lump in her throat her queasy stomach revolted.

The clashing stench of perfume and people spoiled the natural scent of the flowers. Her mouth watered. Her throat swallowed, but a jarring wooziness unleashed inside of her. Tiny beads of sweat clung to her brow, each carrying the weight of an entire ocean.

Don’t you dare surrender here! You keep moving!

She staggered another step, certain everyone was now staring. Never had her secrets felt as heavy as they did in that moment. His secrets. Theirs. Now, they were all hers.

All of her polished grace was a sham, nothing but chipped layers disguising unsophisticated innocence worn thin by time. She’d never make it to the front door at this rate. It was too far.

Pivoting in the direction she’d just come, she lurched toward a discrete pocket door hidden in the wall. Faces blurred into macabre figures as she struggled to breathe, her heart jackhammering in her chest.

Her hands pressed into the panel, her mind not caring if she wasn’t permitted beyond this point. She needed an escape. She needed privacy, because she was breaking in broad daylight after years of fighting for flawless composure.

Every fundamental experience had taught her how to hide—a pawn on the run, forever racing toward the elusive dignity of a queen. She had nothing left to sacrifice.

I surrender. I surrender…

As the paneled door slid open she rushed inside the private sitting room and closed the world away. Her face pressed to the wood as her breath beat out of her.

Too much pain. Too many regrets. The secrets gutted her, slipping out in retched, raw sobs. The tears came like a harsh rain after an endless drought. Relentless.

She let go, surrendering the last of her poise to the pain. Gasping, she moaned against each brutal wave of sadness as years of silent suffering escaped in broken wails. There was no disguising it here. It was the ugly truth she’d carried for more than a decade. It was a truth she’d bear for the rest of her life.

Her shoulders curled inward as another jagged sob escaped. Something touched her shoulders and she gasped. Her hands flew to her face, hiding tracks of tears and traces of exposed anguish as a floorboard creaked, announcing the presence of another person in the private room.

Horrified to discover she wasn’t alone, she hid against the door, blatantly visible, but crippled by the indignity that someone was witness to her distress. She couldn’t bear to turn around.

“Isadora…”

Her spine stiffened as her name fell like a plea, a rasp of worry, hidden in the strong tenor of a masculine voice. Her head slowly lifted as his familiar, gentle tone penetrated her mortification and her lips parted.

Wet lashes blinking in surprise, she slowly pivoted, no longer hiding her tears. Her heart sparked in her chest as her gaze traveled over his designer suit, past his strong jaw, and fell upon his familiar eyes.

He’s here…

She held his stare and her breath stuttered. There were no words for how deeply she loved him. His presence was everything. He was everything.

Brow pinched, he delicately dragged a thumb under her lashes, visibly reading her heartache and accepting it. He pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her shoulder as she lost herself in his sheltering hold.

Safe.

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116 Chapters
CHAPTER 1
Prologue“If the only mark I leave upon this earth is the indelible caress of my whispered name within the downbeats of your heart, I will be satisfied.”Fiona SummervilleOnly Dark Around the EdgesTHERE IS a moment in every woman’s life, be her a queen or a pawn, when she is taken so off guard the game is forever changed. Isadora Patras should have been shockproof by now, but as the pieces fell, exposing her once again to the excruciating agony of loss, her hard earned fortitude slipped and she surrendered. Game over.Her lungs constricted around each draw of perfumed air as she pivoted away from her brother, Lucian. Dizzy, she flinched, each onlooker’s stare stabbing through her thin veneer of composure. Too many strangers.“Isadora?”She couldn’t whisper a single excuse to Lucian as she turned. She needed to escape. Keeping her head down she rushed toward the doorway, against the current of bodies approaching.Her life flashed painfully through her mind with kaleidoscope glimpses
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-11
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CHAPTER 2
“Perhaps the freedom of flying in the boundless sky is but a lonesome fall through nothingness.”~Emily PatrasTHIRTEEN YEARS Earlier“Where were you?” Isadora called from the foot of the grand staircase, stilling her younger brother’s fleeting steps. She held onto resolute hope to get to the bottom of his recent rebellion.Shirttail askew, Lucian turned with a penetrating scowl that, had she not been anticipating his defiance, would have taken her a step back. “You’re not my keeper, Isadora.”Her heart stammered in her chest, his words cutting to the shabby roots running beneath their family tree like corroded veins. Tangled and rotted, an abandoned place since their mother had passed away eight years ago.Daunting men had always overshadowed the little authority Isadora assumed, and her younger brother’s independence was rapidly dwarfing hers. But she was still his guardian, and as such, it was her sole duty to protect him—even from himself.“Don’t walk away from me, Lucian.”“Then
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-11
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CHAPTER 3
“From the nest they must fall.”~Isadora PatrasIN THE WEEKS leading up to Lucian’s departure, Isadora savored any moment her brother graced their home with his presence, though such instances were few and far between. She chose her battles carefully. No longer waiting up in the kitchen at night, but rather, worrying from her bed and only resting once the shuffle of his footsteps echoed through the house, announcing he’d returned home safe and sound.Soon enough he’d be on his own and she didn’t want to be an enemy he left behind. But she loved him and that meant worrying about him and suffering silently.He was changing and that was changing her, too. It had always been the three of them and every day that passed he amputated more of his part of the puzzle from their whole.Dominant men, like her father, could not be told what to do. Lucian was no different and she sympathized with any woman who dared to love him in the future. The impenetrable armor he’d donned since becoming an adu
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-11
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CHAPTER 4
Pretending to be affronted, Shamus scoffed. “Well … maybe I’ll transfer. Luche is stealing all the attention and the last thing he needs is a bigger ego.”That penetrated her sister’s false indifference. “Don’t you dare!”Shamus laughed and nudged her shoulder. “I’d never.” He gave her a playful wink. “You know what today feels like?”Toni hung on his every word. “What?”“Ice cream. How about we take a ride into the city? You and Isa put on fancy clothes and we’ll make dinner reservations at your dad’s hotel, but we’ll only order off the dessert menu.”The pinch surrounding Isadora’s heart eased as Toni’s eyes cleared, her cheeks stretching into a wide grin. “What about supper?”Shamus lovingly knocked a knuckle against her upturned chin. “Some situations call for special exceptions. What do you say we go break the rules of good social conduct?”“Isa, can we?” Toni bounced with enthusiastic impatience.“Why don’t you and Shamus go? Have fun. I think I’m going to rest.” “You’re never a
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-11
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CHAPTER 5
He was familiar with Lucian’s other friend. Sawyer’s son Slade was one third of the boys’ trifecta, though Shamus was a year behind the other two.“What are you doing sitting in the dark?” He took another step inside the dim office.“I was just … thinking.” And drinking.The end of the workweek showed in his opened collar. A day’s worth of creases wrinkled his Brooks Brothers suit. He was roughly a decade and a half younger than her father, who had delayed having children as long as possible.Though Sawyer was several years older than her, Bishop men wore time well, making it hard to discern their exact age. Sawyer’s years were well hidden behind laugh lines and eyes so clear she could discern they were of the brightest blue—pretty eyes, the sort that shimmered. The sort she liked.He possessed a swarthy complexion and distinguished elegance that never went out of style, and his son, Slade, had inherited the same sort of devastatingly handsome presence, but disguised it behind youthfu
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-11
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CHAPTER 6
Holding up his hands in mock surrender, he laughed. “I didn’t realize you were hiding a little feminist inside. My apologies if I offended you.”“Oh, she’s not little. She just appears that way next to so many large men.” She reached for the bottle only to lift it and find it empty.“Too many sons inheriting their fathers’ arrogance, I suppose.”She considered his words, thought of his son, then realized her huge oversight. “Slade left today.” Feeling like a thoughtless heel, she sat up. “Oh, Sawyer, I’m sorry. Here I am going on and on about my life when you sent your son off—”He cut her apology short with a wave of his hand. “We men like our sons, but eighteen years with them is enough. I wished him luck, gave him some sage advice about condoms and cafeteria food, and he was as glad to be rid of me as I of him.”She laughed. “I suppose it’s different for…” “Mothers?”“Women,” she amended.His gaze met hers and something shifted in the air. Perhaps it was the intimate knowledge of t
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-28
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CHAPTER 7
“Life is a swift tumble through the clouds, too fast to spend time searching for regrets or chasing wrongs.”~Lucian Patras“SORRY ABOUT THAT,” Isadora apologized, stepping further into the room.Sawyer’s focus shifted, a troubled look flashing in his eyes. His jacket now draped over the chair he’d occupied earlier, but he looked as if he were thinking of putting it back on. Maybe he was mentally collecting his belongings before he made another excuse to leave. She didn’t want him to go—mostly because she didn’t want to be alone.“Toni’s in bed,” she informed, not sure why that information concerned him.“Did they have a nice time?”“Yes. Jamie’s wonderful with her. He took her to Patras.”He nodded, but made no further comment.Unsure what to make of the shift in energy, she collected her glass from the bar to buy time, but something was definitely different, and she didn’t understand why.“Is something wrong, Sawyer?”His gaze followed her as she came to sit on the empty side of the
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-28
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CHAPTER 8
Was he really back for his jacket? Had he left it there on purpose? He watched her, keeping his distance, like she was some sort of black widow. She mentally laughed. She was about as threatening as a baby bunny.Putting her back to the bar, she gave him room to get his belongings and go. Reaching past her, he slid the jacket off the back of the chair and stilled, close enough for her to see the contrast of silver threaded in the dark hair at his temples.Her skin tingled as breath locked in her lungs, his scent crawling into her. A million moments she should have had collided in her mind, borrowed memories from novels and cinematic romances and what she knew most girls experienced years before approaching her actual age.His arm brushed the front of her blouse and his eyes shut on a whispered curse. Every breath she took tightened her clothing. She was winded, yet standing perfectly still.“Tell me to go. Tell me to forget the jacket,” he whispered, voice low as it scratched along he
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-28
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CHAPTER 9
A fire singed beneath her skin, sweeping through her with an intensity so strong she found herself clutching and pulling him closer. He subdued her excitement with gentle touches, tamed the burn into something slow and decadent.The delicate silk at her hips pulled away as his fingers stroked between her thighs. Soft, wet heat waited within her folds. The first caress of his fingers over her sex had her gasping, nervous and excited for what might come.“So soft…” He parted her tender folds and gently probed her slick flesh. Deeper and deeper he pressed until she wasn’t sure if she should cry in pleasure or beg for more.His mouth left her breasts and traveled lower. He slowly kissed down her belly. Her hands fumbled over their discarded clothing until her fingers sifted through his silken hair. She arched sharply as his tongue licked a straight line to the sensitive peak of her sex.“Ah…” The pleasure was so acute she feared she might break from the inside out.Her hands tightened, as
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-28
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CHAPTER 10
“As sure as time will fly today, Beautiful flowers will fade away.”~Emily PatrasTHE EVENTS of the last hour settled over her like a cool wind creeping in after a hot summer rain. Her fingers shook as she managed to lift the zipper of her skirt. Buttoning her blouse was not as simple.“Allow me,” Sawyer’s gravelly voice spoke softly behind her as the heat of his tall body seeped through the thin material covering her shoulders.With choppy breaths, she lowered her hands and turned to face him. Sliding each little button through its hole, his gaze remained focused on the task. His fingers gathered her long hair and lifted it over one shoulder, as he pressed a kiss to her neck—apparently over his regret.“Your pulse is racing.”Maybe she should have another drink. Her gaze skated to the bottle of scotch on the floor, thousands of dollars seeping into the priceless Oriental carpet. No, she’d definitely had enough to drink.Taking her hand, he guided her to the small settee, righting the
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-28
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