Share

Chapter 43

Author: Luna Hills
last update Last Updated: 2025-01-04 03:23:40

Connor

"Sir," my secretary stands at the slightly open door, "a couple wants to see you."

My eyebrows knit together. "Who? Do they have an appointment?"

She walks in, closes the door gently, and hurries to my desk. "It's Mr. and Mrs. Lockhart. Evelyn's parents. They are here to see you."

Eh?

"Here to see me?"

She nods. "Yes. Um, do I tell them you're occupied? I could think of something—an excuse."

I shake my head. They must be here because of the engagement. Evelyn said she would give me a heads-up, but she is away at a meeting for the company.

"Let them in. Thank you."

A minute later, Evelyn's parents walk in. As soon as I set eyes on them, seeing her mother's bright smile and her father's serious eyes, my heart races.

"I should have prepared for a day like this," I mutter. I should have asked Evelyn to prepare a series of flashcards in case I ever ran into them and needed to convince her parents that we were two people madly in love.

But...I am in love with her, aren't I? I know al
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Related chapters

  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 44

    EvelynI see the flash as I turn my head to the large window showing a view of the street, but I don't see anyone. As much as I don't like the flashes and bright lights that come with being the fiancée of a popular CEO and public personality, I've schooled myself not to react in any way that might end up as a scandal."I'm probably just imagining this," I mutter. "Must be from all the pictures taken of us yesterday."Connor and I had to attend an event last minute, and a red carpet was outside the building. Suffice it to say we spent an hour trying to get from the limo that took us there into the place because of the press.There's another event tomorrow—I cannot wait until all of this is over—so I told him I'd go shopping myself instead of picking something from my closet.I'll also kill two birds with one stone and get a dress for myself for the unveiling gala that's in a little over a week.Then, I'll buy a piece of jewelry for my mom to apologize for sending her out of Connor's of

    Last Updated : 2025-01-04
  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 45

    EvelynI whistle as I walk out of the complex, nodding politely at the few people who recognize me. But the second I step out, I see the same unfriendly face, with the same creepy smile."What the hell do you want?" I hiss."Just five minutes with you," he takes a step forward. "I want to get the inside scoop. The answer to the question is on everyone's mind. Why did Connor Everest choose a woman like you?""I mean," his beaded eyes roam over my body, and I feel violated, "you are beautiful, but you're not his type. And no one saw you two together before he announced the engagement. Even celebrities are not that good at hiding.""Could it be something else?""There is no inside scoop," I say with a note of finality. "If you keep on following me, I will call the police and sue you for harassment."He laughs an evil laugh as I turn around."Harassment? I didn't touch you. I didn't take pictures of you either, although it's not against the law to do so. I'm better than most people who ho

    Last Updated : 2025-01-04
  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 46

    EvelynConnor takes my hand, and we walk to his car and get into a black Mercedes I don't recognize. Connor sits in the backseat with me, and when the car pulls away, he pulls me into his arms, lowering his head and kissing me on the mouth.I hold on to him as the adrenaline rush from being stalked fades away, leaving me drained."I'm sorry I couldn't get there faster," he whispers, touching his forehead to mine."How did you know I was in trouble?" I question.I understand he knew I was at the shopping complex because I told him, but he stopped Lance like he'd been around the whole time.He sighs."I knew something was going to happen, so I had two people watching you. I told them to stay a good distance away," he adds when my eyes widen in shock, "so they didn't infringe on your privacy. But if something happened, they were to call me."I don't know what to make of that. I've never had people shadowing me before or a reporter threaten to smear my name.It feels a little creepy, thou

    Last Updated : 2025-01-04
  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 47

    Connor"What are you getting her?" I ask as Ken and I stand in front of the displayed rings, all of them in varying degrees of beauty and prices.Ken called me last night, asking for a last-minute favor. It was at eleven pm when I found out that my best friend had set his wedding date for two months from now and hadn't gotten a ring.He taps his chin."To be honest, I'm not completely sure. I know she doesn't want something traditional, but I can't seem to narrow it down to one. Or two," he looks at me helplessly. "Is it okay if I get her five? Or ten?"I laugh."As a wedding ring?""Engagement, too. I want to get something perfect," he sighs.Pointing to a ring with a sapphire gemstone, I comment, "This looks good. It's a good price, too."Ken shakes his head. "Price doesn't matter when it comes to Mira. I want to give her everything."I see."Then something from natural materials? You could get a couple of them," I suggest, pulling him and moving to another section. "These are made

    Last Updated : 2025-01-04
  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 48

    Connor Ken enters the back seat and gives me the stink eye through the rearview mirror. "You could have said it was none of my business rather than leaving me there." My chest rumbles with laughter, and I stare at his frowning face. "Is that why you're seated at the back?" He nods and crosses his arms. "Yup. I'm at the back, that means you're my driver today." When I don't respond, he gestures to the wheel. "Come on. Let's go. Aren't you hungry?" My stomach grumbling keeps me from giving him a witty remark, and when he raises a cheeky brow, I chuckle. "I will be nice to you because you're getting married soon. After your honeymoon, be prepared to meet a ton of work on your desk. You were of little help with this project." "That's because I was attending to other duties," he complains. "And I could say the same about you. Do you know how many meetings I had to attend because you threw yourself into the project and working with Evelyn? It was like nothing else mattered." It f

    Last Updated : 2025-01-04
  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 49

    ConnorWhen I get there, I find Evelyn seated on a colorful-looking couch. Her hundred-pound fur baby, Bucky is sleeping beside the chair, but he senses me and wakes up, running over and tackling me with sloppy kisses.Evelyn laughs as I attempt to keep him from tackling me to the ground under his weight and the ferocity of his affection until she comes to bail me out."Sit, Bucky."He does and she pouts at me. "He loves you, you know. But I'll take him to one of the rooms, so he doesn't try to maul you again."As she walks away, my eyes take in her apartment; the decor and the whimsical items she bought when we went decor shopping suddenly make sense. Everything seems to fit perfectly, from a large candle that doubles as a lamp to the beautiful artwork on the walls that makes up her personal space.Evelyn returns minutes later and she stands next to me, whispering in my ear. "Now that you're in, how do we celebrate this achievement?"Chuckling, I lift the bag in my hand."I brought y

    Last Updated : 2025-01-04
  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 50

    ConnorBy the time Evelyn got there, I didn't want to let her go."They smell so good," she sniffs. "You've done a good deed, Mr. Everest."Then she drops the bouquet, takes a step forward, reaches high, and places a kiss on my lips. It's a brief, sweet one that satiates and leaves me longing all at once."Do you want to stay and drink the wine with me?"I shake my head."I should let you sleep. Why don't we drink it tomorrow? I don't want it to interfere with your beauty sleep."After she puts the bottle in the kitchen and the roses in a vase filled with water, Evelyn follows me to her door."How do you like my apartment?" She asks, holding the door open with one hand.We're so close that the only thing I'm looking at is her lips. I'm lost... contentedly lost in them."Connor?""Hmm?" I refocus."I missed you too," Evelyn says before she puts her hands around my neck and touches her lips to mine. I give in immediately, my lips parting to embrace the kiss.My hands go around her waist

    Last Updated : 2025-01-04
  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 51

    Evelyn."Are you nervous?" Connor asks."Hmm?" I look up from the thick file in front of me that I've been peering over for the past two hours.Connor reaches out to take my hand, and his thumb makes circles in my palm."Are you nervous? We have a day left. Less than twenty-four hours.""No. Why would I be? We've spent the entire day going through everything. Every step and line, and they've all passed the checklist," I respond confidently.I'm hoping that he buys it because my nerves are shot to hell, and I've been surviving on coffee and pure adrenaline."Good," he grins, "because you've done well. If you were working for me full-time, I would have given you a promotion. Why don't you come to work for me?"You know...I'd forgotten that I'm an independent contractor.That's how much time Connor and I have spent with each other working on the project for the past few months. We've been through a lot, from hating each other to pushing personal feelings aside so we could work, and now—

    Last Updated : 2025-01-17

Latest chapter

  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 111

    Felicia.We both stand and see two police officers exit the doors as we approach. We follow the nurse to a room.We see Collins sitting up in the bed; his arm has a big patch of gauze, and his shirt is bloodied, but he's alive.He looks up and smiles at both Carson and me."So, you got shot, little brother. I'm glad you're okay. You scared the hell out of us.""You just missed the police. They already have the men in custody.""Good. How are you feeling?""I'm fine. And so is Dale. He did well for a recruit.""Good. Felicia said you were wearing one of the new vests.""I was. But, I went by the office and grabbed one of the older ones before I went downtown."Carson gives me a searching look then looks over at Felicia, "Well, I'll leave you two alone. I'll go check on Dale."Collins looks over at me and then opens his arms. I walk over to him and wrap my arms around him being careful to avoid his injured arm, but I forget about his back."Ouch.""Oh, Collins, I'm sorry.""Don't worry

  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 110

    Felicia.My cell phone rings, "Hello?""Felicia, it's Carson. There was some trouble downtown. Collins and a guard have been taken to the hospital. I don't know the extent of their injuries.""Oh, my God," my head swims with the news. I weakly sit down."Are you home?""Yes.""Look, I'm headed to the hospital; why don't I stop by and pick you up?""Okay, thanks, Carson."I look down at my hot pink lingerie, I had planned on opening the door to Collins wearing it. I go into the bedroom and throw on the first clothes I touch—a pair of jeans and a black shirt. I slip on some shoes and hear a car pull up in the drive. I pick up my purse and rush out the door.As I approach Carson's car, my eyes land on my Can-Am Spyder. I see the word 'Bella' airbrushed on the side of my motorcycle. I give a small smile, then turn and hurry to the car where Carson is waiting.Once I'm in the car and Carson is driving to the hospital, before I can ask, he looks over at me grimly, "I wish I could tell you m

  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 109

    Collins."Good," I say with relief."You're not? Then who is?"Ellen and Dave both ask at one time.Felicia gives a proud smile, "I recommended to the board that it be a shared responsibility. Two Co-CEOs. While most companies only have one CEO, some are having great success with Co-CEO positions. I think a good balance of work and family is important.""That's a great idea. So, who will be Co-CEO with you?" Asks Ellen."Who do you think they'll pick?" Dave asks Felicia."I don't know who the board will select. Even though I have a controlling interest, I feel the board should make most of these types of decisions. However—"Felicia stops and looks at Ellen, "I made a recommendation. I recommended Ellen Stone and Beth Smith from gaming for joint leadership."Ellen looks stunned, and then her eyes begin to light up at the thought, "Thanks, Felicia. I love the idea of joint leadership. Beth knows the gaming side very well. We've worked on other projects together. She and I get along gre

  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 108

    Felicia.I give Collins a nod. Then I turn toward Ellen and Dave, "All of us will be attending the meeting," I inform them firmly."We will?" Ellen and Dave both look at me wide-eyed.I then hand them each a small stack of papers, "Yes, Ellen, you helped prepare these for me. If you and Dave could pass them out to the board members while I review the numbers, it would be helpful. Then, we will all be available to answer any questions that might be asked. Okay?"They both nod. I turn back to Collins and take his hand. Then, with a spring in my step, we walk out of the copier room and cross over to the boardroom.When I open the conference room door, I give everyone a wide, friendly smile. The Chair and Vice Chair of the Board catch my eye, and they nod solemnly to me as I enter. I nod back."Good morning," I walk toward the head of the conference room and gesture for Collins to take my normal seat. I remain standing between Collins and my uncle, who's at the head of the table. I notice

  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 107

    Collins.When I arrive home later that night, the house is dark. Felicia would always leave a light on in the house, so I know she's not in the apartment before I even open the door. I grimace as I flip on the light switch. I look around and everything looks exactly like it did when I left. Except Felicia isn't here. The empty apartment seems to mock me.I can't believe how the night ended. How arrogant I was to believe that she wanted something more than friendship. I pull out my cell phone and look down at the red beating heart that made me think she might feel the same way about me as I feel about her.I go to delete the heart, but at the last minute, I don't. I can't. It's the last text I may ever get from Felicia. I'm not only losing my wife, I'm losing my best friend. She gets me. She always has.I could tell earlier tonight that she felt bad. She probably didn't know how to tell me how she's been feeling. She wants to move on with finding someone she can love. And it's not me.

  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 106

    Felicia.When Serena and I walk out of Donovan Security a little after one o'clock, we both feel satisfied with the contract.Serena looks over at me, "I think everything went very well. That was one of the smoothest negotiations I've dealt with. Both you and Carson were flexible and fair. I think both sides basically got what they wanted, leaving Hayford Software in a very good position.""I'm glad the negotiation part is behind us. I can't wait to tell the team we have a signed contract from a major buyer, and we're ready to launch."We say our goodbyes, and then I drive to Hayford's.When I enter my department, every single member of the team watches me walk in. I can tell they've all been waiting. I give a huge smile and then hold the signed papers up over my head like a trophy."We have a signed contract, and we're ready for launch!"There are hoops and hollers as everyone gives a cheer. Then comes a lot of backslapping and high-fives.Ellen comes over. "So, are you nervous abou

  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 105

    Collins.It's Thursday morning, and I'm early. I want to be at the ten o'clock meeting to show Felicia my support. She's worked so hard on putting this deal together.The night before last, I started training one of the supervisors to be Hawkin's backup. Smitty, the guy I've been training, appears to be catching on quickly.I really don't want to work another night shift ever again. I'd rather be home at night, in bed with my wife.Damn, I can't believe how much I've missed being with Felicia. It's only been since Monday night, but I've gotten used to spending our evenings together.It doesn't matter if we're sharing stories about work, watching a movie and eating popcorn, sitting out on our deck, or riding our bikes. What's important is doing all of these things together, doing them with Felicia.I pull out my phone and look down at the last text she sent me. I saved it like some love-sick teenager simply because Felicia sent me a red beating heart. Damn, I've got it bad.I haven't h

  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 104

    Felicia.It's Wednesday, and I've been on pins and needles, waiting for everything to come together.Our department has been working around the clock to get the changes to the software ready. It's come a long way from the rough draft that Carson was originally shown.The team took my ideas and ran with them. They came up with some very innovative improvements on their own. Excitement is high.I've barely seen Collins as we're working opposite shifts.I'm getting ready to grab some lunch because I'm hungry. I skipped breakfast again this morning. My stomach has been acting up. Maybe Ellen was right, and I'm coming down with something."Felicia, it's Jaxson Gibson. Would you be able to stop by my office today?""Hi, Jaxson. Yes, I was getting ready to leave for lunch in a few minutes. I could be there in about fifteen minutes if that works?""Great. I'll see you then."When I walk into Jaxson's office, I'm shown into a small conference room in the back.Jaxson comes in. "Felicia, thanks

  • I Hate you Mr. BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 103

    Felicia.It's Monday, and I spent most of Sunday looking up information about ReConstruct.Collins suggested I hire Jaxson and his team to look into the company's finances and bank records. I called Jaxson from the parking lot before I entered the building, so I'm running a little late.When I enter our department I find Ellen waiting for me in my office."Uh oh, are you here with good news or bad news?""You decide. Here are the projected sales from the third-party company. They re-ran the numbers based on the new marketing and pricing plan."I carefully put down my briefcase, sit down, and only then do I pick up the file in front of me.I quickly skim through their findings. Then I look up with a beaming smile."Let's get these over to Donovan Security.""Already done."After Ellen leaves, I lean back in my chair and just sit there with a smile on my face for a few minutes until I get a text from Collins.'I bet you're smiling!' With a smiley face emoji. My response is just a row of

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status