Chapter 4: FROM HEARTBREAK TO POWER

SIMEON'S POV

The bar had become my second home. Ever since Veronica left me, I’d been drowning my emotions in alcohol. It was the only way I knew how to cope. I never used to be this way, but something in me broke when she walked out. I didn’t know it then, but that heartbreak set me on a path I never thought I’d walk.

Three years ago, if someone—anyone—had told me that I’d be a billionaire today, I would have laughed in their face. Me? A billionaire? I could hardly imagine it back then. But Veronica... she changed everything. Her departure, as painful as it was, lit a fire in me. I started working harder, thinking smarter, and pushing myself beyond limits I didn’t even know I had. The pain she left in me was what made me who I am now—the richest man in New York, as of yesterday. But no matter how much money I had, no matter how many deals I closed, it didn’t fill the emptiness inside me. I still drank. I still felt the sting of what I lost.

I never thought I’d care about another woman. Since Veronica, no one seemed to catch my eye. Until last night. That night changed everything.

It was the same routine. I walked into the bar, hoping to forget myself for a few hours, lost in a haze of alcohol. The place was dimly lit, with the usual crowd of people trying to escape their own problems. But then, her saw her sitting..

She was beautiful. More beautiful than I ever expected someone to be. I could tell she had been crying, the sadness in her eyes matching the emptiness I felt. She was at the counter, she kept ordering for drinks, her voice barely above a whisper as she spoke to the bartender. There was something in the way she carried herself—strong, but broken. I recognized that. It was like looking into a mirror.

I watched her for a moment, the same way I always watched people when I needed to clear my mind. But this time, my eyes stayed on her. She had this air about her that drew me in. Her hips swayed as she sat, her curves impossible to ignore. But it wasn’t just her body that caught my attention; it was the way she spoke when she ordered her drink. She wasn’t like the others. There was pain in her voice, something real, something raw.

I took a deep breath, deciding that maybe, just maybe, tonight I wouldn’t be alone. I walked over to her, my footsteps steady, my heart pounding as I tried to figure out what I was even doing. When I reached her, I sat beside her, quietly at first, just taking in the atmosphere.

“Why is a woman beautiful as you doing here?.” I asked.

She turned to look at me, sitting beside her. "I think this is where I’m meant to be tonight,” she replied.

I ordered a drink and sat in silence for a while, just letting her speak. She looked at me, eyes searching for something—maybe understanding, maybe comfort. And when she began talking, I listened closely.

“My life… it’s falling apart,” she said, her voice breaking just a little. “I thought I had everything. I thought I had someone who loved me. But it was all a lie. He cheated on me.”

I felt her pain in my chest. I knew that feeling too well. Betrayal. The sting of being left behind. It was all too familiar. I looked at her, trying to process everything she was saying.

“Why would a man cheat on someone like you?” I asked before I could stop myself. The words just slipped out. But it was true. She was stunning. Smart. A woman who deserved better. And yet, she was here, just like me, trying to drink away the pain of someone else’s mistakes.

She smiled, but it was a sad smile, like she didn’t believe what I was saying. “He did it anyway. And now, I’m just... stuck.”

I leaned closer, my instincts telling me to offer comfort. I wasn’t good with words, but I knew what she needed. I reached out and pulled her into a hug. I didn’t know why, but it felt right. Her warmth against me made me forget the emptiness, the loneliness that had followed me for so long.

Before I could say anything else, she pulled back, her lips close to mine. I saw the uncertainty in her eyes. “I… I’m sorry,” she whispered.

I didn’t give her a chance to pull away. I cupped her cheek, my thumb brushing against her soft skin. “Don’t apologize,” I said, my voice gentle but firm. And then, I kissed her.

It wasn’t just a kiss. It was everything. The world, the pain, the memories—all of it vanished in that moment. I didn’t think about Veronica. I didn’t think about anything else. All I could think of was her, Emma. She kissed me back, as if she needed this just as much as I did.

I woke up in the middle of the night, the moonlight streaming in through the window. My head was spinning. I felt... empty. What had I done? I had used her. I had used Emma, a beautiful woman who had simply been hurting, just like me. She had kissed me first, but I could have stopped it. I could have walked away. Instead, I let it happen. And now, here I was, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at her sleeping peacefully beside me.

I hated myself for what I had done. I couldn't shake the feeling that I had taken advantage of her. I stood up quietly, careful not to wake her, and dressed quickly. The guilt was gnawing at me, and I couldn’t bear to face her after what we’d done. I had to leave.

As I walked out of the room, my mind was racing. What was I doing? What was I even searching for? A distraction? Or maybe I just didn’t want to deal with the truth. That I was still haunted by Veronica, still drowning in my own pain. But Emma... Emma wasn’t the answer. She deserved better than someone like me.

I left her apartment without a word, without a note, just... gone.

....

The next morning, the sound of my phone buzzing pulled me out of my thoughts. It was my personal assistant, Gideon.

"Simeon," he said, his voice calm but with an urgency that caught my attention. "The news just announced that your company is now ranked as the top tech development firm in the city. Congratulations."

I wasn’t in the mood for congratulations. I wasn’t in the mood for anything. But I nodded anyway, trying to push the weight of the night before to the back of my mind.

"And there's something else," Gideon continued. "Pixel Forge Studios is looking to sell fifty percent of their shares. I think you should consider it."

Pixel Forge Studios? Why should I care about some game production company? I wasn't interested in that world. But then I heard my mother’s voice in my head, her words echoing: "Don't joke with opportunities."

I frowned. She had a point. Opportunities didn’t come every day, and turning one down could be a mistake.

"Okay, make the call," I said, rubbing my eyes. "Tell them we're interested in buying the shares. And tell them we want to see how the company operates before making any decisions."

Gideon hesitated for a moment, then agreed. "I'll handle it, Simeon."

A few hours later, Gideon walked back into my office with a slightly stunned look on his face.

"They want to meet with us," he said. "They’re eager to talk business."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? Let’s go then."

When we arrived at Pixel Forge Studios, I wasn’t expecting anything special. But as I stepped inside, I was shocked. Pictures of Emma were everywhere. Her face was plastered on the walls. It wasn’t just a small photo. No, these were large, professional shots, like she was the face of the company.

I couldn’t help but feel the pull again. It was like fate was pushing me toward her. First, we meet at a bar, and now here I was, walking into her world.

As we entered the office, I saw her standing behind the desk. Her eyes widened when she saw me. She looked just as surprised as I felt.

"Nice seeing you again," I said, my voice cool but with a hint of amusement. "So, how much does the fifty percent cost?"

She blinked, clearly caught off guard by my straightforwardness. "I thought you needed to know how things run here before making up your mind fully."

"I don't care," I said, walking closer. "Let’s go straight to business."

Emma was clearly taken aback by my bluntness. I didn’t care about the company’s operations or how it worked. All I wanted to know was how much it would cost to own fifty percent of it. Because in that moment, all I could think about was how much I wanted to be closer to her. How much I wanted to get to know her.

The company’s success wasn’t what mattered. What mattered was the woman who had unknowingly made me forget all my pain, even if just for a night.

"Let’s talk business," I said again, my voice firm, but the underlying emotion was there. This wasn’t just about a company anymore. It was about something more.

And I wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip away. Not this time. Not with her.