Jian’s POV“Gentlemen, I’m sorry but you’ll have to return another time. Rose is a bit busy right now,” those were the words I said to the strangers, while still shocked by her sudden disappearance. Although I hadn’t bothered to check the house properly or even ask Greta if she’d seen her leaving, I believed she was gone.Asides from the main door, there was another back door that led to the woods behind the property. Considering how cunning Rose was, at this point, I had no reason to doubt that she hadn’t figured out where the door was located. But why didn’t she get away all these while, why now? The only reasonable answer to this question was that she must be on a mission, and that mission is what I was eager to know.It was as if I’d suddenly discovered more interesting facts about this woman and as angry and disappointed as I was that she lied to me, I was also intrigued.The men stared back at me skeptically, and from their looks, I could tell they thought I was hiding their fri
Jian’s POVI stared at her as she slept peacefully, with her head casually resting on my shoulder. She looked so peaceful except for the occasional twitch of her body and the way her brows would draw up as though she was in a dream. The simple plain bodycon black dress she had on hugged her body, stopping mid-thighs. My eyes drifted down to her thighs and I had the urge to rest my palm there but I stopped myself. I forced my eyes back to her peaceful face and then she twitched again, this time, an expression of fear crossed her features but it was gone in the next instant. It once again reminded me that she was a troubled soul with secrets she was wielding. All I wanted was for her to open up so I could help her but she was so hard-headed. But could I even trust her again? After finding out the truth about her identity, I find it very difficult to believe anything that comes out of her mouth. Lord knows the number of lies she’s fed me within the few weeks we’ve been together. I’m ye
Rosie’s POVI stood by the door after ringing the doorbell. I didn’t know how to feel but despite how long I slept on the plane, I was suddenly feeling very tired, both physically and mentally. It felt so strange to be home and it even felt more strange to be standing outside the door with the knowledge of what to expect as soon as the door opens.What if it’s something like in the movies where my every move is being watched and the door opens up to reveal the Don standing there, over my parents bodies, a malicious smile on his face with guns pointed at me? These thoughts filled me up but I shook myself back to reality, telling myself to be calm just as the door opened up to reveal one of the numerous housekeepers, Dally. Dally was young, just slightly older than myself, and aside from working for my parents, I see her as more of a friend and we’ve often spent time together whenever I’m home.Her usual bright smile slipped into her face the moment she saw me.“Welcome home, Miss Rose
Jian’s POVThe continuous beeping of my cell phone pulled me out of my sleepy haze. I stared at the fancy electric clock sitting on the nightstand to see it was 2 am. I had a very busy day and I was very tired. A wave of annoyance crashed into me when the phone kept beeping and I grabbed it off the nightstand to see an unknown number. Part of me wanted to ignore the call and go back to sleep but I decided to take it.“Hi, Ji-Jian…” her angelic voice was the first thing that sailed into my ears, calming my nerves. It was Rosie, and I’d be damned before ignoring her. Quickly, I sat up in bed and rested against the headboard with my phone pressed to my ears, and my heart palpitating for reasons best known to it.“Jian…” her voice came again, in an unsteady tone with a fearful quiver to it.“I’m here, baby,” my words came out in a gruff tone, but I cleared my throat. “Missing me already?” I tried cracking a joke but was greeted with silence. “Rosie…” “I… I’m sorry if I’m bothering you b
Rose’s POV“It’s okay, love. I’m here now,” he patted my back, and tears brimmed in my eyes, threatening to spill.After our phone conversation the previous night, I couldn’t wait to get to him. It felt like I was holding the weight of the entire world but the moment I saw him, I felt a bit of relief. I’d told my dad about my nightmare but played it off as something unserious after I woke up to meet him in my room the previous night. Thereafter, I borrowed his phone to call Jian, after lying to him that my phone was stolen. As soon as the first light of dawn streamed into my bedroom, I told him I had to meet up with my best friend, Sam, and I may stay over at her place for the rest of the weekend. He didn’t question me or find it suspicious since such sleepovers were a regular thing for Sam and I. Hence, I took one of the cars in the garage, scribbled down Jian’s home address on a piece of paper, and left him in search of the only man that could bring me peace, the one place where I
Rose’s POVI stayed in bed even after he left, still trying to figure out what had just happened and if I’d done anything wrong but I couldn’t recall doing something to offend him. After a few more minutes, I rose to a sitting position. It was then it dawned on me that it was getting late. The skies outside were getting dark. I didn’t know I’d slept for that long but I also didn’t regret it. It was the first good sleep I was having in a while and I felt refreshed. I climbed out of bed, stretched my limbs, and decided to go in search of him, hoping to get an explanation of what had just happened. I stepped out of the room and was able to find my way into the kitchen to see him cooking, an apron tied to his waist with a napkin in hand.The sight was quite funny because I never picked him as a kitchen guy. To me, he was more of a strict no-nonsense businessman but here he was, making dinner and dressed in just his pajama pants and an apron. I couldn’t stop the giggle that bubbled out
Rose’s POVI got home that evening, and immediately hurried off to my bedroom, not even sparing Dally a glance as she walked into me on her way to the kitchen. I felt her concerned eyes on me as I climbed up the stairs that led to my room but thankfully, she didn’t utter a word or tried to stop me. The moment I was in my safe space, I dropped to the bed and the tears I’d been holding streamed down my face in endless torrents, a sob breaking out of my lips.I buried my head in the sheets to keep the sounds muffled as I couldn’t hold them in. Inside me, it felt as though something was broken, and was gradually slipping away from me. I felt helpless and caged all at once. At one point, it felt as though I couldn’t breathe properly, both from pain and from my clogged nostrils but I didn’t care. I kept reliving the moment with Jian when he’d made it clear that he couldn’t be there for me anymore.I finally did it. The one person that was my safe space, I finally chased him away with the we
Rose’s POVIt’s been two weeks since I returned to my parents home, and they hadn’t bothered to inquire about my absence from school, nor why I hadn’t returned. But thankfully, it was the holidays so it was the perfect excuse for me to remain at home without questions and suspicions. I’d also not heard from Jian and although it hurt badly, I let him be and didn’t try to contact him for any reason.I couldn’t count the number of times I’d had nightmares, and my dad had walked in to calm me. Each time I saw the way his brows drew together in worry and concern and whenever he asked if I was fine, I told him the same lie, that it was only a bad dream from the horror movies I’d been binge-watching in the daytime. I had no idea how long I could continue with that lie but I knew my time was gradually running out. Soon, he’d demand the truth but until then, I had to come up with something else or be ready to tell the truth.I’ve also tried contacting Sam but I’ve never gotten a response from
SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2023 Hello, lovelies, thank you for giving my book a chance and for sticking with me all through the months I couldn’t update due to personal reasons. Rosie and Jian’s story has finally come to an end and so has the series, The Ruthless Billionaires. While I’m excited for this end, I’ll miss the characters greatly but I have the thoughts of writing a sequel that’ll be named after the series, THE RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRES. This sequel will tell the love story of Romeo Torelli and Samantha Davis and also Sylvia Lancaster and Clifford Davidson and how it all started. If you’d be interested in reading this, please leave a comment below as your responses will spur me on, but if I get no response or a low outcome, I will end the series with this book and there will be no sequel. For the readers that haven’t read the previous books in the series, here’s a list of the books and where it all began: TITLE: The Ruthless Billionaires Book One: A Contract with the Billionaire (ex
_Six months later_Rosie stared at her reflection in the mirror and did a little twirl, with a bright smile on her face. She was dressed in a bright red sleeveless midi-dress that hugged her figure, accentuating her hips and petite curves. Her dark hair was styled into waves, flowing down her shoulder and her makeup was done to the minimal in soft pastel shades that made her soft brown eyes pop. Black Saint Laurent sandal heels adorned her feet, with a black clutch and the sparkling diamond necklace and teardrop earrings she had on put the finishing touches to her elegant look.She was dressed to go on her first formal romantic date with Jian and she was excited. He was coming to pick her up from her campus apartment. She’s been dreaming of this date for the past three months, from the moment she returned to school to finish her last semester and get her degree. And the day was finally here. She’d written her last exam that day and had immediately rushed home to begin preparations for
Rosie’s POVI stretched my limbs across the bed, and they landed on the cold spot where Jian’s body was supposed to be. Immediately, my eyes shot open and I stared at his spot to see it was empty and I was all alone in bed. At first, my heart skipped a beat but I tried to calm my nerves as I gathered the strength to rise to a sitting position. The sun was up, casting its rays into the room from the opened window. My gaze strayed to the bedside clock to see it was past 10 a.m., yet I made no move to get out of bed. Instead, I glanced around for any indication that Jian was at home.I couldn’t control how I felt when I woke up and thought he’d left me. It was the first thing that registered in my head but I told myself he wouldn’t leave me, and he may just be in his office getting some work done. I remained seated in bed, and a yawn slipped from my lips at the same time as my stomach rumbled from hunger. The last time I had anything to eat was at the hospital. The previous night had be
Rosie’s POV“Where is Greta?” I asked again, when he remained quiet. This time, he exhaled and stepped back from me. A frown marred my face as I stared at him in confusion, waiting for a response. He was acting strange and it was worrisome. Initially, he’d said she didn’t work in his home anymore but why couldn’t he just tell me where she now works? “Why did she leave and where has she gone to?” I took a step towards him and touched his arm. This time, he moved closer and held my shoulders. His eyes met mine and I saw an expression I didn’t recognize etched on his face. It was like a mix of anger and remorse.“Come, sit,” he gently pushed me back until I sat on the sofa behind me and he took his seat next to me.“Jian…” I was getting agitated from the way he was acting and he could see it.“I’ll tell you everything, I promise but I don’t think you’re ready to hear it, Rosie. I don’t want to spoil your mood,”“I can’t deal with the anxiety. Please tell me, what happened?” Again, he dr
Rosie’s POVThe silence that surrounded me as I slowly began to regain consciousness was serene. I couldn’t recall the last time I’d experienced such a feeling. Slowly, my eyes snapped open and they were met with the pristine white ceilings. For a minute, I kept staring at the ceiling but then from my peripheral vision, my eyes caught the silhouette of a body. Without hesitation, I turned to see it was Jian. He was seated on the only available chair in the room, and his head was buried in his palms. I couldn’t see his face on the expression on it but his pose screamed of worry.At that moment, I tried to sit up but then I felt a pull from the needle of the IV that was attached to my arm and it suddenly dawned on me that I was in a hospital room. All thoughts to call Jian’s attention suddenly fled from me as I tried to recall how I’d ended up here but it didn’t take long for all of the memories to start flooding me.I remembered it all. Ling lying on the bare concrete floor with a bull
Rosie’s POVI wiggled against the cold floor just to try to get comfortable. I had no idea how long it had been since I was brought here. All I knew was that their plans were in motion and my execution was getting nearer with each passing minute. I knew no one was coming for me. My only hope that Jian would come had died after seeing those pictures of him and Ling. I did not doubt that she’d managed to manipulate him into feeling pity for her. Since the last time she was here to reveal everything to me, she’s not been back. She mentioned going on a vacation and I didn’t doubt that Jian was with her. After all, I meant nothing to him. I was a liar and a deceiver who he’d tried to be nice to out of sympathy and in the end, I didn’t care enough to tell him the truth. I knew he detested me, and hence, it’d have been very easy for him to get over me the moment I was out of his home.He was the last person I had on my side. Now, I was all alone. My mom was busy paying for her sins in a nurs
Jian’s POVI arrived in Beijing the next evening, following the Don’s words. After Lina’s death, the news of Rosie’s disappearance was suddenly everywhere, and it was linked to Lina’s arrest. How it got released to the media, I had no idea. It was as if everything was a grand plan and we were playing into the hands of whoever this mastermind was.How Lina had died was yet to be explained. All the police had was a sniper had been hired to take her out, but they had no identity of the one responsible or who even hired the said sniper to kill her. At this point, everyone was a suspect in my head. I couldn’t stop wondering if it was Sylvia at work. From what I’d come to know of the woman, she was a very dangerous woman and had connections in high places. I wouldn’t be surprised to know that she killed Lina for coming after her daughter, but why would she do that, when Rosie was yet to be found?It didn’t make sense to me, and I was still trying to understand what the Don meant by there’s
Jian’s POV“Since when has this been going on?” Lara’s voice sailed into my ears from the phone and I sighed deeply. The news of Lina’s arrest made it to the media and it was now everywhere. There were lots of speculations about it as the major reason for her arrest wasn’t publicly disclosed but it was only known that she was arrested in the process of her final divorce hearing. Only our immediate family members were aware of what was going on. My dad had called to confirm the news, and now it was my younger sister, Lara on the phone.“It's been on for the past three months,”“Oh wow, that’s such a long time. I never expected such from Lina. She was always so nice and cheerful, and I know the news of Clifford’s affair with his assistant must have been very difficult for her but it’s not enough for her to change. I mean, I’m not a saint myself but, she went too far,”She was right to say that. Lara had done her fair share of evil in the past but it was swept under the carpet as it was
Jian’s POV“Check your mail. You’ve got all the evidence you need there, and as for a witness, there’ll be one in court tomorrow. Make sure you’re there by 9. It’s the final divorce hearing and your last chance.” the Don’s voice sailed into my ears before the call ended. I dropped my phone and drew in a deep breath that I exhaled almost immediately before rising to my feet to head out to the mailbox. It was almost 10 pm and it was my third day in New York. After Don Torelli contacted me on the night of the day I met with Williams, I told him all I knew about the case and Rosie’s abduction. He assured me to stay calm and that he’d take it from there, as the video evidence I’d handed over to him had helped trace the genesis of this issue and now, he’d called to inform me that he’d been able to gather the evidence I needed to nail Lina Davidson, and according to him, the final divorce hearing between her and her husband, Clifford, was the next morning.I did not doubt that Lina would be