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26 | THE MASKED AUTHOR
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2024-10-29 19:42:56JOY
I was thirty minutes late and when I entered the office, the cold and quiet environment was enough for me to know that something was wrong. Mr Richardson was sitting by the chair before my desk while Bailey was by the side of my chair, a worried look on her face.
"Good morning?" I said, my voice ringing with confusion.
"You’re the head of the fiction department. The only thing I expect for you to be is devoted, and coming late is not a good sign, Ms Gale," Mr Richardson snapped, without even giving me a chance to breathe. I glanced at Bailey, who was frowning and shaking her head at the same time.
"I don't need excuses."
Mr Richardson was a nice man, minus his moodiness, when he didn’t get what he wanted. And at this moment, it was I who couldn't complete a simple task. To be fair, it wasn't exactly an effortless task. The masked author was driving me crazy.
"The masked author called. Did you know?"
My bo
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The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 28 | UNCOMFORTABLE
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The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 29 | CONFRONTATIONS
VINCE It took some time for me to process. Was she doing this out of grief? Or perhaps at the whim of the moment? I couldn’t do this like this. I didn’t kiss her back and cupped her cheeks as I pulled back. “Joy,” I said with a soft voice, rubbing my thumbs on her skin. “I can’t do this right now.” She seemed taken aback, as if my words had snapped her back to reality. She tried to move back, but I gripped the back of her neck and held her in place, the tip of our noses lightly brushing. “I want you, but not when you’re this vulnerable.” Something in her eyes shifted, and she closed them quickly, burying her face in the palm of my hand that rested on her cheek. "Don't leave," she whispered. The desperation and the craving in her voice sent a shiver down my spine, but her broken voice made something deep in my chest ache. I mumbled, "Only if you want me to." “I want you to,” she said with a nod
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 30 | NIGHT OF PLEASURES pt. 1
JOY Putting me down on my feet near the bed, he stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest as if waiting for me to take the lead. But I was a nervous wreck, even though every nerve in my body fluttered. I hadn’t had sex since Josh. I’d thought that I'd slept with him back in Paris. A part of me was relieved at that thought as well, like the feeling that I had successfully crossed the path without looking back. But I couldn’t help but tense, different thoughts swirling in my mind. Can I do this without my entire body screaming for help? Or my soul? Vince seemed to have understood me as he said, “Listen, Joy, we don’t have to do this if you—” “I want to do this,” I said immediately, cutting him off. I really wanted to do this. “Take off your clothes.” He regarded me carefully before unbuttoning his shirt, his chest, his ripped abs, oh so slowly coming to my view. He pulled his shirt off, his eyes boring into min
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 31 | NIGHT OF PLEASURES pt. 2
JOY Before I could form a reply, his tongue dipped between my folds and flicked my nub. It was a strange sensation, one I hadn’t experienced before. He continued flicking his tongue up and down my fold, fluttering them and making me quiver at the vibration. When he finally took my hardened bud in his mouth and sucked, my hands shot up to clutch his head. He gave a low hum, which sounded much like an approval as he continued to suck and graze his teeth to heighten the feelings shooting up to the centre of my stomach. I felt something building, something too strong. A surprised gasp left my lips when he darted his tongue to my slit and nudged at my entrance. I frowned, as the effect only lasted for a moment. I looked down to see his head pulled back and eyes focused on mine. The sight of his lips and the scruff of his jaw covered in my juices excited me even more. “Tell me if you don’t want something, Joy. Anything that makes you unco
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 32 | NEW BONDS
VINCE I wished if I didn't have to leave the first thing in the morning. On top of it, lie over Joy's face about it. She hadn't argued about it and simply said yes with a huge smile. That smile, I would’ve done anything to see every fucking day. Luckily, she couldn't get by my face that I was hiding the truth from her—the truth that I knew about Josh and about Mason’s death. While getting into my car, I’d glanced at my phone one more time and read Beau's message. BEAU:I am sending you an address. Be there, ASAP.
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 33 | NEW MOMENTS
JOY Vince had to leave early shortly after he received a call. But he made sure that I didn't feel left alone by kissing me after every word he said until he walked out of my apartment. I had no idea that a man like him could be so romantic and patient. I wasn't. And he had also made sure that I had a proper breakfast since neither of us had dinner last night and we were quite exhausted. "You should really shop for some supplies. Or we could do it together," he had said when he handed me a plate of pancakes. I was even early to the office today. Bailey hadn't yet arrived, and I was a bit surprised since Bailey was the one who was always early. Sometimes it made me wonder if she was the one who opened up the building. Bailey came in soon after me, though. "Who are you? What have you done to Ms Gale?" she asked, laughing as she walked into the office. "Hilarious." I laughed and plopped down on the swivel chair.
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 34 | BROKEN DREAMS
JOY I walked upstairs quickly after the call ended. Shelly knew, me being me, I would’ve rather had takeout than having to cook, so she had taken the initiative and done the cooking. We settled down around the small table in the living room with our plates filled with delicious cream pasta. We laughed and talked about different things during dinner, and when it was done, I stayed back to help with the dishes while the twins were playing monopoly in the living room. "So, how is everything with you and Vincent?" Shelly asked, walking into the kitchen. "Everything's great." I flashed a smile at her. Had she heard my moans? Oh, God, that would’ve been so embarrassing. But her expressions tightened and she said, "Well, I’ve heard some rumours about him being . . . a ladies’ man." I didn't know what to say. Pretty much everyone knew Vince and how he’d been for years. And I had expected to face this question, but ne
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The Billionaire's Second Endeavour Author's Note
Hi there, everyone. This is Shreya Sengupta, the author of this book, Healing Mr. Brown. Firstly, I would like to thank you all for reading and investing so much time in this book. Honestly, I know this is not the best work out there and this is definitely not my best work. I will not ramble about how I started writing this book only for fun and how it became a paid story. No. I just wanted to stop by and let you all know that this book is actually a part of a series called PERFECT FOR YOU. Vincent and Joyce’s book is actually book 2 in the series. Richard, Misoo and Beau have their own book and so do Jordan and Aubrey, as well as Olivia Stanton. Book 1 was about Jordan Sykes and Aubrey Evans, but unfortunately, I took it down from every site. Book 3 is about Richard and Misoo. Book 4 is about Beau and his client. And lastly, book 5 is about Olivia and a hot farmer. So, subscribe to my Patreon. Now, this series was all about time pass for me if I’m be
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour Author's Note
Hi there, everyone. This is Shreya Sengupta, the author of this book, Healing Mr. Brown. Firstly, I would like to thank you all for reading and investing so much time in this book. Honestly, I know this is not the best work out there and this is definitely not my best work. I will not ramble about how I started writing this book only for fun and how it became a paid story. No. I just wanted to stop by and let you all know that this book is actually a part of a series called PERFECT FOR YOU. Vincent and Joyce’s book is actually book 2 in the series. Richard, Misoo and Beau have their own book and so do Jordan and Aubrey, as well as Olivia Stanton. Book 1 was about Jordan Sykes and Aubrey Evans, but unfortunately, I took it down from every site. Book 3 is about Richard and Misoo. Book 4 is about Beau and his client. And lastly, book 5 is about Olivia and a hot farmer. So, subscribe to my Patreon. Now, this series was all about time pass for me if I’m be
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour EPILOGUE
[TEN MONTHS LATER] JOY I was at the edge of the dais, watching my dad flirt. That was an unsettling sight. I’d always wanted him to move on, start anew, date and fall in love again. But I had never expected him to choose Jordan’s mom as the candidate for it. God! That is why the sight was so unnerving. Not just for me, but for Jordan as well. He stood frozen beside me, his lips parted and nose crinkled as he watched the same scene as me. I could see him cringing underneath his oh-so-cool exterior. The dance floor was filled with couples waltzing around, our parents being one of them. The hall was grand, and the decorations and everything about this place were equally grand. Dad and Vince had given a lot of effort into the project and today was the success party of MQ3. “I can’t watch it anymore,” Jordan finally scoffed and turned to me fully. “How?” “They met at your grandfather’s birt
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 65 | THE FOURTH STAGE
JOY“Vince,” I called, my voice shaking.He didn’t move. Didn’t turn. Only his shoulders heaved as he inhaled deeply. I stood behind him at a distance, not knowing why I couldn’t walk up to him. I wasn’t afraid of him, but I was unsure about what to do to make him become his usual self.“I’m sorry,” I blurted, looking down at my feet like a child waiting to be punished. Maybe I should’ve just told him about the attack. But he had to understand my side. He had been worried about his mother and I wanted him to have a good time. “Vincent, say something.”“I have nothing to say.”“Good. Then, hear me out.” I finally took a step toward him. “Look at me, please.” He didn’t. Sighing, I began anyway. “I know I did the wrong thing. I should’ve told you about the whole thing.”“You bet,” he snarled.“I know, but with everything going on, I didn’t want to burden you. You were so worri
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 64 | THREE STAGES OF ANGER
JOY I followed Richard into the tall building with long glass windows and excellent furnishing and everything posh. The floor was cream marble and the walls were bright white. Opposite the entrance was the reception table. Two women in proper shirts and skirts, blazers and vests, smiled at us as we entered. “Mr Brown,” one of them said. Richard only gave a terse nod and walked past the table toward the elevator, ignoring their bright smiles. I really wanted to greet them, given how neglected they looked, but I was too worried to even fake a smile in my defence. We’d gone to Vince’s penthouse, but he wasn’t there. The place seemed ghostly. Beau was currently at the police station and his phone was out of reach, like Vince’s. I knew I shouldn’t have hidden it. But who knew he was observant enough to catch it? I remembered his lectures on listening before reacting, but now he was doing the same thin
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 63 | A LOT MORE PROBLEMS
VINCEWe moved to the dining room while Misoo, Joy, and Agatha walked back into the kitchen. I could see Richard’s jaw twitching as he avoided looking at Beau. And I knew if a war broke down between the two at this moment, then there was nothing I could’ve done to stop, no one’s side I could’ve or would’ve chosen.Richard and Beau weren’t the ones to blame, and neither was Misoo for the uncomfortable situation among these three. It was just that life happened.I sat on the chair beside Paige and waited for Richard to settle down as well. But Richard walked out of the room in a hurry, pulling his phone out of his trouser pocket.“I can’t believe you guys,” I began. “It’s been eleven years and you all are still hung up on the same bullshit?”“I’m not,” Beau protested, which made me snort.“Like hell, you’re not. Do you know what the biggest deal about this whole mess is? Misoo isn’t the
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 62 | HIDDEN TRUTHS
JOYBeau entered the living room with a rather tense demeanour, his hands held behind his back and his gaze flickering between the people present in the room. I knew he was uncomfortable about something but couldn’t pinpoint why.That was until I saw Misoo fidgeting through my peripheral vision. I shifted toward her, pretending to not notice the unspoken heat filling the room.“The house seems too packed, no?”Misoo was taken aback and jolted her head up to meet my gaze. “It does.”“Yeah,” I nodded. “I think it’s because of Beau’s presence.” She retorted a laugh, her almond eyes flicking toward the only man in the room before settling back on my subtle eye-hints at their tension. I asked, “So, aren’t you going to tell me what’s with the secret glances between you and him? I’m not blind, you know?”“Maybe some other time,” she said in a hushed tone. “Besides, your man’s coming back. If
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 61 | EVERYTHING’S BETTER
JOYMom parked the car in front of Vince’s house and turned back to check on Paige who was deep asleep. Dad had taken care of Paige while Mom and I had spent most of the Saturday together. I had never realized how much Mom had changed and suffered. But I was willing to move on.Mom was here and that was all that mattered.And when Sunday morning dawned, Paige and I had to return. I felt much more relieved now that Josh was in prison as Beau had confirmed. But Mom wasn’t convinced that I was okay and had decided to stay with me.I looked at her and sighed. “You didn’t have to do this, you know, stay with me?”“I’ve lost a lot of time on you and I think this would be good. All three of us spending time,” she said.“Yeah.” I smiled. “But don’t you have work?”She nodded. “I’m a freelancer. All I need is my laptop and a place to sit.”“Well, you’re guaranteed to get
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 60 | END OF THE NIGHTMARES
JOY “How’re you feeling?” Beau asked as Dad handed us the coffee mugs. It was way past midnight. I had tucked Paige safely in her bed before coming back downstairs to talk to Beau, who looked too tense within himself. “Good,” I said, slumping back on the couch, my body aching from the struggle. “Frankly, I was terrified to see him, but I think I’m okay now. I realised many things today.” Beau kept the mug on the table and said with all his sincerity, “I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself if something happened to you.” Meeting my thankful gaze, he added, “More so, my best friend would've hated me if Josh had—” “I’m fine," I confirmed, not letting him complete. "Besides, whatever Josh did wasn’t your fault.” He shook his head. “But it is. I took him too lightly and kept only two men at guard.” “How many more men would you have kept?” I asked with a raised brow that made him laugh.
