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9 | PARIS: A FEW QUESTIONS
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2024-10-29 19:42:56VINCE
I didn't want to feel this way. I hated to be so weak.
I’d been claustrophobic since childhood. Whenever the fear haunted me, I was alone. Without Mum and Dad to comfort me. My pride hadn't allowed me to seek help from my caretakers, either. I used to cower down and rub my hands on my chest until my breathing returned to normal and the fear faded.
I had no idea what caused this fear. Whether it was really a closed room, I feared or the thoughts and nightmares about being alone and left in a room with no escape, I couldn’t understand.
When Joy had pressed her delicate hands on my chest, fear was the last thing on my mind. No one had ever made me feel this way.
I couldn't push past the reverie of emotions I was feeling after that, so much that I ended up acting upon them. I’d kissed her. And before I knew it, I had unintentionally pulled back, reminding myself that I didn't deserve her. I couldn't even accept the fact th
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VINCE My phone was constantly buzzing in my pants. And that entire time I was busy scolding myself, persuading my mind and heart to get Joy out of my thoughts, to think straight. Nothing was ever going to happen between the two of us. Joy had made it very clear last night when she’d pushed me away, not once, but twice. I finally glanced at the humming device, striding it out of my pocket. It was Jordan. Taking a deep breath, I met Joy’s stare and said, "I have to get this." "Sure." I quickly headed out of the restaurant and picked up the call. "You fucking asshole, what took you so long? I’ve been calling you all day,"Jordan growled from the other side. He sounded devastated, which only made me believe that whatever the matter, it had to be a huge matter or he wouldn't be so freaked out. "I was busy with business.” Lies! “Why? What happened?" I asked, peaking at Joy through the glass windows o
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 11 | REMEMBRANCE AND HEARTACHES
JOY I recognised his face immediately when he stalked toward me and, shocking as it was, I remembered his voice better—the same raspy tone that had me going weak on my knees and that English accent. I felt pain and anger hammering in my chest as I stared at him. I couldn't believe my eyes. There was a time when I couldn't differentiate between reality and imagination, which I had to take therapy for. But standing here, I hoped the man in front of me was nothing more than a figment of my imagination or some late, late hallucination. I’d known how much Vince had changed over the years. I’d seen him change with my own eyes . . . on sheets of papers, advertisements, social media and news. He was more handsome now with a perfectly trimmed scruffy beard. His aura was stronger and his voice deeper. His physique was broader and his gaze fiercer. But some things about him remained the same—his devilish charm, his wicked smirk, and the ambition
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 12 | WHERE WE LEFT OFF
JOY "Are you sure there's no message for me?" I asked the brunet. The receptionist had his brows lined and for the fifth time, he responded, "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but there really isn't any. We have a quick delivery policy here at our hotel where—" “Oh, I know,” I said, instantly regretting the rudeness and frustration oozing from my tone. I took a deep breath, my nostrils flaring. "I’m sorry, and thank you." I turned around on my heels and walked my way out of the hotel, my heart clenching in my chest. The scorching heat made me squint my eyes, and I pulled my sunglasses down. Julia looked concerned, her brows bent into a frown. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Do you want to talk about it?" I shook my head. "There's nothing to talk about. It's the end of the fairy tale. The prince returned home and now it's time for the princess to do the same." Julia patted m
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 13 | LATE NIGHT DECISIONS
JOY I didn't want to get into his car, make myself look weak, but Aubrey had a point. Rather than going home with a random stranger, I would’ve prefer to go home with a stranger I trusted, no matter how bad his reputation. A part of me knew him—the real him—and that part was sure he would never hurt me. And here I thought I had trust issues. My legs trembled as I inhaled Vincent's earthy aroma lingering inside the car. The smell was too strong. Too addictive. He walked to my side, hauled the door open, and bent in, his face just inches away from mine. His attention was focused on buckling the seatbelt around me, but I completely glued mine on him. My breath hitched, my heart just seconds away from lurching out. Goddamnit!He was beautiful. He looked up at me with the same power he had before, the one that could steal millions of hearts. I had missed those silvery eyes and his long lashes that fanned his cheeks when he bl
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 14 | V/S EARLY MORNING DECISIONS
VINCE I stepped out of the warm shower and went back into my room. It had been long since I’d had a break from work. There was no one to disturb me either, since it was a Sunday. Usually, even when I stayed at home, I kept myself busy with work as much as possible. But today, the only thing filling my head was Joy. Getting dressed, I walked into the garage, grabbing my car keys from the wall hanger. I didn't think for once as I got in the car, or even when I started the engine. It did click when I was already halfway to her house, and, at this point, I did not feel like turning back. The last time I’d given my heart to someone, she had broken me in ways I couldn’t fathom going through again. But who wanted to be healed? One thing was certain: women loved broken men and were inevitably attracted to them. They hoped for the impossible—changing them. But the change in a broken person was rare, and I was beyond repair. The word 'broken' f
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 15 | ALL IT TOOK
JOY I had no idea what got into me, but the idea of spending the day with Vincent didn't seem entirely bad . . . at least, not at first. I watched him intently as his hand went up, ruffling his hair. "What should we watch?" I asked, drumming on the table. He licked his lips and with a flick of an eye, my gaze drifted down to his plump lips. My core tightened, imagining the feel of them between my thighs. Oh my God!What the fuck am I thinking? "What would you suggest?" he asked. "Pick a genre," I said, my voice raspy. "Rom-Com," he said in a breath, and my brows quirked. "I didn't take you for a Rom-Com guy." "I love the idea of watching horror movies and having you cling to me while doing so. But I didn’t want to seem too dick-ish.” I burst out laughing at his honesty and he added, “And you didn’t seem like a woman who’s scared of a bunch of ghosts.” “I’m not,” I said, sh
The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 16 | UNFINISHED CONVERSATIONS
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The Billionaire's Second Endeavour 17 | I NEED YOU
VINCE I walked out of my room, scrolling through the message exchanges between me and Joyce. I couldn’t sleep after blatantly texting her I need you in the middle of the night. But I kept waiting for a reply. Maybe my message had made her panic. It ought to. I would’ve panicked as well. I shook my head, cursing myself at the back of my mind. The clattering of dishes reached my ears as I strode down the stairs. Olivia was sitting by the island while Carla, my cook, prepared breakfast. Without making eye contact with Olivia, I said, “The lawyer will be here in an hour. You can talk to him in the study.” “Will you not be there?” “No. It’s your personal matter. I’m helping you all I can but the matter ends there.” “Something about you has changed, Vi.” “I think so too.” I turned to her, my brows furrowed and a small smile tugging at my lips. Shrugging, I said, “But is the fact that I’m not open a
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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.
