A Contract With The Billionaire

The sunlight shining through the thin curtains felt like a cruel punishment on my eyes. I squinted against the blinding rays and groaned in frustration, turning away from them. My head pounded with a relentless rhythm, and my stomach churned uneasily. My body ached so much I wished I never woke up, and I wanted nothing more than to stay buried under the covers.

That was until I noticed the arm.

It was heavy, draped over my waist with a possessiveness that sent a jolt of panic through me. My heart pounded in my chest as I froze, my breath hitching. Slowly, I turned my head, terrified of what, or who, I might see.

The man beside me was a stranger. I had never seen him in my life.

He was handsome, I'll give him that. Ruffled dark hair framed his face that looked like it must have been sculpted by a master artist. His strong jawline, slightly parted lips, and the faint shadow of stubble gave him an aura of rugged handsomeness. The sheets barely covered his chest, and I could see the faint contours of muscle beneath them.

But none of that mattered because I didn't even know who he was.

My stomach dropped as fragments of the previous night came rushing back. The club. The drinks. The music so loud it vibrated through my bones. And him leaning against the bar, a smirk playing on his lips as he bought me another round. And more again after that.

Oh, God. What have I done? I facepalmed, regret washing over me.

I sat up slowly, careful not to wake him, and immediately regretted the movement as nausea threatened to overwhelm me. Pressing a hand to my mouth, I surveyed the room. It was immaculate. Sleek, modern furniture, expensive-looking art on the walls, and a view of the city skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows. Definitely not the kind of place I could ever afford.

My red dress lay crumpled on the floor next to his neatly folded shirt. My heels were kicked carelessly near the door, and my purse sat on the nightstand. Shame clawed at me, hot and relentless.

How could I have been so reckless?

I had just broken up with Ryan yesterday... if I could even call it a breakup. Five years of my life wasted on a man who didn't deserve an ounce of my loyalty. And instead of mourning the end of that relationship like a normal person, I had gone out and gotten drunk, and now here I was, in a stranger's bed, in a stranger's apartment, feeling like the biggest fool alive.

I had to get out of here.

Holding my breath, I peeled his arm off me and slid out of bed. He stirred slightly but didn't wake. Relief flooded me as I tiptoed across the room, gathering my things. I slipped my dress back on, grabbed my heels and purse, and made my way to the door as quietly as possible.

Once outside, I exhaled a shaky breath and leaned against the wall, letting the cool air from the hallway soothe me.

*****

The walk home was one of pain and regret. My bare feet slapped against the pavement as I carried my heels in one hand, too tired to bother putting them on. I barely noticed the early morning bustle of the city around me, the hum of traffic and the chatter of passersby fading into the background.

I couldn't stop replaying last night in my head, dissecting every moment. How had I let it get this bad? Sure, Ryan had been a liar and a cheat, but I should've been stronger. I shouldn't have let my heartbreak push me into something so stupid.

By the time I reached my apartment complex, my head was pounding worse than ever, and all I wanted was to crawl into bed and pretend the last 24 hours had never happened. But the sight that greeted me stopped me dead in my tracks.

The front yard was a mess. My belongings were scattered across the grass, spilling out of garbage bags like discarded junk. Clothes, books, picture frames, all of it thrown out carelessly. And standing in the middle of the chaos was my landlord, Mr. Louis, his stubby arms crossed over his chest and a sour expression on his face.

Beside him was my mother, her thin shoulders hunched and her hands clasped together in a pleading gesture.

"Please, Mr. Louis." She said, her voice trembling. "We just need a little more time. My daughter is working on it-"

"You want more time!?" He snapped, his tone cold and unyielding. "I've been more than patient, but enough is enough. You're two months behind on rent as it is. If you can't pay, you need to leave."

"Hey!" I shouted, dropping my shoes and storming up to them. "What the hell is going on?"

Louis turned to me, his scowl deepening. "What's going on is that you're being evicted. You've been warned, Lila. No more excuses."

"You can't just throw our stuff out like this!" I argued, anger rising in my chest.

"I can and I have!" He shot back. "I have a business to run. If you can't pay, you're out."

"Please, just give us a little more time." My mother pleaded again, her frail voice breaking my heart.

"Mom, don't." I said gently, placing a hand on her arm. Then I turned back to Louis, my voice sharp. "Two weeks. That's all I'm asking. Just give us two weeks, and I'll get the money."

He eyed me skeptically, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Two weeks," he said finally. "Not a day longer."

"Thank you." I said, though the words felt bitter on my tongue.

He muttered something under his breath and walked away, leaving me and my mother alone in the mess he had made. I crouched down beside her, gathering some of the clothes thrown across the grass.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly.

She nodded, but her eyes were watery, and her hands trembled as she reached for a shirt. "I'm so sorry, Lila. I hate that you have to deal with this because of me."

"Don't say that, Mom." I said firmly. "This isn't your fault. We'll figure it out, okay? I'll take care of it."

She gave me a small, grateful smile, but the weight of our situation hung heavy in the air. I hugged her tightly, holding back my own tears as I promised myself I would find a way to fix this.

Once we managed to get everything back into the apartment, I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the peeling wallpaper and the cracked ceiling. Two weeks. That was all the time I had to come up with enough money to cover our rent.

I thought about the job interview I had tomorrow at some tech company downtown. I wasn't even sure if I wanted the job. It sounded way out of my league, but I didn't have the luxury of being picky anymore. If I didn't get it, I didn't know what I would do.

My thoughts drifted back to last night, to the stranger at the club and the mistakes I had made. I buried my face in my hands, overwhelmed by everything: Ryan's betrayal, my impulsive decisions, my mother's health, and now the possibility being of homeless alongside my sick mother.

I had hit rock bottom, and there was nowhere to go but up.