A Deäl With The Billionaire

CHAPTER 1

ROSE'S POV

"Oh, great. Senator Durian's here too. Of course he is-rich prick," I muttered under my breath, snapping a photo as he stepped out of his overpriced limo, surrounded by a bunch of fake-smiling leeches. His suit probably cost more than I made all year. I tugged my camera bag higher on my shoulder and eased further into the shadows near the hedge. "Yep. Just as expected. A sleazy party full of the usual suspects."

I glanced at my camera screen. Influencers, politicians, a few reality TV nobodies. The gallery was full, but none of it felt worth a damn. It wasn't bad, technically-it just wasn't the shot. My editor had made that clear, and I agreed. If I wanted to be more than just some girl with a lens, I needed something that couldn't be ignored.

"Come on, Rose," I muttered. "You didn't sneak in here for basic filler shots."

At the corner of the house, a waiter came out, pushing a cart loaded with champagne flutes. I straightened up immediately. Back entrance door was open. This was it.

Amy, my best friend and partner in bad decisions, had literally begged me not to do this. "Stick to the outside. Get what you need and leave. Don't be dumb." That was her exact quote.

And yeah, maybe she was right. But I was already walking. So yeah, so much to that.

I exhaled, pulling my hoodie lower over my face, hoping no one would notice me.

Yeah, right.

I walked across the manicured lawn. My heartbeat spiked as I walked past the door, slipping inside.

Inside, the hallway was almost too dark to see anything, but wide enough that five of me could've walked side by side without bumping elbows. The walls were covered in gold frames and art I couldn't name, and everything smelled... expensive. Like wood polish, old books, and overpriced candles. I stopped just long enough to listen, hearing laughter, glasses clinking, voices rising from some other room. Whatever was happening there wasn't my concern. I wasn't here to socialize.

"You've got this," I whispered to myself.

I moved deeper into the house, gripping my camera so tight it was starting to hurt my hand. Every door I tried was locked, until one finally gave in. My lips tugged up without meaning to.

Jackpot.

It was a study. Massive shelves from floor to ceiling, an oak desk that screamed, I'm more powerful than you, and soft lighting that made everything feel like a secret.

I chuckled. Definitely in the right place.

I looked around the room, searching for anything newsworthy. A small smile spread across my face as I spotted a stack of folders on the desk. I walked over, flipping them open. Property documents. Contracts. Something about offshore accounts. Close, but not quite the kind of bombshell I needed.

And then I saw it. Half-buried under a pile of papers. A simple black photo frame.

I froze.

It was Damien Sterling. The Damien Sterling. The one all the headlines circled like vultures. But that wasn't the part that frightened me. It was the person that was standing beside him. His arm was wrapped around her waist, both of them were smiling with no care in the world.

What?!

My fingers started to tremble as I picked the photo up, not believing my eyes, even though the truth was right in front of me.

No. No way.

Lily.

It was Lily.

My sister.

The sister who'd disappeared years ago without a word. Vanished. Just gone. And now she was in a picture. With him.

What the hell is this?

My mind started spinning. The room grew smaller, cutting off my air, making me dizzy and nauseous. How? Why?