The Billionare Nextdoor

ted mornings that s

t trouble was war

ck SUV blocking half the compound's entrance. The engine purred like it knew i

dark suits step out like they were rehear

ty duplex next door. No smiles. No small talk. No explanation. Just

nd grabbed her tote bag, mentally preparing for another day b

pened, and a m

who was used to space clearing automatically for him. He didn't look at her, didn't glance around, didn't eve

he carried enough pres

al bl

Great. Just what I need,a wa

ing he wouldn't say anything. She wasn't in the mood

usual, was

w path between their h

artling, cool gray sharp enough to read a person if

he said out

e, barely. "G

o smile, no wa

at sounded like they had been

d a brow. "Wo

iding if she was worth responding to.

her tracks. "

e of the bodyguards glanced

hrough the gate,

. They breat

was here but somewhere far away at the same time. Something about him didn't sit right, and not just

wasn't her

naire next door. She was the

robably neve

t's what she

ed the bakery, her phone

bor? Be honest. Did you fa

al gr

oing to be

her life. And no matter how hard she tried to stay in her own lane, fate had already written a different p

kind of knock that sounded like someone wasn't sure if they should be knocking

ame to her do

one of the bodyguards from earlier standing there, stiff

," he said. "Sorr

had to be a joke. "Uh...

a. Perf

d his thr

here?" she asked,

soldier being inspect

linked. "

Your new

an iceberg.

does h

small box. "He said

her shoulder. Her house was quiet. TV off

, ma. He just said

surprisingly light, wrapped neatly

s inside?"

y knew but was forbidden from saying. "He also asked me

rsta

ood anything since

guard nodded politely and hurried away as

the door and

ones. High-end ones. The kind that cost mor

note sat

isturbanc

's jaw

didn't hear anything. Did the air around his ho

the note on

a normal person, but he can send

ake the headphones back next door and dump the

when her phone buzzed

ar. Babe... he's RICH rich. Like the typ

ared at th

h r

ionl

y nonexist

she wouldn't ru

for her, hop

e stepped outside to take her trash

black T-shirt, his hair damp like he'd just showered. His pre

Those gray eyes swept over

id, as if tastin

d. "You kn

"You're my neighbor. I make

eople very expensive apology gifts when nothing actually hap

nd. Not sharp. Not irritated. Just... unreadab

d you, you can retur

r hips. "You accused me of making noise when I didn't. The

htly. "I didn't accus

calm for someone who

, waving her hands, "whatever billionaires do w

ped him, so subtle

Not annoyance

d," h

t him. "Is that al

es

. "You're i

for someone who clai

ell open. "

he added, though his expression d

g her trash bag at him and askin

ifted his weight, stepped asid

d evening,

as so dry it coul

ng under her breath. "Unbelievabl

than saw him

something in his eyes. Not coldness. Not superio

shuttered behind tha

o her house, and shut the door f

d, scrolling aimlessly on her phone

every second of

vo

st

e flicker i

ut this man?" she whis

buzzed a

rything. I feel it in my spi

ighed, ty

'm avoiding

hit send, she

d already

tely... it li