The Billionaire's $500,000 baby

an's

ating. I was sitting in the dark. The only light in the office came from the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the city. From up here, the pe

. It burned in a way that felt honest. Most things in my life weren't honest. My board of di

n at the fil

a Ha

rk circles under her eyes that no amount of makeup could hide. She was beautiful, I guess, in a way that felt raw. Not like the women I usually s

ten. It was the only thing he'd ever given me that wasn't a lesson in pain or a demand for perfection.... "Everything has a price,

s usually right abo

house who would grow up looking like me, wanting things from me, needing things I didn't know how

glass towers...I had crushed the rivals. I wasn't going to let some legal loophole in my father's fo

wouldn't have a wife who would look at my bank account like it was a freaking buffet. I wanted a transaction.

gh

iora's file. Her f

v...He'd been a tech genius, a man with a moral compass that had eventually gotten him killed. My father had di

. Was it satisfaction? Or was it something else? I didn't like the something els

n the desk. The scr

him to speak. That was a habit, too. Let the other

obably by the rain hitting the roof of the car. "She's in the

e at the back of my nec

faint sound of the car's engine. "She's a mess, Darian. Wet, shivering, and

sk about t

her the deposit was moving. That's when the fight went out of her. It's funny, isn't it

to be a problem, Xavier? I don't have time for a girl who's

emanded proof. She didn't just take my word for it. She's smarter than the o

helping as much as I thought it would. "I don't need smart. I need

ou want me to take her to a hotel? Get her cleaned up? She's wearing a diner

esk. I thought about the girl on th

e. I want to see her exactly as she is. I want to see t

didn't warn you. She's not a model, Darian. S

vier. I own property t

thout waitin

er now, blurring the lights of the city. I looked at my reflection in t

ing it because I wanted to prove to Sergei th

dn't

box. Inside was a pen. It was a custom-made fountain pen, heavy and silver. I had used

going to use it

lack leather folder. It looked l

rld from the shadows. They were watching me. They were waiting for me to fail. The

to them. It was a blood pact

ir across from me. I tried to imagine her pregnant with my child.

idn't d

y watch. Ei

hind smiles and handshakes because they wanted something from me. Liora wouldn't have to h

that. Hate was hones

. I didn't flip it. I just squeezed it in

s re

way up with a guest. Clear the floor. I don'

the voice of my ass

age wa

and set the glass down. The ambe

whispered to

Now, I just had to see if I co