THE BILLIONAIRES MOST EXPENSIVE MISTAKE

"Somebody stop that woman!"

Serena Vale ran faster.

Behind her, a security guard shouted something about trespassing, while the tiny silver clutch bouncing against her hip threatened to fly into the swimming pool.

"I'm literally leaving!" she yelled over her shoulder. "Why are you people acting like I stole the house?"

She reached the driveway, spotted a black luxury car with its back door unlocked, and dived inside.

"Finally," she panted, slamming the door. "A normal person with a working car."

"Get out."

Serena froze.

A man sat on the opposite side of the back seat, dressed in a black shirt with his sleeves rolled to his elbows. His expression suggested she had just tracked mud across his bedroom floor.

She blinked at him.

Then at the car.

Then back at him.

"Oh."

"I'm waiting."

"Right. Of course." She grabbed the door handle. "Before you start shouting, I would like to clarify that I was not trying to steal your car."

"Then why are you in it?"

"Excellent question. I'm beginning to ask myself the same thing."

His stare remained unimpressed.

Serena stepped out, smoothing her dress with as much dignity as a woman could manage after fleeing a garden party like a wanted criminal.

For the record, this was not entirely her fault.

Olivia Cross's birthday party had been going wonderfully until Serena accidentally knocked a tray of drinks into a man who had spent the last twenty minutes making insulting comments about her shoes. The drinks had landed on his white trousers. The man had screamed. Someone had shouted for security.

And Serena, rather than stand around explaining that the man had deserved it, had decided to leave.

A reasonable decision, in her opinion.

The stranger got out of the car.

He was tall. Annoyingly tall. The kind of tall that made a person feel they ought to apologise for taking up space.

He looked her up and down.

"Are you always this careless?"

Serena's mouth fell open. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"And are you always this rude, or am I receiving a special service?"

His eyes narrowed.

She smiled brightly. "Good. Now we're both having a memorable evening."

"Damian!"

A woman in a gold dress hurried towards them, followed by two security guards. Her eyes moved from Serena to Damian, and her expression shifted into delighted curiosity.

"What happened?"

"Your guest," Damian said, "appears to have mistaken my car for a getaway vehicle."

"I didn't know it was your car!" Serena protested. "The door was open!"

"Should I leave my front door open and expect you to move in?"

"If your front door is as welcoming as your car, perhaps you should consider changing your security."

One of the guards coughed suspiciously.

The woman in gold pressed her lips together, clearly fighting a smile.

Damian did not find anything amusing.

"Do you have any idea who I am?"

Serena stared at him.

Then she laughed.

Not politely. Not delicately. She actually laughed.

"Is that a serious question? Because if you're about to tell me you're the king of England, I really don't have the energy."

The woman's smile disappeared behind her hand.

Damian stepped closer, his voice dropping. "Damian Cross."

Serena's laughter stopped.

Of course.

Of all the cars in Lagos, she had climbed into Damian Cross's.

The man who had called her reckless at Talia's birthday dinner. The man who thought having money gave him permission to speak to everyone like they were a minor inconvenience. The man she had privately nicknamed His Royal Arrogance.

She looked at the car again.

"Honestly," she muttered, "I should have stayed home."

"On that," Damian replied, "we finally agree."

The woman in gold let out a small laugh. "Victoria," she said, offering Serena a hand. "Damian's friend."

Serena shook it. "Serena. His unfortunate passenger."

"Former passenger," Damian corrected.

"Trust me, I'm devastated."

She turned to leave, only to realise that her phone was missing.

Her smile vanished.

"Oh, no."

"What now?" Damian asked.

"My phone."

"Perhaps it escaped through the window."

She shot him a murderous look. "You know what? I hope your car develops a mysterious engine problem."

She hurried back towards the garden.

Damian watched her go, his jaw set.

"Who is she?" he asked.

Victoria glanced at him. "Talia's best friend. Serena Vale. You've met her before."

"I remember."

"Clearly."

He looked at Victoria. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing, darling."

But Victoria was smiling again.

Across the garden, Serena was crawling beneath a table, searching for her phone while Olivia laughed so hard she could barely stand.

Serena found it beside a chair, stood up, and pointed towards the driveway.

"I hate that man."

Olivia wiped tears from her eyes. "You've known him for ten minutes tonight."

"Ten minutes too many."

Unfortunately for Serena, Olivia's birthday weekend was only beginning.

And Damian Cross had just discovered that the woman he could barely tolerate was also the best friend of the one person in his family who never took no for an answer.