Billionaire's Bloody Deal

een. This was it. The culmination of months of sleepless nights, endless revisions, and pouring every ounce of my talent into something that could redefine sustain

perfectly tailored shadow, stood

But one has to wonder about th

letting his

m Apex Designs. And certain, shall we say, 'r

, a suffocating wave of public exposure. It was like that day at Columbia all over again, the whispers, the s

opment, cleared his throat, his ea

t sure this i

"Sterling Holdings is the primary investor here. Due diligence is key. We can

ive immediately, Ms. Moreno is

Off the project?

han I felt. "My design won the bid. It meets every

lash of something

ons, Ms. Moreno? We all know talent can ta

r, painting my hard work

refusing to let h

ps you're worried it speaks louder than anyt

e shifted u

h an easy grace that screamed old money and absolute power. Every person in that room, from the junior associates to Mr. Gra

ut the memory of his cold dismissal, the casual cruelty in his eyes back at Columbia, was st

charisma. But I saw the predator beneath the polish, the calculating mind that missed nothing. He always

league from Apex and now a senior designer

.. unavailable, Apex Designs would be more than happy to step in and ensure the

owards me, a triumph

y hands. There was nothing more to say here. My reputati

tight. I wouldn't give them th

s job. Julian's silent observation from the back of the room felt like a physical we

ete jungle ready to swallow me whole. I saw Julian's sleek black town car pull away from the curb a moment later, gliding

etting the rain soak through my blazer, the chill seeping into my bones. It matched the chill in my

in his penthouse office

ring himself a drink. "Think Grant

indow, watching the rai

y is clear: no scandals. If her work is truly irreplaceable, the

emotion, yet Liam knew it was

mped Julian's elbow as she delivered a file, sendin

so, so sorry!" she sta

on its platinum finish with an unreadable expres

ght, dear. These

just a fraction, but en

housand dollars. Liam will ensure the replacem

e of his hand and tossed th

see t

s precise, delivered

ay, shivering. Without thinking, I reached into my purse, pulled out the twenty-dollar bill I'd save

the damp corners of life, just like him, constantly fighting to stay afloat, while people

oney. He saw the way I squared my shoulders and walked on, my cheap shoes soaked, my

rain and the sight of me. His agenda was complex, his feeling

damn Bentley. A constant reminder of the chasm between our worlds. He was everything I wasn't: privileged, powerful, and