Fall of the Ruthless Billionaire

“I can’t believe what my parents were telling me, an arranged marriage? To help save our business? There should be another way. I can’t leave Ryan. I love him. I can’t marry a billionaire I barely know…”

Audrey was deep in thought. She didn’t notice Ryan was around.

“Are you good?” Ryan asked.

There was no response.

Ryan kissed her on her forehead. “Baby, what’s wrong?” he said, holding her hands.

Audrey came back. “Hey, when did you arrive? I didn’t notice you were here.”

“Not quite long,” he said.

“You were lost in thought. What are you thinking about? Our wedding?” Ryan teased, winking at her.

“No,” Audrey forced a smile.

“Then what?” he asked, smiling.

“My dad’s company,” she answered.

“Oh,” his smile dropped. “So what are they doing about it? I’m trying to help in my ways.”

“I know, but they already made a decision, and I’m so confused.”

“What decision? Why are you confused?”

Audrey kept mute.

“Baby, is there something you are not telling me?”

Audrey sighed. “Dad wants me to marry someone who will save his company from bankruptcy.”

“What?” Ryan stood up.

“Yeah, a billionaire. His mum wants him to get married, and I don’t know, I’m so confused.”

“Confused about what? It’s your life. They can’t force you against your will.”

“Yes, I know, but…”

“But what? Do you want to get married to someone else? What about me? What about us? Or you don’t love me?”

“I do. It’s just off my hands.”

“Seriously? Are you a child, so your parents decide your life partner for you because of money?”

“Ryan, stop, this is my family. I have to do this.”

“By leaving me? We’ve come a very long way. We are engaged. I gave your family fifty million dollars for their business. What more?”

“It’s not enough!” Audrey cried out.

“I told them to give me more time. Next month, I will be signing a deal with Savin Oil and Gas, which will generate more money.”

“Baby, there is nothing I can do.”

“Don’t you love me? We talked about us, our unborn children. What about our plans?” Ryan asked, holding Audrey’s hands.

“I don’t want to. Trust me, I love you,” Audrey said, crying. “But this is beyond my power.”

“Just give me a month, let me talk to your parents, I can…”

“Stop! Please don’t make it difficult. A month? Then Logan Food will crash before then. Talk to my parents? Don’t you know my dad? He won’t listen as money is involved.”

“But… but…” Ryan was shaking.

“I love you. I don’t know what to do.”

“Okay, why don’t we run away?” Ryan suggested.

“Excuse me? What are you saying?” Audrey stood up immediately.

“Baby, let’s just go somewhere far away. I love you, and I don’t want to lose you. You don’t have to do what your parents want.”

“I can’t.”

“But…”

“Ryan, I’m sorry,” Audrey said, leaving.

“Wait, where are you going?”

“Home.”

“So soon? Are you mad at me?”

“No, I’m not. I just need to be alone.”

“Audrey,” Ryan whispered to Audrey’s ear. “I love you.”

Audrey kissed him. “I love you,” she repeated.

***

Audrey went home, straight up to her room, and cried her eyes out.

“I can’t believe a relationship of three years is over.”

Her best friend Octavia came in. “Babe, what is the matter?” Octavia greeted, hugging Audrey.

Octavia saw Audrey’s eyes swollen. “Are you okay?” she asked.

Audrey burst into tears. “I love him. I don’t want to leave him.”

Octavia sighed. “Look, I’m sorry you are passing through this, but cheer up.”

Audrey looked at her friend in annoyance. “That’s easy to say ‘cause it isn’t you.”

“I’m serious. You crying and lamenting won’t solve anything, so why give yourself an unnecessary headache? You are getting married, and that’s it.”

“Octavia, you don’t understand.”

“I do. It’s about Ryan, right? Sweetie, that’s in the past. Focus on your present, focus on your future, and that’s you being a billionaire’s wife.”

“Can’t believe this is happening,” Audrey slammed her head on the table.

“There is a good side to this: you become rich, you get what you want, and babe, if you can get that man an heir, a son, you’d hit the jackpot.”

“Will you go to my place?”

“If I had the opportunity, I’d have jumped into it.”

“Octavia, you aren’t helping!”

“Really? So you wanna cry till when? If life gives you a lemon, make lemonade. I know you’re hurt, but move on from Ryan. You guys weren’t meant to end up with each other, period.”

“Ugh,” Audrey groaned.

“Come on, cheer up. Ryan would also do the same. I’m sure he will find someone else.”

“That is it. I’d be jealous seeing Ryan loving someone else. It’s gonna break my heart,” Audrey said, hitting her chest.

“Your heart was already broken; just pick yourself up and heal.”

“In a week, I’ll be married ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” Audrey threw herself on her bed, hitting her head.

“Can we change the topic, please? And hitting your head will only cause a headache. It doesn’t change anything.”

“Are you even my friend? You should be comforting me.”

“There is no need to cry over spilled milk.”

“Ugh, get lost!”

***

It was midnight, and Audrey couldn’t put herself to sleep. She watched TV for a while, but she ended up crying as the movie was an emotional one.

She turned off the TV and played music, which helped in lifting her mood.

Audrey’s room was a mess; the bed was unarranged, snack wrappers were everywhere, food crumbled on the floor, tissue papers on the floor and the smell of fish in the room.

Audrey was listening to Rain on Me by Lady Gaga and Arianna Grande, tears flowing freely as the lyrics hit straight to her heart.

She suddenly heard noises and someone was tapping her window.

Audrey paused the music.

The person was trying to get in.

“Am I dreaming? Or am I seeing things?” Audrey wondered if what she was seeing was real.

The person’s shadow blocked the moonlight, trying to break in through her window.

“Am I being kidnapped?” Audrey ran to her wardrobe and got a hanger and the pocketknife Ryan gifted her on her birthday.

“Hello? Who are you?” she said to the intruder.

The intruder tapped on the window, saying something, but Audrey couldn’t figure it out because her window was closed.

Ryan’s call came in immediately, and Audrey picked it up.

“Baby, I think someone is trying to break into my room,” Audrey said, frightened.

“Hey, listen, open your window. No one is trying to break in. I’m the one.”

“You? But… What are you doing here?” Audrey looked at the figure. It belonged to Ryan.

She slid open her window. “Ryan?”

“Hi, baby,” Ryan said, kissing her.

“It’s midnight, why are you here? And why are you climbing my window? You should have come in in a normal way.”

“What way?”

“Through the door!” Audrey said, pointing to the door.

“You expect me to knock at your house at 2 am? With your parents and neighbors asleep? That’s disrespectful,” Ryan stated.

Audrey sighed. “Fine.”

“Besides, your dad warned me against coming here.”

“My dad? Why?” Audrey was shocked to hear that.

“He said I’m brainwashing you to be disobedient towards him. He also said you are another man’s property, and me coming here will be trespassing.”

“I can’t believe this. I’m sorry my dad said that to you.”

“You should because I was hurt. Now to business, baby. I will be asking you a few questions, which I want you to answer sincerely.”

“What questions?” Audrey asked curiously.

“Do you want to get married against your will?”

“No.”

“Babe, let’s run away.”

“That again? I can’t leave my family, my home.”

“Not for us?” Ryan asked, unhappy.

“Baby, I…”

Ryan interrupted her. “Never mind, I thought you changed your mind. I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“Ryan…”

“Bye, dear… Wish you a happy married life in advance,” he said, walking towards the window.

Unexpectedly, he turned back, went to Audrey, and kissed her deeply.

The two kissed passionately. Ryan took Audrey to the bed; he took his lips to her neckline, kissing and giving her soft bites.

Audrey let out a soft moan as he caressed her breast. They paced up. Ryan went under her garment down to her panties, but Audrey stopped him.

“Let’s not do this,” she whispered to his ears.

Ryan adjusted. “Mmm, I’m sorry. Wanted to have a taste of you for the last time.”

“I understand,” Audrey said. She stood up and kissed his forehead, “Take care of yourself.”

Ryan left.

***

A tall man with a muscular build, always dressed in expensive designer suits and wearing a Rolex watch.

He walked with a swagger in his step, exuding confidence and power.

His well-groomed hair was always styled perfectly, and his facial features were chiseled and angular.

He spoke with a deep, assertive voice that commanded attention, often interrupting others mid-sentence.

He had a haughty gaze that made people feel inferior in his presence.

He was used to getting what he wanted, and his sense of entitlement was greatly expressed in his demeanor.

His arrogance could be seen in the way he talked, his gestures, and the way he treated others.

He didn’t listen to others’ opinions, dismissed any constructive criticism, and dismissively deemed his ideas as the only feasible ones.

All in all, he was a self-righteous, overbearing individual with a massive ego.

He was Henry Sebastian.

The owner of the Sebastian Empire had lots of companies under him.

Oil and gas, textile, entertainment, video gaming, house estates, and an import and export business.

Henry Sebastian was famous in the eyes of the public. Apart from being filthy wealthy, he did charity work like paying for children’s surgeries in hospitals, visiting orphanages, giving taxes to unemployed men, giving out scholarships to students, and so on.

Apart from his status, Henry was famous for his angelic look. If handsomeness was a person? He was.

He won the 1st most handsome man in his country thrice. Yep, he won it three times.

He was also the third most handsome man in the world.

But even a mighty man had a weakness.

Henry had one weakness.

And that weakness was…