The Billionaire's Beautiful Lie Chapter 1

"The year I went completely off the rails, I played the part of a girl from the wrong side of the tracks and became the kept woman of the Manhattan tycoon, Cole Blackwood.

In public, he was glacial. In private, a storm of a man, possessive and insatiable.

I developed a taste for it. For three wild months, I let myself drown in him. Then, the novelty wore off.

Just as I was about to call it quits, I overheard someone warning him:

""You need to be careful with Ava. The last thing you want is to get her pregnant. Those true-believer types, the ones who think it’s a fairytale, are the hardest to get rid of.""

Cole's voice was flat, devoid of emotion.

""Enough money solves any problem.""

He paused. ""Besides, the girl’s in the thick of it. Incredibly clingy. There’s no rush.""

Clingy?

Was he talking about me?

That was funny. Because I seemed to recall him, drunk and wrecked, weeping and begging me never to leave him.

And I happened to have recorded the whole thing.

* * *

When I woke up, Cole was gone. He had an overseas conference call and had vanished into his home office before dawn.

I sat at the vanity, staring at my reflection. I looked like I’d been drained by an incubus, beautifully wrecked and utterly exhausted. I let out a heavy breath. I couldn’t take another day of this decadent, all-consuming life.

But when I finally mustered the courage to walk to his office, ready to end things, I heard the voice of his partner, Leo Hutton, gossiping.

""Cole, that twenty-million-dollar pink diamond you snapped up at auction… don't tell me you gave it to Ava?""

I instinctively glanced down at the ring sparkling on my finger, a fiery constellation of light. The one he’d slid on my finger in the heated aftermath of a long night, whispering promises.

""It was only twenty million. Don't be so dramatic.""

Hearing that cool dismissal, Leo fell silent for a beat, then let out a whistle of disbelief.

""No way, you actually gave it to her? Can a girl like that even tell the difference between glass and a masterpiece?"" His tone shifted, becoming more serious. ""Cole, buddy, just a friendly warning. A girl from her background… she’s not your world.""

""I know.""

Leo sounded relieved. ""Good, just as long as you know what you’re doing. But still, be careful. Don't get her pregnant. Those girls who are all in on the romance, they’re the hardest to shake.""

A bitter laugh almost escaped my lips. In the span of sixty seconds, he’d managed to insult me for fifty-nine of them. The last second was him catching his breath.

And then came Cole’s response. A soft hum of agreement, followed by his chillingly detached voice.

""Enough money solves any problem.""

""Besides, the girl’s in the thick of it. Incredibly clingy. There’s no rush.""

Clingy?

Me?

That was rich, considering the last time I’d been filming a dance video for my socials, he’d stumbled into my room, reeking of whiskey, and cried while making me promise I would never, ever leave him.

A moment I had, quite accidentally, recorded.