THE BILLIONAIRE AND THE ARROGANT CELEBRITY

Sebastian Winters

Life can feel quite uneventful without entertainment. Attending a product launch, I found myself trapped in tedious discussions about the share market. Amidst the boredom, the only saving grace was the delightful Mediterranean Chicken salad before me. As I savored each bite, I noticed a woman across the room, her gaze fixed on me with curiosity. It was a brief moment of intrigue in an otherwise mundane and boring event.

The woman's intense gaze captivated me. With her striking black hair and big blue eyes, she stood out in the crowd. Playfully, I offered her a forkful of salad, but she quickly looked away, leaving me amused. As the evening progressed, conversations shifted, and I mingled with others, accompanied by my P.A., Braxton Brown.

As I conversed with a business associate, I noticed Esme Holland, the daughter of a client, heading my way. Despite my attempt to avoid her, she smoothly looped her arm around mine, halting my escape.

"Sebastian, it's been too long," Esme purred, her voice dripping with seduction.

"Yeah, it's just been hectic with work," I replied, trying to remove myself from Esme's grasp.

"Can't you spare even an hour to meet me? We haven't seen each other in months," she pleaded, placing her hand on my chest.

I felt the need to escape her relentless pursuit of my attention. Spotting my P.A., Braxton, I signaled for his assistance. Thankfully, he understood and hurried over.

"Sir, I need to discuss some urgent matters with you," Braxton interjected, saving me from further conversation with Esme.

"Sorry, Esme, duty calls. We'll catch up later, alright?" I promised, relieved to have an excuse to leave.

"Promise you won't avoid me this time," she pouted.

I nodded, though internally dreading the prospect of another encounter with her.

"I can't make any promises, you know I am all about work," I calmly replied to Esme's insistence.

"Fine, but just remember I'll be around New York for a while. We'll catch up," she said, slightly miffed.

"Sure thing," I responded, trying to sound positive, hoping to end the conversation.

"Until next time then," she said, planting a kiss on my cheek before walking away.

"Thanks, Braxton," I said, relieved, giving him a fist bump.

"No worries, sir," he grinned.

"Don't get too comfortable, I'm still the boss," I joked, rolling my eyes at his persistent grin.

"Sorry, sir," he said, his grin fading slightly.

"Just remember, I could still fire you, no matter how long you've been working for me," I teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Understood, sir," he replied, his grin finally disappearing.

As I scanned the room for Esme, I unexpectedly locked eyes with the same woman who had been staring at me earlier. This time, she was surrounded by others, yet her gaze remained fixed on me until I caught her. Intrigued, I wondered who she was and why she was so captivated by me. She was undeniably beautiful.

"Hey Braxton, do you know her?" I inquired, nodding discreetly in her direction, still entranced by her presence.

"Oh, that's Eloira Smith. She's a model, ambassador for various beauty and fashion brands, and recently started acting," Braxton informed me.

"Quite impressive," I remarked, intrigued by her status.

"And she's known as the 'Arrogant Celebrity' due to her attitude," Braxton added.

"Hmm," I murmured, wondering what might be holding her back from approaching me directly. Was she feeling shy? But she didn't seem like the shy type. Her reluctance only heightened my curiosity.

"Braxton, doesn't this party feel a bit dull?" I smirked at him, a mischievous glint in my eyes. He looked at me with surprise, clearly caught off guard.

"Are you really going over there?" Braxton asked, clearly surprised by my decision.

"Why not? Let's see what all this arrogance is about. Plus, I could use a little excitement," I replied, determined, and made my way towards her.

As I approached, her beauty became more apparent with each step. She tried to avoid eye contact by engaging in conversation, but I could tell she knew I was coming her way. Just as I neared her, she attempted to slip away, but I intercepted her.

"May I know your name, beautiful lady?" I asked, standing before her. Her big, black eyes widened in surprise, though she quickly masked it with a smile – not a genuine one, I've seen enough of those.

"Eloira Smith," she replied, her voice sweet and gentle.

"Eloi, what a lovely name," I said, smiling, as I took her hand in mine. I went to kiss it, but she withdrew her hand suddenly, causing my lips to land on my own fingers. I hoped no one noticed the awkwardness of the moment.

"It's Eloira, Mr. Winters," she corrected me, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Braxton was right; she did have quite the attitude. I had nicknamed her in our first meeting, and now I couldn't resist teasing her further. There was something about her demeanor that amused me, although I couldn't quite pinpoint why.

"That's exactly what I said, Eloi. Nice to meet you," I replied with a smirk. She scrunched her face in annoyance but quickly composed herself before anyone noticed.

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Winters," she replied, her voice tinged with irritation.

A man in his late twenties approached her, placing his hand possessively on her back and whispering something in her ear. Her date, perhaps? The way he held her suggested as much, but in today's world, fake dates were not uncommon. Who was I to question?

He turned to me, extending his hand. "Hello, Mr. Winters. I'm Justin, her..."

"Date," Eloira interjected before he could finish his sentence, confirming my suspicion.

"Uh... yeah, her date," Justin answered, sounding unsure.

I wanted to laugh at his hesitant response. It seemed like he wasn't exactly her date but someone close to her.

"Nice to meet you, Justin. You've got quite the beautiful lady by your side," I said, shaking his hand.

"Yeah, I guess?" he joked, earning a glare from Eloira.

"Excuse me, Mr. Winters, but we have to leave," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, sure! We'll meet again," I replied confidently, knowing our paths would cross once more.

Raising an eyebrow, she muttered something under her breath, which made me chuckle, realizing she was probably saying something negative about me.

"Goodbye then," she said curtly.

"Until next time, Eloira," I said, taking her by surprise as I leaned in and kissed her cheek. She gasped, shooting me a glare with her beautiful eyes.

"For the last time, my name is ELOIRA, Mr. Winters. And I'd appreciate it if you kept your distance," she said, clearly frustrated.

"But it's hard to stay away. Until next time, Eloira," I replied, winking at her before stepping back.

Surprised, confused, and scowling, she walked away gracefully.

I was impressed by her. She left me intrigued, sparking my curiosity about her. And I was determined to get to know her, and soon.

__________________________

Eloira Smith

"Let me rest. Go away," I groaned, burying my face in the pillow. Exhaustion weighed heavily on me; I desperately needed sleep to recharge. I'd been working tirelessly all day, from a magazine photoshoot to promoting various beauty products.

"You have to attend a product launch event, El. It's important. You can rest afterward," Justin practically shouted in my ear.

"Not again!" I cried, feeling overwhelmed.

Being a celebrity is exhausting!

"Can't help it, El. Your mother insists you be there. She's already sent a dress for you," Justin explained.

Sitting up, I glared at Justin, who also happens to be my manager and best friend. He's been by my side for the past three years, managing all my affairs. He lives in the apartment next door, ensuring he's always available.

"Did she come herself?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Nope," he replied, as expected.

"Call Penelope," I grumbled.

"I'm right here," Penelope chirped, appearing at my door.

"Come on, work your magic and fix these black eyes," I said, pointing to my tired eyes.

"Always at your service, ma'am," she replied with a bow, making me roll my eyes.

Penelope is my personal makeup artist and also owns a beauty studio inaugurated by me five months ago. She's Justin's girlfriend and they both live in the apartment next door. She's also my best friend.

Basically, these two keep me sane and entertained; otherwise, I'd probably go crazy.

"Okay, girlfriend, make her look presentable. I'll go get ready," Justin said, kissing Penelope.

"Enough of this PDA," I grumbled, crossing my arms.

"I won't go with you if you stop me from kissing my girlfriend. This sudden event has ruined the date I planned for her," Justin complained.

"I'm sorry. I'll try my best to give you both a day off," I said, feeling guilty for disrupting their plans.

"It's okay, El. We understand," Penelope reassured me with a smile.

After getting dressed in the outfit my mother sent and having my makeup done, I arrived at the venue with Justin.

At the event, the media bombarded me with ridiculous questions, mostly about my personal life and hookups. I ignored those and focused on answering questions related to my work. Justin helped handle many of the inquiries.

After posing for the media, we entered the hall, where we were greeted by elite members of society. People approached me for work opportunities, but Justin handled them smoothly.

While having dinner, my eyes caught sight of someone familiar, Sebastian Winters. I knew about his work and his company, as well as his business partners, Kaiden Jones and Elliott Anderson, from the media. I didn't know him personally, just what I've seen in the news.

I couldn't resist stealing glances at Sebastian Winters. There was something about him that held my attention, and when our eyes met, I couldn't help but blush. Ugh! He caught me staring at him.

After dinner, I found myself cornered by a group of influential ladies from the fashion industry, gossiping away. Amidst the chatter, I noticed Esme Holland getting cozy with Sebastian Winters. Girlfriend or just a date for the night? Why did I even care?

I couldn't shake off the feeling as I continued to steal glances at him. Once again, he caught me staring. Ignoring the flutter in my stomach, I excused myself from the ladies, only to find him standing in front of me.

"May I know your name, beautiful lady?" he asked, his chiseled face and playful eyes captivating me.

"Eloira Smith," I replied, offering my usual polite smile that I reserve for strangers.

"Eloi, nice name," he said, with a mischievous smile. Huh? Did he mishear me?

He surprised me by taking my hand and attempting to kiss it, but I quickly withdrew.

"It's Eloira, Mr. Winters," I said, narrowing my eyes.

"That's exactly what I said, Eloi. Nice to meet you," he smirked. I couldn't believe his audacity! We just met, and he already gave me a nickname? Where were his manners? I scowled in annoyance but quickly composed myself, not wanting to cause a scene.

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Winters," I replied, trying to maintain my composure.

Justin, who had excused me from the group of ladies, came over and put his arm around my waist.

"Time to leave, El," he whispered in my ear.

Justin noticed Sebastian standing in front of me and extended his hand. "Hello, Mr. Winters. I'm Justin, her..."

"Date," I quickly interjected, giving Justin a look to play along.

"Uh... yeah, her date," Justin replied, sounding unsure.

"Nice to meet you, Justin. You sure have a beautiful lady as your date," Sebastian said, shaking Justin's hand.

"Yeah, I guess?" Justin joked, earning a glare from me.

"Excuse me, Mr. Winters, but we have to leave," I said, narrowing my eyes.

"Oh, sure! We'll meet again," Sebastian commented.

"In your dreams," I muttered under my breath.

"Goodbye then," I said, ending the conversation.

"Until next time, Eloi," he surprised me by kissing my cheek. I gasped and glared at him.

"For the last time, my name is ELOIRA, Mr. Winters. And I'll appreciate it if you maintain some distance," I said, frustrated.

"But I'm finding it hard to keep my distance. Again, until next time, Eloi," he winked and walked away, keeping his eyes on me.

I huffed and stormed out, with Justin catching up to me when we reached the car.

"What was that?" Justin asked as we sat down.

"I did it to stop him from making a move on me. He's so annoying. Can you believe he gave me a nickname in our first meeting? 'Eloi'... What is that? I have a name!" I grumbled, removing the pins from my hair.

"Calm down, El. Oh, sorry, Eloi," Justin laughed. I playfully poked his bicep with the pins.

"Ow, that hurts, you crazy woman. Are you trying to injure me?" he scolded, rubbing his arm.

"Then don't tease me, or I'll use these pins to pierce your skin. And I'll also tell Penelope that you were showing interest in a model tonight," I smirked mischievously.

"Hey, I wasn't showing interest in anyone. She was trying to grab my attention. I love my girlfriend so very much. Don't you dare say anything to her," he said with wide eyes, clearly scared.

"Drive," I chuckled, shaking my head. Resting my head on the car door and using my arm as a pillow, I couldn't help but think about the man who annoyed me. Sure, he was good-looking, but his mischievousness left me frustrated.

I hoped I wouldn't meet him again. My life was already filled with people vying for my attention, and the media was already talking about it. I didn't want to give them anything new to gossip about.

I just wanted peace, at least for a little while.