Billionaire's Passionate Encounter

It was at the wedding of the son of one of his partners that Alexander Westmore had first seen her. Her dress was a striking green that hugged her curves and flowed down to her ankles. For a split second, he had thought it was Sophia Carter, his wife. The resemblance was uncanny, but the woman who stood a few feet from him was a stranger.

Alexander Westmore was a self-made billionaire from humble beginnings who had risen to become a titan, feared and respected. He had clawed his way to the top, fueled by a burning ambition and his strong hatred for poverty. The life he had lived before his fame and fortune was a distant blur, long forgotten. He had married Sophia Carter, the only heir of the Carter's Enterprise. He did not marry her for love, to him marriage was a calculated business decision. He had no illusions about love or romance.

He was a charming man, his striking looks and air of authority were what made Sophia Carter fall for him. She was a romantic, a woman driven by passion. But with Alexander, she had only found emptiness, a cold man who cared only for his own ambition and greed.

Alex was a man of so much power. Whenever he walked into a room, silence followed with heads turned to acknowledge his presence and the influence he wielded.

His private phone rang and he motioned to his assistant to handle the call. He had no desire to be distracted by a call that had no potential to give him more money at that time.

His assistant approached him with the phone a few seconds later: ''Sir, it's an emergency. The caller insisted on relaying the news to you personally.''

''Your wife has been found dead, sir.'' It was his private detective, Jack. ''We found her in her car, but it doesn't seem to be an accident.''

The detective's voice trailed off as a chill ran through Alex's body.

***

Olivia eased her old Honda civic into the parking lot of her apartment building, exhaustion weighing heavily on her. The familiar sight of her apartment brought some comfort to her. She needed a warm, long bath. She fumbled for her keys in her purse, the metal jingling as she reached it. With a click, the door swung open and the sweet fragrance of her apartment washed over her. Her shoes made clicking sounds on the floor as she made her way through the dark hallway. She flicked on a lightswitch and the living room came into view, still cluttered from her hasty departure for the wedding.

The sound of a soft meow brought a faint smile to her lips. Molly was perched atop the arm of the couch, her small black and white frame curled in a ball'

''Hi, Molly.'' Olivia whisphered.

Molly's emerald eyes blinked twice before she let out another meow, this time with a hint of reproach in her tone.

Olivia reached out for her, scratching behind her ears and earning a purr of approval. ''I know, I know.'' she muttered. ''I'm sorry I was gone for so long.''

As she brushed against Molly's fur, her eyes caught the glint of her engagement band, and she felt a painful tug in her heart. It had only been 2 weeks after their engagement that Nath had been called up to Iraq. His expertise as a military tech guy had earned him a position in a top-secret project.

''It's an honour,'' he had said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. ''But I can't tell you much about it.''

She had watched him pack his go-bag, trying to mask her worry with a false smile. ''Just come back to me. That's all i ask.'' They had then shared a long kiss that morning that felt like the last.

She had heard from him when he arrived in Iraq, and a few days later. She would receive calls from a heavily encrypted number, her heart leaping in her chest, only to hear a rushed ''i love you'' followed by silence for days.

It has been weeks since any of these calls now. Her world had narrowed to the four walls of her apartment, punctured by occasional calls from friends or family. She was running out of her mind from unanswered questions. She didn't know his family, and she was sure the Army wouldn't contact a girlfriend over the news of the death of her boyfriend.

''He's never coming back, is he?'' She muttered to Molly, the words stinging. ''He's going to die, and I'll never know about it.''

***

Alexander's mind was in a storm of conflicting emotions- of loss and of fear.

Loss because Sophia had been a strategic business plan, a pawn in his game. Fear because Mr Carter was a powerful and dangerous man. He was one of the only two people Alex feared. He knew Carter would not let the tragic loss of his daughter go unpunished. He also knew that Carter had seen the cracks in his marriage with Sophia.

The burden of proof rested on his shoulders. If he wanted to preserve his reputation, and possibly his life too, he had to find Sophia's killer.

''I need answers. And I need this done discreetly and quickly.'' He spoke, his tone authoritative. ''Find out who killed my wife. Leave no stone unturned. I want the person responsible for this within the week.''

Jack's expression was unreadable. ''Cracking a homicide case takes time, Mr Westmore.

This won't be a simple matter of tracing a phone call or following a trail of crumbs.''

Alex's jaw tightened, his patience wearing out. ''I need results, not excuses, Collins.''

The detective met his eyes, unflinching. ''I'll need a month, sir.''

His fingers twitched and he clenched his jaw. A month was too long for people not to notice his wife's disappearance. She kept a very active social media account where she uploaded almost everything about her life.

His eyes caught the green curtain sweeping gently in the room, and like lightning, the realisation struck him. The girl in the emerald dress, who he had almost mistaken for his wife. He would get her to play as Sophia till the detective came back with answers.

A calculated smile was growing on his lips. ''One month, Jack, and no more.''