BILLIONAIRE'S LIES

Blinding lights glistened inside a very large luxurious ballroom, among the times being reflected off the gold-accented walls as models pranced down a catwalk, each of which was adorned in the latest brand line of designer bags from Sabrina Ultra. The company's creator and 29-year-old billionaire CEO, Sabrina Auburn watched from stage left; her eyes were sharp and critical as ever.

Her phone vibrated. E-mails. Proposals. Partnerships. All of them demanding her response. She had been running on fumes for weeks. Twenty hours a day to oversee the launch of this new product. Her body protested-it's worse now with throbbing headaches, fatigue, and even a constricting feeling in her chest-but Sabrina has always persevered.

She waved away the all-too-familiar dizziness creeping in. "Not now," she muttered to herself, even as her fingers continued to tap out rapid-fire instructions on her phone.

Then, everything went black.

When Sabrina came to, she was lying on a plush couch in a private suite backstage. Her assistant, Cassie hovered over her with a glass of water, her eyes wide with worry.

"Sabrina, you fainted! You need to slow down," Cassie urged, pushing the glass into her hands.

Sabrina tried to sit up but the dizziness swirled again. "I'm fine. I just need a minute."

"No, you need a doctor," Cassie shot back, her voice firm. "You collapsed, Sabrina. This isn't normal."

Sabrina knew Cassie was right. She'd been ignoring rest and prioritized work, talking herself into believing that work always came first. Now, with her head aching, and her vision blurred, she might not have a choice.

Several hours passed, after having undergone a series of medical tests at the hospital, Sabrina sat in a very clean doctor's office, her neatly manicured nails nervously drumming against the armrest. The OB-GYNE was a woman in her early forties with rather kind eyes and a very gentle demeanor. She walked into the room.

" Sabrina," she started, sitting in the chair in front of her. "Your test results came through, and it seems that you have an ovarian cyst."

Her eyes blinked, mind racing. "A cyst? Is that. dangerous?"

"That can be," the doctor said dryly, though calm and serious. "While ovarian cysts are fairly common, the rate at which yours is growing is concerning. We have two options: one, you could consider getting pregnant, often an option that would help manage the growth of the cysts due to hormonal changes. Or we can perform a hysterectomy-which involves removing your uterus."

The words came crashing into Sabrina like a freight train. Pregnancy? Hysterectomy? This isn't what she had hope for, due to her condition at the age of 29 she had to decide. She hadn't even had a chance to go on a date, let alone think about having a child.

"I-I'm so sorry, what?" Sabrina stuttered. "Have to choose between having a baby or. never being able to?"

The doctor nodded sympathetically. "It is a difficult choice but you need to think about what's best for your health."

Sabrina's head swam with thoughts. She was not prepared for a child. Her life was her company-Sabrina Ultra was her baby. But losing her ability to have children forever sent a wave of panic crashing over her. She nodded absently and left the doctor's office, her mind buzzing.

Sabrina Auburn blinked, her mind still reeling from the pronouncement the doctor had just given her. Ovarian cysts. A hysterectomy. And a chance to have a baby before it was too late. Each word replayed in her head like a bad nightmare stuck in slow motion, which she couldn't turn away from. She dully clutched the pamphlet Dr. Winston had handed her as if holding onto it tight enough could change what the words said.

Her feet carried her out of the hospital down the long corridor, through automatic doors, out into the real world. The world outside is full of life-car horns blaring, people talking-but she sits in a bubble of sorts, not really aware of the noises encroaching her dazed self.

She walked into someone- somebody solid.

"Oh man!" A low, raspy voice exclaimed. Two firm hands gripped her shoulders. "Easy does it."

But one jarring noise snapped Sabrina out of her daze, and she looked up to meet the sharp, ice-blue eyes of the man she'd just walked into. He was tall, athletic, and with dark hair, artfully tousled so he'd almost made it look untamed as if he hadn't bothered but still had a perfect look, standing there in the white coat loosely thrown across broad shoulders, with a stethoscope slung around his neck. There was an unmistakable look of a doctor.

"OMG, I'm sorry," she stammered, stepping back. She wasn't used to being so clumsy and careless. Not by a long shot. She was Sabrina Auburn-for crying out loud-CEO of Sabrina Ultra-and known for her poise, her elegance, the way she dominated a room with just a glance. But now, standing here in front of this objectively gorgeous doctor, she felt. Off-balance.

"No harm done," she said, looking up at him with sparkling eyes that rivaled the stars in heaven. This man could give any glacier a smile-ful filled-the-world kind of smile. "You alright? You look a little. lost."

Lost. That's how she would describe it. She had the need to open her mouth and let the words scream out, but there were no words. For the first time in years, Sabrina Auburn was unable to speak. Always in control, always able to harness a crisis, nothing could have prepared her for this moment. Those words from Dr. Winston-a baby might prevent the need for surgery-and it's all she could think about.

"I"Sabrina took a deep breath and looked around, hoping to get her bearings. "Just had some. unexpected news. Sorry about running into you."

"Unexpected news, huh?" He analyzed her face. His expression softened. "I'm Dr. Benedict Banks. I work here. You sure you're okay?"

"Yes." She quickened and stood up a little taller as if putting on an imaginary invisible tiara, hoping it would somehow make the situation feel a little less surreal than it was. "I'm Sabrina Auburn."

His eyes flickered with recognition. Of course they did. Sabrina's face plastered fashion magazines, and her luxury handbag brand, Sabrina Ultra, was a household name among the rich and famous. She saw the brief flash of realization in his eyes but to his credit didn't let it linger.

"Nice to meet you, Sabrina." He nodded toward the pamphlet clutched in her hand. "Mind if I ask what sort of news has you wandering into people?"

Sabrina paused. She wasn't one to share intimate details with a stranger, much less a man she'd just met. But there was something about Benedict Banks-his tranquility, his gentle nature-that relaxed her in ways she couldn't even begin to explain.

"My doctor just told me I have vertigo. And that. well, I might need to take a break."She lied; it should be an ovarian cyst, and she needs to have a child, or else she will undergo a hysterectomy, not vertigo. She's so afraid to share her problem, especially with strangers. It felt odd to say out loud. As if speaking the words made it more real.

Benedict's eyes softened in understanding. "I understand,It must be hard for you."

She nodded, feeling so powerless,anxious, and her throat constricting as she maintained her composture.She was always the lady with a strategy, the one who understood exactly what she wanted and how to achieve it. But this? This wasn't in her control.

"Yeah," she muttered. "I wasn't looking for that. I'm so busy with work, with my company, I haven't even thought about." She was unable to finish the sentence. Children. The thought of them had always been abstract-something for a later time. But now, time was ticking by faster than she could have imagined.

Benedict stood against the wall to her left with her arms folded over her chest, watching her closely. "Okay, I don't pretend to know what you're going through, and I hope you'll come out of these in flying colors."

In short, Sabrina could not even believe that she felt this urge to talk further. Maybe because it was such an unplanned moment for the two, or maybe just because Benedict looked so interested, she opened up her thoughts.

"I've always been focused on my career," she confessed, waving a loose curl of her honey-blonde hair back behind her ear. "I built my brand from the ground up-it's been my world. I never planned for anything else. Not like this."

"Is it now?" Benedict asked gently. "Are you thinking about it?"

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I. don't know. I mean, yes. I need to take a rest for a week." She harrumphed a short, nervous laugh. "I should take care of my health more."Benedict chuckled softly, a warm sound that lifted her spirits. "Well, on the bright side, you're in good hands. There are more than enough-vertigo treatments and therapy. You have options."Sabrina let out a deep sigh, thinking to herself that if only Benedict knew her real struggles. She needed to get pregnant within the year, and as she looked at him, she considered that he could be a great candidate for that.This was a feeling she had never felt before. That was very nice to know paths existed, but for the moment, she wanted to keep herself in the best possible health and wellness first.

Sabrina's heart was racing. Choices. Everyone always said that. But it was never easy. Life didn't plan out like a business meeting. She didn't want just any option. She wanted control. And now, she was dealing with the reality that some things were quite out of her hands.

"Thanks for the pep talk, Dr. Banks," she said, trying to smile a little. "I should probably get going. I have lots of things to do."

"Anytime," he replied, his eyes lingering on her for just a second longer than necessary. "And Sabrina? Health is wealth"

She nodded, turning to leave, but his words stayed with her as she walked back to her car.