The Billionaire's Charm

en K

ered open, and she found herself looking up at the ceiling of a strange room, very different from the smal

d at her, his intensity melting every fiber of her resistance; the way his hands ran over her flesh, rough yet tender; the way his lip

holding the covers to her chest. The space was large, tastefully decorated, and well thought out; each piece of furniture and accent p

d regret at the concept. Relief that her head was a tornado of feelings she couldn't even start to sort through, and that she wasn't ready to face him at this moment. She was disappoin

ar. Being a billionaire, Damien was someone she could never have imagined interacting with. And she was simply an art student in desperate need of money, ju

erself, the chilly material not doing much to satisfy her sudden need for warmth. The ramifications of what had happened raced

ring at someone else in the mirror, someone who had left her behind in the chilly morning light after spending just one night in her skin. an unfamiliar person. But she kn

ounded when the cold shock brought her back to the present and made her face the reality of her circumstances. She was unable

for her as she came out of the bedroom. The living space, however, was deserted; the only noise was the faint murmur of the city below. With its marble floors, floor-to-ceiling windows providing an amazing view of the city, and paintings that

e she was. Guilt twisted Anya's heart. She has never gone anywhere throughout the night without informing Sofia of her whereabou

erself. She was unable to reveal to Sofia that she had spent the night with Damien Knight, a man who in their world

evening, to pretend for just a little while that she belonged in this world of comfort and luxury. However, the part of her that had

door when she heard

ng so

room's doorway, a sliver of his muscular chest visible through his undone shirt. His eyes, those sharp gray

conversation heavy in silence. Anya struggled to

le above a whisper as she

tone was as silky and low as the bourbon he'd handed he

urbulence in her thoughts. "I do," she stammered

of concern, crossing Damien's featur

tion hung in the air. Her head and heart were at odds, with the

n't." "This isn't... I'm not... We

e was gentle and enticing, as though he might convince her to change her o

e. But for the sake of the two of them, she knew she had to be strong. She sai

her. At last, he gave a nod, a dejected expression covering his features. "If

worse than she had imagined. With her voice choking with

ation that she was leaving behind more than just a night of passion

*

th the torrent of emotions swirling inside her that she hardly noticed the world beyond the cab window. It was as if she

om which she had made such a valiant effort to flee. When Anya came through the do

nd cried, "Anya! Where have

osed. "I'm sorry, Sofi. I didn't mean to wo

ut the concern persisted. "Are y

inder that she was no longer the same person and that last n

ore steady now, "I'm fine.

closer. "Well, I'm glad you're back. We need to

at Sofia had said and to keep herself rooted in the realities of her day. However, her mind kept wandering back to Damien

ld that had lost some of its clarity. The canvases that had previously inspired her now seemed like relics of a past she was finding it difficult to connect with, and her painting

n's apartment was starkly contrasted with the suffocating silence. She took a seat at her tiny kitchen table and gazed at the mountain of invoices and past-due notific

her next visit from her gynecologist's office. When Anya read the words, her pulse skipped a

r exam

they had experienced, the way their bodies had merged with such intensity that it h

neighboring drugstore. She had to find out, to make sure that the fear that

and dread racing through her head. Eventually, the pharmacist cal

ern

gripped her phone tightly, as though it might somehow offer solace, answers, or, more likely, a way to make sense of what

arely able to digest the concept since it was so overpowering. She trembled, feeling a deep disconnect between that night

mien? It was terrible to think about reaching out to him, of sharing this secret. Although their experience had been powerful, it had only

an opulent life. As a failing artist, how could she expect him to be in her life at this point, particularly with somet

he required a strategy, a technique to get around this new world. The enormity of the probl

r heart pounding. Who might that be? She opened it after giving it some thought, her thoughts buzzing with possib

ce, "Anya, are you okay?" "You look

oth false and strained. "I'm fin

nt with wide eyes. "You don't look fine. You loo

ing down on her as she took a deep breath.

n't ask more questions. "Well, if you need

even though she was reluctant to reveal the whole dept

eat on the couch. However, her mind was always buzzing with ideas about what to do next. Her lif

g a child alone, and the idea of reaching out to Damien felt like an impossi

by darkness, and she required assistance to make the challenging decisions that she faced. She had to con

The future she had never envisioned was about to confront her, and the uncertainty was nearly unbe

lf once more, her mind a jumbled jumble of regrets and anxieties. Although she was unsure of what lied ahead, she did

. It brought back memories of her past self, the one who yearned to create and discover beauty in t

eminder of the baby developing inside of her. The fact that she was pregnant remained a constant

ty in the mundane activities of daily living. However, her mind continued to be a tempest of emoti

ed. The road ahead was unknown and full of obstacles she had not yet been able to foresee. All she could do wa

However, the future waited for her, with all of its unknowns and difficulties. Along with that future came the difficult re

only begun and would put her to the test in ways she still couldn't fathom. The uncertainties of her future

r. She would have to muster the strength to travel a long and treacherous jour

me and that the solutions she was looking for would only be