My Psycho Billionaire

Valerie's POV Tonight, for the first time, this magnificent mansion will open its doors for a grand event—a lavish gathering for prominent businesspeople organised by my father. Just as I turn twenty-one, I will meet strangers for the very first time. All my life, I have never known what the outside world is like; all this time I have been confined to this grand mansion, not allowed to step outside the mansion gates—and I have never even done so. How do I view the outside world? I see it through my mobile phone, the television and the internet. Am I bored? Yes, I’m terribly bored and fed up. Being the youngest daughter of the famous Ashford family turns out to be a life of imprisonment. I hear footsteps approaching; it turns out to be my personal servant, Jason. “Miss, Mr Nolan has returned,” Jason tells me. "You mean my dad? Has Dad come home?" I looked at Jason hopefully. The man nodded, "He’s just arrived; he’s waiting for you in the main hall." To be honest, events like this actually require me to wear a dress that’s far too fiddly, high heels, and this dress is a bit revealing, showing off my figure. Isn’t that a bit provocative? But I didn’t care, because my father had just returned from his business trip. Even though he was cold and a bit harsh with me—he rarely spoke to me—I always missed him and hoped he’d change one day if I kept being kind to him. I ran down the corridor towards the main hall without a second thought, not paying attention to the floor beneath my feet. As soon as I reached the hall, I heard my grandmother let out a little scream when she saw me running towards Dad. Damn, a tall man suddenly walked right in front of me. I couldn’t stop my rushing footsteps. ‘THUD!’ "Valerie!" I heard my mother’s voice too shriek as well, because I’d just bumped into the man and was now in his arms. He was holding me to stop me from falling and hitting the floor. This was the first time I’d met a stranger and I’d already made a bad impression; the hand that caught me was strong and his body towered over me, there was clearly a huge difference in our heights. Slowly, I tilted my head back to see who this man was. My eyes blinked a few times; we’d been in that position for quite a while. His sharp, dark eyes stared at me with a hint of coldness, yet I was transfixed, unable to tear my gaze away from him as if he’d hypnotised me. He was incredibly handsome. He had black hair styled in a quiff and a handsome face, but he was grinning at me... it was frightening. I snapped out of it and immediately moved to break free from his tight embrace. “I-I’m sorry...” I said to him, then I quickly walked over to stand beside my father. His eyes never left me for a single second; he watched my every move intently. “Why are you running like that? You’re acting like a child, Valerie!” Dad whispered to me, his voice sounding annoyed. I just snorted softly, “I’m excited because you’re home, Dad, but it seems you don’t like seeing me.” My eyes returned to that man and our gazes met. His stare was cold, yet I could clearly see that he was giving a smirk that sent a sudden shiver down my spine. What on earth is he playing at? “It seems the Ashford family has something new?” The handsome man spoke in a relaxed tone to my father, his gaze softening, yet still brimming with charisma. I was slightly taken aback by that masculine voice; there was quite a difference between the way he looked at me and the way he spoke to my father. He’s strange, quite mysterious, yet he makes me curious about him. "She’s my only daughter, Valerie Ashford," Dad introduced me to this man. He looked surprised, but for some reason I felt the expression he was showing was fake; was he acting? Yet every time our eyes met, my heart suddenly beat faster, feeling nervous and also afraid for no reason. “You’re amazing; I’m sure many don’t know about your daughter. It turns out the heir to the Ashford family is a woman,” the handsome man said again, “I think your talent will be passed down to her.” He locked his gaze on me once more. “Thank you, Mr Morvane,” replied my father. “Hello, sweet lady, I’m Rovano Morvane,” the man suddenly held out his hand to me; his tone was flat, but his face was utterly… evil. I had no choice but to shake his hand, and instantly I felt a shiver run through my body; my heart was beating faster than usual, once again. “Valerie Ashford, Sir.” It was as if I’d been struck by an electric shock; then the man’s piercing gaze and his smirk left me instantly transfixed. What was that feeling just now? Rovano seemed to strip me bare with just a glance. It made me feel uncomfortable. “I didn’t know you’d be arriving early, so nothing’s ready yet—the event isn’t due to start for another hour,” Father said to Rovano, causing his gaze to shift away from me. Rovano seemed to sigh, a small smile etched on his face, which began to look friendly. Once again, I felt this man was putting on an act; everything felt fake and utterly insincere. “Oh, I’m always like this, Mr Ashford. Especially with my prospective business partners. Discipline makes for a good first impression,” he replied. “I wasn’t just guessing that the Morvane family had only sent their eldest son here—where on earth is Jordan?” Dad asked him again. Rovano glanced at me briefly, then turned back to Father. Every second, he kept a close watch on me. “He’s in Paris; there’s something going on at my mother’s hospital,” he replied. “Of course, apart from the business dealings between the companies, I have another proposal,” Rovano continued his conversation with Father, and I could hear him clearly. “What is it, Mr Morvane?” I heard Father’s voice become much more relaxed. Rovano turned his gaze back to me, and Father also turned to look at me. “I want her.” He pointed at me with his hand, as if pointing at an object. As if he were choosing something he wanted to possess. “Pardon?” Father was slightly taken aback. “I want your daughter,” said Rovano in a very clear and firm voice. The world seemed to stop right then and there; I was unable to speak and could only stare in shock as Rovano declared that he wanted me, even though this was the first time we’d met. “I want Valerie Ashford.”