The Billonaire’s ruthless regret

CHAPTER 1 SHE IS DEAD RILEY’S POV The Hawthorne grand ballroom was completely packed that night, and the noise of hundreds of people talking was almost deafening. Everyone was here to celebrate Vincent’s massive new tech merger, which was the biggest deal his company had ever made and I was standing right by his side, wearing a long emerald green gown that he had picked out for me himself. Vincent had his hand wrapped firmly around my waist, pulling me close against his side as a group of older businessmen talked to him about some business related matter. Normally, Vincent was incredibly quiet and serious at these kinds of events, but tonight he looked completely relaxed. Every few minutes, he leaned down to whisper in my ear how beautiful I looked or how much he loved me. I felt like the luckiest woman in the world, and I still couldn't believe that this was my actual life. I had grown up in a series of foster homes where nobody wanted me, but now I was married to the most powerful man in New York City, and he treated me like I was the one person he couldn't live without. The businessmen finally walked away to get more drinks, and Vincent turned around to face me fully. He took my champagne glass and set it down on a passing waiter’s tray, then he took both of my hands in his. His stormy grey eyes looked incredibly soft right then, and he had a rare, warm smile on his face that he only ever showed to me. "Come dance with me," Vincent said, as he led me out to the middle of the crowded dance floor. The band was playing a slow song, and Vincent put his hands on my waist while I rested mine on his broad shoulders. We moved slowly together, and I looked up at his face, noticing how the bright chandeliers reflected in his dark hair. "You seem really happy tonight," I said, smiling up at him as he stepped closer to me. "I am happy, Riley," Vincent said. "This merger was exactly what the company needed, but that wasn't the main reason I was in a good mood. I was talking to the lawyers earlier, and I decided that I was finally ready to let Mia start her travels. I've been way too protective of her since our parents died, but you have changed things for me. Your presence in this house has made me less afraid, and I think it was time to let her go explore the world." My heart swelled when he said that, and I had to bite my lip to keep from crying tears of joy. I had been working for months to convince Vincent that his younger sister was old enough to take care of herself, and hearing him finally agree felt like a victory. "She is going to be so excited, Vincent," I said, leaning my head against his chest as we continued to slow-dance. "Thank you for trusting her." "I trust you," he whispered, kissing the top of my head, "and you are the best thing that ever happened to this family." When the song ended, everything suddenly felt stuffy, so I told Vincent that I needed a few minutes of fresh air. He kissed my lips and promised to wait for me by the main bar, and then I walked out into the private garden. The garden was completely dark except for a few fairy lights tangled in the bushes, and a light rain had just started to fall. "Riley!" I turned around and saw Vincent’s younger sister, Mia, running down the path toward me. She was nineteen years old, and she was wearing a short pink party dress, but she was shivering violently from the cold wind and her long dark hair was already getting damp from the rain. "Hey, what were you doing out here in the dark?" I asked, stepping toward her with a smile. "I was looking for you," Mia said, rubbing her bare arms to warm herself up. "A group of my college friends were leaving the party right then, and one of them lived all the way uptown. She had taken an Uber here but she didn't have enough money to get back, and she looked really sick. Could I please borrow your car keys to drop her home? I promised I would drive super carefully and come straight back." "Of course you could," I said without a single second of hesitation. I reached into the small evening bag hanging from my wrist and pulled out the keys to my white sedan, placing them right into her palm. Then I looked at how hard she was shivering, and I immediately unbuttoned my favorite white wool trench coat that I had worn over my dress. I wrapped it around Mia's shoulders, tucked it tight around her neck, and then I leaned in to kiss her wet cheek. "Wear this so you don't catch a cold," I told her, smoothing the collar of the coat. "And please drive slowly because the roads are really slippery tonight." "You are the best sister ever, thank you!" Mia shouted, throwing her arms around my neck for a quick hug before she turned and ran back toward the driveway. I watched her go until she disappeared, and I couldn't help but smile to myself. I felt so incredibly grateful to have a real sister, and I couldn't wait for Vincent to tell her the good news about her travel plans the next morning. I stayed outside for another ten minutes, listening to the rain fall, and then I finally walked back inside the ballroom. I found Vincent standing near the bar exactly where he had promised, and he immediately handed me a fresh glass of water. We spent the next forty-five minutes talking to some local politicians, and I was just about to ask Vincent if we could slip upstairs to our private apartment when the music suddenly cut out. The sudden silence made everyone in the room stop talking instantly. People turned around in confusion, looking toward the stage where the band had been playing, but then a loud thud echoed through the entire room. The massive doors of the estate had been thrown wide open, and three police officers in dark blue uniforms stepped into the ballroom. Their boots were dripping wet, leaving tracks of dirty water on the polished white marble floor, and their faces looked completely pale and grim. The lead officer walked straight down the center aisle, and stopped right in front of Vincent and removed his wet hat, holding it tightly against his chest. "Mr. Hawthorne," the officer said. "I am very sorry to disturb your event, but there has been a terrible accident. Just a few miles from the estate gates, on the winding stretch of Route 9, a fatal hit-and-run occurred about forty-five minutes ago. The vehicle involved belonged to your wife." My heart dropped instantly into my stomach, and I felt a sudden wave of dizziness hit me so hard that I had to grab Vincent’s arm to keep my balance. My mind went completely blank, and I could feel the eyes of every single person in the room turning to stare directly at me. "What are you talking about?" Vincent asked, and his voice was suddenly completely devoid of any warmth. "My wife has been right here with me for the last hour." "We understand that, sir," the officer said, looking directly into Vincent's grey eyes. "But we found the white sedan flipped over in a ditch by the side of the road. The driver's side door was jammed open, and the car was completely empty, but we found a body lying a few yards away in the brush. The victim was wearing a white trench coat, and we found a wallet inside the coat pocket containing the identification of Mia Hawthorne." Beside me, Vincent instantly froze. His entire body turned as stiff, and his hand dropped away from my waist.