The Billionaire Ruthless Obsession

Alice Ryan tightened her worn leather folder tucked beneath her arm as she stepped out of the bus. The morning air was sharp and cold, The streams of people rushed past her toward towering office buildings. She looked up at the glass skyline and let out a long, quiet breath....Today is the day. It had to be. Because if she didn't find a job before the sun went down, she had no idea how she was going to pay her next month's rent. Just three weeks ago, her life had looked completely different. For five years, Alice had worked herself, She waited tables by day, baked cakes until the early morning hours, and catered birthdays and small weddings on weekends. Every single penny she earned had gone into one account. Her dream account.... The money that was supposed to bring Ryan Signature Catering to life. She could still feel the sheer relief and excitement of the night her savings finally hit the target....enough to rent a small commercial kitchen and buy real, professional equipment. She had cried that night. Not out of sadness, but because she finally believed her dream was coming true... Then, in a single afternoon, everything disappeared. One signature. One fake investment. One person she trusted most The money she’d spent years sacrificing for was gone.. every single dollar wiped clean. But the cold betrayal hurt far deeper than the financial loss itself. Alice blinked away the memories and squared her shoulders. No. She refused to cry over it again. Dreams didn't die just because life got too difficult. They only died when you stopped fighting for it. And she wasn't ready to throw in the towel. Her phone vibrated in her coat pocket. Her best friend, Emma. Alice answered, forcing a small smile into her voice. "Morning." "Tell me you've already landed a job." Alice laughed softly. "Emma, my feet hit the sidewalk five minutes ago." "I can't help it, I am worried about you," Emma sighed. "I'll definitely survive "You always say that." "Because I have always done " A quiet beat passed on the line before Emma spoke again, her voice softening. "You know... if things get really tight, you can move into my spare room." Alice felt a sudden warmth in her chest. Emma had offered at least ten times already, but Alice couldn't bring herself to accept. She had spent her entire life depending on no one but herself, and she wasn't about to change now. "I'll be okay. I promise." After hanging up, Alice pulled up the list of interviews saved on her phone. Three companies. Three chances. She prayed silently that at least one of them would say yes. The first interview lasted barely eight minutes. "We're really looking for someone with extensive corporate experience, Miss Ryan." "I'm a fast learner." "I'm sorry. We need someone who can hit the ground running." Rejected. At the second company, they didn't even bother opening her résumé. "The position was filled this morning," the receptionist said with a wave of her hand. Alice stared at her, stunned. "Then why did your office call me in for an interview an hour ago?" The woman just gave a helpless little shrug. Alice forced a polite smile, thanked her, and walked out. Standing on the sidewalk, she closed her eyes against the burning frustration in her chest. Two doors slammed in her face. Only one left. By late afternoon, bruised clouds had gathered overhead, promising rain. Alice stood across the street from a breathtaking glass skyscraper. The building stretched so high it seemed to melt right into the gray clouds. Its dark, mirror-like exterior reflected the chaotic city below, while luxury cars lined up outside the grand entrance to drop off people in tailored suits. Alice looked down at her simple cream blouse and plain black skirt. Standing at the foot of this giant, she suddenly felt very small. The silver lettering above the revolving doors caught her eye: VANCE HOLDINGS. She frowned slightly. The name struck her head Had she seen it on the news? Probably. Massive financial empires were always in the headlines. She shrugged the thought off. It didn't matter who owned the building. All that mattered was getting a paycheck. Inside, the lobby screamed money. Marble floors polished to a high shine, crystal chandeliers, and giant vases of fresh white orchids decorated the reception area. Sharp-looking employees hurried across the floor carrying tablets and expensive leather briefcases. Alice swallowed hard. A place like this could actually pay her enough to survive. A cheerful receptionist beamed at her. "Good afternoon! How can I help you?" "I'm here for a job interview." "Your name?" "Alice Ryan." The receptionist typed rapidly, her eyes scanning the screen. "Ah, yes! Alice Ryan." Her smile widened. "They have been expecting you." Alice blinked, caught off guard. Really? She certainly didn't t expect a warm welcome in a fortress like this. Maybe her luck was finally turning around. Handed a crisp visitor’s badge, she was directed toward the high-speed elevators. As the glass cab soared higher and higher, Alice watched the city shrink beneath her feet. The view was staggering. She wondered briefly what it felt like to work in a place like this every day. Exhausting, probably. Everyone she passed looked like they survived strictly on black coffee and tight deadlines. When the elevator doors chimed open on the upper floor, a young woman stepped forward. "Miss Ryan?" "Yes." "I'm Natalie from Human Resources." "Nice to meet you." "Likewise! Follow me she said to me" Natalie led her through a maze of quiet, high-end offices before stopping outside a sleek glass conference room. "The interview panel is ready for you." Alice took a slow, deep breath, smoothing down her skirt. Please let this work. She walked inside. Three sharp-eyed executives looked up from their laptops, and the grilling began immediately. Tell us about your background. What are your greatest strengths? How do you perform under immense pressure? Where do you see yourself in five years? One of the executives asked her Alice didn't try to use fancy corporate buzzwords. She spoke with quiet confidence about her discipline, her attention to detail, and her work ethic. She left out the part about losing every cent she owned—that wound was still far too raw. Forty minutes later, the questions stopped. The head interviewer exchanged a subtle look with the other two, then looked back at Alice with a warm smile. "Miss Ryan..." Alice held her breath, her heart hammering in her throat. "...We'd like to offer you the position." Her mind went blank. "...I'm sorry, excuse me?" "You start on Monday." For a few seconds, Alice just sat there, frozen. "Are you serious?" The panel broke into soft chuckles. "Very serious." A wave of pure relief rushed through her veins. "I... thank you so much!" She stood up so quickly her chair scraped loudly against the floor. "You have no idea what this means to me." After filling out preliminary paperwork, Natalie handed her a thick employee onboarding folder. "Congratulations, Alice." Alice smiled brighter than she had in weeks, hugging the folder to her chest. "I really, truly needed this win today." "I'm glad," Natalie said softly. Then, her smile faltered just a bit, and her tone shifted. "There is just one thing you should know." Alice’s smile faltered. "Oh?" "The CEO... he expects absolute perfection," Natalie warned, dropping her voice. "He can be extremely difficult to work for." Alice let out a small, relieved laugh. "I've handled difficult bosses before. I can handle him." Natalie gave her a look—a mix of pity and quiet amusement—that made Alice’s face to deam a little"I certainly hope so." That evening, Alice walked back to her apartment under a sky painted in streaks of deep orange and soft violet. She held the black folder tightly against her ribs. It wasn't her dream—not by a long shot. But it was a lifeline. A clean slate. She would save her pennies again. She would start over. She would rebuild Ryan Signature Catering brick by brick, even if it took another five years. Or ten. Dreams worth having were always worth rebuilding. Her phone rang, and before Alice could even get a word out, Emma was shouting into the speaker. "Well?! Tell me!" Alice couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face. "I got it." A high-pitched scream echoed through the line, making Alice pull the phone away from her ear. "I knew it! Oh my gosh, I'm so proud of you!" Emma cheered"So, where are you working? What's the company?" Alice glanced down at the bold silver logo on her folder. "Some big firm called Vance Holdings." Dead silence fell over the line. "Emma? You still there?" "...Did you say Vance Holdings?" Emma whispered, sounding stunned. "As in... the multi-billion-dollar empire?" Alice frowned, crossing the street. "Billionaire? Wait, seriously?" "Are you living under a rock?!" Emma gasped. "That is literally one of the most powerful corporate juggernauts in the entire country!" Alice blinked. "Oh. Well... they have nice floors." "Do you even know who owns it?!" Alice shook her head before remembering Emma couldn't see her. "No idea. Why?" Emma giggled mischievously. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough." "Honestly, as long as my paycheck clears every two weeks, I don't care if the owner is an alien," Alice chuckled, turning down her street. She had no way of knowing... That in just a few short days... She would come face-to-face with the one man she had swore she would never set her eyes and she would hate for the rest of her life.