The billionaire hidden heir

Emilia's pov My resignation letter thwacking on the slick hardwood floor startled me like a gunshot. My hands froze in mid-air over the desk, stuck in my throat. Across from me, Mr. John, my editor-in-chief, mentor, and the person who had taught me everything I know about words and deadlines leaned back in his chair with a decibel-shattering squeak. He bent down, retrieved the envelope, and slammed it onto the counter before me with a finality that stabbed my chest."I'm sorry, Emilia," he snarled, his voice raspy with something I couldn't quite place. "But I just can't do this."I flinched, taken aback. "Sir… you must. I already handed in my two-weeks' notice. I'm just formalizing it."He shook his head so vigorously, I was sure his glasses were going to fall right off his face. "You just don't get it. You've been the support of this firm. You're the reason we've acquired half the accounts we did last year alone. You're the one who convinced Dylan Parker to relocate his entire publishing division here, and don't even start me on the contracts you've helped us retain.". Emilia—this institution will never be the same without you.A warmth filled my chest, the kind of warmth that is associated with being noticed, truly noticed. But it was bittersweet. I swallowed thickly and leaned my elbows on the desk. "I know. And I love this institution. The past four years here… they've been the best four years of my life. But I need something new, Mr. John.". Something that pushes me beyond this company can anymore. You made me learn to never settle, remember?”His lips pursed into a line, and for a moment, I was worried he would simply tear my resignation letter in half in front of me. Instead, he sighed and rubbed his temples. "Fine. You're as stubborn as you are talented. But swear this to me—if I'm unable to find someone to take your place within a month, you'll come back."I laughed, light and breezy, yet had a catch in my throat. "I don't promise that, Mr. Johm. But I promise you'll get somebody. You always do."He growled, nudging me towards the door like a parent shipping off their kid so he'd quit bawling. "Get out. Before I change my mind and lock you in your office."I stood, smoothing my dress skirt, and shot him one last smile. Then I turned and walked out, my heels clicking against the marble surface of the lobby, the weight of having made the decision both terrifying and exhilarating.Outside, Los Angeles greeted me like a lover. The wind of late afternoon brushed against my face, wrapping strands of hair in it. The golden sun dipped low, bathing skyscrapers in warm shadows that glistened like polished gems. I closed my eyes, inhaled deeply, and let the city wrap itself around me.I was finally free after years.I'd just been hired by Miller Industries—the name of the company itself was commanding, full, unbeatable. I was leaving behind being a respected editor and going into corporate communications, a position of prestige and pay that could actually cover more than the absolute barest necessities. And tonight? Tonight, I was going to celebrate.Even if the celebrating drew out the paltry dollars that sat in my bank account.As I began up the steep steps to my small apartment, inserted between a laundromat and a diner that always smelled of burnt bacon, my excitement had overflowed. I twirled into my bedroom, the cracked mirror leaning against the wall reflecting an image of myself that yearned to be recreated.I opened my wardrobe, skimmed past the faded jeans and worn blouses, and pulled out the dress. A sleek black outfit I’d bought on clearance two years ago and never had the courage to wear. Tonight, it would finally see the light. Or, more accurately, the neon glare of Los Angeles nightlife.I slipped it on, the fabric hugging my curves in ways that made me stand taller. I tended to my hair with trembling fingers until it shone like dark silk. A swipe of eyeliner, a sweep of blush, and finally, the pièce de résistance: a coating of fire truck red lipstick. I eyed myself in the mirror, the girl who gazed back in the mirror familiar yet strange."To new beginnings," I said quietly.The club was a glittering spectacle. The kind of club where one went to be spotted, where champagne flutes cost more than my rent payment, and where the thumping beat emanating from the speakers shook through the very marrow of the city.I stayed by the door, clutching my small clutch purse, before the enormous bouncer held out a colossal hand. The cover charge took my heart's breath. I still paid, avoiding the internal arithmetic that scolded me over purchases and bus fare. It wasn't about money. It was about becoming something new.Inside, lights dripped onto the dance floor like liquid diamonds. Humans laughed, swayed, and clinked glasses, their overpriced perfumes and fragrances merging into a foul cloud. I made my way to a table embedded in the corner, my fingers wrapped tightly around the stem of a glass of tackily ordered wine. I reminded myself that I belonged here, no matter that every nerve in my body was screaming otherwise.That was when I noticed him. He was already seated at the table next to me, leaning back as if he owned not just the club but the entire city. His suit was perfectly fitted, midnight black and crisp white shirt unbuttoned just so to taunt. His hair was coarse and dark, puffed out like he had greater concerns than appearance, but not a single strand out of place.His jawline was sharp enough to slice glass, and his eyes—good Lord, those eyes—were breathtaking gray, like turbulent skies on the cusp of releasing their fury.Handsome was too trite. He was devastating.And he was looking at me.We locked eyes, and for a moment the raucous room, music, everything seemed to dissolve. My breath stopped, my hand trembling around my glass of wine. There was a jolt of electricity between us, a jolt that shot through the air like a hungry flame.He tilted his head, lips curling into a half-smile that was challenge and invitation. I tried to look away, couldn't. I was ensnared, entrapped, hypnotized by the tug of a man I didn't even know.And somehow, I knew this stranger was going to shatter my carefully constructed life into little pieces.I didn't know his name. I didn't know his past. But as his smile spread, as if he already knew something about me that I had yet to discover, my heart pounded with certainty