THE BILLIONAIRE DADDY'S ADDICTION

Chapter 4

The city lights blurred past as Noah's car glided through the streets. Ariella sat in the passenger seat, her arms crossed, her body angled away from him.

"You didn't have to wait," she said.

"I wanted to."

"That's creepy."

"I prefer 'determined.'"

She snorted. "Determined to what? Get me into bed?"

Noah glanced at her, and something in his expression made her breath catch. "I'm not going to lie to you, Ariella. I'm attracted to you. But if all I wanted was s*x, I'd have hired someone. I'm not interested in a transaction. I'm interested in you."

"Again. Creepy."

"I prefer, "

"Yeah, I know. 'Determined.'"

He smiled, and the tension in the car eased slightly. They drove in silence for a few minutes before Noah spoke again.

"What happened to you?"

Ariella tensed. "What do you mean?"

"Something hurt you. I can see it in your eyes. The way you hold yourself. The way you keep people at arm's length." He paused. "Who broke your heart?"

She didn't answer. She couldn't. The words were locked somewhere deep inside her, buried under years of pain and betrayal.

"You don't have to tell me," Noah said softly. "But I want you to know... I understand what it's like to be betrayed. To have someone you trust destroy everything you thought was real."

Ariella looked at him, really looked at him, and saw something she hadn't noticed before. Pain. Loneliness. A wound that hadn't healed.

"Who hurt you?" she asked.

Noah's jaw tightened. "Someone who should have known better. Someone who was supposed to love me unconditionally."

"Family?"

"Family," he confirmed. "My son's mother left when he was two. Just... disappeared. No explanation, no goodbye. Just a note that said she wasn't ready."

"And your son?"

"He's..." Noah paused, choosing his words carefully. "Complicated. We don't have the best relationship."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's been ages." He pulled up outside her apartment building, a rundown walk-up in Queens with a broken security gate and flickering hallway lights. "This is where you live?"

"It's not the Ritz, but it's mine."

Noah looked at the building, then back at her. "You deserve better."

Ariella opened the door. "Goodnight, Mr. Armani."

"Wait." He reached out, his hand catching hers. "Call me Noah. Please."

She looked at his hand, then at his face. "Goodnight, Noah."

She stepped out of the car and walked toward her building. At the door, she turned back. He was still watching her.

"Thank you for the ride," she said.

"Goodnight, Ariella."

She disappeared inside, and Noah sat in the car for a long time, staring at the door she'd walked through.