THE BILLIONAIRE'S SECRET OBSESSION

Chapter 1 : Elara The first time I saw Lucien Evander, I was holding a cup of coffee that cost more than my weekly grocery budget. And the first thing he said to me was— “Why are you wearing my mother’s necklace?” I froze. The coffee slipped from my fingers. It shattered against the marble floor of the Evander Tower lobby, sending dark liquid across the polished tiles. Hundreds of employees turned to look. But I couldn't move. My fingers instinctively flew to the silver necklace resting against my collarbone. It was a simple piece. A thin silver chain with a small black stone hanging from it. I'd had it for as long as I could remember. My father had given it to me when I was a child. He'd always told me the same thing whenever I asked about it. Never take it off, Elara. I'd never understood why. Until now. The man standing twenty feet away was staring directly at it. Lucien Evander. Thirty-one. Billionaire. CEO of Evander Holdings. And, according to every business magazine I'd ever read, one of the most ruthless men in the country. He was even more intimidating in person. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. His dark hair was brushed away from his forehead, revealing sharp features and eyes so cold they seemed capable of freezing the entire room. People moved out of his way without being told. Conversations died the moment he walked past. He wasn't merely respected. He was feared. And right now, those frightening eyes were fixed on me. On my necklace. “What did you say?” I whispered. Lucien didn't answer. He walked toward me. One step. Then another. My heartbeat accelerated with every movement. When he finally stopped in front of me, he was so close that I had to tilt my head to look into his eyes. He glanced down at the necklace again. “Where did you get it?” I swallowed. “My father gave it to me.” Something changed in his expression. Barely. But I saw it. Shock. Recognition. Then something darker. “What's your father's name?” I frowned. Why did he care? “Adrian Seraphine.” The entire lobby went silent. Lucien's jaw tightened. For a moment, he looked as though someone had punched the air from his lungs. “That's impossible.” I frowned. “Excuse me?” He stepped closer. His voice dropped. “Adrian Seraphine died fifteen years ago.” My chest tightened. “My father disappeared fifteen years ago.” Lucien's eyes snapped back to mine. “Disappeared?” I nodded slowly. “Yes.” He stared at me for several seconds. Then he reached toward my necklace. I instinctively stepped backward. “Don't.” His hand stopped. Something dangerous flashed in his eyes. “Who told you to wear that?” “My father.” “And what did he tell you?” I hesitated. This was ridiculous. I was supposed to be starting my first day at Evander Holdings, not standing in front of the CEO answering questions about my dead—or missing—father. “He told me it belonged to my mother.” Lucien's face became unreadable. “Your mother?” “Yes.” “What was her name?” “Isabella Seraphine.” The color drained from his face. For the first time, the terrifying billionaire looked genuinely shaken. Then he whispered something I barely heard. “Isabella…” He knew her. I was certain of it. Before I could ask another question, a woman's voice interrupted us. “Mr. Evander.” A tall woman in a cream suit hurried toward us. She stopped beside Lucien and glanced nervously between us. “Your nine o'clock meeting is waiting.” Lucien didn't look away from me. “Cancel it.” Her eyes widened. “Sir?” “I said cancel it.” He finally turned toward her. “Then clear my afternoon.” “But—” “Every meeting.” The woman immediately nodded. “Yes, sir.” She hurried away. I stared at him. “Why are you cancelling your entire day because of me?” His eyes returned to mine. For a moment, I thought he might actually answer. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “What's your name?” I almost laughed. “You already know it.” His gaze sharpened. “Elara Seraphine.” The way he said my name sent an inexplicable shiver down my spine. “Yes.” He typed something into his phone. Then looked at me again. “You're hired.” I blinked. “What?” “You're hired.” I glanced toward the receptionist. “But I haven't even had my interview.” “You don't need one.” “That doesn't make sense.” “It doesn't have to.” He walked past me. I turned. “Mr. Evander.” He stopped. “Why me?” He looked over his shoulder. For one strange second, his cold expression disappeared. What replaced it frightened me more. Recognition. Not the recognition of someone he'd just met. It was the recognition of someone he'd been searching for. Then his face hardened again. “You'll find out soon enough.” He walked away. I stood there, completely confused. My first day at Evander Holdings had lasted less than ten minutes. And somehow, I'd already been hired by the most powerful man in the building. But as I picked up my broken coffee cup, something caught my attention. A photograph had fallen from Lucien's jacket when he'd turned. I bent down and picked it up. The picture was old. Very old. There was a young woman standing beside a little girl. My breath caught. I knew that woman. I had seen her in photographs all my life. My mother. Isabella. But the little girl beside her wasn't me. I turned the photograph over. There was handwriting on the back. Three words. Protect her, Lucien. My blood ran cold. I looked toward the elevators. Lucien was already gone. But suddenly, I understood one thing. He hadn't hired me because I was qualified. He hadn't hired me because he needed a secretary. He had hired me because he knew my family. Because he knew my mother. And somehow… he had been waiting for me. End of Chapter 1