Chosen by the billionaire

"I'm sorry, but I have to raise the rent. You're already paying less than the others. I'm not a charity, Adeline," Mrs. Bennet said. Addie looked at the suitcase by the door. It held four T-shirts, a jacket, and three books she’d taken from a free shelf at the subway station. "I have nowhere to go," she said quietly. "You're an adult. Adults figure it out." The door closed behind her without a sound. ... Adeline was kicked out of the room she was renting from an elderly woman today. Despite working full time, she could no longer afford the rent. On her 18th birthday she was thrown out by her foster parents. They were always cruel and cold to her. Addie had no opportunity for further education or development. She was forced to take care of their household every day, serving as an unpaid cleaner and cook. She was happy when, after a hard day, she was allowed to eat a warm dinner at the table. Despite how they treated her, Adeline treated them with respect, and even when they threw her out with indifference, she thanked them for everything. After that it was very difficult for her to find a job. She had no schooling or experience. For the first few weeks she stayed with her friend, but she didn't want to impose herself any longer. Her best friend, Ivy, also came from an orphanage. She was luckier.. Ivy was taken into foster care at the age of 13. Adeline cried a lot when she said goodbye to her. However, Ivy made a promise that she would never forget her and they would always be friends. She kept her word. Her friend's new family wasn't rich, but they were very empathetic, patient, understanding... loving. Ivy graduated from high school. She wanted to go to college, but decided against it so as not to burden her adoptive parents. After entering adulthood, she began planning her own small business, a café on the outskirts of town. Within a few months, with a little help, she managed to achieve her goal. On her 19th birthday they celebrated the opening of the place. During this time, Adeline spent the nights in homeless shelters. It had been two months since she had been thrown out of the house that night. ... Adeline reluctantly dialed her best friend's number. It was the middle of a November night, she was shivering and didn't even have a bottle of water. The nearest shelter was a few miles away. ,,What's up, Ada?" Ivy answered the phone after a long moment. Adeline hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly began to speak. "I need to stay with you for one night..." She said with difficulty through her frozen, numb jaw. ,,Where are you?" The girl's tone became serious. "Answer, where are you?! It's the middle of the night, what happened?" Ivy inquired while her best friend remained silent on the other end. Not because she didn't know what to say, but just thinking about it made her voice break and she could barely swallow. ,,In the park, on Greystone Street." She said, taking a few deep breaths. "Are you crying? I'm getting dressed and going." She asked with concern in her voice. Adeline truly felt like she was about to cry. Tears blurred her phone screen, and the lump in her throat barely allowed her to speak. She hasn't cried in ten years. The orphanage taught her that. Now she wanted to cry, but the internal blockages were still active. ... Adeline was not as lucky as her friend. She entered foster care only three years later than Ivy, when she was 15. At first, Mr. and Mrs. Kenswick seemed okay. They took Addie to a warm home, gave her new clothes, and cooked her dinner. They showed her their room and told her about themselves. That evening she played a board game with them. She was happy like never before. The first few days went smoothly, Adeline was always nice, helpful and polite. Then Mrs. Margaret started asking her to do some housework, explaining it in her own way. Ada didn't mind, she was grateful for their new home. And so the weeks passed, she did more and more, more often... often things she shouldn't have done at all. One day her foster mother came to her and told her she had to drop out of school. For the first time, Adeline objected and made her dissatisfaction clear. "Mother, I care about this school. I want to find a good job in the future... I don't intend to quit." She said to her in a calm tone. "Kid, what are you thinking?!" Mrs. Kenswick screamed. Ada was scared, even though she was used to this form of expression. At the orphanage, the caregivers shouted at them all the time. "Mother, I'm sorry but..." She didn't have time to finish her sentence when her adoptive mother slapped her hard across the cheek. She opened her mouth in surprise. "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you that you will do it!" She said furiously. "And don't call me mother, I'm not one!" She left, slamming the door. Adeline sat in silence for a long time, considering the words of her foster mother. She wondered if she continued to resist, would they bring her back to orphanage? She really didn't want to go back there. In the evening she knocked gently on Mrs. Margaret's bedroom door. "May I come in, ma'am?" She deliberately didn't use the word mother so as not to make her even more angry. "If you must" She hissed. "I'm so sorry... I was stupid and threw it away in my emotions, ma'am. If you think this is best for me, I'll drop out of school. Please don't send me to an orphanage!" Mrs. Kenswick smiled broadly. Of course, she still hated Adeline. She had simply discovered how she could manipulate her. ... ,,Hey, Ada!" Ivy shouted, waving to her best friend from a distance. ,,Oh my, your hands are so cold!" She said, taking Adeline's hands in hers, blowing on them to warm them. "I'm sorry, Ivy..." Addie whispered on the way to the car. "Don't joke." The girl smiled at her. Ada smiled back and then looked down at her boots. They were dirty, full of holes, and barely kept her warm at all. "So, what happened?" Ivy asked with concern in her voice as she got into the car. "They kicked me out of my room... Mrs. Bennet raised the rent and I had no money to pay anymore. " She sighed heavily. The girl's best friend looked at her and sighed quietly, starting the car. ,,You can't live like this anymore." She said firmly. Addie sat exhausted, staring out the window. "I know. But what can I do?" She said after a while. "We'll figure something out... and in the meantime, you'll stay with me." She threw her a smile over her shoulder. "I don't want to cause you any trouble.. " "Don't joke" Ivy replied. They drove in silence for a while. Adeline wondered if she could pull off more overtime at her miserable job. She worked as a food delivery driver. She didn't have a legal contract, and the rate was much lower than in an average job. No one else wanted to hire her, without a degree or experience. Meanwhile, Ivy had another idea. When While she was recently scrolling aimlessly through the internet, she came across a strange offer. At this point, this strange offer didn't seem so bad compared to what her friend must have been going through. ,,I have an idea... you may laugh at this, but I'm serious." Ivy looked away for a moment to see Addie's reaction. ,,What do you mean?" She was clearly confused.