The Arrogant Billionaire's Redemption

Triple horror

“Grnng.”

The sound of my alarm clock dragged me from sleep, sharp and metallic as ever. But that morning, I greeted it with a smile. Even the irritating screech that usually grated against my nerves felt like music to my ears.

I have a job. A corporate job.

The “first-day jitters” had burned off yesterday. What remained was happiness—pure, simple happiness.

“Stop smiling, we’re going to be late.”

Ajax’s voice cut through my haze, startling me. He leaned across, slammed the alarm off, and gave me that look only he could pull off—half exasperation, half amusement.

I blinked at the clock. I had been lying there grinning like an i***t for five minutes straight.

“Shite!” I scrambled out of bed, chasing after Ajax who was already padding toward the bathroom.

As I laid out his school things, humming to myself, I noticed Ajax giving me suspicious side-eyes. He didn’t comment, though. Instead, he adjusted his tie with an exaggerated sigh, as if he were the responsible one. His presence, light and steady, grounded me in a way he never even realized.

My thoughts soured briefly at the idea of facing Miss Debra, but I shoved that away, letting myself drift instead toward the memory of Adam’s encouraging smile.

A thread of unease tugged at the edges of my mind, something I couldn’t quite name—something about Adam, about how effortlessly he had slipped into the role of supporter without ever prying. The thought hovered just out of reach, but I shoved it down too.

Not today. Today was meant to be good.

*

The PR department buzzed with life when I stepped in. Voices overlapped, hands gestured wildly, chairs scraped as people leaned in to whisper with their little groups. Yet no one stopped to stare at me.

I guess they’ve lost interest in the new hire.

I glanced toward the far end of the room—Miss Debra’s desk was empty.

No wonder. She’d have been screeching if she were here during this uproar.

Relieved, I made my way to my desk and sank into my chair. Adam sat across, brow furrowed at something on his personal laptop. At the sound of my arrival, he snapped it shut almost guiltily and looked up.

His whole expression transformed.

“Miss Tina,” he said, smiling so broadly it almost disarmed me. “How are you doing? I missed you this morning.”

The words were light, but they carried a strange warmth that made me hesitate.

“I’m fine. I just had to take Ajax to school, so I left early.”

His smile softened. “Ohh. And how’s Ajax?”

I stiffened, glancing around quickly.

“No one heard,” Adam assured, lowering his voice. His eyes flicked around the room, perceptive as always. “They’re too busy with the gossip.”

I exhaled, grateful but unsettled by his uncanny awareness.

“What’s going on?” I asked, looking around at the clusters of people. “Everyone’s so… engrossed. They didn’t even notice me walk in.”

“You didn’t hear?” Adam leaned in slightly. “The news came out yesterday. We’re merging. With one of the biggest corporations in the country.”

Something in me tightened. A big corporation. My mind instantly jumped to the short list of giants in the industry—and Simon’s company was among them.

Adam smirked faintly. “I can see the cogs turning in your eyes. It’s SM Group.”

My heart plummeted. The happiness I’d woken with vanished, replaced by an icy horror that spread through my chest.

“What’s wrong?” Adam’s voice pierced the fog. He leaned closer, studying me. “You suddenly went pale. Are you okay?”

I forced my lips to move. “Just… worried about us. The new hires.”

He shook his head quickly. “No need. One of the conditions of the merger is that all employees are retained. They’re even hiring more. We’re safe. Their representative is coming next week.”

I nodded stiffly and excused myself to the restroom before the dread choked me.

I gripped the edge of the sink, staring at my reflection in the restroom.

Of all companies, why SM?

The company of my ex-husband. The company that had once crushed me with a single article.

Six years hadn’t dulled the memory of reporters flashing cameras in my face, of whispers at the wedding turned scandal, of a life unraveling thread by thread until only Ajax and I remained.

If it was a top executive sent here—and it always was—then chances were high they’d been at that wedding. Recognition was all it would take to unravel me again.

I had a week. A week to uproot Ajax and run.

Why now? My hands balled into fists. Why when things were just falling into place?

I thought of Ajax’s small victories—making friends at school, smiling more easily, feeling at home at last. The thought of tearing him away again cut like glass.

I could stay. Fight Simon. Shout the truth until someone believed me.

But the image of Ajax dragged into that spotlight—his privacy stripped, his father’s unpredictable cruelty hanging over him—froze that thought.

Simon could take him. The possibility was unbearable.

Footsteps approached. I ducked into a stall, hiding as two coworkers entered, still buzzing with excitement.

“We’re so lucky there won’t be any restructuring,” one said.

“Did you hear? The Vice Chairman himself is overseeing the merger.”

Their laughter echoed as an arrow drove straight through me.

The Vice Chairman. Simon himself.

There would be no hiding.

That’s it. I’m moving. I don’t care if we have to start over again.

I fixed my hair, steeled my face, and walked back out to my desk.

Adam’s worried voice greeted me. “Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t look it.”

For a second, I wavered. The thought of leaving behind the small comfort of Adam’s steady presence, and Bella’s warm chatter from two desks over, tightened my throat. But I forced myself to smile.

“I’m fine.”

Work passed in a haze. I prayed for the hours to vanish quickly so I could collect Ajax and plan our escape.

At lunch, I picked him up from school and dropped him at aftercare. He tilted his head at me, suspicious as always when my smile faltered.

“You okay mummy?” he asked softly.

I ruffled his hair. “Of course. Go on.”

His trust, so guileless, nearly broke me.

*

Back at the office, the energy had shifted. If the morning had been an uproar, the afternoon was a storm. People were tidying their desks, fixing their clothes, running hands through hair.

"I heard that he’s here, from the marketing department" someone pipes up.

"Yes, he’s headed our way, it’s just a simple introduction, I don’t know what the fuss is about" Miss Debra snapped from the doorway, though even she held a compact mirror, touching up her lipstick.

I sat numbly, watching the ripple of activity.

He’s here.

‘He really was here, no running for me then’ I wanted to do something but my body was frozen in place

The thought pulsed like a drumbeat in my skull.

I considered running to the restroom again, slipping away quietly from there, but my body refused to move.

Then the door opened.

Simon entered, flanked by Trove’s CEO.

Everyone rose, myself included, though my legs shook. From my desk in the back, I stared at him. His presence was magnetic, commanding attention without effort. The women stumbled over their words as they introduced themselves. Miss Debra leaned forward, eyelashes batting furiously, hair tossed deliberately.

A strange pang flickered in me—jealousy, raw and sharp. That b***h. Trying too hard to get my man—

I froze. My man? What the hell was I thinking? Simon was nothing to me. Nothing but danger. I shoved the thought deep down.

“Miss Tina.”

My name snapped me out of my spiral. Simon stood at the door, his gaze fixed directly on me. His face betrayed nothing, his eyes cold as ever.

“I’d like to see you in my office before the end of today.”

The words sliced through the room, through my chest.

What!!