Chosen By Fate: The Billionaire’s Secret

Imani Haven Falls, SunCity She had finally done it. The orphaned girl who came from nothing had made herself into something, and what an inspiring story it was to the masses. Except the masses didn’t really know her story. Not fully. If they did, would they still celebrate her? Would her success still count in their eyes? A voice interrupted her thoughts. “Open your eyes, ma’am.” The makeup artist stepped back, carefully examining her eyeshadow work. A man worked on her nails. Two others fussed over her hair. Several more people milled about, preparing the stylishly curated, painstakingly selected magazine cover set and designer pieces. She couldn’t help but marvel at the effort poured into a single cover photoshoot. Was this what celebrity life was all about? She could get used to it. When Forbes reached out to her team for an interview about her newly acquired billionaire status, she hadn’t believed it. Yet she’d done the interview, and now here they were, preparing for the cover shoot. She should have been overwhelmed with joy. Grateful. Proud of herself. But no amount of applause could silence the growing fear that she would soon be exposed. That the world would finally see how damaged their favourite heroine truly was. Chloe sauntered in, her PA and bodyguard trailing behind her. She looked resplendent in a bedazzled silver pantsuit, walking straight toward Imani with a large bouquet of roses. Chloe always looked incredible, even on her worst days, and she had a way of celebrating people simply for existing. Imani smiled despite herself. The makeup artist paused her work long enough for Imani to stand and hug Chloe. Chloe hugged her back, tightly. She needed her best friend today. Imani buried her head against Chloe’s shoulder and exhaled deeply before stepping away. The stylists had decided she should put on the outfit after her hair and makeup were finished, so she wore only shorts and a white tube top. “Honey, honey, what’s with that face?” Chloe pouted. “I still feel like I don’t deserve this,” Imani whispered, fully aware they weren’t alone. “Yeah?” “Yeah.” Imani nodded. Chloe took her hands and looked her straight in the eyes. “You earned this. We all knew the world would celebrate your impact in the medical field eventually. Did you really think you could hide forever?” Her voice was so tender, so sincere, that it almost made the words true, even if Imani didn’t believe them yet. “You deserve this, okay?” Imani nodded and pulled her into another hug. She sensed the stylists’ subtle impatience and stepped back. “These are for you, by the way. Congratulations. You know where to find me.” Chloe handed her the bouquet and turned on her heels. Imani placed the flowers on her lap and inhaled as the experts encircled her again to finish what they had started. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Dominic Langston Sentinel Bay, LunaCity He’d been nursing a mild headache all day, but that wasn’t why he was heading home early. It wasn’t physical exhaustion either. A werewolf of his size and build could work nonstop for over ten hours. Normally, he’d grind well into the wee hours of the morning. But today, something strange had happened at the Midnight Howl Country Club. On any other day, he’d be warmly received. Today, the werefolk seemed eager to get away from him. Conversations were evasive and answers vague. It was as if they were avoiding him entirely. And if they were, why? His thoughts drifted back to his conversation with Joey on the golf course. “I’ve been getting these weird emails about joining the werewolf revolution for the past two weeks.” “I ignored them at first. Thought it was a prank. Told myself tech werefolk were just getting more creative.” Dominic had nodded, uncertain. He might have received those emails too, though he hadn’t bothered to read them. “Then yesterday, I found a letter on my doorstep.” “What did it say?” “That I had three days to decide, or they’d come after me.” “Did you check your camera footage?” “I did. Nothing. It’s like the letter appeared out of thin air.” “Huh.” “I’m thinking of joining, though.” “Why?” “Because I don’t want to find out what happens if I don’t.” After a pause, Joey added, “Join me. Let’s do it together.” “No.” “Why?” “Because the last time something like this happened, the Great War broke out. Aurulene was split up. Countless lives were lost in a senseless act of violence.” “It was the humans who started that war, and you know it. They deserved it.” Joey’s voice had turned defensive. “And they left us alone.” “After creating RDS and slaughtering our people.” “But we killed innocent humans too. Remember the houses the Kairos Matriarchs burned down with families inside?” “They deserved it! Why are you defending those… those soft skins?” Joey spat, his face flushed with rage. Dominic studied him for a moment. “I don’t believe innocent people, werefolk or human, should suffer for the sins of their fathers. That’s how cycles of violence continue.” “You’re turning your back on your own people, Dom,” he said quietly. “I'm not okay? Look, I don’t know what this revolution is really about, but I don’t want war. We’re still healing from something that happened three centuries ago. I don't want to be part of another bloodbath.” His words held a note of finality. Joey had known better than to argue further. “Okay. I tried.” They’d been friends for over a decade, and Dominic had never once doubted Joey. But in recent months, Joey had changed. He was quicker to anger, more vindictive, especially whenever the human-versus-werewolf debate surfaced. Maybe it was stress. Clan politics. Family pressure. Any of it could push a werewolf over the edge. Dominic didn’t know. He only knew he wanted his friend back. That conversation at the golf club unsettled him. His instincts had never failed him. Something was wrong. Either Joey was hiding something, or something had gotten to Joey. As Dominic pulled into the driveway, Nyla’s smiling face appeared through the floor-to-ceiling kitchen window overlooking the drive, illuminated by his headlights. He barely reached the door before she launched herself into his arms like a child greeting her father. Nearly twenty years together, and they were still madly in love. “Nyla,” he murmured, the passion unmistakable in his voice as he kissed her. She kissed him back with equal measure, and for a moment, the world disappeared. They didn’t notice Amarla descending the stairs. “Eww. Can you two get a room, please?” She opened her arms for a hug, but Dominic kissed his daughter’s forehead instead, before scooping Nyla up and turning toward the stairs. “I’m getting a room now, if you don’t mind.” “Just remember, I don’t want more siblings. I’m perfectly happy being Dad’s only princess!” Amarla called after them, though she knew they wouldn’t hear her over their laughter and kisses. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx “Why are you home so early, my love?” Nyla asked, propped against pillows, the sheets covering the unclad half of her body. Dominic joined her and rested his thick, furry head on her thighs. He hadn’t Transformed yet. Tonight, they’d made love in were-form. His paws slowly shrank and morphed into palms as his snout receded into his face, fur melting away until the smooth ebony skin she had come to love emerged. She felt the tension in him. The s*x, as good as it was, had been his way of clearing his mind. “Something’s happening in Lunacity,” he said. “I don’t know what, but I can feel it. Everyone’s being secretive.” “How do you know?” “Joey. He’s been acting strange.” “Sure it’s not stress?” “It’s not just him. Other alphas wouldn’t even look me in the eyes today. Something’s going on.” Nyla didn’t have an answer, but she trusted Dominic. “So what are we going to do about it?” Dominic rolled onto his side to face her. “Here’s my plan.”