FALLING FOR MY SECRET BILLIONAIRE BEST FRIEND

CHAPTER NINE — BEST FRIENDS BUT STRANGERS

Last night, alone with Josh made me think that he felt the same way I did. Or maybe I was doing what I always did, letting my heart outrun reality. Convincing myself that something real could ever exist between us.

Come to think of it, Josh had never been in a serious relationship since we became best friends. It was always brief connections, work colleagues, things that never lasted long enough to matter. Meanwhile, I had stumbled through one failed relationship after another since college, collecting breakups like scars I never asked for.

I had chosen badly, every single time. And the worst part was that none of it had taught me anything useful, just how to leave before I got too attached.

Could it be because of me that he never dated anyone?

The thought stayed with me as I sat quietly, my hands wrapped around a cup of hot chocolate that had long gone warm.

I didn’t even realise I’d stopped drinking it. All I knew was that I needed answers, real ones. I needed to know if Josh felt what I felt, or if I was about to lose my mind chasing something that truly never existed.

The almost-kiss from last night replayed in my head without mercy. The way his eyes softened when he looked at me. The way his arms stayed around me longer than necessary. My face had been so close to his that I could feel his breath.

And the part that surprised me the most?

Josh hadn’t been drunk.

He had been completely aware. And that changed everything.

Somewhere along the line, my simple feelings had grown into something deeper. His hugs didn’t feel friendly anymore. His glances lingered too long. And I was scared of risking it all, especially now that I knew he was hiding something from me.

To me, Sandra wasn’t just his childhood friend.

She wasn’t just his business partner.

And tonight, at the BBTA Awards, I knew I wouldn’t leave without knowing the truth. It had to be one thing, either I'm wrong or Josh is.

***

The venue was everything I expected, luxury dripping from every corner, cameras flashing endlessly, power and money walking side by side. I slipped backstage disguised as a stage worker, keeping my head down and my movements confident, like I belonged there.

I stood among famous CEOs, influential business tycoons, and investors from around the world, yet my eyes searched for only two people.

Josh And

Sandra.

But they were nowhere.

Minutes passed, then more minutes.

The only reason I came, was nowhere to be found.

Doubt crept in quietly. Maybe I had misunderstood everything, or maybe he never planned to go public as he said. Maybe last night meant nothing at all.

I was just about to give up and go home when a name echoed through the hall and froze me where I stood.

“Velmor Group.”

My head snapped up.

The multi-billion-dollar company owned by Jason Clifford.

I turned slowly toward the stage, my heart pounding as fast as ever, just in time to see Frederick stepping forward to accept the award for Most Invested Company with the Highest Revenue of the Year on behalf of Jason Clifford.

Jason wasn’t there, but Frederick was.

So it only meant one thing,

My own Josh was the popular anonymous Jason Clifford.

My best friend.

A billionaire tycoon ??

The only heir to the Velmor Group ??

Someone I had known for years… and yet never truly known at all.

Before I could process it, Frederick stepped off the stage and answered a call. His expression changed instantly, anxious, frightened. He moved really quickly, surrounded by escorts.

I didn’t think.

I followed.

***

The taxi stopped at Heavencrest Hospital.

The same hospital Josh had brought me to when I passed out.

The atmosphere was wrong the moment I stepped inside. Security lined the halls. Visiting hours had been cancelled. Patients were being rushed out of the eleventh floor, and only authorised doctors were allowed on the eleventh floor.

No one paid attention to me. Everyone was too focused on something, or someone, far more important.

The elevator to the eleventh floor was shut down, so I took the stairs, my legs burning with every step. Whispers followed me through the halls.

“They said the chairman was brought in…”

“He and his grandson were in an accident…”

My heartbeat thundered in my ears.

I prayed quietly, desperately, that Josh was okay.

The eleventh floor felt suffocating. Security was tight, and I couldn’t get anywhere near the operating theatre. My breathing came out uneven, and my body stood in fear.

Then I saw him.

A bodyguard stood outside a room. Beside him was Frederick, his posture rigid, his face drawn with worry.

It was Josh’s room.

I stayed hidden, watching closely.

Then moments later, the door opened and Josh stepped out. He didn’t look badly injured, but the pain on his face was unmistakable.

“Where’s grandfather?” he asked.

His voice was steady, but it trembled underneath.

“He’s still in surgery, sir,” Frederick replied.

Josh never talked about his family. Never talked about himself. It had always been about me, my problems, my life.

Standing there now, I felt selfish, Guilty, pretty LAME, if you ask me.

Then the doctor appeared.

I moved closer, because I wasn't able to hear a word properly

“I’m sorry, Mr Jason,” the doctor said gently. “He didn’t make it.”

Josh collapsed.

His knees hit the floor like his body had given up on holding him together. I remembered him once telling me briefly that he’d lost his parents. He never explained how.

He never showed any emotions, he acted fine, like it didn't really bother him at all.

And now, the last person he had left was gone.

“Everyone leave,” he said quietly.

The room emptied.

And then he broke.

Josh’s body gave in completely. He kneels still on the floor, his hands covering his face as he wept harder.

I pressed my hand over my mouth to keep myself from crying out loud.

This was grief I couldn’t fix.

Pain I couldn’t interrupt.

I had spent years thinking I knew

him really well.

Thinking I was close enough to understand his silence. But standing there, watching him fall apart, I realised how wrong I had been.

He wasn’t just hiding a name.

He was hiding his pain.

The sound he made wasn’t loud, it was worse. It was the sound of someone who had lost everything.

My vision blurred with tears. My hands trembled. I wanted to run to him, to hold him, to tell him he wasn’t alone.

But I stayed where I was.

Now I understand, that Josh…

I mean Jason had been carrying this weight alone for years. And now, standing there, watching him fall apart, I knew one thing for certain…

I wasn’t going to walk away again as I did in the past.