The Billionaire's Divided Heart

Prologue “Excuse me, what did you say you want again?” Sophia asked, coming around the counter and wiping her hands on her apron. “To help you.” Sophia’s sharp gaze swept from the full head of curly dark hair, to the shiny shoes. Definitely an arrogant arsehole with a stick up his ass. She knew them by their looks. “Help me in what way, exactly?” “I told you. I’d like to invest in your...” the man looked around the small diner, searching for the right word. “little diner business,” he added, a smirk on his lips. “And did I, at any time, reach out to you for any investment opportunities?” “Look, do you want the offer or not? I just thought I’d help you out.” “Why would you help me out? Do I know you from anywhere?” Sophia watched the man’s face contort a bit with a flicker of emotion she couldn’t quite read. Then the annoyingly smug expression was back. “I’m just a businessman with a lot of money, that’s interested in helping small businesses grow.” Sophia scoffed and placed her hands on her hips, spreading her legs. “I’m sorry to burst your bubbles, good sire, but I don’t need your money.” The man threw his head back and sighed in frustration. “Why are you so stubborn?” “Ugh, excuse me, I don’t think you’ve known me well and long enough to come to that conclusion, and I stand on business, so you better see yourself out.” “Do you even know what you’d be missing out on? Do you know who I am?” At the question, Sophia threw her head back and let out a cynical laughter. “My God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh so hard. I just find that latter question really hilarious,” Sophia said, wiping the tears that had fallen to the corner of her eyes. The man had an incredulous expression as he stared at her. Almost like he couldn’t just…believe her. She was laughing to his face like he was a complete fool. “What’s so funny?” “It’s the fact you think I’m gonna care about some stupid,” she made a sign of inverted commas in the air, ‘do you know who I am?’ phrase,” she added, then stepped forward until she was standing a few inches away from him, pushing her chin up at him. “I know your type so well. The ‘rich city slickers’ that go around thinking they can have anything they want, including the diner of a little countryside lady who strives to make a living.” “Just so you know, I don’t give a damn about you, or money. So, you better see yourself out, kindly, before I call the cops on you.” The man, obviously dumbfounded, stared back down at her, into the coals of fire that burned him just by looking into them. Where did this little woman get her guts from? He cleared his throat loudly and shifted on his feet, adjusting his suit. “I see you’re standing on business. It’s alright.” he said, then started to backtrack towards the entrance. “If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s the fact that you’ll come running to me in no distant time, with a plea on your lips. One thing is certain...” he paused at the doorway, “I won’t be so nice to you then,” he added and winked at her, before going out the door. Sophia let out a shaky breath as he left, her gaze on his retreating back. “Holy f**k, Sophia. Who was that man? He’s a f*****g Adonis.” 1 New York City, July 2021 “Mr. Steele?” the mechanical female voice drifted through the phone speaker, drawing Michael Steele out of his thoughts. He’d somehow slipped into oblivion as the words had danced out the lips of the doctor. “Sorry?” “I’m just trying to know if you’re still with me...?” “Yeah, sure. Definitely,” Michael replied, a fake composure laced in his voice. An awkward silence hung in the entire universe between them, as they listened to each other’s breathing, waiting for the other to speak up. “Mr. Steele- “ “Can you remind me what you were saying? I don’t think I got everything,” Michael interrupted, not willing to go through the boring psychoanalysis she was about to put him through. The doctor cleared her throat. “Well, I was saying your wife’s health has deteriorated pretty badly, and- “ “How bad?” Michael interrupted yet again. A pause. “Pretty badly,” she repeated. When Michael didn’t say anything else, she continued. “I would like you to come to my office so I can tell you in detail all about this illness.” “Can’t we like-” he scratched his jaw, “do this over the phone?” “Mr. Steele, it’s necessary we have this conversation facing each other. In fact, it is crucial.” Michael paused, biting his lips. “Well, that’s bad, because my schedule is actually packed, full of appointments, so I don’t see myself coming to your office anytime soon.” “Mr. Steele?” The doctor seemed shocked. “This is your wife we’re talking about. You couldn’t possibly take out a few hours out of your busy schedule?” “Don’t get me wrong, doc. I love my wife, trust me. She’s literally the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” “But unfortunately, I’m a dangerously passionate and driven man. I- “ “Passionate?” the doctor asked, her voice dropping to a whisper. Michael sighed. This woman didn’t even care about her career at that very moment. “Yeah, that’s right. Passionate,” Michael replied, a bit of cockiness dripping from his tone. “I’m talking about my work right now, though. I’m a workaholic, and a perfectionist, and I’m sure you know those two don’t work very well hand in hand.” “I love my wife, but I have to tend to my work.” “But this is your wi- “ “Nothing else matters to me when I’m working, ma’am. You don’t know me very well, so you won’t understand. I have meetings to attend, proposals to look over, contract deals to close. I could go on and on.” His voice was cold as steel. “So, if you won’t tell me what’s wrong with my wife over the phone, then I’m afraid we’re done here.” He ended the call and threw his phone on the desk, throwing his head back and closing his eyes. Truly, he was in a tight corner. He had been pushed into that tight corner since that night he’d received that call. The one about Jane Steele. His wife. Apparently, she had slumped on the stairs and had been rushed to the hospital immediately. Luckily, she hadn’t broken any bones. But... Jane Steele was diagnosed as terminally ill. Or so they had said. Now he had to choose between his work and his wife. He bit his lips, thinking back to the night he had met his wife. *** It was the night at the 2020 SET gala. Their eyes had met across the room, and Michael had undeniably felt the power those ridiculously pretty eyes had held from several feet away. He’d seen a female version of himself in her that day. Then she’d walked over to where he stood and smiled at him. “Are you gonna keep staring at me all day, or make a freaking move?” she had asked. That had left him tongue-tied. A woman that was used to having her way, not caring so much about the process. “I’m sorry,” he had apologized, smiling. “I guess I was frozen to the spot by those ridiculously pretty and icy eyes of yours.” Jane had laughed, and they had struck up a lighthearted conversation. In the days that followed, they had met up for coffee more times than necessary, and grabbed dinner together. And Michael had realized that she was the type of woman he combed this earth for. The type that would grow with him. Push him harder. Make him more money. Two months after they had met, Michael proposed to Jane, and the moment she had said yes to him, she unleashed and unlocked a whole different new side to her. The sweetest, lovable, caring side of Jane Steele that Michael could never turn his back to. She hadn’t necessarily pulled him out of his dark place, but she had lit pretty little scented candles around his dark place, making him feel more comfortable and safe. Now, was he about to abandon this amazing woman when she needed him the most? The telephone on his desk rang again, drawing him out of thoughts. It was the same number. “Yes?” “Mr. Steele, as much as your work is important, it doesn’t rank above your wife’s health. Your wife is family, and she should be prioritized.” “I’m not going to force you to pay a visit to the hospital, so we could talk about this. I can only so much as convince you.” “Can you get to the point?” Michael cut in sharply. “I’m busy.” A pause. “Fine. Mr. Steele, the results from your wife’s X-ray scan shows that there’s a growth of abnormal cells in her brain.” Another pause. “That is quite unusual, considering the location of these abnormal cells.” “What are you trying to say, in essence?” “Mr. Steele, your wife has been diagnosed with a medically unexplainable brain cancer.” A long pause. When Michael didn’t say anything, she asked, “can you think of anyone that would want to hurt your wife?” “What sort of question is that?” Michael retorted calmly. “We found some traces of thallium in your wife’s blood. You see, thallium is a heavily lethal substance that shouldn’t even be ingested. We believe your wife wouldn’t have gotten her hands on this drug, which leads us to believe….” Michael zoned out somewhere along those lines, his mind on his precious wife. Two options had been placed before him, and he could choose only one. His wife. Or his work. “Doc?” Michael interrupted. “Yeah?” “Thank you for that piece of information, but I really have to go now. I’ll drop by your office whenever I’m free.” He made to end the call but the doctor quickly chipped in a few words. “The life of your wife is at stake, Mr. Steele. You better do something about it, before it’s too late.” The line went dead.