Billionaire by Chance

Bastards Stick Together

As we're on our way back to the office, Damien is texting intensely with someone on the phone and suddenly turns to me, eyes expectant.

"So, how does today sound for going out? My friends are available to have a little party."

"Today? But... it's Wednesday," I complain like a giant loser, earning a mocking look from him. He obviously doesn't care what day it is, so why should I?

I accept his invitation and let him grab my phone to write his number in my contacts and when we get to the building, he once again takes possession of my arm as we walk inside and then gives me a loud kiss on the cheek before walking off to some unknown location.

My new cousin is definitely weird as hell, but he's the only family I have that doesn't want to kill me so I guess I have to get used to it. Besides, if I have to be here for a full year, I guess it's necessary to have someone on my side. And his dad is my uncle, so meeting him might be in the cards sometime. That could be another ally and I need as much of those as I can get.

Once I get to my office, I approach the small group of people chatting in the center and though I can tell they're talking about me by the way they all react with big eyes when they see me, I stretch the bag of sushi leftovers towards them.

"Do you guys want some sushi?" I ask and Rea is the first to answer yes excitedly and grab the bag. She loves when I give her things and I love doing it, "So what, you all knew I had a cousin all along and no one thought to tell me?"

"We didn't know you didn't know about him. I'm sorry we were talking about you behind your back." Tommy mutters with an apologetic smile as the others stare at me to see how I'm going to react. I don't know why they keep thinking I'm going to yell or something after knowing me for long enough already. I just shrug, downplaying it.

I’m sure whatever they were saying is not nearly as bad as what they’re saying about me on the last floor.

"It was just friendly and harmless gossip," Rea says from her desk she's sitting on, eating, "Well, Damien's a weird, quirky guy, but he's way better than Derek. At least he doesn't have any sëxual harassment claims, which is a lot to ask for men on the last floor."

"Rea!" someone complains and my mouth drops open with the new information. Derek seriously is the worst of the worst, isn't he? I can't believe we share half blood.

"Adrien hates him, too!" my friend defends herself with a mouth full of sushi, meeting my eyes, "Besides, he's cool. Stop being nervous around him. Right, Adrien?"

"Right, I hate him. And yes, it's true, I'm cool." I reply with a smile and finally get them to start loosening up around me and chat normally until the boss arrives and we all have to sit at our desks like we're kids in school.

Once I'm sitting there I can pick up my l phone and see that I have a couple of texts from Damien and also Viktoria. Tamara hasn't answered yet.

I start to feel insecure at that point. Did I make her feel uncomfortable with what happened last night? Did she not like me? Fück, that would be embarrassing.

I spend the rest of the day thinking that Tamara thinks I have a weird, small, ugly p***s and that I disgust her and that's why she doesn't want to answer me. The only thing that saves me are Viktoria's texts telling me what she’s doing at home and talking to me about her new life in LA.

For some reason, I feel incredibly comfortable talking to Viktoria, which surprises me because I thought I would feel self-conscious, but she's cool and pushes the conversation like she's interested in me, too.

I'm just finishing doing the dumb assignment my boss gave me to waste time today, when someone comes out of the elevator and I know it's Damien before I even raise my head. His presence is that big.

"I'm ready to leave, cuz. Let's have some fun!” He lets out and stands in front of me, leaning on the desk as I shut down my computer and gather some of my stuff before saying goodbye to everyone and escorting Damien outside.

Viktoria

This would be so much easier if I hadn't let Adrien meet me in person, but I still don't let that stop me. I walk into the party wearing a hat I had to buy at a gift store across the street and stand in the corner of this random penthouse, watching Adrien and playing with a bottle of beer in my hands.

I don't know what I was expecting to see when I came into this party, but it totally wasn't seeing Adrien acting like a celebrity, with a bunch of people around him and even a girl sitting on his lap, which is annoying.

Besides, who the fück is that short guy who hasn't separated from him all day? Ever since they went out for lunch together he's been bugging me. My victim was perfect until this slimeball came along to make everything more complicated. Now I’ll have to worry about someone else who seems to want to be around him all the time and is also introducing him to a bunch of new people.

He literally walks all over the penthouse talking to people and pulls them towards Adrien on the couch as if to introduce him. Damn. If Adrien becomes popular, everything will become much more complicated.

When the short guy finally sits still on a chair next to Adrien, I pick up my phone and take a picture of him before walking to the bathroom so I don't look so suspicious. I can't stand in the corner all the time, clearly stalking someone.

I send the picture to Drake.

"Hey, do you know who this guy is? He hasn't left Adrien's side all day."

"That's my cousin, Damien. Of course he was going to stick to the bastard."

Cousin. Fück my life, this is bad.

I come out of the bathroom and sit on one of the high chairs in front of the bar, still pretending to be drinking, with my beer bottle in my hand. I watch Damien and the way he shows off Adrien to everyone around him and then pulls him up to make him dance and drink around all this new people.

I stay here until three in the morning when Damien finally disappears. He went to lock himself in a room with some guy and Adrien is completely drunk and groping the girl on his lap, so I make a spur of the moment decision, toss my hat aside and walk over to the couch.

"Hi, Adrien, I came as soon as I could," I say and Adrien opens his eyes wide in surprise, looking at me as if he can't believe his eyes.

"V-Viktoria?” He asks, extremely confused, pushing the girl discreetly, "What are you doing here?"

"You asked me to come," I lie and he frowns in confusion, "You called me and said you were here, you sounded drunk so I wanted to come save you. Come, I'll take you home."

"No, but... you shouldn't..." he shakes his head and sets the girl down beside him to get up with difficulty. I put my hands on his arms and help him stand, "I don't know why I called you, but I feel really bad that I made you come all the way here..."

"Oh, don't worry. Do you have your car keys? I think it's safer to leave mine on the street all night."

"Yeah, here they are," he replies and tries to pull them out of his pocket. I have to put my hand inside his pocket and that forces me to stick close to his body.