The Billionaire Lost Love

Chapter 01

Alessandra POV

I couldn't remember how I got home.

One moment, I was standing on the sidewalk with the world spinning around me.

Next I was unlocking the door to my apartment.

I shut the door behind me and leaned against it.

I took a deep breath.

I slid down the door and placed my forehead between my knees.

There should be an explanation for this.

I had spent the whole walk home trying to convince myself that it was some kind of mistake.

I pulled out my phone and scrolled through the article.

>Sources have confirmed that Damian Sterling and Isabella Devereux have finalized their engagement as part of a business alliance between Sterling Enterprises and Devereux Corp…<

I still couldn't believe it. I read it over and over again

It was real.

I took in another breath and hit call.

Damian’s name displayed on my screen.

Ringing…

My grip on the phone tightened. He would pick up. He had to pick up.

Ringing…

Still no answer.

My throat tightened. I tried again.

Ringing…

Voicemail.

No, no, no, no… don't do this to me Damian.

I called again.

Disconnected

I let out a weak laugh, letting my phone drop to the floor.

He wasn't going to call me back.

He wasn't going to even explain to me

Which meant he'd made his decision already.

I clamped my mouth to stop myself from crying. I wouldn't cry for him. He didn't deserve my tears.

I spent years loving him. I believed in him each of those f*****g years.

And this was how he treats me. Like a choice?

I shut my eyes, letting the tears flow.

I thought today was supposed to be my day. But I had lost my job, my dreams and the man I'd spend my life with.

I felt broken. The tears kept on flowing, I wasn't even trying to stop them.

After a while, I looked up.

Fuck you Damian. I was done.

Done being naive

Done waiting for answers

Done loving Damian Sterling

And for the first time, I knew what I had to do.

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and pushed myself off the floor.

The pain was still there, but something else had settled in its place.

I looked around my apartment, the place I had built with so much love and so many dreams.

The cozy couch where I had spent countless nights sketching designs.

The framed photos on the shelf, the ones that held memories of a life I thought was mine.

But none of it mattered anymore.

Not when the man I loved had already replaced me.

I grabbed my suitcase from the closet and threw it onto the bed.

I wasn’t going to sit here and wallow in heartbreak. I wasn’t going to wait around for Damian’s excuses or empty apologies.

I was leaving.

I searched through my wardrobe, grabbing whatever I could.

Dresses, jeans, blouses shoving them all into the suitcase without a second thought.

My hands were shaking, but I didn’t stop.

I pulled out my passport, my savings, anything that mattered.

I needed to be gone before he had the chance to come looking for me.

Not that I expected him to.

The thought made my chest ache, but I swallowed the pain down.

I reached for my jewelry box, my fingers hovered over the bracelet Damian had given me on our anniversary.

A silver chain with a small charm. I used to wear it every single day.

I picked it up, turning it over in my palm.

Then I dropped it onto the counter next to my apartment key.

He didn’t deserve to be carried with me. Not anymore.

I took a shaky breath and zipped my suitcase shut.

This was it.

I was walking away from everything, my past, my love, my pain.

I didn’t care where I was going, as long as it was far away from him.

Damian's POV

I loosened my tie as I stepped into the backseat of my car.

I was exhausted.

The deal had finally been closed. It had taken weeks of negotiation, but Sterling Enterprises had secured another billion-dollar expansion. The board would be pleased.

But none of it mattered to me.

Not as much as her.

Alessandra.

A small smile played on my lips as I imagined her reaction when I finally told her everything. I had been so caught up in work that I hadn’t had the chance to explain things properly.

I had refused the damn contract.

I had made it clear to my father. I wasn’t going to be used as some business pawn.

I leaned back, closing my eyes for a moment. I had left my phone at the penthouse in my rush this morning, so I hadn’t checked my messages.

But I knew Alessandra had probably sent me something.

Maybe a text. Maybe a reminder about dinner tonight.

I couldn't wait to see her.

The car slowed as we hit a red light, and my gaze drifted to the giant LED billboard towering over the street.

I frowned.

It was a photo of me.

A photo of me and Isabella Devereux.

BREAKING NEWS: DAMIAN STERLING & ISABELLA DEVEREUX…THE POWER COUPLE SET TO RULE THE INDUSTRY!

My blood ran cold.

What the hell?

I sat up, my heartbeat slamming against my ribs.

More photos flickered across the billboard. Isabella leaning onto me, smiling. My hand resting at her back.

We were laughing, looking like a couple.

Fake. Every single one of them.

Rage surged through me as realization dawned.

My father.

He had signed the contract behind my back.

He had staged the photos.

He had set me up.

And Alessandra…

A sharp panic gripped my chest.

Alessandra.

I grabbed my driver’s shoulder. “Turn the car around. Now.”

“But, sir…”

“Now!”

The car screeched as we changed lanes, speeding toward her apartment. I fumbled for my phone, cursing when I remembered it was still at the penthouse.

I should have known.

I should have seen this coming.

I should have protected her.

My fists clenched as I stared out the window, willing the car to go faster.

Fifteen minutes later, I jumped out before the driver had even stopped completely. My heart pounded as I sprinted to her door, knocking hard.

No answer.

I knocked again, my pulse thrumming in my ears. “Alessandra!”

Silence.

Dread settled deep in my stomach. I reached for the doorknob and twisted.

It opened.

I stepped inside and froze.

The apartment was empty.

The once-cozy space was stripped bare. The couch where she used to curl up with her sketchbook was gone. The pictures on the walls were missing. The scent of her lavender perfume was fading.

I took a slow step forward, my chest tightening.

Her closet was open, but it was empty. The small bookshelf she loved was gone.

She was gone.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to move.

My gaze swept the apartment, hoping, praying, that I’d find something, some sign that she was still here.

Then I saw it.

A single silver key, placed carefully on the kitchen counter. Next to it, my bracelet, the one I had given her on our anniversary.

My stomach dropped.

I reached for the key, my fingers closing around the cold metal.

She hadn’t just left.

She had erased herself from this place. From me.

I sucked in a sharp breath, trying to steady the tears building in my throat.

I had lost her.

The only woman I had ever loved.

And I had no idea where she had gone.