Deceived By Her Billionaire

Chapter 3

Past…

At Liam’s office

Cynthia had become so engrossed in him... in their kiss... that she had lost track of time and place... she had forgotten that this was his office, that he was the boss, and that she was his assistant... not his girlfriend. When she had finally given in to their explosive attraction, it was with the understanding that they would keep their relationship strictly professional during office hours, as she did not want people gossiping about them behind their backs.

The sudden ringing of the phone alerted her to her surroundings. She tried to pull away, but Liam only tightened his grip, caging her in even tighter, and continued to devour her. “I just can’t seem to get enough of you,” he moaned, deepening the kiss.... his passion.... his desperation for her evident in every stroke of his tongue and the urgency of his kiss. “When I’m around you, my self-control completely dissolves, and I turn into this hungry person who just needs you...,” he said between kisses...

“But the phone,” Cynthia managed to say …

“Just one more minute and I’ll let go,” he promised, more to himself than to her.

When the phone rang a second time, he swore and let her go, reluctantly. His displeasure and annoyance were extremely visible when he aggressively grabbed the phone and screamed, “Yes!”

Cynthia, on the other hand, was preoccupied with straightening her clothes and attempting to comb her hair into some kind of order with her fingers. This morning’s decision to wear one of her uncrushable dresses into the office turned out to be a blessing in disguise; otherwise, her clothes would have easily disclosed what they were up to behind closed doors, under the guise of urgent work... she reflected, blushing. She couldn’t believe what a hussy she had turned into... so completely out of control and desperate, that she had lost herself in his arms...

Her hair, silky smooth and straight, was quickly sorted, and just like that, she was presentable again.... though she completely missed his side of the conversation, as she was fully engaged in removing the evidence of their passion from her person.

“Get the car ready. We’ll be down in ten minutes.” She overheard Liam order the person on the other end of the phone line. “The meeting with the Storms has just been confirmed,” he remarked as he turned to face her. “We need to get to their office right away. You’ll need to come with me to take meeting minutes and make sure all the relevant information is documented. Bring all the necessary paperwork along.” He straightened his own clothes as he relayed this information to her.

Cynthia approached him to help him straighten his tie, but he stopped her. “My emotions are still raw, sweetheart... Come this close to me only if you want a repeat performance of what just happened between us, but be warned: I may not be able to stop myself this time,” he warned, looking at her with such heat that she blushed. She rushed out of his cabin to get ready for the meeting.

They left for the meeting together, in his car, with one of his bodyguards driving and the other sitting in the passenger seat. Initially, the thought of people escorting them day in day out bothered her, but now she was used to it. Liam was a multi-billionaire with his empire spread across the globe and needed protection from his enemies and jealous competitors. As a result, she had reached a consensus and accepted this intrusion as a necessary evil for his survival.

Mr. Storm, the client with whom they were meeting, was in his mid-70s and had kind but sharp and knowing eyes. He was well-liked and respected in the business world, which was especially true given his status as a self-made billionaire. His business acumen and years of experience were readily evident in his interactions with others. He tragically lost his son and daughter-in-law in a car accident and was grooming his grandson, Blake, to be his successor. Blake was a charming young man in his early twenties with sparkling eyes, who was always ready to learn new things. She was most impressed by the fact that he was learning the business by working his way up the ranks of the organization via hard work and dedication. He began his professional career in the mailroom and had progressed to the position of assistant, and he would be taking the minutes of the meeting today.

Blake sat next to Cynthia while Liam was seated beside Mr. Storm. The meeting began on time, with both parties striving to reach an agreement on the best possible terms. Once the negotiations were finally completed, a beaming Mr. Storm was eager to sign the agreement.

Cynthia was stowing her notes in her briefcase when Blake observed, “For such a young lady, you are really organized and systematic. I wish I could be as productive as you.”

“You were doing quite well yourself,” she added with a smile on her face. The rest will come with time and experience. You know I wasn’t even half as good as you when I started working for Liam, fresh out of college. I was so clumsy that I spilled coffee on some important documents. Liam was so angry that he literally threw me out.”

“I can imagine… He is so dynamic… so awe-inspiring. Truth be told, I have a man-crush on him, but let’s keep this a secret between friends.”

“Your secret is safe with me, my friend, don’t worry,” she said laughingly, not surprised at all to learn that Blake, too, had a thing for Liam. After all, Liam was a very remarkable and wonderful person.

Mr. Storm was showing Liam around the office, while Blake took it upon himself to show Cynthia around. He kept speaking with her the entire time, like a long-lost buddy.

Liam was sidetracked for the first time in his life when discussing business. Every ounce of his concentration was focused on Blake, who was seated much too close to Cynthia for his comfort and peace of mind. Blake kept glancing at Cynthia, talking to her, and making her laugh in an attempt to get her to smile back. All this was raising Liam’s blood pressure. He almost jumped out of his seat when Blake touched Cynthia to get her attention. He wanted to run there and hide his Cynthia from Blake’s admiring eyes. It took all his willpower to keep sitting there, pretending to be interested in the negotiations. He gave concession on way more points than he had initially planned so he could get the meeting over with as soon as possible.... and take his Cynthia away from here.

When the meeting came to an end, Liam breathed a sigh of relief. He rose to his feet to go to Cynthia, but Blake outran him and whisked Cynthia away under the pretense of showing her around. Liam was enraged to the point of exploding and came dangerously close to blowing out when Blake asked Cynthia for her phone number. He said his goodbyes and almost pulled a befuddled Cynthia out of the room before she could hand out her business card to him.

He opened the car door for her and, once she was seated, closed it with such force that it shocked Cynthia and alerted her to his dangerous mood. She tried to chat with him to lighten up his mood, but he remained silent. He didn’t even bother to glance at her. She kept looking at him with concern, trying to figure out what was causing his bad mood, but he ignored her the entire way to the office.

Once they reached the office, he immediately walked to his cabin and slammed the door shut. Cynthia continued staring at him through the partition glass, bewildered and concerned, but he ignored her and closed the blinds instead of talking with her. He even ignored the text messages that she sent him, asking about what was bothering him. He kept yelling at people in the meeting room… throwing things… the entire office was bearing the brunt of his anger, but nobody knew the reason behind it.

He walked out of the office at exactly 6 p.m. without so much as a glance at Cynthia. She wished that he would open up and tell her what was bothering him, so that she could help him relax and soothe his furrowed brows. She finished her work and headed home in a taxi, but she was feeling very restless, remembering Liam’s sullen face. She wanted to rush to his side… hug him… calm him down… ease his fears... and make him feel better. Finally, making up her mind, she gave the driver Liam’s address and requested that he drive her there rather than her original destination.

Liam lived at 111 West 57th Street, one of the most expensive and highly sought condominiums near Central Park, NY. It was an 82-year-tall skyscraper featuring only 60 units, so every resident got the feel of penthouse living. This masterpiece was also the thinnest skyscraper in the world and was well known for its graceful architecture, gorgeous interiors… best amenities and astounding views. Thankfully, the concierge recognized her from previous visits and let her in, despite Liam not answering his phone.

Cynthia got out of the lift in a hurry and rushed to his door. She rang his doorbell several times, impatiently waiting for him to open the door… She continued calling him, but he didn’t respond... dejected, she sat against the wall, sobbing and pleading with him to let her in... not to block her out.

He was in the shower, trying to wash away the rage and fury that had built up inside of him. He put his hands on the shower wall as the cool water ran over his body, but the cold water was unable to quench the flames of jealousy that were burning in his heart. In his mind, he continued recalling how Cynthia and Blake had laughed together and talked all the time. He slammed his fist on the tile.... cracking it. He tried taking long breaths to calm himself, but nothing seemed to work. He eventually gave up and got out of the shower. He heard his phone ring as he was drying himself.

It was Cynthia’s mother. “May I speak with Cynthia, Liam?”

Liam felt a wave of terror rush over him. It was as if his worst nightmare had come true. His heart sank when he asked, “Is Cynthia not at home?” His mind raced with thoughts of what might have happened. Could she be with Blake? That bastard must have called her on the pretext of work. He had seen Blake’s eyes following Cynthia’s every move. He should have killed that scumbag then and there.

What if Cynthia is really in love with Blake and wants to be with him? What would you do then? His inner voice had intervened, terrifying him at the possibility.

No... I’ll not let her go. I would not be able to live without her. I’ll love her so deeply she’ll never dream of leaving me. “I’ll find her and bring her back,” he murmured.

“Did you say something?” Cynthia’s mother asked.

“Nothing, Mrs. Miller. I’ll give her a ring and see where she is.” He replied, snapping out of his thoughts.

“I tried calling her, but her phone is switched off. That’s what worried me. She is usually home well before this time. Was she not with you? “

“No. I had to... leave early today.” Liam responded and kept the phone down after promising Mrs. Miller that he would bring Cynthia back the moment he found her.

He became alarmed when he noticed many missed calls from Cynthia and imagined the worst-case scenario. What if she had called him because she was in some sort of danger? What would he do if something happened to her? His heart sank to the pit of his stomach. He immediately dialed her number, but like Mrs. Miller said, it was switched off. He chided himself for being irrational and inhaled deeply to regain his composure. Only with a sane mind would he be able to search for her, which had now become his priority. He changed his clothing swiftly, grabbed his car keys, and ran towards his front door while communicating with his bodyguards. “Cynthia hasn’t reached.....” he paused as he spotted her asleep against the wall the moment he opened his door. He sagged against the wall in relief.

“Mr. Williams.....?” One of his bodyguards asked.

“Everything is fine,” he assured him and disconnected the call. He stared at her gorgeous face, which was now tinged with worry. He moved towards her and kneeled. A wave of guilt washed over him as he saw the traces of her tears still clinging to her beautiful face... and cursed himself for his behavior earlier today… for ignoring her. “It’s time to wake up my sleeping beauty,” he whispered as he softly kissed her on the lips.

Present

At the hospital,

Cynthia opened her eyes suddenly, confused and in pain. She observed her surroundings, trying to understand where she was. It took her foggy brain a few minutes to realize that she was in a hospital.