The billionaire I swore to hate.

I was at a charity gala with my father, thinking it was time for us to leave. So I leaned towards him ready to suggest we make our exit, when his attention shifted so abruptly. His gaze drifted past me,with interest in a way I rarely saw. Curious, I turned, I turned toward the entrance and that was when I noticed the man who had just walked in. My breath caught. There was something about him. It felt so magnetic. The way his eyes scanned the room like he was reading the people. He carried himself like he knew he belonged there. I couldn't look away from him. He arrived like a storm wrapped in a tailored suit–tall, broad shouldered, and impeccably dressed with those breath taking cold ocean blue eyes. My heart reacted before my mind could catch up. I hated how fast my attention locked onto him. I noticed him walking towards our direction.My heart felt lik it was about to jump out of my chest They shook hands– firm and respectful. My father smiled and surprisingly,this wasn't the kind he plastered on his face during events like this. This time, it was genuine, sincere and I thought to myself, who this man was to my dad that made his smile feel so real.They exchanged a few words I couldn’t hear, and then my father gave him a light pat on the shoulder, like he was proud. That one action alone should have warned me. “Natalie dear”, my father said, turning to me, “Excuse me for a moment”. Then he left, leaving me standing with a man I couldn't stop staring at. He noticed this and smirked. I stood there embarrassed as he towered over me staring closely at me like he was calculating, trying to solve a puzzle. I tried not to let it bother me. I got into position ready to introduce myself like I had all night.Surprisingly, I didn't get a chance to do that as he leaned in close enough that it felt intentional.Then he whispered something into my ear. “Missed me Nat?” My heart dropped to my stomach. That voice, that stupid familiar audacity, that smirk. It all clicked. Every childhood devastating memory all came crashing back— the boy who got under my skin every time he got the chance, the boy who laughed hard at my tears, the boy who pulled my braids, the boy who ruined my face with a pimple, replaced my shampoo with hair removal,the boy who left before I got the satisfaction of dreading him. He was back! I stared at him,my heart racing like it was going to burst. The glint in his eyes screamed perfection.“How did he become incredibly good looking?” I thought. Adrian?!” I said shockingly. ‎ ‎He smirked even hard this time,”Wow,” he said, “You still look at me like that.” ‎ ‎Like what? I responded, rolling my eyes. ‎ ‎He didn't say anything after that. He stood straight, towering above me, staring with a calculating gaze that felt unsettling and I somehow, I liked it but why? ‎ ‎“So,” he said casually, “still staring. I guess I didn’t ruin you completely.” ‎ ‎I scoffed, the sound coming out sharper than I intended. “You were a maniac” I said “You made my childhood really magical” I continued sarcastically ‎ ‎His lips twitched. “Funny. I remember you throwing a book at my head.” ‎ ‎“You deserved it.” ‎ ‎“Says who? And why?” ‎ ‎“After that pimple stunt you pulled, yeah right.” ‎ ‎“But It wasn't totally a lie though, you actually still looked beautiful even with the pimple.” He said, his gaze softening and flirty at once. ‎ ‎I paused, completely lost in his perfect blue eyes. I couldn't look away. He just looked so perfect– like a Greek god. ‎ ‎“If you keep staring at me like that, there's a hundred percent chance you might fall in love with me Nat” He said confidently with that smirk. ‎ Gosh he was so annoying. “I won't fall in love with you. Now buzz off”. I said, embarrassed,wanting to get away from him as fast as I could. “If you say so, my lady, I'll see you around.” then he just laughed in a way that left me feeling pretty awkward. Just when I looked up, I saw him across the room– Noah. He just stood there watching, but the moment he noticed me looking at him,he forced a smile and pretended to engage with a guest. But It was too late, I had already seen it— The resentment, tension. And for the first time that night, I wondered–Who was really watching out for me… and who was waiting for the right moment to strike?