The Billionaire Who Ruined Me

Hey Adrian!

Isla James' POV

Morning came too fast.

I didn't sleep not really. My body was exhausted, heavy, drained, but my mind refused to shut down. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw numbers falling, messages piling up, voices whispering the same thing over and over again you're losing everything. It didn't stop. It wouldn't stop.

Then my phone buzzed.

Once.

Then again. I stared at it from the bed, my body refusing to move, like even reaching for it required strength I didn't have. No energy. No motivation. No hope.

Then it rang. Unknown caller. I frowned slightly, forcing myself to pick it up.

"...Hello?"

I answered cautiously. Silence greeted me at first, stretching just long enough to make my chest tighten then his voice came through. Low. Calm. Familiar in the worst way possible.

"Good morning, Isla." My entire body tensed instantly. Of course.

"...Adrian?"

I sat up slowly, my grip tightening around the phone.

"What do you want?" My tone shifted without effort sharp, defensive, already on edge. A small pause followed, then "Meet me."

My brows furrowed. "...What?" "Meet me," he repeated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Today. 11 a.m."

I scoffed softly, disbelief mixing with irritation. "And why exactly do you think I would?" "Because you don't have another option." The audacity. My fingers tightened around the bedsheet.

"I have plenty of options" "You don't," he cut in smoothly.

Silence. My jaw clenched. Before I could respond" Address will be sent. Don't be late." Click.

The line went dead. Just like that. I stared at my phone, gripping the sheet tighter.

"...Who does he think he is?" The anger burned, sharp and immediate but beneath it... something else lingered.

A quiet, dangerous truth. He was right. I didn't have options. Not anymore. My fingers hovered over the screen as I stared at it for a long moment, the reality settling in slowly, heavily. Then... I got up.

By 11:03 a.m., I was standing inside Le Blanc Étoilé, and the place felt unreal. Polished floors reflected soft light from crystal chandeliers above, delicate music hummed in the background, and every single detail whispered wealth, power, exclusivity.

This wasn't a place people simply walked into they belonged here. And right now... I didn't. Not like this. Not when everything in my life felt like it was falling apart. I paused at the entrance for a second, my pulse slightly uneven, then forced myself to move forward and that's when I saw him.

Adrian Vale. Across the room. Laughing. Actually laughing. My steps slowed unconsciously.

"...What...?"

He looked... different. Relaxed. Open. Human. He sat with another man, younger, smiling, talking freely.

Adrian leaned back in his chair, completely at ease, like the weight of the world didn't exist for him. I frowned. This wasn't the same man who had been tearing my life apart piece by piece. This version... I didn't like it. Because it confused me. And I don't do confusion.

As I got closer, the other man noticed me first, his face lighting up instantly.

"Oh hello there!" I stopped. "...Hi."

He stood slightly, extending his hand with a bright grin.

"I'm Mason. Personal assistant, professional problem solver, occasional chaos creator depends on the day." I blinked. "...You're his assistant?" "Technically," he nodded. "Emotionally?

I carry the team." Adrian exhaled sharply. "Mason." Mason raised both hands. "Relax, boss. I'm networking." Adrian shot him a look dangerous, controlled but there was something faintly amused beneath it.

"You talk too much." "You hired me for personality." "You're overpaid." "I deserve a bonus." "You deserve silence." Mason gasped dramatically and turned to me. "See? This is the man destroying your life. Very charming." A small laugh slipped out of me before I could stop it-and I froze immediately.

Wait... did I just laugh? Adrian's gaze shifted to me, and just like that, the warmth disappeared. The air changed. The version of him I had seen seconds ago? Gone. Mason sighed.

"Alright, I'll leave you two to your... tension-filled disaster." He leaned closer to me slightly. "Nice meeting you, Isla. Try not to die in this conversation." "...I'll try," I muttered. He smirked and walked away.

Silence fell instantly, heavy, cold, suffocating. Adrian leaned forward slightly, his entire demeanor shifting back into something controlled, sharp, dangerous.

"So," he said finally. "You came."

"Did you expect me not to?"

I shot back. "I expected resistance." I crossed my arms. "You didn't expect me to walk into your trap?" His lips twitched faintly.

"Is that what you think this is?" "It always is with you." A pause stretched between us. Then "Your company is collapsing."

My spine stiffened. There it was. Straight to the point. No hesitation. No mercy. "I don't need a reminder," I snapped. "You do," he said calmly.

"Because you're running out of time." My chest tightened. "And you think you can fix that?"

"I know I can." I let out a sharp, sarcastic laugh.

"Of course you do."

Silence again.

Then my patience snapped.

"Stop playing games, Adrian. You think you can control everything? Control me? Control my life?" "I already am," he said simply. That broke something in me.

"Don't you dare "

"I've secured the room," he added calmly. I blinked. "...What?" "For today. No interruptions. No distractions." I stared at him.

"...You bought the entire restaurant?" "Yes." "...You're insane."

"Efficient."

"Arrogant."

"Necessary." I stepped closer, anger rising again.

"What do you want from me?" His gaze didn't waver.

"A solution." I frowned.

"...What solution?" He leaned back slightly, then said it calm, effortless, like it meant nothing.

"A contract marriage."

Silence.

My mind blanked.

"...Excuse me?"

"You heard me." I stared at him, then laugheda real laugh this time, sharp and disbelieving. "You're out of your mind."

"No. I'm strategic."

"You want me to marry you?"

"Yes." "Absolutely not." "Listen"

"No," I snapped.

"You listen." The anger poured out of me. "You've ruined my company, Adrian. You've destroyed everything I've worked for, and now you think I'll just marry you?"

"I didn't destroy your company," he shot back. "You're the reason I'm standing here losing everything!"

I continued, my voice rising.

Then "I predicted this." I froze. "...What?" "I knew you'd react like this."

"...You're insane."

"Possibly." I stared at him, breathing hard. "You don't get to control my life."

"I'm not controlling it." "Then what is this?"

A pause.

Then, quieter

"Survival." That word hit differently. I didn't respond. "This benefits both of us," he continued. "I don't care."

"You will." "I won't." He leaned forward slightly. "You need investors." My jaw tightened. "...And you think marrying you is the answer?" "Yes. I will be your investor." "No." Silence stretched. Then I stood.

"You've said enough." He didn't stop me. Didn't follow. Didn't react. But before I turned away, I looked at him one last time. "...I hate you." His expression didn't change-but his eyes darkened slightly.

"Not yet," he said. And I walked out.

Back at Rebel Threads Fashion House, everything was falling apart and this time, no one was pretending otherwise. Two employees approached me quietly, placing resignation letters on the table.

"...We're sorry, ma'am." I didn't argue.

I couldn't. They left slowly, like something was ending right in front of me and I had no power to stop it.

Helena stood beside me, watching carefully.

"...He offered you a deal, didn't he?" she asked. I hesitated, then nodded.

"...A contract marriage." Her eyes widened slightly-but not in shock. Not the way I expected. "...That's not the worst idea," she said.

"What?"

I snapped. "It's a survival strategy."

"No," I said firmly. "It's a trap." Marcus stood nearby, his expression dark, unsettled. "...I don't like it," he said quietly. "I don't trust him." I turned to him. "...Neither do I."

But deep down... I already knew something worse. I didn't have another option.

A knock broke the moment. The doors opened. The last investor Olasco Tech. My heart dropped. I rushed forward. "Please... just listen..." "We're pulling out," they said coldly. My breath caught.

"No... wait, please"

"Your situation is unstable." "I can fix it-just give me time" "We've made our decision." Panic surged. "Please... this company means everything-" But they didn't stop. They walked out. And just like that... it was over. Or at least, it felt like it.

I stood there, frozen, the silence deafening. Then slowly, my knees weakened, and I dropped to the floor, exhaustion and defeat crashing into me all at once.

"...No..."

I whispered. My hands shook as I grabbed my phone, my fingers trembling as I scrolled to his number. Adrian. Slowly. Carefully. Like it cost me everything. I called.

"Hey Adrian... Let's get married."

The room fell completely silent. Behind me, Helena gasped. Marcus froze. My chest rose slowly as I stared at the message, my heart pounding not from fear, not anymore, but from something else. Something sharper. Colder. This wasn't surrender. This was survival. And maybe... just maybe... something more.

Revenge.