He Thought I Was Poor,But I Am a Billionaire

Chapter 7

Jayden wasn't used to being turned down by Mabel. She'd always been the one to say yes, to go along with whatever he asked of her, but lately, she'd been refusing him over and over again, and a faint, restless unease had begun to creep into his chest.

Just then, his phone buzzed with an incoming message. On the lock screen, the name he had once saved as "Forgotten" now read simply "Riley."

Riley: Jayden, do you still remember what we promised each other? That we'd see a meteor shower together at least once. It's happening tonight. Come be with me?

Jayden barely gave the screen a glance, then pocketed his phone and reached out to brush his hand against Mabel's face. "I've got something to take care of outside. You go ahead and sleep," he said, and without another word, he turned and walked out, never once looking back.

By then, Mabel was wide awake. She got up and went over to the floor-to-ceiling window, just in time to see Jayden's car pull out of the driveway and disappear down the street.

Unable to fall back asleep, she turned on the TV. The anchor was in the middle of a segment. "A once-in-a-lifetime meteor shower is set to peak tonight at eleven thirty. As the story goes, any couple who watches it together stays together for life..."

Mabel had seen the message on Jayden's phone just moments ago. So this was what they wanted—a lifetime together. And she sincerely hoped they would get it.

Just then, her phone rang—a video call from her best friend, Yvette Brook, who was back in Hale. "I heard the ring Herman had made for you is crazy expensive. Come on, let me see it already."

Mabel lifted her left hand and held it up to the camera.

"It's stunning," Yvette said. "That's exactly the kind of ring that's worthy of an heiress like you. Anyway, does Jayden know about it yet?"

Mabel shook her head. "Not yet. I'm going to tell him the day I leave."

"Good call. Wait until you're walking out the door. What if he finds out you're the heiress of the Sanchez family in Hale and starts clinging on?"

Mabel gave a self-mocking laugh. "I honestly don't think he would. You should have seen the look on his face when I went to pick up the ring last week. He practically recoiled, said it didn't suit me, and just a little while ago, he asked me to take it off, telling me he'd probably never marry me in his lifetime. So I keep wondering, if he ever found out that I never needed a ring from him, never needed marriage from him, how would that make him feel?"

Yvette's voice rose with indignation. "How could he treat you like that? If he never wanted to get married in the first place, then why on earth did he waste seven years of your life?"

Mabel walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and tilted her head up toward the ink-dark night sky. "I don't blame him, honestly. You know how lonely I've been all these seven years. If anything, I should probably thank him for keeping me company. We were just using each other, really. He needed a woman who wouldn't make a fuss, someone who could offer him a temporary home so he could forget about Riley. And I needed someone around so I wouldn't feel so alone."

Yvette let out a quiet sigh, her mind drifting back to what had happened seven years ago, but she held back any advice and simply asked, "So, are you feeling sad about it now?"

"Not really," Mabel said. "I could date him, sure, but marriage is a whole different standard. You know, even after all these seven years, if it ever came down to actually marrying him, I don't think I'd have the nerve to go through with it."

Over the seven years they'd been together, Jayden had been flying all over the place, and Mabel had always known there were other women scattered along the way.

She'd chosen to look the other way because she understood that what they had was just a relationship—nothing more. But marriage? That would've been a line she wasn't willing to cross.

Yvette nodded in agreement. "Exactly. In our world, family background and social standing matter more than anything. The man your parents picked for you—Herman—he's a much better match for you."

After they'd talked for a little while longer, the call finally ended, and Mabel stayed out on the terrace, the diamond on her ring catching the faint night light and glinting softly against the dark.

The next morning, while Mabel was having breakfast, a message from an unknown number came in.

Riley: It's Riley. Can we talk?

Mabel frowned, wondering what Riley could possibly want to discuss with her, but after a moment of hesitation, she decided to go along with it—curiosity getting the better of her, and maybe a part of her wanting to see what Riley was really after.

Just as Mabel was about to head out, she learned that the driver wasn't available that day, so she'd have to drive herself.

But none of the cars in the garage felt right. She didn't want to use anything that belonged to Jayden. So she called the dealership and had them bring over the Bugatti that Herman had given her.

*****

Mabel pulled up to the restaurant at the same time Riley did.

Riley got out of her car just as Mabel stepped out of the Bugatti Type87. Riley's eyes flickered with a brief, barely concealed surprise at the sight, but she quickly composed herself and said, "Ms. Sanchez, shall we go inside and talk?"

Mabel didn't move an inch, staying right where she was. "Whatever it is you want to say, you can say it right here."

Riley cut straight to the chase. "I'll be honest with you. There are certain things Jayden doesn't have the courage to tell you himself, so I'm the one stepping up to play the bad guy. He's a sentimental man, and seven years is a long time. Even if he'd had a dog all those years, he'd grow attached. He can't just throw you out without a second thought, and to be fair, you don't really have anyone else in Millbrook, do you? You'd probably have a pretty hard time without him, wouldn't you?"

Her eyes slid past Mabel to the Bugatti parked behind her, and a thin, mocking smile curled at her lips. "Your salary isn't exactly the kind that gets you a car like that, is it? If it weren't for Jayden, would you even be able to afford to drive something like this?"

A flicker of irritation crossed Mabel's face. "Just get to the point already."

Riley didn't miss a beat. "Tomorrow, Jayden and I will be flying the Westport route together."