A FATE SEALED BY A CONTRACT WITH THE BILLIONAIRE”

CHAPTER ONE

For the past two weeks, she had noticed a black-tinted Mercedes shadowing her every move. The routine was eerily consistent: the car trailed her from her quaint, ivy-clad townhouse to her favorite pastry shop, where she indulged in glazed donuts and cappuccinos, then to her workplace, a sleek glass building housing one of the city's most prestigious publishing firms. The vehicle would inconspicuously follow her to lunch, back to her office, and then, at the end of her long day, back to her apartment. Even during an impromptu morning run to the flower shop down her street, she spotted the same car. The occupants never left the vehicle, and the windows, perpetually tinted and rolled up, obscured any view of who was inside. Despite their efforts to remain discreet, they were impossible to miss by her keen eyes—honed by years of dodging the media and journalists. Recognizing surveillance was second nature to her.

She tried to ignore the persistent presence, convincing herself that it was a figment of her imagination. She believed she was doing a good job of it until one day, two imposing, foreign-looking men emerged from the car. They were dressed in black tailored suits that clung to their muscular frames. The larger of the two had a scar slashing across his left eye, partially hidden by dark sunglasses, while his companion, with his youthful, innocent demeanor, looked like the kind of guy who'd help an elderly woman cross the street.

This particular sunny afternoon, she noticed the car again as she entered her favorite lunch spot. For the past five minutes, it had been parked across from the cozy bistro where she ate every day during her break. The parking spot they chose was suspiciously adjacent to the booth she always occupied. On any other day, she might have ignored them, but their unwavering focus on her as they approached made her heart race.

What if they’re assassins? What if she unknowingly wronged them? Oh God, did El break one of their hearts? Maybe they were out for revenge, and since El was out of town, they decided to come for her? These thoughts and more swirled in her head, creating a storm of anxiety. On a second, more rational thought, she realized how absurd it was. Who would want to assassinate someone like her? Puleaseee. Who was she kidding, thinking she was of any importance? She never was, not even to her late parents. Sitting in her booth, she tried to maintain her composure, contemplating her safest exit strategy. She decided it wasn’t worth the risk to find out if she was overthinking things. As soon as she saw Amy’s purple-dyed hair emerging from the kitchen, she signaled her.

“Hey Amy, could I get my lunch packed? I think I’ll eat it later. Thanks, babe,” she called out with the cutest smile she could muster.

“Of course, love. Anything you want, except my restaurant!” Amy yelled back in her sweet, deep masculine voice—the kind that made her insides tingle, if she were into girls. Amy's voice was irresistibly sexy, and she struggled to stifle a giggle under her composed facade.

She pulled out her phone from the deep pockets of her office pants, pretending to be engrossed in it as the men in black entered the restaurant. All she could think about was that if she ignored them, they’d get the hint and leave.

So engrossed in i********: reels, she failed to notice the men walk towards her and sit opposite her in the booth. The arrival of her packed lunch and Amy joining them finally pulled her back to reality. She looked up and saw her new companions.

“Oh my God, you must have some nerve, honestly,” she said, pretending to be unfazed as she unplugged her AirPods and looked them squarely in the eyes, committing their features to memory in case she needed to report to the police.

“First, you follow me for weeks. Now you're interrupting my lunchtime? I’m sorry, do I know you gentlemen from somewhere?” she asked, her voice unwavering, each word delivered with commanding authority. Way to go, Carla. If they only wanted to kidnap you before, now they’ll definitely want to kill you. She mentally kicked herself, trembling inside.