BILLIONAIRE'S SPOILED MRS

Chapter 2: Meeting Cassian blackwood

The club was called The Gilded Cage, and it was the only place in the city that felt expensive enough for Maeve Williams. The music was a deep, pulsing beat that you could feel in your bones, and the air smelled like luxury perfume and overpriced vodka.

Maeve walked in with Penial by her side. As usual, the crowd parted for her. She didn't have to wait in line; she didn't have to show ID. The bouncers simply bowed their heads as she passed. She was wearing her white dress, her heels clicking on the glass floor. She looked like a diamond in a room full of rocks.

They headed to the VIP section, where a circle of "friends" was already sitting. Most of the girls in the group were wealthy heiresses, but they weren't Maeve. They sat in their designer clothes, whispering behind their hands. Maeve knew they hated her. She knew they were jealous of her legs, her father’s bank account, and the way she could make any man in the room look at her. But Maeve didn't care. She actually liked being hated. It meant she was doing something right.

"Look who finally arrived," one girl named Chloe said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "How was the wedding, Maeve? Did you cry when the priest said 'husband and wife'?"

Maeve sat down on the velvet sofa, crossing her legs slowly. "The only reason I would cry at that wedding is because the decorations were so cheap," Maeve replied, looking at her nails. "Honestly, Chloe, your makeup is a bit heavy tonight. Are you trying to hide a pimple or your personality?"

The group went silent. Only Penial chuckled. Penial was the only one who could handle Maeve’s sharp tongue. She knew that underneath the arrogance, Maeve was just... Maeve.

Suddenly, the energy in the VIP area changed. The loud talking stopped, and even the music seemed to fade into the background. A group of men walked in, led by someone who looked like he was carved out of dark marble.

It was Cassian Blackwood.

He was the CEO of Blackwood Industries, New York’s most handsome, powerful, and cold billionaire. He was wearing a black suit with the top button of his shirt open. He didn't smile. He didn't look at anyone. He just walked with a quiet power that made everyone else look small.

Maeve felt her heart skip a beat. If there was one person in the entire world she would kneel for, it was him. She had been in love with Cassian since she was fifteen years old. It was her greatest secret, buried deep inside her heart. Not even her father knew. Only Penial had seen the way Maeve’s eyes softened when Cassian was in the room.

"Wow," one of the male friends in the circle said, watching Cassian sit at a nearby table. "You know, Maeve, you and Cassian would actually look good together. Both of you are rich, beautiful, and mean."

Maeve felt a flush of heat rise to her cheeks, but she quickly hid it. She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink.

"Him?" Maeve asked, her voice sounding bored even though her heart was racing. "Cassian is far too stiff. He looks like he hasn't laughed since the 1920s. He is definitely not the one for me. I need someone with a bit more... life."

Inside, she wanted to scream. She wanted to walk over to him and tell him she had loved him for years. But her pride wouldn't let her. She was a Williams; she didn't chase men. Even if that man was Cassian Blackwood.

The conversation shifted, but the tension in the group remained high. Chloe, still angry about Maeve’s comment earlier, decided to push her luck.

"Maybe Maeve is just scared," Chloe whispered loudly. "She knows a man like Cassian would never want a spoiled girl who doesn't know how to do anything but spend her daddy's money."

Maeve froze. She set her glass down on the table with a loud clink. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me," Chloe said, standing up. "You're just a pretty face with a bad attitude, Maeve. Without your father, you're nothing."

The insult hit Maeve like a slap. She stood up, her eyes flashing like fire. "At least I have a face worth looking at, Chloe. You look like you got your fashion advice from a trash can. And as for my father? He could buy your family's entire company and turn it into a parking lot by tomorrow morning."

"You think you're so special!" Chloe shouted, stepping closer.

"I don't think I am. I know I am," Maeve snapped.

Penial jumped up and grabbed Maeve’s arm. "Maeve, stop! Everyone is watching. Cassian is right there!"

Maeve looked over and saw Cassian’s cold, blue eyes watching the fight. He didn't look interested; he looked disgusted. He looked at her like she was a loud, annoying child. That look hurt Maeve more than anything Chloe could ever say.

"Let go of me, Pen!" Maeve shouted, pushing her friend’s hand away. She was too angry now.

Without saying another word, Maeve turned around and walked away. She didn't go toward the exit. She walked straight to the long, marble bar. She needed a drink that was stronger than champagne. She sat on a high stool, her back to the group, her hands trembling slightly from the anger.

"Vodka. Neat," she told the bartender.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror behind the bar. She looked perfect, but she felt like a mess. She had just fought with a "friend," embarrassed herself in front of her crush, and proved to everyone that she was exactly what they said she was: a spoiled girl with a bad attitude.