The Price Of His Desire

The Storm

It’s been three weeks since my life changed overnight. I’m still getting used to the new me, leaving behind the financial struggles of my past, all thanks to my sister’s insane luck in love. She’s dating a billionaire now, or at least that’s what she says.

I’ve got this weird feeling that everything’s going to blow up in our faces, but I try to shut it down and act like everything’s fine. I brought it up with Aria, told her how her new life and love story sound a little too good to be true, and we almost got into a fight. She’s all about enjoying the ride, but I’m the one who thinks too much, waiting for something to go wrong.

Sometimes being pessimistic isn’t that bad. You stay on guard, expecting the worst, especially when your life suddenly feels too perfect. It’s like when you expect disappointment, you’re never disappointed.

I want to believe everything will be alright, that living off the wealth of someone we’ve never met isn’t sketchy, but I just can’t. It’s not even negativity. It’s a gut feeling, like I’m standing at the edge of a cliff, waiting for the ground to give way.

And just like that, it didn’t even take a month for everything to come crashing down.

We got dressed for a night out to celebrate our new life. Aria’s idea, not mine. I only agreed because I didn’t want to disappoint her. She’d already accused me earlier in the week of not being happy for her, and I wasn’t about to give her another reason to think that.

“This is going to be one of the best nights of our lives,” Aria shouted as the guard opened the door to let us into the club. Her excitement was contagious, even if I tried to hide my smile.

“There are going to be some crazy rich men in here,” she said, grinning. “This is your chance to grab one.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re impossible,” I muttered, following her inside.

The club was massive, easily the biggest I’d ever been to. Everything screamed luxury. The crowd looked rich and confident, like they belonged there. Aria had reserved a VIP section for us, and that was where we met our friend Collins.

The night was amazing. I danced and drank until the thought of something bad happening faded away. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe the lights, but for a while, everything felt too perfect to question.

Then I felt it. A pair of eyes on me from across the room. The gaze was heavy, almost burning. He stood on the left side of the floor, wearing a dark suit, one hand in his pocket and a drink in the other.

I stopped dancing. My eyes met his. He didn’t look away. He leaned toward the man beside him, whispered something, and nodded in my direction. The other man was big and broad shouldered. A bodyguard, maybe.

The place was dim, so I couldn’t make out his face clearly, but his presence was enough to send a strange shiver through me.

Aria had gone downstairs, probably to the restroom or maybe to make a call. Collins had disappeared with someone he met. I was alone at the booth, still moving to the music, giggling a little because I was tipsy.

Then the bodyguard stopped in front of me, towering over the crowd.

“Hello, Miss,” he said, his deep voice cutting through the music. “My boss would like to speak with you.”

I stopped moving and looked at him, then at his boss across the room.

“Why does he want to see me?” I yelled over the music, still sipping from my glass.

“You can find out yourself, ma’am,” he said. His English carried a thick accent. European, I guessed.

“Okay,” I replied without thinking. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe curiosity.

He guided me through the crowd, and I almost tripped on my heels as we moved closer to the far end of the section . The man’s back was turned when we reached him. He was tall, almost as tall as his guard, which made me wonder why he even needed one.

I tugged my dress down a little, realizing again how short it was, barely reaching mid-thigh. My pulse quickened as I stood behind him, waiting for him to turn. Something about the air around him felt heavy. My heart beat too fast for no reason I could name. I blamed it on the alcohol.

Then he turned.

The moment his eyes met mine, I stumbled back, one hand clutching my chest.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

He looked exactly like him. It was him. Alfonso.

I was too stunned to speak. My mouth opened, but no sound came out. I just stared at him, blank and frozen. He looked unreal, almost majestic. His eyes were sharp, piercing even in the dim light. A faint smirk played at the corner of his lips.

My body tensed, nerves twisting through me as negative thoughts crept in.

His gaze never left me. It felt heavy, almost consuming. I trembled under it. He took a few slow steps toward me, his cologne filling my nose as I tried to steady my breathing.

“You seemed—”

“Have you—”

We spoke at the same time. He paused, then motioned for me to continue.

I shook my head quickly. “No, pardon me. Go ahead,” I said, my voice low and cracking.

“Take a seat. You look nervous,” he said.

His voice was deep and rough, more attractive than I expected. He sounded British, not Italian like I imagined. I tried to look around, hoping to spot Aria. She needed to see this. Her online billionaire boyfriend was real.

Part of my doubt had finally been answered. I should have felt relieved. But I didn’t.

I sat down and took a deep breath as a waiter handed me a glass of wine. It tasted different. Rich. Smoother and stronger than anything I’d had before.

I could feel his gaze on me, his eyes tracing every inch of me. It made my skin crawl and tingle at the same time. I forced a small smile, shifting in my seat as I tried to pull my dress up to cover my chest. The neckline was too low, and I hated how exposed I felt. This dress wasn’t even mine. Aria picked it out and made me wear it.

A sudden thought hit me. Did Aria know he’d be here tonight? Did she plan this? The idea twisted something in my stomach.

I prayed she’d show up soon so she could introduce us properly, or at least explain what was happening. But Alfonso didn’t seem like he was waiting for anyone else.

“I want to take you home, princess,” he said. His tone was calm but firm, his words landing like a slap.

For a moment, I thought I misheard him. My mind froze. This was Aria’s man. The billionaire who’d changed her life overnight.

My mouth fell open. I couldn’t form a word. I just stared at him as his eyes dropped to my chest, darkening, hungry.

A strange heat rushed through me, tightening low in my stomach. I hated it. I hated that my body was reacting when it shouldn’t. When it made no sense.

Did he see me as easy? As someone he could buy, just like everything else in his world?

The realization hit me, and anger bubbled up inside. This man was hitting on me while having a girlfriend. He might not know I’m Aria’s sister, but still. If they were supposed to meet tonight, why was he flirting with someone else? Where the hell was she?

“Don’t you have a girlfriend?” I asked, trying to stand up for her and maybe also because I was curious.

He smirked at my words and took a slow sip from his glass. Something about the way he did it was maddeningly attractive.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said finally, his voice low and smooth. “Not to you. I want you. That’s what matters.”

His tone was so seductive it made my body betray me. My chest tightened. My breath came shallow. I hated how easily I reacted, how weak I felt just from his words. None of it made sense.

If he wasn’t here for Aria, then why had he given her all that money? Why buy her a penthouse if she meant nothing to him? I had to ask.

“What does Aria mean to you?” I asked, avoiding his eyes.

He looked genuinely confused. “Is she supposed to be someone I know? My girlfriend?” His brows lifted slightly. “I don’t know anyone by that name.”

My heart skipped. I froze.

He leaned in closer, and before I realized it, his leg brushed against mine. I pulled back, stunned by what he said and what was happening.

If he doesn’t know Aria, then who has Aria been talking to?

The thought tore through my head, scattering everything else. I felt dizzy. My mind went blank as the room began to spin. I tried to stand, my hand gripping the edge of the table for balance.

Maybe I’d had too much to drink. Maybe it was the shock. I could barely think straight.

I felt his presence behind me, close and steady. I tried to take a step forward, but my legs gave out.

Everything went dark.

Blackout.