Billionaire's Disastrous Kiss

Chapter 2: Dinner with the Devil

The room was quiet—too quiet. Olivia Kane hated silence.

It reminded her of the moments before chaos, the heavy stillness that always seemed to precede violence. Tonight was no different. The attack on her warehouse had left her empire shaken, and Vargas’s blatant defiance was a slap in the face she wouldn’t tolerate.

Yet, as Olivia sat in her office, her mind kept straying to Sebastian King.

His audacity to show up uninvited had thrown her off balance. He always had a way of doing that—walking into her life like he owned it, flashing that maddening smirk that made her want to both slap him and pull him closer.

The memories of their past came unbidden, a blur of heated arguments and forbidden chemistry. She had sworn to herself that Sebastian King was a closed chapter in her life. But seeing him tonight had cracked the door open just enough to let doubt creep in.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sharp buzz of her phone. She picked it up, her sharp features hardening as she saw Dominic’s name on the screen.

“Talk,” she commanded.

“We found Vargas,” Dominic said. “He’s holed up at The Meridian. He’s not hiding, Boss. It’s like he wants us to know where he is.”

Olivia’s grip on the phone tightened. The Meridian was a high-end hotel known for its exclusivity and discretion. Vargas’s arrogance had reached new heights if he thought flaunting his location would protect him.

“Keep eyes on him,” she said coldly. “But don’t make a move until I say so. I want to handle this myself.”

“Yes, Boss,” Dominic replied before hanging up.

Olivia set the phone down and leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. Vargas’s challenge was a test, a move to see if she’d falter. But Olivia Kane didn’t falter.

Still, a small voice in her head whispered that she couldn’t do this alone—not this time. And that voice, traitorous as it was, echoed with the name of the one man she never wanted to rely on.

Sebastian King.

---

Hours later, Olivia found herself standing outside The Meridian, her black trench coat billowing in the night breeze. She had planned to confront Vargas alone, but as she reached for the door, a familiar voice stopped her.

“Going somewhere, Olivia?”

She turned sharply, her heart skipping a beat as she saw Sebastian leaning casually against his sleek black car. His dark eyes glinted with amusement, and that infuriating smirk played on his lips.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, her voice icy.

“Helping,” he said simply.

“I didn’t ask for your help.”

“You didn’t have to.”

Olivia rolled her eyes, turning back toward the hotel. “I don’t have time for your games, King.”

“Good thing I’m not playing, then,” he said, falling into step beside her.

She shot him a glare, but he didn’t back down. There was something maddeningly calm about Sebastian, a steadiness that both irritated and intrigued her.

“Fine,” she said grudgingly. “You can come. But stay out of my way.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied smoothly, his smirk widening.

---

The Meridian’s lobby was a study in opulence, all polished marble and glittering chandeliers. Olivia strode through it with purpose, her heels clicking against the floor, Sebastian trailing behind her like a shadow.

They took the elevator to the penthouse, where Vargas was reportedly staying. Olivia’s mind was a whirlwind of strategy, weighing every possible outcome of this confrontation.

“You’re overthinking,” Sebastian said, breaking the silence.

She shot him a sideways glance. “And you’re overstepping.”

He chuckled softly. “Relax, Kane. You’ve got this.”

His confidence in her was unexpected, and for a moment, it threw her off guard. But she quickly pushed the thought aside as the elevator doors opened.

Dominic was waiting for them, his stance tense but ready. He handed Olivia a small earpiece, which she slipped into her ear.

“Vargas is in the suite at the end of the hall,” Dominic reported. “He’s got three guards with him, but they’re armed.”

“Good,” Olivia said. “It wouldn’t be fun otherwise.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow but said nothing as they moved down the hall.

---

Vargas was waiting for them.

He was seated in a plush armchair, a cigar in one hand and a glass of whiskey in the other. His guards flanked him, their eyes narrowing as Olivia entered the room.

“Well, well,” Vargas drawled, his lips curling into a sneer. “If it isn’t the queen herself.”

“Cut the theatrics, Vargas,” Olivia said coolly, stepping forward. “You’ve made your move. Now it’s time to deal with the consequences.”

Vargas laughed, a low, mocking sound that made her blood boil.

“You think you scare me, Kane?” he said, rising to his feet. “You’ve gotten soft. Too used to being on top.”

Olivia’s eyes narrowed, but before she could respond, Sebastian stepped forward.

“You should choose your words carefully, Vargas,” he said, his voice calm but deadly. “You’re playing a dangerous game.”

Vargas’s gaze shifted to Sebastian, his sneer faltering for a moment.

“And who the hell are you?” he demanded.

“Someone who knows how this ends,” Sebastian said, his tone cold.

The room seemed to hold its breath as the tension thickened. Olivia’s heart raced, but she kept her expression neutral, her mind calculating her next move.

---

The confrontation didn’t end in blood, but it wasn’t far from it. After a heated exchange, Vargas reluctantly agreed to back down—but Olivia knew the truce wouldn’t last.

As she and Sebastian left The Meridian, the adrenaline began to wear off, leaving her feeling drained but victorious.

“Not bad,” Sebastian said as they stepped into the cool night air. “For a queen.”

Olivia shot him a glare. “I didn’t need your help.”

“Maybe not,” he admitted, his lips twitching into a smile. “But you didn’t stop me, either.”

She opened her mouth to retort, but the words died on her lips as he stepped closer. His proximity was intoxicating, his gaze locking onto hers with an intensity that made her pulse race.

“Olivia,” he said softly, his voice like a caress.

Her breath caught as he reached out, his fingers brushing against her cheek. She wanted to pull away, to regain the control she prided herself on—but she couldn’t.

And then he kissed her.

It wasn’t soft or hesitant. It was demanding, consuming, and completely unexpected. For a moment, she melted into him, her hands clutching his jacket as if he were the only thing keeping her grounded.

But then reality crashed back in, and she pushed him away, her eyes blazing with anger.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she snapped.

Sebastian’s smirk returned, but there was something softer in his eyes now.

“Proving a point,” he said simply.

Olivia glared at him, her heart pounding. “Stay out of my way, King. I mean it.”

He chuckled softly. “You keep saying that, but we both know you don’t mean it.”

Before she could respond, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing in the middle of the street with her world spinning.

---

That night, as Olivia lay in bed, the kiss replayed in her mind like a haunting melody. She hated him for it—for the way he made her feel, for the way he disrupted the carefully constructed walls she’d built around herself.

But what scared her most was the part of her that didn’t want him to stop.

Sebastian King was a storm, unpredictable and destructive. And Olivia knew that if she wasn’t careful, he would destroy her.

But for the first time in years, she wondered if maybe just maybe she wanted him to.

The sound of rain echoed against the windows as Olivia sat in her study, nursing a glass of red wine. The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of the fireplace casting shadows on the walls. Outside, the city hummed with life, but Olivia's mind was a storm of its own.

She stared at the text message on her phone:

"I'll be there at 8. Wear something that matches your fire." — S.K.

Sebastian King had a way of getting under her skin, and he knew it. His audacity was infuriating, but it was also one of the reasons she found him so dangerous. Sebastian wasn’t just another billionaire with a pretty face—he was cunning, manipulative, and utterly unpredictable.

She downed the rest of her wine, the warmth spreading through her chest. Tonight wasn’t about romance or rekindling old flames. It was business. And if Sebastian thought he could turn this into something more, he was sorely mistaken.

---

By 7:50, Olivia was ready. Her black satin dress clung to her curves, the slit running up her leg revealing just enough to demand attention without asking for it. Her hair was swept into a sleek bun, and her red lipstick was the perfect finishing touch.

She wasn’t dressing for him; she was dressing for power.

A soft knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She grabbed her clutch, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she made her way to the entrance.

Sebastian stood there, his presence filling the space like a shadow. He was dressed in a dark tailored suit, his tie slightly loosened in that effortlessly charming way he had perfected. His eyes roamed over her, and for a moment, she saw something flicker in his gaze—admiration, perhaps, or maybe something darker.

“You look...” His voice trailed off as he smirked. “Dangerous.”

“I always do,” she replied coolly, stepping past him.

The black sedan waiting at the curb was sleek and understated, much like the man who owned it. Sebastian opened the door for her—a rare gesture of chivalry she didn’t trust—and she slid inside, her senses instantly alert.

The ride was silent, the tension between them palpable. Olivia kept her gaze on the city lights streaking past, ignoring the way Sebastian’s presence seemed to fill the car.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Olivia wasn’t surprised to see that he had reserved the entire place. It was typical Sebastian—always needing to control every situation.

The maître d’ greeted them with a bow, leading them to a secluded table near the large bay windows overlooking the city. The view was breathtaking, but Olivia refused to let herself be impressed.

Sebastian pulled out a chair for her, and she sat down, her movements calculated. This wasn’t a date. It was a negotiation.

As the waiter poured their wine, Olivia broke the silence.

“Let’s skip the pleasantries, Sebastian. What do you know about Vargas?”

He leaned back in his chair, swirling his glass of wine lazily. “Always so direct, Olivia. You never change.”

“Because I don’t have time for games,” she snapped.

His smirk widened, but there was something sharp in his eyes. “Fine. Vargas is ambitious, but he’s not working alone. Someone’s feeding him intel. Someone with resources.”

Olivia’s stomach tightened. She had suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed was another thing entirely.

“Who?” she demanded.

Sebastian took a sip of his wine, his gaze never leaving hers. “That’s the tricky part. He’s smart enough to cover his tracks. But...” He paused, setting his glass down. “There’s a rumor. A name.”

Olivia leaned forward, her nails digging into the tablecloth. “Spit it out.”

“Lucien Black.”

The name hit her like a punch to the gut.

Lucien Black was a ghost, a myth whispered about in the darkest corners of the underworld. No one knew what he looked like or where he operated, but his reputation was enough to send shivers down the spines of even the most hardened criminals.

“You’re lying,” Olivia said, her voice low and dangerous.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “Do I look like I’m lying?”

She hated that he didn’t.

---

The rest of the dinner passed in a blur of tense conversation and half-truths. Olivia tried to read between the lines, to figure out what Sebastian wasn’t telling her. But he was as unreadable as ever, his charm a mask she couldn’t penetrate.

When they finally left the restaurant, the rain had stopped, leaving the city slick and glistening under the streetlights. Sebastian walked her to the car, his hand resting lightly on the small of her back.

“Did you get what you wanted?” he asked, his voice a low rumble.

“Not even close,” she replied, her tone icy.

He chuckled softly, his breath warm against her ear. “Good. Because I’m not done with you yet.”

Before she could respond, he opened the car door and stepped back, his smirk infuriatingly smug.

As the car pulled away, Olivia stared out the window, her mind racing. Lucien Black. If he was involved, this war was far bigger than she had anticipated.

And then there was Sebastian.

She hated how he made her feel—how he always seemed to know exactly what buttons to push. But more than that, she hated the way her heart raced whenever he was near.

---

Back at her penthouse, Olivia poured herself another glass of wine and sank into her leather armchair. The city stretched out before her, a sea of lights and secrets.

She had always prided herself on being in control, on never letting anyone see her weakness. But Sebastian King was a weakness she couldn’t afford.

Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen.

"Lucien isn’t your only problem. Be careful, Olivia. — S.K."

She stared at the message, her grip tightening around her glass.

Sebastian wasn’t just playing games. He was pulling her into a web of his own design, and she didn’t know if she could untangle herself before it was too late.

But one thing was certain.

She wasn’t going down without a fight.