A Billionaire Romance that goes Sour

Chapter 1 : Amalfi, 16 August 2023 The summer in Amalfi was vibrant and lively, with a festive mood filling the air. The sky was a deep blue, making the sun’s rays seem to dance in harmony with the giant waves where surfers displayed their skills. I was enjoying this sunny day to forget the stress from my end-of-year exams at university. I examined all the trends in Cosmopolitan magazine, but sadly, I couldn’t afford to buy them. So overpriced clothes. I prayed every day that a romantic partner would come and rescue me from the misery I am plunged into. ‘Today is my lucky day', I said loudly. A tall man in his fifties knocked over my glass of orange juice. He seemed to be taking an interest in me. And I felt a spark in my eyes when I pulled them on him even though he was a stranger to me. A connection sprang up between both of us. Suddenly, he picked up my glass and said: ' I’m really sorry. I knocked over your glass by accident', he said, a look of despair in his eyes. 'It’s no big deal, it’s only a glass of juice', I replied with a smile. 'Another mistake on my part. I haven’t introduced myself,’ he said. ‘You’re certainly making a lot of mistakes today,’ I smiled. ‘No, I’m not the king of mistakes, am I!’ he retorted with a smile? ‘That’s not what I said,’ I replied. ‘ I am very delighted to discuss this with you. My name is Helena Montoya. I introduced myself to him by shaking his beautiful and strong right hand. ‘ Waouh ! Very nice name. I am Sergio. He replied with a broad smile by giving his business card to me. 'Let’s do something. I’m throwing a party on my yacht at around 6 pm and I would really love you to come,' he asked me with a smile. 'I will be free around 5 pm,' I replied with a broad smile. I was really excited about the prospect of attending this party. I had never attended a billionaire party before. The sort of party where you could meet all sorts of guests, influential people such as actors, presidents, business leaders... an opportunity for me to discover new horizons and perhaps make some connections. But I wasn’t really thinking about that. That was secondary. The most important thing was my mysterious lover, whom I had met by chance on the beach. After our conversation, we parted ways and I looked at his business card very closely. I really stumbled upon a billionaire. And not just anyone. It was none other than Sergio De la Costa, the owner of the oil company GP Oil Company Limited. I knew exactly where the yacht was, so I didn’t even bother asking where the party was being held. I was thrilled to have met a billionaire. I was torn about whether to tell my mother and sister, but my instinct told me not to reveal everything just yet. It would be far too soon to say anything right now. At least I shared this wonderful news with my friend Flora, who had also gone off in search of love in the mysterious town of Amalfi. Just as excited as me, Flora wanted to know everything about this mysterious man who had appeared out of nowhere. On the surface, she was delighted that I might have found my romantic partner, but deep down she wasn’t. Her mind harbored such horrors that no one had the courage to delve into it. It was of a darkness unlike any other. But she tried hard not to reveal this, for fear of being exposed by everyone, including myself. She had every reason to keep everything she knew about this man to herself, for fear of reprisals from myself. So she was forced to put on a brave face in front of me and play along. I was so over the moon that I asked Flora to accompany me to Sergio De la Costa's party. Flora hesitated but eventually agreed, just to please me. The mere thought of that turbulent past into which Sergio De la Costa had plunged her, sent a cold shiver down her spine. She couldn’t get him out of her head. His past kept resurfacing, and she hated him over and over again, without even caring about my happiness. I had no idea. I didn’t suspect that Flora was hiding anything. I didn’t suspect that Flora was harboring dark secrets about my so-called romantic partner, who might no longer seem to be the man I dreamed of every night. At around 3 pm, we began getting ready for the party. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Sergio calling. He wanted to make sure I knew exactly where the party was being held. I knew exactly where the yacht was. He had no reason to worry. I couldn’t wait to get there. I had dreamed of this kind of situation my whole life and my wish had come true today. I could already picture myself surrounded by all these important figures and my romantic partner, with whom I would spend the rest of my days. I couldn’t contain my inner joy. It was as if I’d just hit the jackpot! A jackpot that might be poisoned, however, one that could cost my life if I failed to take the necessary precautions to safeguard myself. We arrived on board Sergio’s yacht, and I was captivated by the breathtaking view of the yacht. It was so immense that one could see the entire Amalfi Coast. I was truly awestruck by this breathtaking sight, which I was used to seeing only in movies about celebrities and wealthy people, such as the American series Gossip Girl. I really felt as though I was in Dan Humphrey's universe. Everything seemed so new and unfamiliar to me. I was stepping into a world I had never dreamed of entering. Flora, on the other hand, was still anxious and continued to harbor negative thoughts about Sergio De la Costa, despite the fact that she was at his party, pretending to smile. Her smile was rather deceptive and no one on the yacht noticed it, not even Sergio, who was standing next to her, talking about a getaway he’d taken during his last holiday in Greece, let alone me, who was staring at her. As the evening got into full swing and the guests enjoyed all Sergio De la Costa's various attractions, Flora grew increasingly fed up with the way the evening’s guests were showering Sergio with praise. She couldn’t bear to listen to another minute of the nonsense spouted by his guests, who worshiped him as a living god on earth. Deep down, she felt that this man with his angelic appearance had cast a spell over everyone in the room, and that she was the only one who could see through the deception he was trying to drag everyone into. She couldn’t bear the thought of staying in that room for another minute. She took to her heels and fled to the ship’s balcony. The cool breeze from the waves lapping against her brought back the painful memories of the past that Flora kept locked away inside her. She tried her best to fight against these painful memories, but they always got the best of her, such that she burst into tears. While Flora was reminiscing about the pain Sergio had caused her in the past, I quietly followed her to try to understand what was troubling her. Flora had seemed strange all evening, and I really wanted to discover the reason. 'What’s the matter? You look really sad,' I asked, concerned. 'Don’t worry. I’m fine. It’s just that I’ve got a few family issues bothering me,' replied Flora. 'I hope it’s not your mother’s illness that’s troubling you,' I asked, even more worried than the first time I asked. 'It’s not about my mum... anyway, let’s not talk about it. Let’s get back to the party. Sergio might notice our absence, and it might upset him.' Although Flora continued to hide her concerns about my safety and peace of mind with my so-called romantic partner, she still tried to put on a brave face before the other guests and to please me.