Signed to the devil billionaire

The soft glow of the vanity lights reflected against Elena Rivers’ skin as she adjusted the diamond earrings resting against her neck. Her fingers trembled slightly not from fear, she told herself, but excitement. Tonight was supposed to be perfect. The grand ballroom of the Astoria Hotel was already filling with the most influential people in the city. Politicians. Socialites. Business investors. Families whose names carried power. All of them had come to celebrate her engagement to Nathaniel Laurent the man she had loved for four years. Elena stared at herself in the mirror. The woman looking back at her was beautiful tonight, but exhaustion still lingered beneath her eyes. Weeks of planning the engagement gala had drained her completely. Nathaniel had barely been involved in any of it. Meetings, business dinners, phone calls—there had always been an excuse. Still, she smiled. That would change after tonight. At least, that was what she hoped. “You’re thinking too much again.” Elena turned at the sound of the familiar voice. Her best friend, Camille Hart, leaned against the dressing room door with her arms crossed and an amused smile on her face. Camille’s silver dress shimmered under the lights as she walked inside holding two champagne glasses. “One for the future Mrs. Laurent,” she teased. Elena laughed softly and accepted the glass. “You make it sound strange.” “That’s because it is strange.” Camille sat beside her. “Four years ago you were crying over accounting exams and cheap instant noodles. Now look at you.” Elena smiled faintly. Back then, her life had been simple. Hard, but simple. She had met Nathaniel during her final year at university after helping him during a business seminar disaster. He had been charming, intelligent, and ambitious. Everything about him felt larger than life. While other women admired his family name and wealth, Elena had fallen for the version of him no one else seemed to notice—the man who stayed up late talking to her about dreams and fears, the man who once claimed he wanted a life untouched by the cruelty of elite society. Or maybe she had simply believed what she wanted to believe. “You’re nervous,” Camille observed quietly. “A little.” “A little?” Camille snorted. “Elena, your hand is shaking.” Elena glanced down and realized she was gripping the champagne glass too tightly. “I just…” She exhaled slowly. “I want tonight to go well.” Camille’s teasing expression softened. “It will.” But Elena noticed the hesitation before the reassurance. A tiny pause. Small. Almost invisible. Still, it settled uneasily in her chest. “You spoke to Nathaniel today?” Camille asked casually. Elena nodded. “Briefly.” “And?” “He said he was busy preparing for tonight.” Camille looked unconvinced. Elena noticed. “What?” “Nothing.” “Camille.” Her friend sighed dramatically before setting her drink aside. “I just think your fiancé has been acting strange lately.” Elena immediately defended him. “He’s under pressure.” “He’s been ‘under pressure’ for six months.” “That’s how business works.” Camille gave her a long look. Elena hated that look. It was the same expression people used when they knew something you didn’t. “He loves me,” Elena said quietly, almost like she was trying to convince herself too. Camille reached for her hand. “I hope he remembers that tonight.” Before Elena could respond, the dressing room door opened again. A hotel staff member stepped inside politely. “Miss Rivers, the guests are waiting downstairs.” Elena inhaled deeply. This was it. Tonight marked the beginning of her new life. She stood slowly, smoothing invisible wrinkles from her dark emerald gown. The dress hugged her figure elegantly without looking excessive. Nathaniel had once told her green made her look unforgettable. The memory made her smile again. Camille stood beside her and linked their arms. “You look gorgeous,” she said sincerely. Elena swallowed her nervousness and nodded. Together, they stepped out of the room. — The Astoria Grand Ballroom looked like something from a dream. Crystal chandeliers glowed overhead like falling stars while soft classical music drifted through the massive hall. The polished marble floors reflected the golden lights beautifully, and waiters moved gracefully between guests carrying silver trays filled with champagne. Conversations filled the room in quiet waves. Laughter. Business negotiations. Whispers behind expensive smiles. Elite society at its finest. Elena’s heels slowed slightly as she entered the ballroom. Hundreds of eyes turned toward her. For a moment, everything felt surreal. Then the compliments began. “She looks stunning.” “What a beautiful couple they’ll make.” “The Laurent family chose well.” Elena smiled politely as guests greeted her one after another, but beneath her calm exterior, anxiety slowly tightened around her chest. Nathaniel wasn’t there. Her eyes searched the ballroom instinctively. No sign of him. That wasn’t normal. Tonight was their engagement celebration. He should have been waiting for her. “You okay?” Camille murmured quietly beside her. Elena forced another smile. “Of course.” But something felt wrong. A strange heaviness lingered in the atmosphere. She noticed the whispers stopping whenever she approached certain groups. A few guests avoided eye contact altogether. Others looked at her with something almost resembling pity. Confusion crept into her stomach. Before she could question it further, Nathaniel’s mother approached. Vivian Laurent was elegance personified. Her silver gown shimmered under the lights, and every movement she made carried the effortless grace of old money. “Elena,” she greeted warmly, kissing the air beside her cheek. “Mrs. Laurent.” Vivian’s smile remained perfect, but her eyes held something unreadable tonight. “You look lovely.” “Thank you.” A silence followed. Short. Awkward. Vivian glanced around before lowering her voice slightly. “Nathaniel is handling a few last-minute matters.” Elena nodded quickly. “That’s fine.” “Of course it is.” Again, that strange pause. Then Vivian gently touched Elena’s arm. “Whatever happens tonight, remember to remain composed.” Elena blinked. “What?” But Vivian had already stepped away to greet another guest. Her words echoed painfully inside Elena’s mind. Whatever happens tonight. A cold feeling slid down her spine. Camille looked disturbed now too. “What the hell was that supposed to mean?” Elena tried to laugh it off. “You know how his mother is.” But even she no longer believed her own reassurance. Minutes passed. Then more. Nathaniel still hadn’t appeared. The atmosphere grew heavier with every passing second. Elena’s chest tightened as whispers continued moving through the ballroom like invisible currents. Something was happening. Something she didn’t understand. And somehow… Everyone else already knew. “Ladies and gentlemen.” The sudden sound of a microphone silenced the room instantly. Elena’s heart jumped. At the front of the ballroom, Nathaniel finally appeared beneath the golden lights of the stage. Relief flooded her immediately. There he was. Everything was fine. She had been overthinking. Nathaniel looked devastatingly handsome in his black tailored suit, every inch the polished heir to the Laurent empire. Yet something about his expression felt unfamiliar tonight. Cold. Distant. Not nervous. Not emotional. Just… detached. “Elena,” Camille whispered carefully, “something feels wrong.” But Elena was already walking toward the stage. Toward her future. Toward the man she loved. The crowd parted for her elegantly as she moved forward, heels clicking softly against marble floors. Nathaniel watched her approach without smiling. Her stomach twisted. When she finally reached him, she searched his face quietly. “Nathaniel…” “You look beautiful tonight,” he said automatically. Automatically. Like a rehearsed line. Elena’s smile faltered slightly. He didn’t kiss her. Didn’t take her hand. Nothing. The ballroom remained silent around them. Too silent. Nathaniel adjusted the microphone in his hand before facing the guests again. “I want to thank everyone for attending tonight.” Polite applause followed. Elena clasped her hands together tightly. Something was definitely wrong. Nathaniel continued speaking calmly. “As many of you know, tonight was originally meant to celebrate my engagement to Elena Rivers.” Originally. The word struck her immediately. Originally? A strange ringing filled Elena’s ears. She turned toward him slowly. Nathaniel still refused to look at her. “However,” he continued evenly, “before this engagement moves forward… there’s something everyone deserves to know.” The entire ballroom froze. Elena felt the blood drain from her face. Beside the stage, Camille stood abruptly. Nathaniel finally looked at Elena then. And for the first time in four years… She saw absolutely no love in his eyes. Only coldness. Only distance. Only finality. And suddenly Elena realized her life was about to shatter.