The Billionaire's Obsession

Chapter 4

Junipers Pov

I am standing in the bathroom trying to catch my breath, everything is falling apart. I have spend the last five years trying to make a fresh start for myself and get over his betrayal. I steady myself on the basin, looking at my shaking figure in the mirror. Surely he does not remember me. After all, I was just a bet to him. Yes, I will just pretend that I don't know him either. I take a deep breath calming myself, before I make my way out of the bathroom.

I open the door and walk out of the bathroom taking one last calming breath. I start walking back to the ballroom to join the party when I am startled by a voice coming from behind me.

"How have you been? It's been a long time since I last saw you."

"Wow you startled me." I say with my right hand covering my heart as I turn around to see who it is.

"Oh, you are Theodore, right? Sebastian's best friend." I play dumb trying to hide that I know exactly who he is.

"Don't play dumb. You know who I am."

I shake my head as I say. "I am sorry you must have me confused with someone else. Enjoy the rest of your night." I say and turn back around to make my way back to the party.

The Christmas party is in full swing, music and laughter filling the ballroom. But just outside the restroom, tucked away from the sparkle of the party, tension crackles in the air as Theodore steps in front of me, blocking my path. I stop, caught off guard by the intensity in his eyes, and quickly smooths my expression into one of casual indifference.

“We need to talk,” he says, his voice low but unmistakably firm.

I shift my weight, forcing a nonchalant smile. “I’m sorry, but we just met. What could we possibly need to talk about?" I say, tilting my head as if he’s a stranger. “I think you’re mistaking me for someone else.”

Theodore’s eyes narrow, a frustrated smile playing at his lips as he shakes his head. “You can drop the act, Juniper. You know exactly who I am, and you know what happened between us. You really think you can pretend it all away?”

My heart races, but I laugh softly, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear with forced ease. “Honestly, I have no idea what you’re talking about, Theodore. We’re barely acquaintances. Just… two people attending the same Christmas party.”

His eyes search mine, and I can feel him seeing right through me. “Barely acquaintances?” he repeats, incredulous. “So, I guess I imagined the incredible night we spent together making love until dawn? Or the way you opened up to me about your dreams, your fears? Is that what you’re saying?”

My smile wavers, but I quickly compose myself. “Look, I think you have the wrong idea. Maybe you’ve been confusing me with someone else.”

But Theodore steps closer, lowering his voice. “Stop. Just stop, Juniper. I know you. You can deny it all you want, but I know the real you. The person I spent that night with isn’t some stranger who acts like none of it mattered.”

I am silent for a moment, my eyes darting away as I fight the wave of emotion rising in my chest. But I can feel his gaze fixed on me, steady, unwavering, and I know there’s no use pretending anymore. He sees the truth beneath my mask, and I hate how exposed I feel.

Finally, I sigh, barely a whisper. “And what if I am that person? What if I do remember? What difference does it make?”

Theodore’s expression softens, his frustration melting into something deeper, something vulnerable. “Because I meant what I said to you. And I know you felt it too. Don’t push me away just because you’re scared.”

I look at him, caught between wanting to hide and wanting to scream at him. The walls I have kept around myself feel shaky, the hurt and betrayal I have carried mixing with the bittersweet memory of that night we had shared. For the first time, I let myself meet his gaze fully, all the pretense gone.

My voice trembles as I speak. “It’s just… easier this way, Theodore.”

He shakes his head, taking my hand gently. “Maybe easier, but not better. I’m here, Juniper. And I’m not going anywhere, no matter how hard you try to push me away.”

I take a deep breath, steadying myself as I face Theodore. The sounds of the Christmas party hum softly from the ballroom, but out here, it’s just the two of us, and all the words I have kept locked away.

“You don’t understand, Theodore,” I begin, my voice low but strong. “I’ve spent the last five years building something, creating a life, a career, everything I have now. I’ve worked hard to make something of myself, to leave the past behind. And I thought… I thought I’d put you behind me, too.”

Theodore’s face softens, but he doesn’t interrupt. He watches me, his eyes a mixture of regret and something that looks painfully close to understanding.

“I had to rebuild myself from scratch after what you did,” I continues, my voice tightening with emotion. “I was devastated. You were the person I trusted most, and then, in an instant, you became the person who broke me the hardest. Do you know how hard it is to keep going, to try to put one foot in front of the other when you feel like your entire world has been taken from you?”

Theodore swallows, clearly struggling to find the right words. “Juniper, I know I hurt you. And if I could take back what happened, I would. But I need you to know that it was never my intention to betray you. Things got out of control, and I was a coward, I tried to fix my mistake but I was too late. But it was the biggest mistake of my life.”

I cross my arms, my voice fierce but tinged with sadness. “You don’t get it, Theodore. I had to be stronger, not because I wanted to, but because I had to. I buried everything, those memories, the pain, even the love I had for you, because I thought I’d never see you again. I finally built a life I could be proud of. And then you show up, like some ghost from the past, expecting to pick up the pieces.”

Theodore’s shoulders drop, the guilt etched on his face. “I never meant to disrupt your life. I just… I wanted to see you again. I wanted a chance to apologize, to make things right.”

I shake my head, my heart pounding. “Sometimes there is no making things right, Theodore. Sometimes, the only way forward is to let go.”

We stand in silence, the weight of the past hanging between us. For the first time, Theodore seems to understand the depth of what I am saying, the years I have spent piecing myself back together, and the strength it took to move on from the pain he’d left behind.

My voice softens, and I look him in the eye. “I’m not that person anymore, Theodore. I’m not the girl you knew. And I can’t go back to who I was.”

He nods slowly, absorbing my words, finally understanding. “I know, that I hurt you and broke your trust, Juniper. But I have changed, too. I am not the same boy I was five years ago. I tried making things right, but you just disappeared without a word.”

My emotions get the better of me as I say, "Yes I left. I lost everything because of you. I saw my whole future slip away and there was nothing I could do. So I left and started a new life for me without that shadow hanging over my head. I am sorry Theodore, I am happy that you have changed and that you are a better person now, but there is no way I will ever be able to trust you again."

I start walking away from him but he pulls me back by my hand as he says, "I am not letting you slip away again. I am not going anywhere, I will find a way to prove to you that you can trust me and that my feelings for you are true."

I pull my hand out of his and make my way back to the party. I take a deep breath as I reenter the ballroom, smoothing my gown and forcing a bright smile as I blend back into the festive crowd. The lights sparkle overhead, and the band plays a jazzy rendition of a holiday classic, the warmth and cheer of the room in stark contrast to the heavy conversation I just left behind.

I weave through groups of guests, greeting some of them, my laughter and smiles masking the emotions churning inside. My mind races with memories of Theodore, echoes of our past, but I push them down, determined to enjoy the night I worked so hard to create. I have worked too hard, fought too long to let his sudden reappearance pull me back into the pain I have left behind.

Grabbing a glass of champagne from a passing server, I make my way to the dessert table, admiring the glittering array of sweets I helped plan. I pick up a delicate sugar cookie shaped like a snowflake, savoring its sweetness, grounding myself in the moment.

When the next song begins, Sebastian takes my hand, pulling me onto the dance floor. I let myself laugh, twirling to the music, letting the joy and rhythm of the evening sweep my worries away. The lights, the laughter, it’s everything I need tonight.

But every so often, I catch a glimpse of Theodore across the room. He stands near the edge of the crowd, his gaze sometimes drifting in my direction. I quickly looks away each time, my heart skipping, but I don’t let myself linger. Tonight, I am here for myself, to celebrate, to enjoy the holiday spirit I helped create. I deserves atleast that.

So, for the rest of the night, I focus on the party, and the hard won happiness I have claimed for myself. I dance, I laugh, and I let myself be in the moment, leaving the shadows of my past where they belong, in the past.