wealth and sacrifices, the Billionaire's Cursed Bride

Chapter One Love. A story with too many pages. Too many emotions. Too many moments that refuse to fade away. Sometimes it feels like love writes itself across time—across every glance, every silence, every heartbeat that connects me to a world I cannot see but desperately crave. And somewhere within those endless pages… There is him. Johnathan. My story. My reason. The only reason I breathe. The only reason life feels real. Without him, the world becomes distant. Blurred. Empty. Every pain stretches longer, every emotion cuts deeper, and everything feels meaningless. But with Johnathan? Life becomes something entirely different. Something warm. Something beautiful. Everyone needs healing at some point in life. Some people spend years searching for it, wandering through pain that never seems to fade. But my healing came early. I found it in my twenties. Actually— I'm only twenty-one. Yet somehow, loving Johnathan feels like something far older than time. What I feel for him… I never want it to stop. What I have with him… I never want it to fade. When he looks at me, the world feels brighter. When he holds me, I feel safe in ways I never knew were possible. Sometimes I think I could live inside that feeling forever. Johnathan is my fantasy. My miracle. My healing. My forever billionaire lover. “What?! Are you still in bed?” My sister's voice broke through my thoughts like a hammer. I sighed quietly. Sarah stood at the doorway with her arms folded tightly across her chest, her sharp eyes locked on me as if she had just discovered the most disappointing sight of the day. “You do realize we're getting late, right?” she said, exhaling impatiently. Her gaze scanned my lazy figure sprawled across the bed. “And yet here you are… resting like a queen who has nowhere to be.” She narrowed her eyes. “Don't tell me you forgot about the party.” I rolled slightly onto my side but didn't answer. “Come on, Vanessa,” she continued after a moment of silence. “Get your lazy bones up.” Still no response. “I am not missing this party,” she added firmly. “My entire social life depends on it. And I already promised Sharon I would bring you.” Her voice softened slightly, though the impatience was still there. “Please get up.” Before I could react, she lunged forward and grabbed my arm, trying to drag me off the bed with surprising strength. “Get up, Vanessa.” Her grip tightened. “Get up. We're getting late.” “Leave me!” I snapped, pulling my arm away from her. My voice echoed louder than I intended. “I'm not going to your party.” I sank deeper into the bed again, staring at the ceiling. “I just want to lie here and think about him all day.” Sarah groaned dramatically. “I don't care about your party,” I continued stubbornly. “In fact, I don't care about anyone right now.” I paused. “Not even you.” Then I smiled faintly. “Only him.” Sarah burst out laughing. “Wow. Lover girl,” she sneered playfully. Her laugh carried a tone of mockery that she didn't bother hiding. “You're still melting over his proposal?” She shook her head in disbelief. “Vanessa, you're too weak.” She leaned against the edge of the bed. “If I were in your place, I would make him suffer a little before saying yes.” I lifted myself slightly from the pillow and looked at her. “And why would you hurt a handsome man like Johnathan?” Sarah raised one eyebrow. Honestly, I wasn't surprised by her reaction. My sister had always been ruthless when it came to men. Out of all the guys who had asked her out over the years, almost all of them eventually gave up. Her reasoning was always the same. “Men only want one thing,” she would say. “And it's usually located between your legs.” “Johnathan is handsome,” she admitted casually. “I'll give him that.” She shrugged. “And he's nice too. Most girls would fight for a man like him.” Her eyes studied me carefully. “I still don't understand how you managed to lock him inside your little love world.” She leaned closer. “But even then… I wouldn't make it easy for him.” I laughed softly. “You're impossible.” “You're very hard to get,” I added teasingly. “A strong mind. A stubborn heart.” Then I grinned. “No wonder Gerald still spends thousands on you—buying accessories and taking you to expensive dinners.” Sarah flipped her hair proudly. “That's because I'm a diva.” She smirked. “A queen, actually.” “You can say that again.” We both laughed. It was one of those rare moments where everything felt light. Where we could joke about men who tried too hard and failed even harder when faced with Sarah's intimidating personality. But suddenly— Buzz. Buzz. My phone vibrated on the bed beside me. I glanced at the screen. And my heart instantly melted. Johnathan ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ The sight of his name alone made warmth spread through my chest. My heart didn't race. It relaxed. Like stepping into a place where nothing bad could reach me. “Hello, my beloved,” I said softly after answering. “My heart… my everything.” I blew a small kiss toward the phone. Sarah watched from the side with an exaggerated grin. “Where are you, my love?” Johnathan asked gently from the other end. His voice alone made me smile. Was he planning to visit? If he was, then Sarah could kiss her party goodbye. Because I wasn't going anywhere. “I'm at the party,” he said. “And your sister should already be getting you ready.” My eyes widened. “What?!” I nearly screamed into the phone. “You never told me you were going to that party!” I could almost hear him laugh softly. “It's a surprise.” He paused. “But don't take too long.” His tone became teasing. “If you don't show up in fifteen minutes, I'm leaving.” My jaw dropped. “And if you dare leave,” I warned dramatically, “I'll bury you myself.” Sarah burst into laughter beside me. My entire body buzzed with sudden excitement. Johnathan. My safe place. My heart. My other half. Was at the one party I never planned to attend. Suddenly, the bed didn't feel comfortable anymore. Now I was rushing across the room, grabbing my makeup kit and my dress as quickly as possible. Because there was only one thing on my mind. Seeing him. Feeling his arms around me. Even if it lasted only a moment. Even if it was just for tonight. I would go. No matter what.