The Billionaire's Forbidden Driver

Chapter 1 Arabella's POV “What do you mean now?” I asked, without smiling. Suddenly, my heart starts beating too fast, even when years of training make it easy to pretend nothing is wrong. Sebastian leans to me closer and I can feel his breath warm against my ear. “I mean now,” he says quietly. “It will make a bigger impact.” Impact. The word feels heavy to me. Everything with Sebastian is about impact, presence, power, control, and never pure feelings. Around us, the ballroom glows like a dream I never chose. Crystal chandeliers hang above hundreds of guests that are all dressed in wealth and expectation. Glasses clink with cameras flash around. Music floats through the air like something fragile. This is my father’s world and tonight, I am its main attraction. “You said later,” I whisper, still smiling for the photographers who refuse to stop shouting my name. His fingers loosen around mine. “I changed my mind.” Something cold moves through my chest. Across the room, I see my father stepping toward the stage looking calm and already prepared. Of course, he knew this was decided without me. I feel suddenly tired again but not physically, it's deep inside like I have been running toward a future I never wanted and now there is nowhere left to go. My eyes keep moving and searching for him, then I found him, Luca. He stands near the tall glass doors that lead to the private gardens, looking half hidden in shadow. His suit is simple, compared to everyone else’s, but somehow he looks more real than anyone in this room. He’s quiet, watching and working like he always does. For a second, I forgot to breathe, it's as if he feels me staring, then he lifts his gaze and our eyes meet. The noise of the ballroom fades with the lights blur and all I can see is the continuous calm in his expression and Chapter 1 The Night I Was Exposed Arabella's POV “What do you mean now?” I asked, without smiling. Suddenly, my heart starts beating too fast, even when years of training make it easy to pretend nothing is wrong. Sebastian leans to me closer and I can feel his breath warm against my ear. “I mean now,” he says quietly. “It will make a bigger impact.” Impact. The word feels heavy to me. Everything with Sebastian is about impact, presence, power, control, and never pure feelings. Around us, the ballroom glows like a dream I never chose. Crystal chandeliers hang above hundreds of guests that are all dressed in wealth and expectation. Glasses clink with cameras flash around. Music floats through the air like something fragile. This is my father’s world and tonight, I am its main attraction. “You said later,” I whisper, still smiling for the photographers who refuse to stop shouting my name. His fingers loosen around mine. “I changed my mind.” Something cold moves through my chest. Across the room, I see my father stepping toward the stage looking calm and already prepared. Of course, he knew this was decided without me. I feel suddenly tired again but not physically, it's deep inside like I have been running toward a future I never wanted and now there is nowhere left to go. My eyes keeps moving and searching for him, then I found him, Luca. He stands near the tall glass doors that lead to the private gardens, looking half hidden in shadow. His suit is simple, compared to everyone else’s, but somehow he looks more real than anyone in this room. He’s still, quiet, watching and working, like he always does. For a second, I forgot to breathe, it's as if he feels me staring, then he lifts his gaze and our eyes meet. He looks away first because he knows the rules and he respects boundaries I am starting to hate. “Ladies and gentlemen.” My father’s voice fills the room. Applause blows up instantly, my stomach twists painfully. Tonight is happening whether I am ready or not. “Tonight,” he continues, “we celebrate the future.” The word future feels like a cage closing around me. Sebastian releases my hand and steps forward into the spotlight. My pulse skip. No, he wouldn’t, he turns back to me, then he drops to one knee. The entire ballroom gasps and my world slopes. I can hear my heart beating in my ears, as if it wants to escape my body. “Arabella Kingsley,” Sebastian says, his voice smooth and confident. “You are extraordinary, intelligent, and elegant. Everything a man could ever need beside him.” Beside him, and not with him. He talks about partnership, about building empires and how powerful we will be together. Not once does he say love. My fingers feel frozen, everyone is watching me while waiting, recording and judging. I feel my father’s look like a hand on the back of my neck. Say yes. The silent made a heavy press against my lungs. Sebastian opens a velvet box and the diamond inside catches the chandelier light, throwing it back in sudden bright flashes. It looks heavy like something that could drag me under the surface. My lips part as I try to speak, but nothing comes out. Then my phone vibrates suddenly and sharply. It's loud enough that I feel it in my bones. Sebastian stops speaking and for a second, I think it’s just a normal notification, or something meaningless and small. But it doesn’t stop, it keeps coming in. The sound seems to echo inside the silence of the ballroom. I hesitate before reaching into my clutch. My fingers feel heavy like they don’t belong to me. My phone screen is already glowing even before I pull it out. Notifications, messages, tags, and unknown numbers are pouring in. My heart begins to beat faster because I don’t understand what I’m looking at until the first image loads. My breath disappears. It’s me, standing in the garden, laughing too close to Luca. So close it feels intimate even through the screen. His hand is just beside mine, I turned my body towards him like the rest of the world doesn’t exist. The moment looks real, too private and dangerous. Someone captured it perfectly, the person wanted it to be seen. My vision starts to blur as more alerts flood in. Social media posts multiplying faster than I can read them, headlines forming in real time with the caption of; Billionaire Heiress Secretly Involved With Family Driver. People started whispering in the crowd, phones begin lighting up across the ballroom one after another, like a slow burning fire. A woman near the front suddenly covers her mouth and gasp, “Oh my God” I lift my head slowly, people aren’t watching the proposal anymore, they’re watching me, keeping an eye on my face, my reaction. Some look shocked and amused Across the room, I see movement as several heads turn toward the glass doors to Luca. My chest tightens painfully as I wasn't sure if he has seen the photo yet or maybe he hasn't. Everything feels like it’s moving out of my control. Sebastian rises beside me with the ring box snapping shut in his hand. “What is happening?”, he asks quietly, I try to answer, but I can’t even feel my own voice because suddenly I understand one terrifying truth. This moment wasn’t an accident, someone chose this night, this crowd, and wants to destroy me in front of everyone. My father starts walking toward me, his steps are slow, controlled, and terrifying, while Sebastian’s expression turns cold enough to freeze the air. And then Luca does something he has never done before, he starts walking toward me through the crowd, through an empire that could destroy him. My heart begins to hit wildly against my ribs. If he reaches me now, everything will change. I don’t know who I am more afraid of. The man who owns my future, or the one who is about to risk his life to take it. else below it. He looks away first because he knows the rules and he respects boundaries I am starting to hate. “Ladies and gentlemen.” My father’s voice fills the room. Applause blows up instantly, my stomach twists painfully. Tonight is happening whether I am ready or not. “Tonight,” he continues, “we celebrate the future.” The word future feels like a cage closing around me. Sebastian releases my hand and steps forward into the spotlight. My pulse skip. No, he wouldn’t, he turns back to me, then he drops to one knee. The entire ballroom gasps and my world slopes. I can hear my heart beating in my ears, as if it wants to escape my body. This cannot be real, not this moment, it shouldn't be like this. “Arabella Kingsley,” Sebastian says, his voice smooth and confident. “You are extraordinary, intelligent, and elegant. Everything a man could ever need beside him.” Beside him, and not with him. He talks about partnership, about building empires and how powerful we will be together. Not once does he say love. My fingers feel frozen, everyone is watching me while waiting, recording and judging. I feel my father’s look like a hand on the back of my neck. Say yes. The silent made a heavy press against my lungs. Sebastian opens a velvet box and the diamond inside catches the chandelier light, throwing it back in sudden bright flashes. It looks heavy like something that could drag me under the surface. IMy lips part as I try to speak, but nothing comes out. Then my phone vibrates suddenly and sharp. It's loud enough that I feel it in my bones. Sebastian stops speaking and for a second, I think it’s just a normal notification, or something meaningless and small. But it doesn’t stop, it keeps coming in. The sound seems to echo inside the silence of the ballroom. I hesitate before reaching into my clutch. My fingers feel heavy like they don’t belong to me. My phone screen is already glowing even before I pull it out. Notifications, messages, tags, and unknown numbers are pouring in. My heart begins to beat faster because I don’t understand what I’m looking at until the first image loads. My breath disappears. It’s me, standing in the garden, laughing too close to Luca. So close it feels intimate even through the screen. His hand is just beside mine, I turned my body towards him like the rest of the world doesn’t exist. The moment looks real, too private and dangerous. Someone captured it perfectly, the person wanted it to be seen. My vision starts to blur as more alerts flood in. Social media posts multiplying faster than I can read them, headlines forming in real time with the caption of; Billionaire Heiress Secretly Involved With Family Driver. People started whispering in the crowd, phones begin lighting up across the ballroom one after another, like a slow burning fire. A woman near the front suddenly covers her mouth and gasp, “Oh my God” I lift my head slowly, people aren’t watching the proposal anymore, they’re watching me, keeping an eye on my face, my reaction. Some look shocked and amused Across the room, I see movement as several heads turn toward the glass doors to Luca. My chest tightens painfully as I wasn't sure if he has seen the photo yet or maybe he hasn't. Everything feels like it’s moving out of my control. Sebastian rises beside me with the ring box snapping shut in his hand. “What is happening?”, he asks quietly, I try to answer, but I can’t even feel my own voice because suddenly I understand one terrifying truth. This moment wasn’t an accident, someone chose this night, this crowd, and wants to destroy me in front of everyone. My father starts walking toward me, his steps are slow, controlled, and terrifying, while Sebastian’s expression turns cold enough to freeze the air. And then Luca does something he has never done before, he starts walking toward me through the crowd, through an empire that could destroy him. My heart begins to hit wildly against my ribs. If he reaches me now, everything will change. I don’t know who I am more afraid of. The man who owns my future, or the one who is about to risk his life to take it.