The Elite's Love: Billionaire Heart

Prologue: In a glittering ballroom, a young woman stood at the edge of the crowd, looking around with a mixture of awe and trepidation. She was Amelia Parker, a recent college graduate who had just started her career in business. It was her first time attending a high-society event like this, and she felt both out of place and determined to make a good impression. Her eyes swept across the room, taking in the lavish decorations, the expensive dresses and suits, and the air of sophistication. Amelia was still scanning the room when she noticed a tall, dark-haired man standing across the room. His presence seemed to draw the eyes of everyone around him, and Amelia couldn't help but feel a little spellbound herself. It was as if he exuded an aura of power and confidence. She watched as he laughed at something a woman next to him said, his smile lighting up the room. The woman who had been speaking to the mysterious man suddenly seemed to notice Amelia staring at them. She gave Amelia a cool, appraising look, then turned back to the man and said something in his ear. To Amelia's surprise, he turned his gaze towards her, and she felt a jolt of nervous excitement. He smiled at her, then began to make his way across the room. Amelia's heart was racing as the man drew closer. He was even more handsome up close, with piercing blue eyes and a confident smile. As he approached, he held out his hand and said, "Hello, I'm Alexander Sterling. It's a pleasure to meet you." Amelia took his hand and felt a spark of electricity. She introduced herself, and as they spoke, she felt herself drawn into his world of wealth and power. As Amelia and Alexander talked, the world around them seemed to fade away. They spoke of everything and nothing, and Amelia found herself opening up to him in a way she never had with anyone else. The longer they talked, the more drawn to him she felt. But something about him made her feel uneasy, like there was more to him than he was letting on and little did she know that she was about to be caught up in something much bigger than she could have ever imagined… Chapter One: An Unexpected Beginning Amelia stepped out of her car and took a deep breath. The sun was shining and the air was crisp, but her nerves were getting the better of her. She was about to walk into a world she had never been a part of before. A world of wealth and power, a world she had only ever dreamed about. But as she made her way towards the imposing building that towered over the city, she felt a flicker of hope. The lobby of the building was even more impressive than the outside. It was like walking into another world, one of opulence and luxury. As Amelia approached the reception desk, she felt completely out of place in her simple dress and flats. But she steeled herself and put on her best smile. The receptionist looked up, and Amelia prepared herself for the inevitable brush-off. But to her surprise, the receptionist smiled warmly. "Ms. Parker, it's a pleasure to meet you," she said. Amelia couldn't believe that the receptionist knew her name. She mustered up the courage to speak. 'It's a pleasure to meet you too," she said, trying to sound as confident as possible. "I have an appointment with Mr. Sterling". The receptionist's smile widened. "Of course, Ms. Parker." As Amelia followed the receptionist through the building, she couldn't help but feel awed by the opulence around her. The floors were marble, the walls were lined with paintings and sculptures, and the air was scented with an expensive-smelling perfume. She felt completely out of her element. But the receptionist was warm and welcoming, putting her at ease. "Mr. Sterling is expecting you," she said, leading Amelia to a pair of double doors. "He's in his office." Amelia took a deep breath before the receptionist opened the doors, revealing a large, luxurious office. A man sat behind a massive desk, his back to the door. He was on the phone, but as the doors opened, he turned and stood up. Amelia couldn't see his face clearly, but she could tell he was tall and imposing. When he spoke, his voice was deep and commanding. "I have to go," he said into the phone, then hung up and turned to face Amelia. Amelia's heart was racing as the man approached her. As he came closer, she could see his face clearly. He was handsome, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. But there was something cold and calculating about his expression. He extended a hand. "Amelia Parker, I presume, "he said, his voice smooth and confident. Amelia took his hand and shook it. "Yes, that's me," she replied, trying to sound composed. The man gestured to a chair in front of his desk. "Please, have a seat," he said. Amelia sat down, trying to keep her nerves under control. The man sat down as well, studying her with an unnerving intensity. "I must admit, I was surprised to get your request for a meeting," he said. "You're a rather unexpected visitor, Ms. Parker." Amelia swallowed hard, not sure what to say. "I guess i am, but am glad you could make out time for me", she replied as polite and soft as she could ever muster. Waiting patiently for the meeting to start, Amelia sat uncomfortably under the hawk-like eyes of this strange man peering into her soul. "Am sorry about my manners,please pardon me, I am Alexander Sterling and it's my pleasure meeting you miss parker" said Alexander with a hand stretched out for a handshake. After the exchange of pleasantries, the business deal began keeping Amelia on the edge and making her nervous. Sensing her current state Alexander decided to clear off some air and tried so hard to make her comfortable and not vulnerable. "So miss Sterling" came his husky and charming voice,"if I am to have a business deal with you, how can you repay me". Amelia knew she was a newbie in this whole business game so she needed help from someone more experienced than she was. Sitting comfortably this time, she reeled in her thoughts, while Alexander patiently waited for her reply. After the worthwhile patience, Amelia simply but smartly gave her reply,with that he gently pulled out the file which contained the contracts to be signed,while doing so, he advised her to carefully go through the contracts word by word in order to avoid costly mistakes which might greatly affect both parties. Amelia looked up at him to grasp the meaning of his words earlier but found none,she then gently took the contracts and carefully went through them like he said. Then it dawned on her the true meaning of what the entire contracts entailed. As she read on, Amelia felt her shoulders drop at the bizarre contents from the article she had right in front of her and she concluded instantly that it was outrageous but she had to stick with it if she knows she wants to start up her own business, not only for the sake of joining the elites for fame and wealth,but to have a name for herself and a position in the society where she can easily express her feelings. Glancing through the contracts one last time, she gave up and swiftly averted her gaze to the strange, cool, strict but yet charming man in front of her while battling with her instincts either to accept or decline the offer. Accepting the offer means she has to do as the former wishes,stay alert for duty calls and so many uncomfortable things bosses can bestow on workers all to get what she wants, while declining the offer means she has to go back to her wretched abyss and her lonely and dark life which led her to being who she was. Shifting her thoughts and instincts aside, she decided to let go her fears and stick with her new beginnings. Amelia glanced towards his direction one last time before giving her reply. "I'll sign it,but make sure your company plays its own part and stick to its own end of the bargain" said Amelia sternly and fiercely but that gave Alexander a hint of who she was making him give her his most charming smile. "Ask questions if you do not understand any of the details from the contract" came Alexander's voice after Amelia's reply, but she nodded instantly signifing that she understands it perfectly. Unbeknownst to Amelia, little does she know what Alexander has in mind, little does she know that she had become a pawn in his game of chess, someone that can easily be discarded like some trash if not satisfying enough, little does she know that she signed a deal with the devil and there was no going back. The contract was successfully signed and both parties struck hands to signify a new beginning for them,both at work and off work. With that being done, Amelia exited the office, leaving Alexander to a world of his own thoughts. Approaching the receptionist desk, Amelia checked out, thanking the receptionist while grabbing her belongings and exited the building. Alexander watched as she drove away from the environs of the building and his mind was strucked with the thoughts about the woman that just left his office. Who was she?, Why does she exude much elegance and beauty?, Why does she look challenging,fearless and undaunted?,and lastly why does she have much effect on him?. All these were questions he battled with himself to provide answers but got none, rather the more he thought about her, the more she got him entangled in his world of thoughts. Truly Amelia was a beauty with brains and she was aware of that making her more cautious with people around her, both family and friends as she was an enclosed person who built a wall around herself to protect her from people, making sure she doesn't get hurt again not wanting to face her past again. Getting home safely, Amelia parked her vehicle in her garage, grabbed her luggage and alighted from the car. She reached for her keys when she got to her doorstep,opened her apartment,went inside and made herself comfortable. Taking off her shoes, clothes and her accessories,she made her self a simple meal of Italian sausage and pasta alongside fresh juice for lunch. As she ate, she pondered about the contract that was earlier signed, it's content and the man who handed her the contracts. Remembering the details of the contract,she choked on her food causing her to loose appetite. "How can someone be so cruel and tricky to create such a contract" she pondered out loud and also chastised herself for signing such a thing, but she had no other choice but to comply if she doesn't want to slip back to her old life. She resigned to her fate and decided to go by the rules of the contracts which stated that the latter subjects his or herself to the former, breaking of rules attracts heavy punishments and in some cases termination of the contract depending on the height of the offense committed by the offender and lastly the profits made by the latter and their organization will be splitted equally amongst both parties. Amelia had no choice than to comply, so far it gives her what she wants in return. After the dishes had been done, she gently slipped into her room, got her bathing equipments and went to have her bath. Doing so, her mind drifted back to Alexander, and she asked herself who he was?, Why was he taking much effects on her that way?,cause she hardly gets drawn to the opposite gender, but his case was different as she did not only get drawn but was captivated by him. He really got her entangled around him. Shifting her thoughts aside, she had her bath, stepped out of the bathroom,basked herself in the comfort of her robes, then gently laid on her bed, counting the ceilings for a while before drifting peacefully to the land of her dreams as her eyelids kissed each other, she slept off awaiting the possibilities of the next day. Chapter Two: Go For It Pulling up at his garage, Alexander stepped out gracefully buy silently not even making the slightest noise because he doesn't want to be disturbed by anyone, not even his maids. He found his way to his large bedroom which could house a whole nation if given the chance to and stuntered onto his bed. Feeling weak and weary from the day's work and meetings, he gently pulled off his expensive shoes and clothes and made his way to his bathroom. After a while, he came out looking freshened and decided to grab something to eat. Leaving his room, he got to the kitchen and put on the lights all to be greeted by his lousy sister Catherine. Frieghtened to the core he tried to hide his displeasure at what she did. " Cathy, what are you still doing by this time of the day, you are meant to be in bed by now" came his voice which he tried so hard to steady alongside his palpitating heartbeats, "Oh it's you Xander, I just came to grab something" replied Cathy in her cool but catchy manner, " So how's work today hmmmmm, seeing you in this state I already know the answer is like every other days". Alexander nodded at her comments and grabbed a cup of coffee with cookies and he decided to cut short the conversation between them as he knew what the outcome would be if he stayed longer than he was meant to even for a minute, he doesn't want to be trapped between her talks, rantings and sometimes her arguments. "Good night Cathy, am off to bed,sleep tight" was all he could muster but Cathy was having none of it. Looking at his hands, she scowled at what he held " Damn it, baby boy you sure need to eat good foods at least to make you look stronger and healthier, you are looking skinny like granny's toothpick and you are losing weight big time, why would you be taking coffee and cookies for dinner?"queried Cathy but all Alexander could do was ignore her rants and head to his room. He doesn't want to be involved in any of Cathy's rantings, he just wants his peace. After consuming his foods, he started his late night researches and works all to be distracted by the thoughts about Amelia the woman who took him by surprise by her audacity and tenaciousness trying so hard to recollect where they had firstly met. After much pressure he found out she was the woman from the previous event at the ball room whom he noticed through Cathy, he remembered her features perfectly, silky, soft, long and curly jet black hair, beautiful brown eyes that can easily make one swoon over her, heart-shaped pink kissable lips and lastly, the hourglass figure that's worth dying for was all she possessed. He instantly had a liking for her at the ball but seeing her up close made him weak and wanting her more, unable to control his emotions around her, it took all his will power and strength to resist such beauty. His mind drifted to her reply in his office " I'll give you what you want if only you get me what I want" came her challenging answer and he instantly figured out she would be a tough but to crack. After much thoughts and ponderings about Amelia, he decided to sleep off. Cathy meanwhile checked on her brother in his room and smiled when she saw him asleep. Alexander was her only family left so she cherished him a lot, their parents died years ago living them in the custody of their nanny whom they now refer to as Granny Lena alongside their properties. Being the only male child they had, Cathy decided to place Xander as the head of their family's wealth while she assisted him and it was a great thing to do. Kissing him goodnight, she closed his room door gently and went to her room. The alarm blarred noisily pushing Amelia out of bed roughly. She stared at the clock with soggy eyes and turned the alarm off. Slipping into her flops, she made breakfast, ate and went to prepare for her usual day as she will be meeting with the secretary of the Sterling Holdings to open her new building for business and sign the remaining contracts related with it. Enclosing her figure with a purple flayed office gown and flats, she decided she was good to go. Locking her apartment, she drove away to her destination. Few minutes after her arrival, she was shown around by the secretary and then she concluded that she loved the building then started work on it. The necessary documents were signed and partnerships began immediately. Alexander alighted from his car and went straight to his office to start the day's work when he was greeted by an unwanted visitor he never wanted to see, Ashley Cole, the pompous, proud, arrogant, self-centered and mannerless lady whom he once had an affair with. His ex-girlfriend came in uninvited, looking sophisticated but dangerous. " Hey sweetheart, hope your night was blissful" she cajoled slyly but was angry to get disappointed by him. With a stoned face, he politely asked her to state her business, " Am here for you", he sighed " As you can see Ash, I am chocked up let's meet later on" he quickly dismissed her and continued his work. Seeing he was no longer paying attention to her she left the office in anger. " Hope you like it ma'am" asked Alexander's secretary to Amelia seeing how happy she was. " Like is an understatement, I love it, thanks a lot um…" she trailed her last words with an out stretched hand for a handshake, " I'm Stacey Wills miss, it was nice doing business with you ma'am" but Amelia wasn't comfortable with the formalities so she quickly did some changes " Oh, just call me Amelia, I'm Amelia Parker". Few minutes later, the two ladies were in Alexander's office with him. " Give us some space Stacey" came his husky voice as he dismissed her. She obeyed instantly and left the office leaving Amelia in an uncomfortable position. " So how'd you see the place" he queried, Amelia hesitated before replying him. " I love it " came her soft voice, " It'll do for a startup, thanks a lot Mr Sterling", she answered truthfully which in a way pleased Alexander and also surprised him. It wasn't quite long he came out from a relationship, here he is getting charmed by a stranger and business partner. " You're welcome, well since you liked it, you can finally start up whatever business you wanna beging with, but always remember to stick with the contract else it'll be terminated. Got it?" he questioned. She only nodded her head in agreement which pissed him off a little but chose to stay silent not wanting to cause trouble and at the same time, dying to hear her voice. After the brief meeting, Amelia started work as the company funded her business. She started with the restructurings, to the paintings and the settings of the of the company to her desired taste. Four months into the refurbishment of the building, Amelia completed it at last, then work began in earnest. Amelia kept late eyes in search of workers and means to grow her business and luckily she found what she wanted. Employing twenty workers was all she wanted and the team collaborated together bringing immense growth to her business, her pockets and finally boosting the Sterling Holdings. It was a breakthrough for Amelia throughout the period and she temporarily forgot her past and focused on her future. Alexander on the other hand was really pleased to see his business grow further. Seeing such, he invited her over for dinner with his extended family. Amelia was pleased at first but her subconscious mind drifted apart from her. So far it was dinner with families for her, it has never been smooth and peaceful and she had this dangerous feeling that there was trouble brewing and awaiting her. She brushed those thoughts away and finally decided to honour his invitations. She decided to call on her best friend for help. Cherry Hales had been her only family through thick and thin after her dad died, mother ran away and her extended families rejected her, she had always been a sister and family like figure to Amelia and ever since had a great relationship with her, feels her every pain and joy, advises her when necessary, retract her footsteps when she's gone wrong, all in all, she was her mentor and life saver. " Hey Machika, what's popping baby girl?" came the voice of Cherry and one thing she knows best is how to keep her bestie happy. "Am cool, what about you" came the soft voice of Amelia to her bestie. " Cool, so baby girl you need to really taste the beefs here, gosh are they superb, so you called any issue" Cherry ranted on, with a deep sigh, she explained all that had happened in the past to her best friend, Cherry seemed so happy for her and advised her to go for the dinner and never to forget what she had always told her, what she had faced in her past and lastly to be a good girl. She also picked out the clothes she was going to put on for the dinner then ended the call. Amelia pondered on what her best friend told her for a long time before settling for something to eat and got to work on how to keep on boosting her business. Few moments later, she got up closed from work and drove home. On getting home, she did her regular routine and went to bed, but she wasn't sleeping cause it looked to her that sleep had decided to go on a vacation when she needed it the most. Then her mind drifted to her past, the way she was being called sweet names by her grandmother, when her life was still peaceful before tragedies and unwanted circumstances happened leaving her with pangs of pains, scars of the past, and a struggling life. A lone tear found its way out of her eyes unknowingly to her as she pondered about her past and recent happenings, at least she was greatful for her current situation which was gradually pushing her into a whole new world she had ever wished for, the elites world, where she can actually have a say of her own and change the situations around her and repay all the favors done to her by those who loved her. Gradually she fell asleep and anticipated the family dinner. Chapter Three: Incoming Trouble ( The Dinner) The early chirping of the birds woke Alexander up from sleep, while the morning sun found its way stealthily into his room cutting short his chances of going back to bed. He got up and checked the time, but was surprised to know how time had quickly passed by as it was fifteen minutes past eight. His eyes bulged out as he activated his speed mode and hurriedly got dressed for work. Skipping breakfast, he skiddled down the stairs and got to his car, his chaffeur greeting him politely and started his car, heading straight to the company. Immediately he arrived, he got up the elevator straight to his office ignoring the greetings from his workers leaving them to wonder what happened to him because he never failed to reply their greetings. " Stacey, send me my schedule for today through email right now" he said immediately he arrived his office, Stacey known for her punctuality did as she was told by her boss and sent it right away. Going through his schedule, he scowled as he had a lot on deck. He canceled some,and attended to the few he was able to. It then hit him right away, the family dinner in order to celebrate his family, their growth and their business partners most especially Amelia Parker, his latest investment who never ceased to amaze him. Amelia got to work as early as she could but found it difficult to concentrate on her duties as the dinner was all that beclouded her senses, she wasn't sure of the outcome of things but she was sure and confident in herself that she was gonna be fine like always, after all it was just some family dinner. Time ticked away so fast and it was late afternoon before Amelia could figure out what the time was, " Geez, I had almost forgot about the dinner, how foolish of me" she scolded herself. Reaching for her landline, she ordered her secretary to close all appointments for the day as she exited the building. " Hope the preparations for the dinner are all set, cause I don't want any mistakes, got it" shrieked the ever ranting voice of Cathy who helped with the arrangements for the dinner, " Yes ma'am" replied the maids in unison as they all were done with the settings. Dismissing them all to set the foods, Cathy called Alexander in order to remind him of the dinner. Minutes passed by in a flash and Alexander got home to get ready. He never liked stuffs like this but just had to blend in so as not to give a false impression to the on lookers. In her own confinement, Amelia chose to be sophisticated as she clothed herself with a short sequenced gown and glittering heels, a little make-up to enhance her beautiful face and lastly a purse to match the dress. Looking at her image right before the mirror, she was astonished by her beauty but she didn't let that get to her. Picking her phone, she facetimed Cherry to inform her about her procedures. Cherry could not contain her happiness as she beamed and grinned from ear to ear like a child who had just been given an award. " Whoa, easy miss, looks like you wanna get every male figure out there wrapped in your fingers huhn…. Just take a look at you girl, smoking hot for the night. Come on, go steal the show tonight" said Cherry showering and complementing her looks with praises alongside teasing her best friend. Amelia beamed with smiles as she blushed at her friend's comments " Thanks a lot Cherry, am greatful. Have a nice night món chérié" teased Amelia. She grabbed her keys and headed straight for the Sterling's mansion where the event for the night will hold. Back in the mansion, exotic cars slipped in to grace the occasion onboard so when Amelia arrived, she was not surprised but was swooned at the immense and massive structure in front of her. She took in her environment carefully and happily as she felt sensational tingles down her tummy. She was so engrossed in taking in her environs when she accidentally bumped into a figure," Hey watch it miss" came the voice of Cathy and Amelia immediately apologizes for her behaviour. " No it's actually fine, I get that a lot, seems you like this place a lot right" queried Cathy, Amelia could only nod her head like a child as she was sort of words to reply the nice looking, elegant and beautiful figure standing right in front of her. Cathy led her in and showed her a seat that's closest to the seats reserved for the chief host of the night. She didn't know that all the elites will be present to grace the evening. All the elites were called one therefore they decided to be called a family. Being the biggest shareholders, and biggest investors in all business sectors, the Sterling family became the top therefore headed the elites organization. Alexander dressed casually as usual but his looks complemented his dressing making any lady fall under his spell. Checking himself out in the mirror, Cathy came in to inform him that all was set for his arrival. He glanced at his figure one last time before exiting the room. Claps rented the air as Alexander and Cathy approached the congregation,as all settled after the introduction. " I'm so glad you all could make it tonight" Alexander greeted with a smile on his face," it's my pleasure hosting this dinner once again guys, this is to congratulate everyone in their various achievement and endeavours towards making the elite community a large one, and I hope we will remain like this. Let's have a toast" said Alexander raising his cups as others replicated his gesture, " To the elite family, to growth, to more successes and more long life ahead" said Alexander with smiles while the others chorused the same words. In one gulp all the drinks were drowned and they were all led to the dinning table by Cathy who was beaming with smiles throughout the toast. They all settled down as the maids started serving them. Cathy then spoke up, " I want to send my regards to all for their unfailing hardwork and love towards the community, most especially to miss Amelia who had taken us by surprised" Cathy greeted Amelia with a wink and she smiled wholeheartedly while Alexander busied his eyes on her, gazing at her elegant figure and could not deny his feelings any longer, she had captivated him.