THE BILLIONAIRE'S MISSING PIECE (ENGLISH)

CHAPTER 2: SURPRISINGLY CONNECTED

As Naime gazed out of the car window on their way back to the office, she was stunned to realize that her boss’s brother was the man she had been with last night. She groaned inwardly, remembering that she had written her phone number on a sticky note before leaving the apartment earlier. She hoped he hadn’t noticed.

With a resigned sigh, she thought, What a small world!

“Are you okay? You seem a bit down,” Drevin asked.

“I’m fine, Sir. No worries,” she replied, adjusting herself and settling comfortably into the plush car seat.

“We’re done for the day. Great job, Naime. We’ll drop you off at your place.”

“Thank you, Sir!”

“Anytime.”

Naime waved as she got out of the car and looked up at the condo where she lived. Her unit was on the fifteenth floor. Since Clifford had been kicked out, she had been living alone in the apartment. She had even discarded her favorite bedsheets, determined to remove any trace of his infidelity with her best friend, Shelly.

When she discovered Clifford and Shelly together in bed, it was too much for her to bear. She walked out, unable to stay and witness the betrayal. Clifford tried to explain, but the sight alone was enough. In a moment of anger, she slapped both him and Shelly as they left the apartment, but her best friend never offered an apology or explanation. She gathered all of Clifford’s belongings and put them outside, decisively ending their relationship and removing him from her life for good.

They had once shared this apartment happily. After three years of dating, Clifford had finally proposed, and everything seemed perfect. So why, when everything was set, did he betray her? And why with her best friend, Shelly? The betrayal had shattered her emotionally. Devastated and lost, she had acted out of desperation and ended up sleeping with Drake that night, simply because he was the first person who approached her.

In a moment of resolve, she removed the engagement ring from her finger and discarded it. She didn’t deserve this kind of pain. She had been loyal to Clifford, and Shelly knew how much she loved him and how excited she was to start a life together. Yet, despite her dedication, Clifford had betrayed her with Shelly right under her nose.

As Naime rode the elevator up to her unit, her mind raced with thoughts. She was accustomed to solitude, finding it easier to be alone rather than face the complexities of relationships. But as the elevator doors opened and she stepped out, she froze. There was Clifford, waiting outside her door. His eyes were puffy, suggesting he had been there for some time. He was the man who had been a central part of her life for three years—the man who had shown her the joy of love but who now stood there, the source of her pain.

Clifford, just a year older than Naime, is the President of Elargo Travels, where she had worked as a Manager two years ago. Due to a conflict of interest, she chose to resign and pursue a career as a personal secretary. Clifford was a significant catch—wealthy, from a respected family, and he had stood by her even when his family opposed their relationship. After two years of resistance, they eventually accepted her as part of their family. Their love story seemed perfect, and she had never imagined it would end like this.

What had first attracted her to Clifford was his tanned skin, thick brown curly hair styled in an undercut, and his strong, chiseled jawline. Standing at 5'8" with an athletic build, he was undeniably handsome. However, no matter how striking his appearance, it meant nothing if he was unfaithful.

She might have been able to forgive him if he had cheated with another woman, but it was her best friend, Shelly. The thought of what they might have done together in her absence made her feel nauseated.

When Clifford saw her, he immediately approached and embraced her tightly. She struggled to free herself from his hold and responded with a hard slap, her anger and hurt evident.

“Don’t you ever come back here! Or I’ll call security!” Naime shouted.

“Naime, please... just give me one more chance! I promise this is the last time I’ll cheat on you. Please!” Clifford pleaded.

“Why her? Why Shelly? You knew she was my best friend!”

“I don’t know, it just happened. We were alone, and things got out of control. But believe me, there’s nothing between us. You’re the only woman I want, Naime. The only one I want to marry. Can’t you give me another chance? We’ve been together for three years!”

“You should have thought about that before betraying me. We’re over, Clifford. Stop wasting our time.”

“Why is it so easy for you to let go, Naime? I’m not perfect. I made mistakes, and this is one of them.”

Her shoulders shrugged as she began to laugh bitterly. “One of those mistakes? How many women have you been with while I wasn’t around? One? Two? Three? More?”

“That’s not what I meant, Naime. I want to move forward with our wedding—”

“Enough, Clifford. There is no wedding. There is no ‘us.’ Do you know why? Because I just slept with another man. Now I know how you felt. It was exciting.”

“Naime!” he shouted; his voice filled with anger.

“Why? Does it hurt?” Naime said, pointing at his chest as she began to push him away. “You heard me right. I just slept with another man. There’s no point in trying to come back to me. I actually enjoyed it! I should thank you for this newfound freedom. I’ve realized I’m tired of you. You’re boring!”

“Liar! I know you, Naime. You would never do something like that!”

“I don’t care whether you believe it or not. We’re done, and that’s final.”

She raised her hand to show him the empty finger where their engagement ring had once been. With a final push, she shoved him away and shut the door behind her. Leaning against the door, she allowed herself to cry once more. Ending things with Clifford wasn’t easy, but she knew it was for the best.

When Naime woke up the next day, her eyes were swollen from crying. Fortunately, it was her day off, and she had no photo shoots scheduled. This meant she had the whole day to herself. As a part-time model, she worked with modest clothing, designer bags, shoes, and cosmetics, and occasionally participated in mall events or special fashion weeks.

Her cellphone rang, and she reached for it groggily. She saw a text message from an unlisted number. Her heart raced; she had a strong suspicion about who might have sent it.

The message, “01-01-01,” was all it said, but Naime knew exactly what it meant. She tossed her cellphone to the side of the bed and covered her face with her arms, struggling with her thoughts. She debated whether to continue what she had started with Drake or to forget everything. The memory of how good he was in bed made her body ache for more—craving his kiss and touch.

“What am I thinking?” she murmured to herself. Resolving to stay focused, she quickly got up before she could succumb to temptation.

“That's enough, Clifford. You’re already drunk!” Drake said, taking the Jonnie Walker Red Label whisky bottle from Clifford’s hand and setting it aside. Clifford looked disheveled, surrounded by empty bottles beneath the table.

“She broke up with me,” Clifford murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “She didn’t even give me another chance. Just one mistake, and I lost everything.”

“If you love her that much, why did you cheat on her?” Drake asked, already aware of the situation from his family’s call about the canceled wedding.

“It was nothing,” Clifford said, shaking his head. “Shelly knew I loved Naime. It meant nothing.”

“Naime?” Drake asked, his brow furrowing.

Clifford nodded slowly; his eyes closed. “Naime... the only woman I want to marry.”

“Then try to win her back,” Drake urged. “Give her some time to think. It might not be over yet.”

Clifford shook his head, his voice thick with despair. “I know her. If she says no, she means it!” Overwhelmed by drunkenness, he slumped over his office table.

Drake sighed and began clearing away the empty bottles scattered beneath the table. Curious about whether the Naime he knew was the same as his friend’s ex-fiancée, he picked up Clifford’s cellphone and used the fingerprint sensor to unlock it. His heart raced as he saw the woman on the wallpaper.

It was the same Naime he had been with last night.

As Drake was about to set the cellphone back on the table, he accidentally opened the Photos app. Driven by curiosity, he began scrolling through the images. He came across several candid shots of Naime, all taken secretly by Clifford. The photos captured her in various moments: asleep on the sofa, approaching Clifford’s car, enjoying a meal at a restaurant, and dancing in their living room.

In each picture, Naime appeared genuinely happy and content with Clifford.

Drake was stunned when he stumbled upon a video among the photos. His face flushed as he realized it was a s*x tape of Naime. The footage was recorded without her knowledge, with Clifford having secretly filmed it while they were together. Drake immediately deleted the video, his concern growing that Clifford might use it as blackmail to coerce Naime into returning. He quickly checked to see if there were any more incriminating files.

To his surprise, Drake discovered additional s*x videos featuring different women who were aware of the recording. One of them was Shelly, his childhood friend.

Drake's anger flared. Clifford’s behavior was reprehensible, and it was no wonder Naime had ended things with him.

If he hadn’t been so drunk, Drake might have already confronted Clifford for his despicable behavior. The thought of someone from such a respected family—especially one with a mother who advocates for women’s rights—engaging in such vile acts was infuriating. Clifford’s actions felt like a betrayal of everything decent and honorable.

Drake made sure to delete all the explicit videos from Clifford’s cellphone before leaving the office. Even though he knew it wasn’t his business, he felt compelled to act, especially since Shelly was also one of his close friends.

As he left, he hoped to encounter Naime later. While he didn't feel a special connection with her, he felt a deep sense of sympathy. He understood now why she had acted the way she did on the dance floor and why she seemed so vulnerable. Did she know that their lives were interconnected in such an unfortunate way?

“Hi, Drake! Where are you headed?” Zhinkee’s voice was cheerful as she approached him in the parking lot.

“Zhinkee? Oh, hi!” Drake smiled; a bit surprised to see her.

She leaned in to give him a friendly kiss on the cheek.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Not much, just visiting Clifford. What about you? What brings you here?”

“Just had some business meetings in this building. Do you know Clifford well?”

“Not really, just passing by for a brief visit,” she said, her tone light.

“Got it. I was just heading out to my car. If you’re free, would you like to join me for a coffee or something?”

“I’d love to, but I have a few things to wrap up. Sorry!”

“No problem at all. I understand. See you on Saturday, then!”

“Definitely. Bye!” She gave him another quick kiss on the cheek before turning away.

Drake watched her go, feeling a mix of curiosity and resolve.

Drake was taken aback by Zhinkee’s striking appearance. Despite her supermodel-worthy figure, he was surprised she wasn’t pursuing a career in modeling. Instead, she had completed her degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Bucknell University in New York. She had moved there at nineteen to study and had been independent ever since. They had shared these details during their lunch with their parents, and it was clear they were still getting to know each other.

As he drove back to his apartment, Drake called Melanie, his nanny, to pick up some groceries. Though she wasn’t living with him, she would drop the items off at his doorstep. He appreciated having his own space, away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

When he arrived home, the familiar scent of his place greeted him, and he noticed the grocery bag Melanie had left on the sofa. His eyes fell on scattered clothes on the floor, a sight that led him to his bedroom. There, on his bed, lay Naime in all her natural beauty, completely unclothed and relaxed.