Beneath The Billionaire Vow

Avery's POV

The scent of bonfire smoke and pumpkin spice lingered in the cool October air, wrapping around the festive chaos of the annual Halloween bash. I adjusted my glittering masquerade mask and scanned the crowd, my heart was pounding for reasons that had little to do with the night's excitement.

I couldn't hold my excitement as I was looking for him, Miles Drummond, my first love, my only love."Boo," a familiar voice whispered against my ear, sending a delightful shiver down my spine. I turned around, my lips curling into a smile that could only be reserved for that one person."Miles!" i exclaimed, my laughter ringing out as he pulled off his Phantom of the Opera mask. His brown eyes sparkled with mischief, his smile boyish yet utterly charming."Missed me?" he teased, slipping an arm around my waist."Always," i admitted softly.

Miles leaned closer, his gaze dropping to my lips. "You look beautiful tonight," he murmured, his breath warm against my cheek.My heart raced as he tilted my chin up. Everything around us, the crowd, the music, the crackling bonfire faded into nothingness.

"What is he trying to do, my eyes closed, when his lips brushed mine, it was like the world stopped spinning. I felt his lips so soft yet pleasing; it was a long kiss, I could literally feel my body chemistry stirring, a perfect blend of passion and tenderness.

But the moment was cut short when a loud bang shattered our romantic moment, followed by the unmistakable scent of something burning."Fuck, What was that?" I asked, pulling back, my eyes wide with alarm.Miles frowned, looking toward the source of the noise. "Stay here," he said firmly, already moving toward the growing commotion near the entrance of the old warehouse hosting the party."No! I'm coming with you!" I called, hurrying after him despite the sinking feeling that covered me.

The crowd scattered , murmurs growing into panicked shouts. Flames were seen at the far side of the building, climbing up the walls like a living thing. Smoke billowed out, thick and black, causing party-goers to cough and stumble as they fled toward the exits."The warehouse is on fire!" someone screamed while running towards the exit.Chaos erupted. People shoved and tripped over one another in their desperate attempt to escape. I grabbed Mile's hand tightly, my fingers were trembling.

"We need to get out of here" I urged, I voice barely audible over the loud, confusing noise.Miles nodded in agreement, scanning the room. "This way" he shouted, leading the way toward a side door. But as they pushed through the crowd, another explosion rocked the building, sending debris raining down.I screamed as a piece of flaming wood fell inches from where I was. Miles pulled me closer, shielding me with his body. "It's okay I've got you" he promised, though his voice betrayed his own fear.

The heat was becoming unbearable, the air thick with smoke such that it filled my lungs. I couldn't help it but Cough violently, immediately, i clung to Miles as we stumbled through the haze."Over here" a voice called. It was one of the firefighters, directing us to head toward the emergency exits. I felt a wave of relief, but just as we began moving, another deafening explosion rocked the warehouse."Miles!" I shivered as the force of the blast threw us apart. I fell to the ground hard, my vision became blurry as i gasped for air. Flames roared around me, the heat searing my skin."Avery!" His' voice cut through the chaos.

As i turned, my heart lurching at the sight of him trapped on the other side of a wall of fire."I'm coming!" I cried, struggling to get on my feet. But before i could take a step, a firefighter grabbed my arm."You can't go back! It's too dangerous!" he yelled, dragging me toward the exit."No! Let go of me; He's still in there!" I sobbed, fighting against his grip. "Miles!"

The firefighter didn't relent, pulling me out into the cool night air where a crowd of dazed and injured party-goers had gathered. Medics rushed to tend to the wounded, their voices blending into the sirens wailing in the background.My knees buckled as i was led to an ambulance. My heart pounded wildly, tears streaming down my face.

"Please," i begged the medic tending to my bruises. "My boyfriend is still in there. You have to save him!""We're doing everything we can," the medic assured me, though his expression was grim.I watched in horror as the flames consumed the warehouse, each explosion sending sparks into the night sky. Every passing second felt like an eternity.

Where was Miles? He had to make it out. He had to.Finally, a firefighter approached me, his face solemn. I shot to my feet, my heart felt like, it was in my throat. I battled to maintain a calm breath, as I was hoping to hear something positive"Did you find him?" i asked desperately.The firefighter hesitated, his silence more damning than any words.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "We found a body matching his description. He didn't make it."It was as though my world tilted on its axis. My knees gave out, and immediately, I collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Miles was gone. The boy who had stolen my heart, the one I had imagined a future with, is dead.

As the flames roared on in the background, the sound of my weeping pierced into the night, a haunting melody of love and loss.The pain I felt caused severe pain to my body as the weight of the firefighter's words crushed me. my lungs burned not just from the smoke, but from the agony clawing at my chest.

The chaos around me blurred into a muffled hum. People screamed, sirens blared, but all i could hear was the last echo of Miles' voice in my head.No. This couldn't be happening.My fingers clenched the damp grass beneath me, nails digging into the earth as if grounding myself would make it all stop.

I wished I was dreaming a horrible, twisted nightmare that i would wake up from any second.Then i felt hands on my shoulders. Strong, firm. I jerked away, my tear-streaked face lifting as I locked eyes with my father, Raymond Highborn. His usual sharp expression was laced with some kind of unfamiliar genuine concern.

"Avery, you have to get up," he said, his voice tight.I shook my head violently. "No! He's not gone! He can't be gone!" My chest heaved as I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn't cooperate. "They're wrong! They didn't see him! I-I need to go back!"Raymond's grip tightened. "Avery, listen to me. You cannot be here. We have to leave now.

"I blinked at him, confused by the urgency in his tone. "What the fuck? Why? I-"A shadow loomed behind him before i could finish my sentence. My uncle, Malcolm Highborn, stepped forward, his gaze flickering to the blazing warehouse before settling on me with a look of impatience. "Raymond, we don't have time for this.

We need to go before the cops start asking too many questions."I stiffened. "Questions? What questions are you talking about?"Raymond hesitated just a bit too long.Something about his silence sent a chill slithering down my spine.My bloodshot eyes flickered between my father and uncle, pieces of a puzzle i hadn't known existed clicking together in my mind. The fire. The urgency. The need to leave before the police started investigating.And then it dawned on me.

The Highborn name had always carried weight, not just in their lavish business dealings but in the shadows they lurked in. My father was no saint. I had turned a blind eye to his unethical business practices in the past, but this... this felt different.My stomach lurched. "Tell me you had nothing to do with this," I whispered, My voice raw.Raymond's jaw clenched. Malcolm merely scoffed.A fresh wave of horror washed over me."You did," i choked out.

"Did you-did you start the fire? Dad"Raymond exhaled through his nose, but it was Malcolm who spoke. "Don't be dramatic, girl. This was never supposed to happen. Some people got greedy, a few moves were made, and things went out of control." He shrugged. "Casualties were inevitable."Casualties? What do you mean by that.

The word made my stomach turn.All that came to my mind was Miles.I shoved my father's hands off my shoulders. "You killed him," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the distant crackling of flames.Raymond's eyes darkened. "Lower your voice."I couldn't. A scream built in my throat, raw and animistic. "YOU KILLED HIM!""Enough," Malcolm snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"You don't know what you're talking about. But what I do know is that if we stay here, you'll be answering a hell of a lot of questions we can't afford. Do you want to go to prison, Avery?"Prison? Why would I go to prison. Can someone explain to me; what the fuck is going on here, what have you done.My breath hitched, tears filled my eyes.Oh, God.

If my family had been involved in the fire...Would the police think I was too?The weight of reality came crashing down all at once.My father grabbed my arm again, his grip bruising. "You don't have a choice."For the first time that night, I got paralyzed by a true fear.My entire world had just been torn apart, and now i am being dragged into something even darker.

Through blurred vision, i looked back at the fire one last time, silently pleading for a miracle.But none came.Miles was gone.And I had just become a prisoner of my own bloodline.

"Get on your feet, we don't have much time, Malcolm said while rushing down to the car, the cops are here already"

"What? Immediately I snapped back from my thoughts, Dad wait, you have to help me.

"You have to be fast, I can't wait any longer, Raymond said";

The sound of siren from the cops keep drawing closer; My God, what have I gotten myself into...

Avery's POV

I adjusted the black lace mask over my face as i stepped into the bar, my father beside me. The place reeked of wealth, sin, and desperation,a sanctuary for men like Raymond Highborn, who still clung to power despite having lost everything.

Ten years.

It's been ten years since the fire that had stolen Miles from me. Ten years since my life took a different turn. Ten years since I had become a ghost of myself.

The police had concluded it was an accident, but rumors still spreads that my father and uncle were involved in the fire that erupted at the warehouse that night . I can't let go of the pain I felt that night, but it was nothing compared to the torment I had endured at my father's hand.

I was no longer the naive girl who cried herself to sleep over a love stolen too soon. No, I have shed that skin long ago. Now, I am a phantom, a whisper in the shadows, a woman no one recognized yet feared.

And tonight, I have a role to play.

"Try not to embarrass me," Raymond muttered under his breath as we walked past velvet booths filled with politicians, businessmen, and criminals who gambled away their legacies in secret.

"You speak as though I have a choice"; I said, my voice quite and calm.

"I thought we've talked this through; put yourself together and make sure you don't fuck things up; Raymond said, his mouth close to my ear's

I had become a pawn in his game of deceit, forced to sacrifice my dignity and self-respect for his gain.

I smirked. "I never do. Even though, I felt a part of me dying inside."

We were led past the main lounge to a private chamber at the back of the bar, where the real games took place. The air inside was thick with cigar smoke and deception.

A long poker table sat in the center, its occupants already seated. Among them was a man who made me freeze in place.

Jerry Drummond.

The name struck me like a physical blow.

Drummond?.

I swallowed hard, my mind instantly flashing back to Miles,his laughter, the way his arms felt around me, the way he died screaming behind a wall of fire.

I had spent years trying to bury that night, but the past had a cruel way of resurrecting itself.

Raymond must have sensed my hesitation because his grip on my elbow tightened.

"Go keep Jerry company," he murmured, his voice smooth but firm. "Do your job."

I inhaled sharply, pushing the memories away. I knew what was expected of me,play my part, make him drink, make him gamble, and let my father take everything from him.

So, I put on a deceptive smile and walked toward Jerry, swaying my hips just enough to draw his attention.

He looked up, his eyes locking into mine, and immediately, I felt a pang of guilt, but I had to do what I came for.

"Mind if I join you?"i purred, sliding into the seat beside him.

Jerry looked at me, eyes already glassy from the whiskey in his glass. He was handsome in a rugged, careless way, his suit slightly rumpled, his tie loosened like he had already accepted the night's inevitable downfall.

"That depends," he said, offering me a grin. "Are you my good luck charm or my curse?"

I smiled, fingers trailing along the rim of his glass before gently pushing it closer to him.

"Why don't you find out?"

It happened exactly as planned.

Jerry drank.

Jerry played.

And Jerry lost.

Raymond sat across from him, his expression calm and calculating as he raked in every last chip.

By the time the game ended, Jerry slumped in his chair, his head spinning from both the alcohol and his monumental loss.

The room emptied soon after, the guards paid off, their silence bought like everything else in this world.

I and my father left without looking back.

-

The Next Evening

I sat on the leather couch in the living room, flipping through channels with bored disinterest.

I had learned to keep my emotions buried deep, but last night had left me unsettled. Jerry Drummond. That name. That family.

I had wanted to ask him if he had a brother. If he had ever heard of Miles. If he had any memories of the boy who once meant everything to me.

But I hadn't.

Because ghosts don't ask questions.

They haunt.

The soft hum of the television filled the silence. I barely paid attention to the screen,until a familiar name caught my attention .

BREAKING NEWS: Businessman Jerry Drummond Found Dead in Tragic Suicide.

The image of Jerry's face flashed across the screen, the words beneath it making my blood turn to ice.

Drowned himself in a pool after suffering a devastating loss to a woman known only as 'Ghost' and her much older companion.

The remote slipped from my fingers, crashing onto the floor.

I turned slowly, my pulse hammering against my ribs.

My father sat in the armchair across from me, watching the news with mild interest.

No remorse.

No sadness.

Nothing.

Just another game. Another pawn removed from the board.

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to grab the television and throw it across the room. I wanted to shake my father until he felt something,until he admitted that this was wrong, that what we had done had led to a man's death.

But I knew better.

Raymond Highborn had lost everything,his wealth, his influence,but he had never lost his cruelty.

"Surprised?" he asked finally, tilting his head toward me.

My hands curled into fists.

At that moment, my hatred for him grew worse.

"Are you?" I shot back, my voice sharp.

Raymond sighed, rubbing his temple as if my reaction was more of an inconvenience than a concern.

"Jerry was weak. You and I both knew it the moment we saw him," he said casually, like he was discussing the weather. "You played your part. He played his. And now he's out of the game."

Immediately, my stomach churned.

"You don't even care, do you?" I whispered. Someone just lost his life because of our actions;

Raymond leaned forward, his eyes locking onto hers.

"Tell me something, Avery." His voice was low, steady, dangerous. "Did you care when you sat beside him? When you laughed at his jokes? When you poured him another drink?"

I flinched.

Because he was right.

I had played my part.

I had smiled, I had flirted, I had watched him lose everything.

And now he was dead.

I forced myself to look away, blinking rapidly as the news replayed the footage of Jerry's lifeless body being pulled from the pool.

"You always knew what this life meant," Raymond continued, his voice softer now, almost coaxing. "Survival, Avery. We do what we must to survive."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, my fingers digging into my thighs.

Survival.

That was all I had done for the past ten years.

But for the first time,I wasn't sure if I was surviving or slowly turning into something unrecognizable.

Raymond stood, stretching lazily before heading toward the kitchen. "We'll be out again tomorrow. A new game, new players. Don't overthink this."

I couldn't move.

My eyes remained glued to the screen, to the headline flashing at the bottom.

Ghost Wins. Jerry Drummond Loses His Life.

I spent years plotting my revenge against my father.

But as I sat there, suffocated by the weight of another man's death, I began to wonder-

Have I become exactly like my father?

Mike's POV

I stepped out of my bedroom, my polished black shoes clicking against the marble floor. My broad frame moved with a quiet authority, my sharp gaze fixed ahead as a group of guards followed closely behind me.

I had just returned from Cuba, summoned back by the tragic news of my cousin's death. Jerry Drummond, foolish, reckless Jerry had taken his own life after a humiliating defeat at the casino.

I knew better.

Jerry hadn't lost to just anyone. He had lost to her.

Avery.

Or rather, Ghost.

The name had reached my ears long before Jerry's downfall, whispered in the underworld like a legend. A mysterious woman who ruined men at the gambling table, who seduced them into losses they could never recover from.

Avery Highborn.

A name i haven't heard in ten years. A name that had once meant everything to me.

And tonight, i was going to face her.

I slid into the backseat of the black SUV waiting for me in the underground parking lot, my expression unreadable as the driver pulled away from the estate. My fingers curled into fists as I gazed out of the window, watching the city blur past.

For ten years, I had been nothing but a shadow.

For ten years, I had buried Miles Drummond the boy who had loved Avery more than life itself.

For ten years, I had waited for this moment.

And now, it was finally here.

---

The Casino

The moment I stepped inside, the air shifted.

The casino was alive with the sounds of laughter, the clinking of glasses, the rustle of money exchanging hands. But none of it mattered.

I am here for one thing.

Or rather, one person.

A guard approached me almost immediately, bowing his head slightly before whispering into my ear. "Mr. Highborn and his lady are on their way."

I gave a curt nod, my gaze darkening.

His lady, what a pity, he has made his daughter into his pawn;

Avery was still under her father's grasp.

The thought made my stomach twist with something dangerously close to rage.

A waitress walked past me, eyeing me with interest, and I barely noticed until she reached out and brushed her fingers against my arm.

"Hey, handsome," she purred, pressing herself closer. "Want some company?"

Before she could go any further, one of my guards stepped forward, gripping her by the arm and shoving her away.

"Don't touch him," the guard growled before throwing her out.

I didn't even blink. My focus was already elsewhere.

It was time.

---

Avery POV

I stared out of the window of the car, with my arms wrapped around myself as the neon lights of the city reflected on the glass.

I barely recognized myself anymore.

For years,I had convinced myself that I am in control, that I was playing the game just as well as my father. But lately, that lie had begun to crumble.

Jerry Drummond's death was proof of that.

A part of me wanted to run.

But there was nowhere to go.

my father's voice pulled me back to reality.

"We leave tonight," Raymond announced, adjusting his cuffs.

Relief surged through me.

Finally.

But before I could even exhale, he continued.

"But first, one last game."

My stomach sank.

"Father, we don't have to, what the fuck; do you have to do this? "

Raymond gave me a look that silenced me immediately. "Don't question me."

I gritted my teeth as the car pulled up in front of the casino.

One last game.

And then, maybe, I could finally escape this life.

---

We were led through the casino, past the ordinary tables and gamblers, past the high rollers, and into a secluded private chamber.

I stepped inside first, my heels clicking against the floor, my mask securely in place.

And then I saw him.

Just immediately, my breath hitched.

The man seated before us was unlike any I had encountered before.

Tall, broad-shouldered, powerful. His presence filled the room, commanding attention with nothing but his silence.

My pulse quickened.

Something about him felt familiar.

His gaze flickered toward me, dark and unreadable. And in that moment, something in my chest twisted violently.

I had met him before.

I am sure of it.

But before I could dwell on it, my father spoke.

"Mr. Winston, it's an honor," Raymond greeted with a wide smile, extending his hand.

Mike took it, his grip firm. "The pleasure is mine, Mr. Highborn."

I frowned slightly. Winston? That name didn't sound right.

Could it be he is a different person?, or Miles trying to hide his identity.

Raymond chuckled, gesturing toward me. "And this is my charming companion for the evening. My lucky charm."

Lucky charm.

Not his daughter. Not even a name.

Just an item.

Mike's jaw tightened.

He had hated Raymond Highborn for a decade, but somehow, this moment made him despise my father even more.

I lowered my gaze, clearly used to the insult.

Mike exhaled slowly, willing himself to stay calm.

He had a plan.

He couldn't afford to lose control.

---

I took my place beside him, my fingers lightly grazing his arm as I settled into my role.

But the moment I touched him, a jolt of something fierce shot through me.

My body tensed.

Mike noticed.

His lips twitched slightly as he reached out, his hand finding my waist and pulling me onto his lap.

I gasped.

Our faces were inches apart now, my breath mingling with his.

My mask hid my expression, but Mike could feel my confusion, my hesitation.

I didn't recognize him.

Good.

He wanted me to suffer the way he had.

But damn it, his own body was betraying him.

He couldn't stand the warmth of my body.

For a decade, he had dreamed of making me pay.

Now, he wanted nothing more than to devour me.

His fingers traced slow, with a soft kiss on my chin, he made deliberate circles on my hip, making me to tremble slightly.

My father chuckled from across the room, clearly pleased.

My charm is working.

Mike smirked.

If only Raymond knew.

If only Avery knew.

Tonight, the game was changing.

And Mike Winston,no, Miles Drummond was going to make sure he was the one holding all the cards.