Billion-Dollar Obsession: My Aloof Sugar Daddy Wants Me Again

"Allison Brown? I'm Derek Cooper, a friend of Braden's. He asked me to come and get you." His voice carried a rich, effortless warmth.

Without waiting for her reply, he reached for her suitcase and took it from her hand with practiced courtesy.

Allison stood motionless, her throat constricting as her heart fluttered painfully in her chest.

Three years had passed. Never in her wildest expectations had she imagined meeting Derek again.

He was twenty-nine now, yet there was no trace of hardship or decline about him. Time had neither worn him down nor taken anything away from his appearance.

On the contrary, he had grown even more attractive, his features and manner more refined than she remembered.

When he looked at her, his expression remained calm and distant. There was an effortless elegance about him that made him seem even more untouchable than before.

After waiting a moment without receiving a response, he knitted his brows in mild confusion.

Only then did Allison understand. He had no idea who she was.

That was hardly surprising. Rylie Dale, the girl who had once carried her father's surname, no longer existed.

She had adopted a new first name and taken her aunt's family name, becoming Allison Brown.

Her fingertips drifted to her right cheek, tracing the place where her birthmark had once been before its removal. After forcing herself to regain her composure, she lowered her eyes and responded, "Thank you for coming to get me, Mr. Cooper."

The words sounded stiff even to her own ears, and her throat felt unusually dry.

She had first encountered Derek during her freshman year at university. At the time, he had been the one covering her tuition and educational expenses.

He was six years older than she was.

When they met, she had been eighteen. By the time their relationship ended, she was nineteen. In those days, she had always addressed him with endearment, never with the sort of distant formality she had just used.

The difference left her feeling strangely unsettled. She said nothing more and followed him to the waiting car.

Derek had always been a man of few words. He rarely opened up to others and maintained a measured distance from everyone around him, regardless of how eagerly they sought his attention.

Yet once they were settled inside the vehicle, he was the first to speak. "Braden mentioned that you're employed by Northstar Entertainment."

Allison took a brief moment before answering. "Yes. I work there as a screenwriter."

"Northstar is well regarded in the entertainment business," Derek remarked in a mild tone. "Still, Sdrolen is a highly competitive place, and this line of work isn't easy to break into."

"I've managed so far," Allison replied softly. "I like what I do, so that makes things easier."

With that, their exchange came to an end.

Derek studied the young woman dating Braden Ashton. He had watched Braden grow up, with the younger man trailing after him so often that their relationship resembled that of brothers more than ordinary friends.

Over the years, Braden had dated plenty of women, most of them models or social media personalities. They tended to share the same striking looks and carefully cultivated charm, making it difficult to distinguish one from another.

Even those who presented themselves as shy and reserved had usually found ways to ingratiate themselves with Derek. Beneath their polite smiles, most were hoping to gain something from his connections or influence.

Allison, however, appeared entirely different.

She showed no particular desire to engage him in conversation and seemed perfectly content to keep to herself.

Having spent years accustomed to authority and deference, Derek had never been one to chase after anyone's approval. He had agreed to meet Braden's latest girlfriend only because the Ashton family wanted Braden to settle down and had specifically asked him to assess the woman for himself.

He had now done exactly that.

At first glance, Allison seemed pleasant enough, though somewhat shy.

She had moved back into the condo her aunt had left her, situated in an aging residential building tucked away from the main road. Since vehicles could not enter the narrow passage leading to the property, she considered the distance and spoke up. "You can let me out at the junction ahead, Mr. Cooper."

Derek offered no objection.

The car pulled to a stop near the alley entrance. Allison had recently hurt her leg, forcing her to limp as she retrieved her suitcase from the vehicle. She thanked him quietly before preparing to leave.

From his seat, Derek noticed how slender she was. Perhaps even a little underweight.

Her appearance conveyed a certain fragility, yet something in the way she carried herself suggested a stubborn streak that refused to bend easily.

For an instant, she brought another young woman to mind, someone from his distant past whom he had not thought about for years.

His eyes lingered on her as she stood beside the car, eventually settling on her right cheek. After a brief silence, he reached into his pocket and produced a business card, extending it toward her without any particular urgency.

"You're Braden's girlfriend. If you ever run into trouble, feel free to contact me." His offer was polite, though the distance in his tone made it clear that he intended nothing beyond a simple courtesy.

Allison hesitated before accepting it.

She had absolutely no desire to contact Derek again. Nevertheless, refusing the card would only invite unnecessary questions, so she took it from him.

"Thank you, Mr. Cooper." She gave him a final nod, then turned away and dragged her suitcase into the narrow alley.

Derek remained in the car, following her retreating figure with his eyes until she vanished from sight. Even afterward, his attention stayed fixed on the empty entrance.

His phone rang a moment later.

Only then did he look away and answer the call, the faint trace of contemplation disappearing as his familiar coolness returned. "I'm coming now."

...

Allison struggled with her suitcase as she made her way up the stairs to the condo. By the time she had unpacked her belongings and arranged everything in its proper place, the evening light had faded into dusk.

Not long afterward, Braden called her through a video chat. His expression was affectionate, and his voice held the warmth she had grown accustomed to. "Allie, did you get home safely? Derek called to let me know you'd arrived."

Allison smiled at the screen. "I'm home. It's already getting late, so I'll go to the company tomorrow to wrap up all the onboarding paperwork."

"I'm still tied up with work, and Kelsey won't allow me to come over and see you. You'll have to be patient for a little while longer."

Kelsey Ashton, Braden's elder sister, held the reins of the Ashton family, and the family had never approved of his relationship with Allison. He depended heavily on his sister and lacked the courage to challenge her decisions, even when they concerned his own life.

Consequently, despite having been together for a full year, he and Allison had never seriously discussed marriage.

After voicing his frustration for a little while, Braden seemed to remember that his complaints might put his girlfriend in a bad mood. He quickly changed his tone and added, "If anything comes up, you can always ask Derek for help."

Allison fell silent. She stared at the screen for a moment, turning his words over in her mind before finally asking in a quiet voice, "You and Mr. Cooper are really close, aren't you?"

"Yes, we're close." Braden didn't catch the change in Allison's expression. He smiled and continued, "Derek comes from one of Lverton's most influential families. They are far more powerful than us. They practically control the entire city, and Derek's set to take over everything. He's never been particularly fond of Lverton, though. Whenever he had time off, he'd visit Sdrolen. Nowadays, his family stays here as well. Even when we were children, the adults took Derek's opinions seriously. Everyone wanted to be his friend."

"That makes sense." Allison dropped her eyes, careful not to reveal what she was feeling.

Her mouth had suddenly gone dry.

So Derek was the successor to one of Lverton's most prominent families.

What they had shared had only been a temporary escape from the future awaiting him.

Memories of the months following their sudden breakup came rushing back. Her parents had separated, and neither wanted to take responsibility for her. Soon afterward, her aunt passed away. She had been the one person who genuinely loved her, and losing her had left her completely alone.

At her lowest point, she had traveled to Lverton on two separate occasions.

Both trips had been for Derek.

Neither had brought her any closer to seeing him.

It wasn't until much later that she discovered he was engaged to someone in Lverton.

Sdrolen had never been somewhere he planned to settle. His family had already arranged for him to marry a woman they considered a suitable match.

As far as Derek was concerned, she had simply been someone who briefly caught his interest.

"Allie, is there something about Derek you don't like?"

Braden's question pulled her back to the present.

"Not really. Mr. Cooper just seems somewhat hard to approach," Allison replied.

"Well, we've always looked up to him like an older brother. Besides, his circumstances aren't the same as ours. He isn't married, but he already has a kid. His life is pretty different from ours now."

For a second, Allison went completely still. She was so distracted that she failed to notice the slight tremor in her fingers as she straightened her collar.

They had been apart for three years, and Derek was already a father.

Braden remained oblivious to her reaction. Suddenly, a woman's voice interrupted from his side of the call, sounding rather impatient.

"Braden, haven't you finished with all the lovey-dovey stuff yet? Do you seriously have to act like this every time you talk to your girlfriend? We're going racing at Westridge Hill."

The voice belonged to Braden's childhood friend.

Looking at the screen, Allison saw Chloe Elliott casually rest a hand on Braden's shoulder. With a playful smile, Chloe reached for his phone, apparently intending to hang up.

Braden quickly pulled it out of her reach, irritation crossing his face. But when he looked back at Allison, his face relaxed. "Baby, Chloe and the others are going to Westridge Hill, so I should probably join them. I'll give you a video call later tonight."

Allison gave a small nod. Before she could finish what she wanted to say, Chloe slipped an arm around Braden's neck and cheerfully disconnected the call.

Without commenting, Allison turned her attention elsewhere.

Silence filled the condo. Once she had finished organizing her clothes, she retrieved the cord bracelet her aunt had given her and fastened it around her wrist.

A short message was engraved on it.

"Safe and Sound."

Three years earlier, shortly after her return from Lverton, she had been involved in a car crash. She had survived the accident, and she was wearing this bracelet at that moment.

The accident had also put an end to whatever feelings she still had for Derek.

She wasn't the same nineteen-year-old Rylie anymore.

Seeing him again changed absolutely nothing.

There was no chance she would fall in love after only three encounters and giving him her whole heart without a second thought again.

Their breakup had left her devastated.

...

Once Allison was safely dropped off, Derek returned to his villa in Obsitan by himself.

After removing his coat, he headed straight to his study. On the desk stood a roughly carved wooden figurine.

Across its surface, the name Rylie Dale had been etched in crooked, uneven lettering.

For a long while, Derek remained motionless, studying it.

Perhaps it was simply the striking similarity between them. Braden's young girlfriend reminded him so much of Rylie.

For the first time in years, memories of her refused to leave him alone.

Three years had passed, yet the horror of losing her continued to haunt him as though it had happened yesterday.

She had been nineteen then, a quiet, solitary girl whose birthmark stretched across half her face. Despite her reserved nature, however, she had had remarkable courage.

By their third encounter, she had gathered enough confidence to approach him and confess her feelings for him. He could still picture the sweet, hopeful look in her eyes.

"Derek, would you be my boyfriend?"

Her clothing was worn, and she clearly had little money to spend on her appearance. Still, there had been unmistakable determination and affection in the way she looked at him.

Problems with his family had brought him to Sdrolen for a break. Nothing had particularly interested him during that period, but somehow, she had managed to make him smile. Amused by her confession, he had deliberately kept her waiting for an answer.

"I'm not a decent guy. Just because I'm paying your school fees doesn't mean I'm kind."

He hadn't been joking.

Although he never crossed legal boundaries, he knew exactly how to use people to his advantage. Wealth and influence had always come before romance or any sense of morality.

Nineteen-year-old Rylie seemed to accept his admission. She nodded before answering, "I don't mind. Even if you're a terrible person, I'll still love you, including all your flaws."

Back then, he had thought her innocence was rather charming. His controlling personality hardly made him an ideal partner, yet he had gradually found himself attracted to her.

She had always tried so hard to make him happy.

But that willingness to accommodate him didn't mean she always gave in.

Whenever business required him to return to Lverton, she worried about being left behind. Eventually, she persuaded him to make a small wooden figurine with her and carve her name into it.

The finished piece was noticeably uneven.

She then made him swear he would take it along on every trip, almost as if the little figure contained a piece of herself that could remain by his side wherever he traveled.

His initial intention had been to stay in Sdrolen for just one month. Instead, his attachment to her had kept him there for a full year.

Eventually, however, he decided to maintain control over his life. Having repeatedly postponed his original plans, he made up his mind to go back to Lverton.

He wasn't a good man.

He faced the consequences throughout the three years that followed.

His eyes returned to the death certificate, his expression turning cold.

Rylie had died when she was only nineteen.

Even now, he couldn't properly define the feelings he had had for her.

What he did understand was that peaceful sleep had become impossible for him since her death.

Not once had she appeared to him in a dream.

And tonight would be another sleepless night.

Rain had been falling over Sdrolen for three days without stopping, and by the fourth day, the downpour had only grown heavier.

Allison had stayed up past midnight waiting for Braden to video call her, but he didn't contact her until the following morning.

"Babe, Chloe was being a real pain last night. She kept pushing me to drink, and I got so drunk that I completely forgot to video call you."

Of course, it was Chloe again.

Braden seemed to bring up his childhood friend every chance he got.

Allison lowered her gaze and chose not to say anything. She had learned that constantly reminding someone how to behave in a relationship rarely made a difference. At this point in her life, she would rather figure out what she was willing to accept and make her decisions from there.

Braden didn't always seem to understand where the boundaries were, but she was still willing to give him a chance.

When she quietly asked how he was feeling, his tone immediately turned affectionate.

"You're the best, Allie. I've got another meeting with Chloe, though, so I'll probably be busy until late for the next couple of days. Don't stay up waiting for me, okay? Just get some sleep."

While Braden was talking, Allison glanced at a reminder on her phone.

Today was their anniversary.

She figured she should probably remind him, but strangely enough, she couldn't bring herself to feel much of anything.

There was no anger or even a trace of hurt.

After all, this was just how Braden had always been. He was still young and enjoyed having a good time. He cared about her, but she couldn't expect him to make her the center of his entire world.

And she certainly wasn't going to make him the center of hers.

Beyond the window, the wind and rain continued stripping blossoms from the flowering tree. Allison gazed outside at the gloomy weather.

For some reason, her thoughts drifted back to three years ago, when she was still in a relationship with Derek.

The two men couldn't have been more different. Derek was usually reserved and kept his distance from other people, but he had been incredibly thoughtful and affectionate toward Allison. However, once they were alone, his controlling and domineering side would come out.

He had gone out of his way to cook meals for her, made sure she always had painkillers when she suffered from cramps, and treated her birthday like a big deal. He had even arranged an elaborate drone display just to celebrate her special day.

Still, there were certain things Derek simply wouldn't compromise on, no matter what anyone said.

His controlling nature was especially obvious in their relationship.

Back then, she had been deeply in love with him.

She used to think she would never meet anyone as wonderful as Derek.

So when he abandoned her, getting over him had nearly destroyed her. She had spent every day feeling as though something heavy was pressing against her chest, making it painful even to breathe. Ever since then, she had been too afraid to let herself love someone that deeply again.

Compared to what she had been through, her relationship with Braden actually seemed pretty good.

He might have had his faults, but being with him was still better than what she had experienced with Derek.

With that thought, Allison calmly ended the call with Braden.

Later that afternoon, the sun finally appeared for a short while. Allison arranged for a cleaner to take care of the condo before catching a cab to the set.

Although she was still relatively new to screenwriting, she had managed to land a job on a major production. Both lead actors were well-known, and the director had an impressive reputation. She was part of a team of four writers working on the project.

Naturally, she didn't have much influence on set. Most of her first day was spent getting acquainted with the cast and crew.

While collecting her catered lunch, Allison happened to overhear several crew members chatting nearby.

"This has got to be the biggest production budget we've seen all year. Mr. Derek Cooper from Lverton just invested another hundred million dollars."

Allison suddenly stopped moving her fork.

The possibility that Derek was funding this production had never even crossed her mind.

She blinked a few times, unsure whether the strange feeling creeping over her was discomfort or something else entirely.

Her colleagues didn't notice her reaction and continued whispering excitedly among themselves.

"That's probably because of Sarah Brooks, right? One of her artists is in the cast, so Mr. Cooper decided to put more money into the production."

"Wait, isn't he the father of her child? They already have a daughter together, so why haven't they gotten married yet?"

A familiar bitterness slowly settled in Allison's chest.

Sarah.

The first time she had heard that name was three years ago, when she had traveled to Lverton to look for Derek.

Back then, Sarah had been his fiancée.

Sarah was the only child of the Brooks family in Sdrolen. After her aunt married someone from Lverton, she had spent several years living there. She had always been the only woman in his social circle.

Three years earlier, Sarah had been more mature and perceptive than her. She also came from a more prominent family, which made her a much better match for Derek in almost every way.

Hearing about her again brought back an old pain Allison thought she had left behind. For the first time, she couldn't help feeling that the world was far too small.

When she first found out about Derek's fiancée three years ago, she had been desperate to see what Sarah looked like, even if it was only from a distance.

She hadn't felt any resentment toward her.

She had simply wanted to satisfy her curiosity.

Yet now, the very people Allison had once traveled all the way to Lverton hoping to see were somehow finding their way back into her life.