Billionaire's Dating Scheme

I walked briskly out of the hotel lobby after I finished helping my Head of Department drop off the papers he had forgotten at the office and picked up some extra ones from him. I walked with the intensity of a child late for school as I made my way down the stairs without even looking down, completely buried in my thoughts, when I missed a step. I tripped and was falling onto a man who was about to climb up the stairs and he could have caught me, but instead, he shifted out of the way and with vigorous force, I came crashing down to the ground.

The documents flew out of my hand and scattered around me like autumn leaves in the wind.

He observed the scene before him with a subtle smirk. He chose not to extend a helping hand, enjoying the sight of me groaning in pain and embarrassment. It was as if he found amusement in watching me fall. I looked up, ready to express my annoyance, but before I could say anything, he walked off without saying a word

I muttered to myself, "wow, how rude and heartless can someone be? What kind of person just watches someone fall and does nothing?"

Feeling indignant, I got up from the ground and knelt to gather my documents. The man overhearing my remark, stopped in his tracks and turned back to face me.

"Heartless? That's quite an assumption to make."

"Well, your actions speak volumes. You didn't even bother to apologize!" I said irritatedly as I stood up to him.

"Apologies are overrated, don't you think?" He responded nonchalantly as his guards tried to step in but he dismissed them.

"No, common courtesy is not overrated and it's basic human decency to help someone in need. Maybe you should learn that!"

"Decency is subjective. Besides, in the grand scheme of things, a little fall caused by your clumsiness is hardly worth getting upset over."

He walked a bit forward in my direction with his left hand tucked in his trouser's pocket, demonstrating with his right. "I prefer observing the world from a distance. It saves me from unnecessary complications."

"It's not just about the fall. It's about respect for others, something you clearly lack. Humanity is not a weakness."

"Now if you don't mind, I have a meeting to-"

"Whoa! Actually I do mind" I cut him off.

"You know, it's considered rude to interrupt someone when they're speaking."

My eyes widened in disbelief as I caught my breath with an open mouth.

"Excuse me? You let me fall earlier without apologizing, and now you're lecturing me on manners? How hypocritical."

The man chuckled, finding my audacity oddly refreshing.

He smirked, "you're quite bold, aren't you? I find your determination amusing."

I got furious, "this is not amusing! It's infuriating! People like you think you can get away with anything just because you're rich and powerful."

"Power is relative, my dear. Some wield it wisely, others not so much." He played it cool.

Realizing I was getting nowhere with the conversation, I shot a glare at him and decided it was best to walk away.

"You might have wealth, but you lack basic kindness. I hope someday you learn the value of treating people with respect. Empathy and kindness makes the world a better place." I turned and walked right away after saying that.

The man smiled at me while watching me walk away.

"Such an interesting lady!" He commented and then continued his walk into the hotel.

***

My shoulders were slumped with exhaustion as I stepped into my apartment. I knew what to expect when I took the job, but the workload was overwhelming. I couldn't understand why I felt deflated. As much as my work was demanding, and as stupid as it might sound, I liked to work. That was the only thing that distracted me from everything else piling on in my life.

I had to endure not only the lack of sleep but also the added burden that comes with it.

I threw my bag onto the bed, realizing I needed to take a shower and find what to eat. I groaned at the thought of that.

As soon as I undressed and almost got into the shower, I heard a sharp knock on my door. I rushed to open the door, I saw my Landlord, Mr Jacob, an elderly man in his fifties, standing right in front of me, a stern expression took over his face.

"As your former landlord. I hate to do this..." his voice was firm.

"Former?" I was surprised. Not possible.

"Yes, that's what I'm here to talk about. I noticed your rent is due."

"About that, I'm working on it." My voice was polite.

"Since you're making plans to pay, note that the rent has been increased since it's not according to today's rent standard. So to fit in the current times, I went ahead and raised it accordingly."

"You can't just raise my rent out of nowhere," my tiredness turned into a blaze of anger.

"If you have an issue with that, feel free to move out. The truth of the matter is that you shouldn't even be here by now. Your rent is already expired."

"Huh?" I gasped. I couldn't believe his choice of words.

"I know a lot of people who will be dying to live here. I'm doing you a favor because we've never had any issues and you've been a good tenant."

"Do you honestly think I'll let you get away with this? I'll make sure I let everyone living in these apartments know exactly what you're trying to do! We don't deserve to be treated this way!"

There was no way I could pay for my new rent. Fuck! I was barely able to pay for my old one. One of the reasons that contributed to me working so hard.

Mr Jacob and I were locked in the battle of will for a moment.

"It's within my right to do that. Like I said, if you're unhappy, find another place to live.

With that, I slammed the door shut.

"Urrgh! As if the day couldn't get any worse." I mumbled in frustration.

After I took a relaxing bath, I managed to get a little bit of sleep but I was awakened by the thunderous sound of my alarm. Yes, it was the next day. Another work day of course!

I struggled to face reality, wondering if yesterday really happened or if it was just a dream? I couldn't get much sleep last night, my worries kept creeping in. Clearly there was no peace for me.

I looked at my clock, realizing I was late for work. I jumped out of bed and quickly prepared for work.

I was in my workspace- an office shared by four other workers, searching for an apartment online on my computer. Every apartment I looked for was more and more expensive and I realized how screwed I was. The only way out was for me to find a way to pay Mr Jacob as soon as possible. I couldn't afford rent anywhere else.

"Hey, what's with that face?" My coworker, Adrian, noticing my disheveled appearance, couldn't help but comment.

"Huh?"

"Everything alright? You look like you haven't slept for days"

"Yeah! What makes you say that?" I asked and quickly picked up my phone and used its sleeping screen to look at the reflection of my face.

"Well, you look like shit."

He was most probably right. I knew I wasn't looking my best and that was evident in my reflection.

I forced a tired smile, trying to brush off his concern. "Just a hectic week, that's all. Thanks for asking."

"You know, you have got to be careful. The Top Boss doesn't tolerate delays or mistakes, especially when it comes to important documents or projects."

"Who's the Top Boss?" I was curious.

Riley jumped in with so much excitement, "just the hottest, most handsome specimen on planet earth. A perfect 6.2 athletic figure carved from the core of the heavens itself."

"Jesus! That's a lot." I exclaimed in wonder.

"Yeah, he's a lot. You have no idea how much of a lot. I'd give half my liver to kiss his celestial forehead."

"You'd die with just half a liver, Riley."

"It'll be a happy death. One which even my grandpa who clocked out at 90 didn't get. Hmm, well unfortunately, his insides are not as hot as his outside."

"What do you mean?"

"His insides are made of ice, Antarctica ice. Like the type that doesn't melt even with the sun shining down on it. He's the most cold, rude, inconsiderate and mysterious person I know. And I know a lot of people, so that's saying something."

"His personality just keeps getting interesting. I really look forward to meeting him someday."

"Don't be too sure about that. If I were you, I wouldn't get too excited. Rather, I'd pray I never have the misfortune of making his acquaintance." Adrian dissuaded me.

"How bad can he be?" I asked.

"You're lucky he's on that long business trip. You could not imagine the severe lecture he would give if he came in here right now and saw any of us slacking off, not working. He'd go bananas. Every single time he's gone down to any of the other departments his scolds could be heard throughout the complex."

"Speaking of the boss," Susan, another co-worker, joined in the conversation, "he's such a successful guy, isn't he? He won every award there is, I mean, I admire his dedication and hard work, but sometimes it feels like he expects so much from us all because he works and is willing to work ten times as much."

"A genius! Incredibly intelligent yet an utter threat." Adrain simply put it

My co-workers nodded in agreement.

I could not shake off the weight of my coworkers' comment but I knew I had to hold my head high, I wouldn't want to do anything that would make me lose my work, for a fact, I needed this job more than anything.

My phone rang, it was a call from my head of department.

"Hello, Mr. James." I greeted him immediately after I picked the call.

"Thank you once again for last night. You saved me. The meeting would not have gone so well without your hard work."

"No problem, sir."

"Are the documents ready?"

"Yes, sir."

"Wonderful. Now, head to the top executive floor immediately with it, the receptionist will attend to you."

"Who should I say I want to meet?"

"Livia, the top executive floor belongs to one person alone."

He spoke with such a decisive tone that made me unable to ask any further questions, so I just said, "okay, sir, I'm on it."

I gathered the necessary documents and made my way to the top executive floor. The top executive floor sat just on top of the executive floor which housed several high-ranking officials, each with their own office.

When I stepped out of the elevator, I could not believe my eyes. It was impossible to believe that this floor had been here all this time and I had never been here. It was so spacious that if the luxurious furniture, rare flowers and interior weren't there, it would echo.

"Hello, I was told to submit these documents. Is this the right office?" I approached the receptionist who had the biggest desk I had ever seen.

The receptionist smiled warmly, "yes, you're in the right place. He's expecting you. Please, go in." She gestured to the door of the office room just ahead.

I entered the office with curiosity itching my mind. Trying to keep my eyes down, I walked through the large office to the desk which I stood in front of. A tall man stood behind it, backing me.

"Hello, Sir? I'm here with the documents." I began, trying to get his attention.

As he turned, my eyes widened in surprise as I recognized the face of the man I had bumped into the last night at the hotel-the very man who had been the cause of my frustration and annoyance.

The documents in my hands fell, I screamed, "YOU!"

Xavier Lexington, the redoubtable CEO, looked at me with an intensity that struck my core and sent trembles down my legs. His gaze was sharp, assessing me with a level of scrutiny that made me feel as though he could see right through me.

And even though I was visibly shaking, I knew I had to put on my game face and not let this unwelcome surprise phase me. So with a deep breath that could give life to the dead, I composed myself with calmness of still waters as my eyes wandered to the desk's nameplate that bore the executive's full name and position within the company. I was shocked and instinctively covered my mouth with my hand in incredulity.

I quickly picked up the documents. "H-he is-s the Top Boss-s" I whispered to myself in stupefaction.

"You better have Parkinson's cause it's not possible for someone as clumsy as you to be employed in my company! Who the heck are you anyways? And why are you here?" Xavier asked, pretending not to see the documents in my hand.

"Uhhh-"

The man that was standing in front of me was not just some annoying wealthy stranger but also my boss, the literal owner of the company I work for. This realization sent me to a dumbfounded realm that took me quite some time to return from.

'He looked like the muse from which every single romance novel character was derived.' I thought to myself as I got lost staring at him. 'Was I that blinded by his annoying personality not to have noticed all these alluring features yesterday?' Not like it mattered though.

His gaze was both captivating and chilling. Those eyes, stunning yet frigid, held a fusion of being unaffected and indifference. I could see the coldness Riley was trying so hard to explain in his eyes. I found myself trapped beneath his icy, disdainful stare, unable to escape the intensity of his presence.

"Did you lose your voice?"

"Did you lose your voice?" His questions snapped me out of my trance as I repeated after him.

"What did you say to me?" He asked with a tone that sounded more like "dare me!"

"Nothing, I was asked by Mr. James to bring this document to you."

"Do you not have a name?"

"Livia, Sir. M– my um, my name is Livia Dumont." My voice shook.

"Miss Dumont, I believe we had a brief yet eternally memorable encounter yesterday. I hope you've had a chance to recover from our run-in."

I was taken aback by the unexpected connection, and managed to stammer out a response. "Yes, Mr Lexington. I- I'm fine. Thank you for your concern."

Xavier's lips molded into a faint smile, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Still in need of an apology?"

"No sir, if I knew you were my boss. I would have rather asked for a raise instead of an apology." I replied with a bold tone which arose from an unfounded source. Perhaps it was my urgent need for money that inspired this daring answer.

"That's it. Right there! I was beginning to wonder where it was."

"Wonder where is what, Sir?" Confusion plagued me.

"It is your confidence I admire. Your ability to say exactly what you are thinking without any fear of consequences."

"Thank you, Sir."

"That might not necessarily be a good thing."

"Huh?" I did not expect that sentence.

"The consequences might be too cataclysmic sometimes. What would you do then?"

"I– I uh–" I stammered.

"This must be hard for you." He suddenly interrupted, changing the topic. "You must really hate working here."

"No s-sir," I stuttered. "I'm sorry."

"Didn't you say I lack basic human decency? How could you work for such a person? A hypocrite you defined me, was it not?"

"Did I really say that?" I gently scratched my hair. "I can't remember. I barely have any memory of what happened last night. I must have hit my head."

He tsked his tongue and waved his index finger as he walked toward me, "no, no, no!"

My eyes popped out of my head as he pulled in closer to me. His eyes grew more cold and I was almost trembling. The air in the office seemed to sizzle with tension, leaving me on edge.

He lifted my chin up with his right index finger. At this time, I was already leaning on his office desk. His eyes were locked on mine and my breath ceased, our nose almost colliding. As our lips nearly met, he shifted his gaze and whispered into my ears, "By the time I'm done with you, you will learn the value of treating people with respect or maybe, my love, I'll have the pleasure of learning."

His words ran through me, sending a cold shudder down my body that raised every hair on my skin. I felt like I was drowning in the clouds and the only way I could escape was to hope the wind blew them away.