Engaged with the Billionaire

"Cindy, please-"

His words were cut off by the loud smack that echoed through the room as my hand landed on his cheek. I gasped for air, my chest heaving. I tried to control my overflowing emotions but the betrayal was just too much.

Even if I didn't want to, my tears fell.

"You filthy man..." I muttered through gritted teeth, a smirk with no hint of humor made its way to my lips. "We're done."

I turned to leave without sparing my stepsister even a single glance, who was still on the bed and naked body was wrapped by a blanket. All I knew was she was satisfied. I was sure she was laughing at me for seeing me cry because she had successfully stolen my man. That bitch was enjoying it all.

"Cindy! Cindy, wait! Hear me out!"

I ignored his curses as he searched for his pants, while my heels were clacking against the floor as I hurriedly walked out of his unit. Hear him out? For what? What I had witnessed was already enough to break it up with him!

He spent the night with Lindsay, probably thinking that I wouldn't be home this early from my out-of-town trip. They both agreed to do it and they both enjoyed it! I wasn't stupid to stick to him after that. If he had done it once, he was capable of doing it again in the future!

And she wasn't just some random girl he found on the street. She was my stepsister! One of the people I hated the most and he knew that! How dare he?

The image of Rey was the last thing I saw before the elevator finally closed. My tears kept on falling, my chest ached that it's making it hard for me to breathe. He threw it away. Our three long years relationship was thrown away for that disgusting woman!

"That bastard..." I rested my head against the wall and breathed deeply. "How could he do this to me?"

Our relationship wasn't perfect. We had arguments but we always made sure the day wouldn't pass without resolving it! I knew I wasn't a perfect girlfriend either, but I was doing my best! We were happy! We were content! Or maybe that was just me?

Maybe he really wasn't content with what we had?

I ran out of the elevator as soon as I reached the lobby. With blurry vision, I went directly to the parking lot and approached my car. Rey had just exited the building when I drove away. My first thought was to go home to my own penthouse, but for sure he would follow me there.

So instead, I did a U-turn and drove my way to my best friend's place. There wasn't a second my tears stopped from falling. It was annoying. Why did I have to cry this much for a guy like him?

Damn I truly loved that bastard!

"Cindy, what the-" Freya Ariel Collins, my one and only friend, muttered curses as soon as she opened her unit's door and saw my swollen eyes. She immediately pulled me in and held both of my shoulders.

"Tell me, Cindy."

"I broke up with Rey."

"What?"

I looked away and escaped from her grasp. That's when I found a man on the sofa, someone I had never met. Freya loved playing around. Unlike me who had only had my first boyfriend since I was eighteen, Freya had already had countless boyfriends and exes since she was seventeen.

She didn't have a boyfriend anymore, but the 'no strings attached' kind of relationship. That's the very reason why she was so carefree and had no love life problems.

"Go home," Freya's voice from behind me snapped me out of my trance, talking to the stranger. The guy didn't say anything and just gathered his clothes scattered around the living room, displaying his well-built body clad only in his boxers.

That's when I realized that Freya was only wearing an oversized shirt and her underwear.

Without any word, he walked out of the room after dressing up, but not without kissing Freya on the lips. The scene only put salt to my wounded heart. Grimacing, I ignored them and walked to the sofa.

"So what happened?" Freya asked after locking the door. She jumped on the space next to me before grabbing the pack of potato chips on the center table.

"I caught him doing Lindsay."

She choked. "W-What... What the hell!"

I sniffled, resting my head on the backrest and stared at the ceiling. "I didn't know what to do. I was so shocked and..."

The memory of it made another tear to fall from the corner of my eyes. Rey had once given me a spare key to his condo. Yes, that's how deeply we trusted each other. But now...

Where did we go wrong?

"It just hurts so much, Freya," I covered my face with both my hands. She quickly wrapped her arms around me. "I only left for my job! We had a nice talk the night before my flight, and he said he understands! When I heard that I'd be able to go home earlier than expected, I planned to surprise him!"

But I was the one who was surprised. I just witnessed how they pleasured each other with their bodies! I heard their moans and... It's disgusting!

"Shh! It's okay, Cindy. It's natural to feel pain because you loved him, but you'll be fine soon. You'll move on, while that bastard will forever regret his mistake," Freya stood up and ran to her kitchen. She returned not long after with a glass of water. "You lost nothing, babe, but he did. He doesn't deserve you."

I sipped a bit. The cold liquid that traveled to my throat calmed me down a bit, and Freya's words helped a lot. I knew she wasn't the type who would give advice or would say something for comfort, but now she did and tried her best to make me feel better and I appreciated it a lot.

"Thank you," I gave her a forced smile. Freya was the only one I had.

She was my best friend, my sister, and was sometimes acting as my mother, too. She was always there for me. She was always so protective of me. Freya was the only one who I considered as family.

"I can't believe Lindsay would go that far..." I mumbled after a moment of silence.

She surely did something while I was away. Did she blackmail him? But he didn't seem blackmailed to me. He was enjoying it as much as she did. He was seduced. He couldn't resist the temptation, and so he gave in despite the fact that he was in a relationship.

"Of all people, why did it have to be Lindsay..." I despised that woman the most.

"No, Cindy," Freya said with a stern voice. "Why did he even have to do it with another woman at all? Even if it's not your slut stepsister, what he did is still wrong. He had a girlfriend for Pete's sake!"

Right. I would still be broken even if it's a random woman. "But I felt more betrayed that it's Lindsay. Rey knew how much I hated her, and he knew the reason!"

Lindsay was one of my two stepsisters. I hated them both along with my stepmother. Ever since they came into the picture, my already ruined life went even more downhill.

Freya let out a sigh. "I think you should rest first, Cindy. You just had your flight. You're tired physically, mentally, and emotionally." She grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards her guest room. "Take a proper rest and refresh your mind. We're going to talk again once you wake up."

I only let her pull me, until she suddenly stopped when we're already in front of the room. She looked at me over her shoulder. "Wait. Have you already eaten dinner?"

Blinking, I shook my head. My plan was to surprise Rey and ask him for a dinner date. But that plan was ruined.

"My gosh!" Freya shook her head and started dragging me to her kitchen. She glanced at me when my phone rang. I fumbled looking for my phone in my sling bag. We stopped at the kitchen entrance when I found it and saw the caller.

"I... I need to go." A lump formed in my throat.

"Who is it?" Freya asked in impatience, worry was evident in her blue eyes. "Who is it, Cindy?"

"M-My father..."

Her eyes widened. Biting my lip, I answered the call with a trembling hand and just waited for his voice from the other line. And it's as though a cold bucket of water splashed on me upon hearing him speak.

He sounded so cold.

"I want you home right now, Cindy Riella." And the call ended.

Why? Why did he call so suddenly...

I could only think of one reason.

"That must be very important," Freya spoke softly, though I could see her gritting her teeth. "Your father never contacted you unless it has something to do with your family business."

I smiled bitterly as I looked down at my phone. "Yeah..."

He surely wanted to talk about the conference meeting I had attended last week. He wanted to know right away if I had managed to close the deal with the infamous billionaire Dion Theron Montero.

I stood in front of a huge double door. My hands were both on my sides, cold and sweaty. Closing my eyes, I took another deep breath before raising a fist to knock.

"Dad, this is Cindy."

"Come in."

I entered his office. I instantly found him sitting at his table and doing his paperwork. Leon Foren.

He was always like that, busy with his never-ending piles of work that he had never given me his attention.

My father had always been a workaholic, but he had also managed to find some time to spend with us before. But since my mother died, he had forgotten that he still had one remaining family left. He abandoned me.

"Dad-"

"Take a seat," he said without even looking at me.

Letting out a silent sigh, I sat on a chair in front of his table and waited for him to speak.

"How's the meeting?"

He didn't even ask if I had a nice flight. The thought that I was tired probably didn't even cross his mind.

"Have you met Mr. Montero?" he added, now taking a glance at me. His ash gray eyes had no life as they pierced through me behind his eyeglasses.

"No," I shook my head. "Not even once. It was just his secretary who talked to me throughout my stay there."

Dad heaved out a sigh and let go of his pen. He leaned against the backrest of his seat as he pinched the bridge of his nose as if something frustrated him.

"Alright," he shook his head. "Anyway, I'm already informed about the success of the deal. You've done a great job, Cindy."

My heart leapt at the compliment. To be more honest, all I did in the meeting was sit and listen, while my secretary was the one taking down important details. My father only sent me as his representative since he couldn't go because he was sick, and he said this was extremely important, so I agreed even if I had no knowledge about this kind of stuff at all.

But hearing him compliment me even with my little efforts made me happy.

"Thank you, Dad-"

"I have expected it, anyway," he cut me off, causing my smile to fade as my eyebrows furrowed. What did he mean by that?

"Mr. Montero called me before your flight to attend the meeting," he added, intently watching my expression. "And he asked for something in return for investing with us."

"W-What?" Did that mean the deal had already been closed even before I left?

"You know that Dion Theron Montero is a successful man, right? He's the owner of the most successful chain of hotels."

Yes, I knew all of that. And my father had had a connection with their family for years aside from being business partners.

"Now he's looking for a wife."

My throat went dry. I stared at my father and patiently waited for his next words. I already had an idea where this was going, but I still kept my hope up that what I was thinking was wrong.

"He wants to marry you."

"Dad!" Eyes wide, I stared at him with panic and disappointment. "You can't just marry me off to someone I've never met!"

"That's the reason why I asked you to attend the conference on my behalf, Cindy Riella. I wanted you to meet him," he tapped his fingers against his table with obvious impatience. "But it didn't go as I planned, as you can see."

"Dad, please-"

"Their family helped us when we're about to fall down long ago. And this is the first time the Heir asked for something in exchange," he stated with his stern voice, sounding like he was not accepting a rejection.

If it was some other normal day, I would just keep my mouth shut and would never disobey him. But this time, it was all different! My future was at stake! Marriage wasn't something simple that I could easily enter and find my way out whenever I please!

"But I'm not just a thing that you can easily give or sell off to anyone!" I cried out. I couldn't believe what I was hearing from my own father! "And was he the one you're planning to arrange Lyna with?"

My father and Matilda had been discussing arranging Lyna, my other stepsister, with some businessman in a marriage. However, my stepmother was against it.

"Matilda didn't want it. Besides, Lyna is near going abroad to take her Masters."

So I should be the one to suffer?

I clenched my fists, lips trembling as the corner of my eyes heated up. I had just broken up with Rey, and now my father was forcing me to an arranged marriage.

How could he set me up to be with a man who was only popular with name, but physically unknown to the world?

Dion Theron Montero was extremely popular as he came from one of the country's well-known families. He wasn't officially introduced to the public until his father died in an accident and he had to take over all their businesses, the reason why the media was going rampant at this revelation. However, even with all the news of his sudden appearance and claims to be the only Montero Heir, no one knew what he was actually like.

He was a mystery.

I was like being arranged with a phantom!

"Dad... Don't do this to me, please," I bowed my head, not letting him see the tears that were slowly forming in my eyes.

"My decision is final, Cindy. Go back to your room and take a rest," he continued with his work, leaving me hopeless. The way he talked and treated me was like his servants who had no choice but to follow his commands.

And that's how I felt. The need to obey him in everything he commanded me to do was slowly getting deeply marked within me.

"Tomorrow, I'll arrange a family dinner with Dion Montero. Better get ready."

"One more, please," I put down my shot glass on the island and ordered the bartender to give me another glass of whiskey.

Instead of staying in the mansion for the night, I asked my father to let me go home to my penthouse. But I ended up going directly to an exclusive bar. It just felt like I deserved to enjoy this night from what I had gone through just in a single day.

My ex-boyfriend cheated on me with my wicked stepsister.

My father forced me into a marriage with some unknown guy.

And that Dion Montero seriously asked for me as his wife! I remembered Dad's words, "He wants to marry you." That only meant Yuan specifically asked for me, right? Why? Did he know me? Maybe he had already met me? I didn't know. I wasn't sure.

I was tired from the flight back here and I should be taking a rest already, but it felt like being alone in my room would only worsen everything. I needed distraction.

I turned to look at the dance floor. My vision was already blurry, but I could still manage. This wasn't the first time I went to a bar, but this was certainly the first time I was alone.

Without second thought, I stood up and went to the dance floor. I had bumped into people along the way, but I was too drunk to care. I just wanted to enjoy and forget everything for this night. Ever since my mother died, I had lost my freedom. It was my father who had always been deciding for me. He had never asked for my opinion. From my schools to the people I wanted to be friends with, he was always the one to decide.

It's one of the reasons why I didn't have friends.

I became friends with Freya in college, and my father didn't care for the first time. But when I dated Rey, he was extremely displeased. And that was the first time I disobeyed him, so the distance between us grew even more apart.

Now he was controlling me again. This time, I had accepted it and planned to just go along with him.

But before getting married to a stranger, I wanted to be free even just this night. I would do whatever I wanted.

"Whoaa!" The people cheered as the music changed and became louder. Everyone got wilder as they danced the night away.

Not caring to everything around them, their movements followed the music's beat and rhythm with wide smiles on their faces. I couldn't help but laugh, too, and danced with them like there's no tomorrow.

We were having fun. I was having fun.

I was enjoying myself when I suddenly felt an arm that snaked around my waist. At first, I panicked because it was always Rey who would do this move whenever we're going in a bar before, but I realized he didn't even know I was here. Besides, the perfume that entered my nose when I turned around was far different from Rey's. It wasn't strong, but manly.

A broad chest greeted me, so I looked up just to see his face, my hips still swaying as the music continued. I didn't know if it was from the effect of the alcohol, but it was like my confidence and boldness skyrocketed as I flashed him a smirk.

"Hi, there," I giggled, not feeling even a bit of embarrassment.

He only stared at me with his dark eyes. There was no hint of a smile across his handsome face. Lifting my hands up, I rested my palms against his clenched jaw and had my thumbs stretching the corner of his thin lips to form a smile.

"Come on! You're so dark!" I chuckled. I didn't even care if his other hand was already on my hip and trying to stop me from moving.

We were in the middle of the crowd in a dance floor, and he was tall and just standing there while watching me intently. I frowned at him when his expression didn't change. "You're no fun."

Shaking my head, I turned to leave him and continue dancing, but he grabbed my arm and yanked me back against him. I squealed in shock before groaning in protest when he held me tight.

"We're going home," he said against my ear. A shiver ran down my spine at the sound of his voice. It was low and commanding.

I only stared at him, my lips parted a bit to say something but words couldn't get out of my throat. My mind was turning blank as I caught his gaze landing at my lips.

My knees trembled, my hands fisted on his suit. Dipping his head, he closed our distance and pressed his lips against mine. It didn't take long for me to feel him move, tugging my lower lip between his teeth before sucking it gently. I couldn't help a moan from coming out, the sound causing him to pull me much closer as his lips traveled to my jaw.

Closing my eyes, I let his lips leave a ticklish and burning feeling on my skin as I breathed deeply. I bit my lip when he nipped at my earlobe before he whispered, "Will you come with me?"

Come with him? A stranger?

"Yes," I breathed out, not thinking straight anymore. I couldn't find my strength from all the strange feelings he was giving me.

I let him drag me out of the dance floor. My grip on him tightened as everything around me spinned. Noticing my trouble, he held me on the waist and guided me out of the bar.

A valet approached us and gave the man behind me his car keys. Soon enough, I spotted a red luxurious sports car parked near us when its headlights flashed in my peripheral view.

Swallowing hard, I squeezed his hand to get his attention even before he could open the door for me. I stood in front of him, behind me was his car, and flashed him a small smile.

"I still don't know your name..." I could feel the heat that traveled in my cheeks, especially when he only stared at me for a few minutes.

He then raised an eyebrow, tilting his head a bit as he smirked in amusement. "Ron. Call me Ron."

"I-I'm..." My eyes blinked. "Riel."

I couldn't tell him my name. This would just be for a night, after all. After this, we wouldn't see each other again. I was sure of that.

"Riel," he nodded. I held my breath when he caged me with his arms as he brought himself closer to me. "What a beautiful name."

I didn't know if I was just imagining things, but did I just hear a tone of sarcasm in his voice?

Before I could think of it more, my eyes shut closed when his lips pressed against mine again.

Maybe it was really just my imagination.