Ex's Regret After I Fell for a Billionaire

Roseline's POV

If I had a knife right now, I'd stab my boyfriend in the heart without a second thought.

That bastard. What the hell is he doing?! He actually proposed to Ann-one of my best friends. He betrayed me!

I glanced down at my delicate dress. I had thought this engagement party was for me. Last night, Isaac's grandfather had texted me, insisting I come to witness a "surprise."

But when I saw them kissing under the spotlight, I painfully realized-I wasn't the heroine of tonight's story.

I was deceived! Isaac and I had been together for five years! Just last night, he gave me an engagement ring. Today was supposed to be our fifth anniversary-but after we made love, he slipped that ring onto my finger.

I was blinded by happiness. I accepted his excuse about not being able to join me for dinner tonight.

Combined with Isaac's grandfather's text, I thought he was hiding a surprise on purpose. I thought that surprise was our engagement.

Watching them kiss so deeply, I felt all the blood in my body freeze. My teeth started to chatter.

"God bless this happy couple!" Isaac's grandfather announced to the crowd enthusiastically as their passionate kiss ended.

Applause erupted around the room.

I immediately stepped forward. I had to know the truth.

Isaac finally noticed me, his eyes widening in shock.

He was clearly stunned to see me.

But I didn't back away-my best friend Ann walked over to me excitedly and took my hand.

"Rose-is that really you?!" she exclaimed in surprise. "It's been five years! Did you come just to bless me?"

Isaac gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders and explained softly, "Sweetheart, remember? Ever since her parents died, she's practically been like my sister. She was raised under my grandfather's care."

Sister? Then why didn't he say that when his dick was inside me?

"Yes, exactly!" Ann held my hand tightly again, speaking sincerely. "You know, Rose and I used to be good friends before I went abroad. And now, look at us-we're reunited! Rose, this really means so much to me." she said, hugging me tightly. "I hope we can be close again."

I swallowed hard, forcing down the lump in my throat as I glared at Isaac. His eyes carried a clear warning.

I ignored him and gripped Ann's hand tighter. "Of course. And as good friends, we don't keep secrets. I'd be more than happy to share mine with you."

Isaac reached out, trying to drag me away, but just then, Grandpa Jones appeared between us.

"Roseline, I'm so glad you made it," he said kindly. "After finalizing the guest list with Isaac at midnight, I realized you weren't on it. I figured he must've seen you as family and forgot to send an official invite. But. this is Isaac's most important moment. As a member of our family, I had to make sure you were here."

No.

I was set up.

I blinked, holding back tears. Grandpa knew Isaac and I were a couple-he knew we were seeing each other in secret. His real purpose. was to humiliate me to my face and make it clear I would never be accepted.

He wanted me to witness this disgrace firsthand.

Tears burned in my eyes again. Grandpa, the only person besides Isaac who had ever treated me kindly in this house-why would he do this?

"Listen, Rose," he whispered as he hugged me tightly, his voice low with warning. "Family should always forgive each other's mistakes, right?"

He was warning me. I clenched my fists. When someone chooses to betray you like this, they're no longer family.

I pushed my grandpa aside and walked towards Annie, but grandpa stopped me and pretended to laugh, "Rose, why don't you go and have dessert first?"

"What a surprise, you know, Ann-I had no idea your boyfriend was Isaac. How long have you two been together?" I said loudly.

Isaac's jaw tightened, and Grandpa gave me a sharp look-a silent command hidden in his stern gaze. I ignored it. I'd always behaved obediently, so they thought even if I was humiliated, I wouldn't bite back.

But I waited for Ann's answer.

Oblivious to the tension between us, Ann giggled and turned to Isaac. "It's all Isaac's fault," she teased. "He said announcing the engagement like this would be a huge surprise. Our parents started discussing our marriage with his grandfather two years ago."

The floor beneath me felt like it cracked open.

Two years.

Isaac had been betraying me for two years-and it had all been orchestrated by Grandpa.

My heart twisted in pain.

These past two years, Isaac told me he was busy because Grandpa wanted him to take over the family business soon. I believed him without question. After all, Grandpa had seen Isaac kiss me in the garden and said nothing-I took that as silent approval.

I was so naive.

I wanted to slap his face-but suddenly, a three-tiered wedding cake came flying at me.

"Watch out-!" someone shouted.

Before I could react, Isaac shoved me roughly to the side.

Smack!

The cake smashed into me. Cream splattered in my eyes, frosting stuck to my lashes. Laughter exploded around me. Some people even pulled out their phones to record.

Through the sticky sweetness, I saw Isaac holding Ann protectively-he didn't even glance at me. As if the five years we spent together had all been a lie.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." A concerned voice suddenly cut in. It was Grandpa Jones. He pushed through the crowd and helped me up.

"Roseline. are you alright?"

"You ruined the cake, Roseline," Isaac's sister Alice sneered loudly. Ever since I moved into their house, Alice had taken every chance to humiliate me.

"Shut up, Alice!" Grandpa barked. "Roseline is family. And we must forgive family unconditionally."

He repeated the same line again.

I wished the floor would open up and swallow me-because there's nothing more humiliating than being disgraced at your ex's engagement party.

I saw Ann trying to come over and help, but Grandpa Jones stopped her.

"You two are the stars of today's celebration. Just focus on entertaining the guests. Roseline is our friend-I'll take care of her," he said.

Then he turned to me. "Roseline, come upstairs. I'll have the maid bring you some clean clothes."

Numbly, I nodded at Ann and followed Grandpa Jones out of the room.

"Grandpa, you didn't have to humiliate me like that," I said as we escaped the suffocating crowd. "If you wanted me and Isaac to break up, you could've just told me."

I stared at his back. He paused, let out a heavy sigh, and slowly turned to face me. "I know. But this was the most effective way."

My eyes widened, but he quickly tried to soothe me. "Roseline. no matter what happens between you and Isaac, remember-you'll always be family."

"Not anymore," I snapped, glaring at him.

"Suit yourself," Grandpa Jones cut me off sharply. "But hear me-whatever happened between you two, I don't care. Isaac's wife must be Ann. That's final. And if not. I can't guarantee your safety."

He threatened me. Coldly, cruelly. Then he left.

I stood frozen in place, fists clenched tight.

After my parents died, Grandpa had always supported me-until I turned eighteen. He was my grandfather's best friend and the person I respected most in this world.

Two years ago, he saw me and Isaac kissing in the garden. He didn't object. I took that as approval.

I worked even harder in school and my job, hoping to earn my place in the family.

When I received that invitation, I truly believed tonight would mark the official recognition of our relationship-that we'd finally receive everyone's blessing.

I came here wearing my best clothes, full of hope-

And ended up facing betrayal and humiliation. I needed to find out the truth behind all of this.

Just then, I heard the maids giggling nearby.

"I always knew Young Master Isaac wouldn't marry that orphan. Ann brought the best dowry-what does that orphan have?"

My blood boiled. Don't cry. Not here. The air here was already sickening enough.

But when I finished changing and opened the door-

He was there.

Isaac!

He actually dared to come back?!

Roseline's POV

"You bastard!" I immediately slapped his face, but he grabbed me.

The memory of those hands pushing me into that pile of frosting instantly replaced my rage with pain.

"Get away from me." I didn't want to waste another word.

"Rose, calm down! Please!" Isaac gripped my shoulder blades tightly, his eyes bloodshot.

I stared straight at him, waiting for him to come up with another excuse to deceive me.

"Honey..." he sighed, his voice laced with that nauseating tenderness.

"Don't call me that!" I turned my face away sharply, my voice trembling with fury.

He sighed again, that damned handsome face now pleading. "At least let me explain."

"Explain yourself?" I let out a cold laugh, "For God's sake, Isaac! Tell me you two weren't sitting at your fancy custom-made dining table, laughing at how naive I was-thinking I could actually hope to marry you!"

He clenched his jaw.

"Rose! It's the truth. You're an orphan. You can't help me in my career."

"Damn it, you should have broken up with me-not lied to me!"

"No! I love you! I had to secure our future, that's why I did it!"

For us?

I almost laughed out loud.

Isaac frowned deeper.

"Rose... it's true. I'm marrying Ann to gain her family's support. Our future needs a lot of money..."

My blood instantly boiled. How dare he?! Selling his dick to Ann for money, lying to me for two whole years, and now he still had the nerve to say it was for me?

"No!" I spat in his face. "You did it for yourself, Isaac! You never cared about me! When that cake crashed down, you didn't help me. When everyone laughed at me, you stood by coldly! How could you. how could you do this to me?!" I screamed again.

His eyes suddenly softened, and he spoke in a low voice. "I. I'm sorry. But I couldn't let Ann find out-"

"But you didn't care if I found out," I cut him off sharply. "Because you thought I'd always wait for you like a stray dog you could call and dismiss at will!"

His pupils contracted suddenly-because I hit the nail on the head.

"Get out of my way, one more time, Isaac." I said coldly, my voice dangerously low. "My patience is gone. If you don't let go, I'll send our intimate photos to Ann."

"Roseline!" he growled and tightened his grip on my wrist. He sneered, "Tell me you wouldn't dare! You know doing that would only humiliate yourself. No one will believe you-they'll think you're just some whore who tried to seduce me."

"But I love you. So listen, I just need Ann's last name and her family's connections! Two years, max two years, I'll divorce her, and then we-"

Slap!

The sound of the slap exploded in the hallway like a firecracker.

Isaac froze. It was the first time I had ever hit him. My heart ached so badly. How could he treat our relationship with such disrespect?

I shoved him away hard. He tried to grab me again.

"Don't touch me!" I glared at him. "Don't ever touch me again!you make me sick!"

"Roseline, goddammit, let me finish!" he roared.

I looked at him, my gaze icy. "Listen to me, Isaac! I will never be your mistress. You don't control me anymore."I immediately threw that ring at his face.

He was furious, grabbing my arms again. Just as his lips were about to crush down on mine-

"Isaac? Honey?" Ann's voice poured over us like a bucket of ice water.

Isaac immediately let go, and the hollow in my chest deepened.

"Oh my God, Rose, what are you two doing?" Ann's eyes were wide with confusion.

I shut my lips tight. He was the one who needed to explain. He quickly walked over, wrapped Ann in his arms, and said softly, "Darling, Rose was just. emotional. She's happy for us. I was comforting her. Right, Roseline?"

His eyes warned me.

I bit through my bottom lip, the taste of blood spreading in my mouth, and finally gave a stiff nod.

Ann looked at me with concern. "Oh dear, Rose, you look terrible. Do you need Isaac to take you home?"

"No!" I practically shouted, then forced myself to calm down. "I. I'll go by myself."

"But-"

"We still need to discuss wedding details with our parents," Isaac interrupted, wrapping his arm around her waist.

I didn't listen to another word. I turned and ran out of the Jones estate.

The moment I left that hell, tears streamed down my face again. I needed alcohol. Something strong enough to burn away this gut-wrenching pain.

The cab stopped in front of the busiest nightclub. I stumbled to the bar. "Give me your strongest drink. Now!"

The alcohol seared my throat immediately. I waited for it to numb my senses. But damn it-the club speakers suddenly switched to a love song.

I saw a man kneel before a woman in the middle of the dance floor. That fleeting moment when two people tried to promise forever filled the space, and I found myself laughing sarcastically.

If people knew they would eventually break their promises, why make them in the first place? What hypocrites!

I drained my glass again. My vision started to blur-but the pain still remained crystal clear.

I jumped into the dance floor, shaking my hips. The force of my movement made me dizzy. My legs suddenly gave out-

"Watch out!" A low voice called out nearby, and then a pair of strong arms caught me before my face could hit the ground.

I looked up, and the air around me thinned. Holy Mother of God.

This man looked like he'd fallen straight from heaven. He stood at least six foot three, like a sculpture in an Italian museum-cold, powerful, untouchable. He didn't belong in this bar at all. He wore a perfectly tailored suit, and yet I could still see the definition of his muscles beneath his shirt. Who wears a suit in a nightclub? But on him, there was no such thing as inappropriate.

Wherever he stood, that became his territory. He didn't need to speak for everyone to feel his presence. Including me.

He noticed my gaze. His whiskey-colored eyes twinkled as he said in a low voice, "Need some help?"

Help.

Yes, I needed help.

I needed to hire someone to kill my bastard ex.

"Can you kill someone?" I blurted out.

The man suddenly burst into laughter, but his voice quickly turned low and dark.

"What if I say I can?" he murmured.

That deep, rumbling breath of his surged down my spine like an electric current. My mouth went dry.

I had to get away before I did something stupid.

I shook my head. "No, thank you... I just had a rough night. I'd rather not end up in prison for murder because of a breakup."

I forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Just as I was about to stand, a drunk passerby suddenly spilled a drink all over me.

"Ah!" I screamed, but it was too late.

A splash of red liquid soaked the front of my white blouse.

"Damn it!" I cursed. The universe clearly had it out for me tonight.

I was already walking away when the tall man grabbed my arm again.

"Come to my suite," he said.

"What?" I stared at him in shock.

"Your shirt's ruined. I have something in my room," he explained with a smile.

The mere thought of the two of us alone sent a wave of heat rushing between my thighs-

"I." I tried to protest, but then I looked down and saw how the wet fabric clung to my chest, leaving little to the imagination.

I gave in and nodded. "Thank you."

The next second, my world tilted again.

He scooped me up in his strong arms like I weighed nothing. I gasped and looked up at him.

"Did you forget?" he said with a playful smirk.

"You're too drunk to walk. This is the safest option."

My face flushed even deeper.

Isaac's betrayal felt like a distant memory now-

All I could feel was the firmness of his body against mine, the powerful thump of his heartbeat.

Logic and pain faded away.

I reached out and clung to him tighter.

I needed comfort.

I didn't even want to think about what would happen tomorrow.

Roseline pov

"Take off your clothes!" he ordered the moment we entered the suite.

My eyes flew open. "What?"

"You forgot? Your shirt's stained," he said with a grin, his eyes lingering on my chest.

My face flushed instantly. I had misunderstood him, but I couldn't deny the tiny flicker of disappointment inside me. What was I even hoping for? I bit my lip, ears burning.

"I'll get you a shirt," he said in a low voice, his tall frame turning toward the wardrobe with an unspoken dominance.

Face still burning, I looked down at the glaring stain. My fingers trembled as I fumbled with the buttons. The shirt slipped off my shoulders, revealing the black lace lingerie I'd carefully chosen-tight, sensual, with a teasing edge.

(Rose, who were you dressing for tonight?)

A sharp pain twisted in my chest. I forced myself to forget the humiliation. No more grieving. Tonight ends here.

Lost in thought, I forgot to cover myself-until I felt it.

That scorching, penetrating gaze.

I followed the heat of his stare down, and realized I was standing there in nothing but my black lace underwear. The air around us turned still and thick. I swallowed hard and snatched the shirt from his hand, turning away and yanking it over my head in a rush.

Only when his burning eyes were out of sight did a sliver of sanity return. I had to remember-I was here to change, not to sell myself.

"I should go." My voice trembled.

He didn't respond. But just as my hand gripped the doorknob, his deep voice sounded behind me.

"Looks like tonight's been rough on you."

My spine tensed again.

"If you want to talk, I've got no other plans," he said casually.

My hand hesitated on the knob. I knew that if I turned it, tonight would end right here.

But Isaac's betrayal surged back into my mind.

I let go of the door.

He sat relaxed on the wide leather couch, legs crossed. When he saw me turn, a smile tugged at his lips. He tapped the seat beside him with his square-cut jaw tilted slightly.

"Pretty sure the couch doesn't bite. You can sit down."

I sat, though the future might be a free fall. The couch was soft, but my back stayed stiff. My fingers rubbed nervously against the rim of my glass.

I looked up and finally spoke. "There's nothing to talk about... I don't want to waste another second tonight on that garbage."

"Smart. Then let's change the topic," he said, nodding. His sharp gaze dropped to my tightly clenched hands. "What are you most curious about right now?"

What was this-foreplay?

"You," I said boldly, locking eyes with his deep, dark stare.

I saw his whiskey-colored pupils contract sharply, darkening with intensity. He picked up his glass again, the muscles in his forearm rippling with quiet power. He set the glass down, and in the silence that followed, only the clink of glass against wood and the pounding of my heart remained.

His gaze ran over me with such intent that I felt like a stripper he'd just paid for.

"Nice opener," he said, his voice thick with temptation. "You may ask your first question."

"Was I your target tonight?" I asked, swallowing hard.

"Yes," he said, unapologetically.

Now it was my turn to panic. I clutched my glass like a lifeline. "What do you want me to do?"

He leaned in close, voice low and rough. "First," he said, his lips grazing my ear,

"Remember my name."

He pulled back slightly, letting his gaze glide slowly over my face.

"Adrian Foster."

The air froze for a second.

Foster?

The Foster Group that controls hundreds of billions?

My jaw nearly hit the floor.

"You know who I am?" he asked.

I nodded.

This man was the unofficial king of every Top Bachelor list in the country.

Legend had it that no woman ever got a second night with him.

His face was even more famous than his fortune.

I stared at him.

I'd thought I understood how handsome he was. But now, with him right in front of me, the perfect magazine silhouette had been replaced by something raw, alive, and devastating.

Up close, his sharp features were even more aggressive-those deep eyes, the straight nose, the tight lips-he radiated a violent kind of masculinity, like walking testosterone.

I swallowed hard. The sting of Isaac's betrayal surged back with a vengeance.If I slept with Adrian. even for just one night. it would shatter that bastard's ego into dust.An orphan, lying beneath the city's most untouchable billionaire.

Oh God, just the thought of it made my face flush instantly. Suddenly, Adrian's scorching lips crashed against mine. In that very moment, it felt like a bolt of electricity shot straight down my spine and ignited a fire between my thighs. It was a kiss unlike anything I'd ever experienced-possessive, consuming, so raw it stole the breath from my lungs. God, I liked it. My mind spiraled, painting images I couldn't stop-him pinning me against the table, turning my face to the side, his hand pushing my skirt up around my waist as he-

"Your face tells me you need this," he murmured as the kiss broke-possessive, deep, and demanding.

I didn't answer.

Instead, I bit his lip harder, with defiance.

"What I need," I whispered with a smile, "is more than just that."

"Good, rabbit," Adrian growled with desire. "We have all night to give you what you need."

The next second, his arm swept wide-

And the shirt I'd just put on tore apart in one clean motion. Buttons scattered across the floor.

His defined chest muscles flexed with every movement.

He leaned in-then, unbelievably, used his teeth to undo the clasp of my bra.

His lips, blazing hot, trailed fire from my neck to my stomach.

His hands clamped down on my inner thighs like branding irons-

Then a sharp, shrill alarm rang.

My emergency alert.

"Stop-" I gasped, snapped back to reality. My voice trembled with lingering lust. "I have to go-"

He frowned. "Don't joke. You know exactly what you're doing."

"I'm sorry," I said, struggling to sit up, hands shaking as I re-clasped my bra.

"I believe. you have better options than me."

As I turned to flee, humiliated and half-dressed, he grabbed my arm again-like a steel trap.

I turned, furious-

But before I could speak, he pulled a wad of cash from his wallet.

"Listen. Since you know who I am, you should know my rules. I don't want to see the same woman in my suite twice."

I slapped the money out of his hand.

Arrogant prick. He thought every woman wanted him for his money.

"Go rot in hell with your money!" I spat.

I grabbed one of Adrian's shirts and threw it on.

Damn him-his scent clung to the fabric, warm and woody. It wrapped around me like a second skin, sending uncontrollable shivers through me again.

I hated his arrogance.

But I couldn't walk out onto the street naked in the middle of the night.

Otherwise, by morning, I'd probably be found naked in a storm drain.

Only after I collapsed into the back of a taxi did my breathing begin to steady.

I immediately returned Patricia's missed call from the orphanage.

The moment it connected, her anxious voice burst into my ear.

"Rose! Your brother, Brian. he's been diagnosed with a heart condition! It's serious-"

What?!

Brian!

Aside from Isaac and Grandpa Jones, he was the only person I had left.

I couldn't let anything happen to him. I'd do anything for him.

"I'll be right there!" My voice went taut like a drawn bow. I slammed the door shut.

"To the hospital. Hurry!"