Falling For The Rebound Billionaire

Raina woke up feeling a bit stiff. She checked the time, it was 7:00 am, she was late for work already, she wondered if her alarm had not rang at all, or if she had switched it off and forgotten to wake up.

She smiled inwardly, it was a lazy habit of hers, switching off her alarm before it even rang, she wondered why she bothered to set it anyway.

She forced her stiff body up, her feet felt a bit shaky, she looked around the room, and her eyes fell on Guy, her boyfriend. They had been together for five years now yet each time she looked at him, she felt a little unease. It wasn't always like that, she thought.

Guy had been Raina's dream crush way back in high school, he was tall, fresh, and cool, and all the ladies including Raina, literally craved him for themselves.

You won, are you happy now? a tiny voice whispered in her head, she smiled a painful smile.

True, she had felt she won when she and Guy started dating 5 years ago.

He had approached her first, she could vividly recall the incident. It had been a day she had already termed a bad day, but he had made it her best day yet. She had argued with her mom that morning over something she could vaguely remember, but in the end, she had come to class late, angry, and bitter.

Mr Fray, her calculus teacher, had decided to make her the subject of one of his many boring jokes, and she had given him the opportunity.

In her anger, she had barged into his class, late. His expression clearly showed he wasn't pleased, but Raina didn't care much, she was livid. Mr Fray had sensed her unrepentant attitude, and probably gotten more angry. You should cut a little on the late-night fun Raina, that way you won't be coming to school late and dishevelled, Mr Fray said with humour in his voice.

The whole class had rolled into a fit of laughter, she wasn't one of the popular guys anyway, so they had no problem mocking her.

She could clearly remember the hot tears that had burned her eyelids, and how she had fought so hard to keep them back, but she couldn't hold back the humiliation she felt creeping all over her.

What's so funny, Guy had said. For a moment, the air went still, the class fell silent, and all heads turned, including Mr Fray. It was that authority in his voice she had been attracted to, his ability to shut a whole room up, to silence every voice. That aura that drew all attention to him, calm, calculating, and cool... that lovely aura he radiated. The aura that had made you breathless, her inner voice whispered.

Raina chuckled, very true, she said aloud agreeing with the voice.

But Guy had changed a lot, there were times when she couldn't recognize him anymore. There were parts of him hidden deep down in places she would never be able to reach.

She wondered what had happened to the Guy who saved her that day, the Guy who walked up to her after Mr Fray had left the class.

He had asked her for her name and she could clearly remember hearing her heartbeat in her ears... Ra..ina, she stammered, feeling painfully shy. Nice name for a pretty girl he said with a smile, and walked away. She had sat down there paralyzed, thinking of what just happened, memorizing that smile like it was one of Mr Fray's essential calculus formulas.

She chuckled inwardly and smiled at the bitter-sweet memories. Her phone vibrated, pulling her out of her nostalgia.

She picked up the phone, it was Theodore, her best friend and cofounder. "Get your lazy ass over here, it's almost time for the meeting", his text read.

Oh, the meeting! She had almost forgotten all about that, she and Teddy had been working for weeks now to close a contract with Soter Group, the biggest steel & housing company in Kensington, more like the whole of London. The meeting with them was today, how could she forget?

She rushed into the bathroom, oh Raina, you lazy child, you haven't even picked out an outfit yet. She cursed inwardly, running to her walk-in closet, she checked out her clothes, trying to decide on what to wear.

The CEO of Soter Group was going to be present so she had to be perfectly dressed for the occasion, tick tick, she decided on a Gucci blazer, a Ralph Lauren blouse, and Armani trousers.

She rushed to the shower, freshened up, got dressed, did a little make-up, and rushed towards the door.

Guy stirred as she crossed the room while heading for the door. Good morning Hun, she said with a smile, good morning, he replied not sparing her a glance. Just good morning, no babe, no Hun, no bae, her inner voice whispered.

She shook off the voice, trying hard not to think about it, but knew she would. Hours, minutes, and seconds later, she would brood over it, and what it meant.

I'm off to work already, I have an early meeting, she said. Okay, he replied picking up his phone, and from that moment on she knew she was invisible to him. She reached for the door, fighting back hot tears, her heart ached deep within, she felt a bit faint, but she steadied herself, and gracefully walked out of the room. What are you doing Raina... her inner voice whispered.

...

Soter stared at his wristwatch. It was 8:30 a.m., and he had a meeting with a real estate agency, he could barely remember the name Bakhita, his Co-founder, had called them... Rayted or something, he didn't even care, though he found the name of the agency a bit unique... Rayted he pronounced, with a silent chuckle.

He was the CEO and founder of Soter Group, a company he had nurtured and grown for the past eight years, it hadn't been easy, and he was proud of how far he had come, from a beggar to a billionaire. He bore the tag, "self-made billionaire" with pride, it was a tag he had won, through blood, tears, and pain.

Knock, knock, Bakhita opened the door, good morning sir, the meeting with Rayted is in 30 minutes, shall we?

Soter smiled, Bakhita had always been his most real friend, more like the elder sister he never had, she was the only person who could control him easily, sometimes he wondered what type of power she yielded.

Khita, as he called her, was one of the backbones of the Soter Group. She had been there with him through all the many years and pain, and they had grown to know and care for each other deeply over time. She was a beautiful woman, with long black hair, lovely dark skin, stunning blue eyes, and an aura that left men rooted to a spot.

He often teased her that she exuded the qualities of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.

Khita had always been like a family to him, providing him with warmth and comfort that kept his cold self whole.

Aren't you stepping out? Khita asked, drawing him out of his thoughts.

He smiled at her, it was a smile of appreciation and love.

What's with that boyish smile, what have you done this time, Soe? She asked, returning his smile. Nothing, absolutely nothing, he replied in a sing-song-like tone.

He checked his image in the mirror, adjusted his curly, raven, dark hair, and walked out of the office after Khita.

It was 8:00 a.m. already, he didn't want to turn up late.

Soter Group had decided to expand to Bristol, and after a series of interviews with several real estate agencies, they finally found one worthy of doing business with, and they were going to finalize the documents and sign the contract.

Your meeting with the Ferdin Brothers is at 9:30 am, would you like to go to the venue from Rayted? Khita asked.

Yeah, I'd go straight to the venue, Soter answered absently.

They were driving past the Marriott Royal Hotel, a place that brought back a flood of memories.

Marriott had been Hilda, Soter ex's, favourite Friday hangout spot, he could remember once asking her what she loved so much about the 5-star hotel, everything Hilda had replied, giving him the look of "what a dumb question".

Soter remembered giving her a weak smile and turning to watch the crystal-blue water fountain placed right at the centre of the Marriott, and at that moment he had envied that crystal-blue water, falling freely and easily of its own will, with no care in the world.

You'll love it soon, Hilda had added. But Soter hadn't loved it, instead, he had hated it with each Friday hangout.

He couldn't exactly state what he hated about the magnificent building, with its renowned, lovely delicacies, and polite staff.

Or maybe it was himself he hated, that version of him that Hilda brought to light, weak, dumb, and unsure, it was how he always felt in her presence.

Hilda was an aristocrat born in a family of conglomerates. She was stunningly beautiful, with affluence, and grace that turned heads.

She knew what she was, and she bore it with pride.

Soter wasn't still certain which he hated the most, her pride or her constant need to associate only with the elites. "Soter, I associate only with people of my class" was a term Hilda often used. A term he despised more than anything, because deep down in his darkest places, he knew he would never be a member of her class, and he would always feel beneath her, where he came from... Where he belonged.

And so they had drifted apart from each other until the fragile thread holding them was cut by time and destiny.

Hilda had moved on with her life, and she was currently married to the son of a conglomerate family, with two kids.

As for Soter, he hadn't dated anyone since he left Hilda, he had never been a man of emotion, growing up a lonely beggar on the streets of London, Soter had never known what love meant until he met Hilda, and after her, he had gone on to live his life drifting and wallowing in emptiness. Though sometimes he wondered if he had ever felt loved even with her.

Many women had come into Soter's life after Hilda, but they had been merely flings, lasting less than a month or two.

We've arrived, Soe, Khita said. He checked his time, it was 8:20 a.m, they were right on time. He looked up at the building in front of him, it was lovely with ivy-coloured walls and flowers making a mini-fence around the building, like short beautiful armies surrounding the walls.

He inhaled deeply the fresh and clean air as he marvelled at its simplicity and magnificence.

Maybe he made the right choice by choosing them, he said to himself. He looked at Khita, she seemed lost in the wonders of the building too, he smiled knowingly. Khita had always loved simplicity, she was going to love Rayted's CEO.

Inside the building, he found warmth in the cosy embrace of plush leather couches and sunlight windows that framed picturesque views.

She's here, he heard a voice in his head say. Who's here? He said aloud, startled. Khita turned to him, confusion written all over her face. Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to say that out loud, Soter said, embarrassed by the number of eyes that had turned to stare at him.

He turned to his right for a reason he didn't know, and in that moment his eyes caught a glimpse of her, but she was gone in a blink of an eye, and the only proof of her ever being there was the closing elevator doors.

He felt his heart palpitating, why? He couldn't understand... what's wrong with me, he thought to himself.

She's the one, his inner voice whispered... the very one.

...

Good morning sir and ma'am. I believe you must be the CEO of Soter Group, please come with me, they've been expecting you in the conference room, said a tall, slim, woman.

She must be the receptionist, Soter thought.

Good Morning ma'am, he said, smiling at her.

She stood still for a moment, he saw colour rise to her cheek, her look of surprise was barely concealed.

It's not every day she gets greeted by a renowned, handsome CEO, he thought to himself smiling.

Yhh... umm, ii..tt's this way, follow me, she said quickly collecting herself.

She walked with long graceful strides, he could tell she was professional and well-trained for her job.

Here it is, she said, pointing to a room with its door left ajar.

Soter and Bakhita walked in.

The conference room was cozy, and comfortably filled with bright and welcoming faces.

They all stood to welcome him and Khita as they walked in.

Good day, I'm Raina, the CEO of Rayted, and beside me is my co-founder Theodore, and my assistant.... Soter wasn't listening anymore, he was stunned by the woman in front of him.

She was definitely the woman he saw at the elevator.

He had always thought Khita was the most beautiful woman he had seen, but staring at the woman in front of him, he knew he had been very wrong.

She was tall, slim, fair, and graceful, with a heart-shaped face, and long curly brown hair that fell across her back perfectly.

Her eyes were the colour of the ocean on a stormy day, he was sure if he stared too close he would lose himself in them.

She had the elegance and grace of a model. But beneath that calm, confident, and welcoming dimpled smile he could see the pain that was carefully hidden. And suddenly he had the strange urge to protect her, to hold her, and keep her whole.

She's yours, the voice in his head said, startling him out of his thoughts.

Raina, smiled at him, please have a seat while we run you through the site's information.

He could hear his heart beating fast. What's wrong with me he thought. She's just a woman Soe, you've seen many women in your life, get a grip, he said to himself.

No one has made you feel this vulnerable, his inner voice said with a chuckle.

He sighed, there were times when he really hated that voice and now was one of those times.

He looked up and cut Khita staring at him with a look of amusement and curiosity, he stared back blankly trying to conceal the emotions ranging inside him. But he knew she could see right through him.

He tuned out his thoughts, sat up straight and professional-like, and focused on the meeting at hand.

He was going to show this stunning woman that her charms could not work on every man, that he was different.

Are you? His inner voice asked, chuckling.

...

Raina stood up as gracefully as she could and walked to the front of the room. She had been feeling very comfortable and confident earlier but now she was not so sure.

She would have asked her secretary, Damien to do this presentation, but it was the Soter Group they were dealing with and they expected only the best.

She had done a little research on them in the last few weeks and they were well-known for their promptness, professionalism, sternness, and ability to close deals.

She knew Damien would have done a good job, but she wasn't sure he would have been confident enough to close this deal, and that was what she was going to do... close the deal with the biggest steel company in London, and a billionaire to add to the check.

Closing a deal with him would not just send clients running to her doorstep, it would look super impressive on her resume.

Raina stared at the two professional faces scrutinizing her.

The lady's name she found out was Bakhita, a unique name indeed. It meant to be fortunate, and this woman indeed looked fortunate. She was beautiful with an aura that seemed to draw people to her.

Right now she was staring at Raina with a smile on her face, her nature-green, eyes shining brightly, Raina wondered what she was thinking.

According to her background, Bakhita was 32 years old, she was a graduate of Harvard, and she has also worked with some of the United States and United Kingdom's major firms.

She was a legend in the financial industry.

Raina hoped to be like her soon.

Soter, the extremely handsome CEO and founder of Soter Group, recently turned 30 years old.

It was quite an occasion as the popular billionaire was named by Forbes as one of the thirty-under-thirty young men and women revolutionizing the financial world.

His company, Soter Group also topped the Inc 5000 list for the 6th time in a row.

According to his background, he started as a lonely beggar on the streets of London.

She wondered how he managed to achieve this much at a very young age, all alone. And for a moment she felt an urge to hold and comfort him.

She wondered why she was having such thoughts.

She glanced at him and she saw him staring back at her with fierce hazel eyes that looked cold, mysterious, and searching. He had an impatient and irritated expression on his beautiful face, and she felt her heart sink. He thought her incompetent.

She smiled, feeling both hurt and indignant. She straightened her skirt and assumed a confident stance, looked him in the eyes, and started her presentation.

...

Raina felt very nervous as she ran Soter and Bakhita through the presentation she had prepared to convince them about why picking a site in the heart of Bristol was best for their company.

She could feel Soter's eyes boring into her and it made her very unsettled.

She knew her voice sounded nervous, and her palms were clammed. Theodore stared at her with a smile on his face, she knew he was trying to encourage her.

Enough of the facts ma'am, what do we hope to gain from choosing that sight? How can we effectively monetize that site? What are the business potentials? Please give us the values already, Soter said, irritation clear in his tone.

Raina dear, what Soe is trying to say is that we're more concerned with the returns this site can produce, rather than the facts or statistics. Bakhita said with a warm smile.

That smile... It was a smile that Raina would come to love in the future years, a smile that would keep her whole and sane when she was sinking low.

It's fine, ma'am Raina replied. I was only trying to familiarize you with the environment before cutting right into the potential returns.

Raina was a bit irritated with Soter, who did he think he was staring at with those criticizing eyes and trying to beat down her confidence? She would show him!

...

Soter smiled inwardly, he could feel Bakhita staring at him with that questioning look she gave him when she felt he was being unnecessarily mean.

He had achieved his goal anyway, he could see the nervousness in Raina's face, she kept straightening the non-existent wrinkles on her trousers, and her hands were balled into tiny fists. But he could see the confidence in her eyes, he loved the way presented her ideas and made him see why it should be his ideas too.

She was very convincing, and by how she spoke, he could tell she was smart.

She's not just a pretty face after all, he thought.

He loved the way her voice captivated the whole room, and how effortlessly she convinced him over and over again.

I guess we're convinced already, he said out loud, standing up, and cutting her off abruptly.

We'll sign the deal now and my accountant will sort out the payment procedures with you, please where are the documents?

Over here, please come this way Theodore, Rayted's co-founder said. Please read through and sign over here, Theodore said.

While signing the documents, Soter looked around the room for her, she had her back to him, and Bakhita was saying something to her, probably apologizing on his behalf.

He felt a bit ashamed, he knew he wasn't fair.

Raina had done nothing to him, and he had treated her unkindly which was very unlike him.

He was sure she hated him already, and for a brief moment, he felt a tugging in his heart that startled him for the umpteenth time this morning.

You care about what she feels about you, his inner voice explained before he could ask.

Why? Why did he care about what this total stranger felt about him?

He inhaled deeply suppressing his thoughts, read through the documents and signed.

Khita, I'll be in the car he said heading towards the door. Have a nice day he said to Raina who had turned to stare at him. His heart skipped a bit at her piercing gaze.

You too Mr. Soter, she said with a bright smile, revealing her two dimples.

For a moment he felt rooted to the spot. He wheeled for the door and walked out of the room. I'll be in the car, he said to Bakhita but his voice was barely a whisper.

What's wrong with me? He thought. You can't run away from her, his inner voice whispered.

Yes I can, and I will, he said to himself. He was going to run very far away from her ...