The Billionaire's 200-Day Bride

"Let me have a taste of you."

Jessica furrowed her brow in confusion, hearing those words from the man called Oliver.

"What do you mean?" she asked, even though deep down, she knew exactly what he meant.

"You know what I'm talking about, Jessica. You're not a kid. I can assure you that you'll get what you want, and even more-" he didn't finish his sentence, as Jessica cut him off.

"I'll have to decline. I have a boyfriend whom I love dearly. I'm not the type of woman who throws herself at a man just to get what she wants," Jessica said through gritted teeth. She was boiling inside.

Her gaze settled on the glass of wine before her. She badly wanted to pour it on his face, but offending this man would be a terrible idea.

Jessica, a D-list actress whose dreams of becoming an A-list star had faltered with each rejection she received, made a living as a part-time model, using her looks and body to get by.

She had thought of asking Oliver Martins, a famous actor she met two months ago during one of her auditions, to help her out. He had been kind to her, unlike other famous actors and actresses, but she was wrong. This man was no different from the rest.

"Boyfriend?" Oliver scoffed. "I wouldn't sit back and watch my woman struggle. I'd always find a way to help her. He doesn't deserve you, Jessica."

"I'll find another way. It was nice chatting with you, Mr. Martins." She stood up from her seat and began to leave the restaurant.

"Think about it, Jessica!" he called out loud enough for her to hear.

"Damn him," Jessica muttered, not bothering to turn around. She took a deep breath, running her fingers through her hair.

"Gosh, I feel like ripping his throat out. Who does he think I am?" Jessica complained as she walked down the street.

She pulled out her phone and dialed her boyfriend Louis's number. It rang, but there was no answer.

"Is he busy?" she mumbled, trying his number again, but the same thing happened.

Today marked two years since she and Louis started dating. They had made plans for today, but strangely, he wasn't picking up.

She was about to dial his number again when a notification popped up on her screen. Normally, she would have ignored it, but seeing Louis's name in the headline made her click on it-and she immediately regretted doing so.

**"FROM SECRET TO SPARKLES: Louis Newman and Amara Saunders Reveal Surprise Engagement"**

**"Renowned actor Louis Newman and supermodel Amara Saunders have announced their engagement, leaving fans and friends stunned.**

**According to trusted sources, Louis and Amara had been secretly dating for several months before deciding to take their relationship to the next level."**

**"The news came as a shock to many, as the couple had kept their romance hidden from the prying eyes of the media and public."**

**"Fans are overjoyed for the couple. 'So happy for Louis and Amara! They make a stunning couple!' wrote one fan..."**

Jessica felt dizzy as she read further. It felt like the world was spinning around her.

No, this has to be some kind of misunderstanding, right? It can't be her Louis they're talking about... right?

There was only one way to find out.

Jessica thought about heading to Louis's place but, on second thought, she went to his family home.

When she arrived at the mansion, her heart sank further as she saw the crowd. The guests were dressed elegantly, chatting amongst themselves.

Some cast her scrutinizing looks, wondering who she was and why she was at such an event, dressed so casually.

Jessica's gaze traveled through the crowd, and when her eyes landed on him, she felt her heart break.

There stood Louis, a glass of champagne in hand, casually conversing with his guests. A stunning woman clung to his free arm, and they smiled at each other affectionately.

Louis's gaze met hers, and he couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes. Jessica began walking towards him, but he glanced at his bodyguard, who quickly understood the gesture.

Before Jessica could reach him, two large men blocked her path.

"Miss, we'll need to see your invitation card."

"I just want to speak with Louis. It's-"

"We're sorry, but we'll have to escort you out. Only invited guests are allowed to stay," one of them said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"What? No! There's a misunderstanding! Louis is- Wait, let me go!" Jessica struggled as they dragged her away.

"Where are you taking me? Let me go!"

The men released her, pushing her forward.

"This isn't the exit! Where are you-"

"Jessica,"

Jessica immediately turned to see Louis walking towards her. The warmth he once showed her was gone. Now, he looked at her like a stranger.

"Louis, what's the meaning of all this? This is-"

"I'm engaged to Amara. We love each other very much. So, I'd appreciate it if you never showed up in my life again," Louis cut her off coldly.

Jessica's lips trembled, and she felt speechless. "L-Louis... did I do something wrong? Tell me, and I'll fix it. I love you-"

Louis snickered. "It's funny how you haven't realized what my intentions were from the start." He took a step towards her, brushing a hand against her cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I bring money and fame to the table. Tell me, what do you bring? Nothing."

"Your sister was a better catch than you. Too bad she's already taken. Love is a give-and-take situation, darling. However..." Louis paused as his hand moved down to her chest.

"If you become my mistress, I'll make sure I treat you better than your family ever did."

Jessica slapped his hand away, covering herself with her blouse, tears filling her eyes. This wasn't the Louis she had fallen in love with.

"I see you've made your decision, then. Good," Louis said, turning to his guards. "Get her out of here and make sure she never comes close to this mansion again."

Before they could act, Jessica rushed out of the area in tears.

Stupid, heartbroken, and betrayed were the only words to describe how she felt. Her thoughts were a mess.

The taxi dropped her off in front of her apartment, and Jessica went straight to the bathroom. She turned on the faucet, letting the water pour over her.

"Why... why is it that nothing I do is ever enough for the people I care about?" Jessica sobbed as Louis's words replayed in her head.

*"I'm engaged to Amara. We love each other very much."*

*"I bring money and fame to the table. What do you bring?"*

*"Your sister was a better catch than you."*

She wiped her tears as a numb feeling overtook her. After getting out of her wet clothes and wrapping herself in a towel, she grabbed her phone and made a call.

The person picked up on the second ring.

"I didn't expect you to call this soon," Oliver said.

"Will you really help me get famous if I accept your proposal?"

"Anything you want, beautiful."

"Alright. I'm in," she replied.

"I'm curious to know what made you change your mind so quickly," Oliver chuckled. "We have a deal, then. Meet me tomorrow at 10. I'll send you the location." He hung up.

Jessica lowered the phone from her ear. "I'll make sure every one of you regrets treating me the way you did," she muttered through gritted teeth.

NewmanTec Inc., a futuristic tech company and the most successful of all the companies under the Newman family.

In the CEO's office, two men could be seen. One sat confidently in a swivel chair, his perfectly sculpted fingers gliding over the keyboard of his MacBook, while the other stood in front of him, holding a tablet.

"Maxwell, what's my schedule for the day?" William asked in a baritone voice.

President William Newman is the only child of Charles Newman, the former president of the Newman Empire. He took over his father's business three years ago and has been excelling ever since.

"Mr. President, you have a conference meeting in Paris at 1:00, a meeting with CEO Gustavo at 4:00, and a dinner in Melbourne at 8:00," Maxwell, his personal assistant, read aloud, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Reschedule my meeting with CEO Gustavo for tomorrow. Have the private jet prepared. We'll be leaving for Paris in half an hour."

"Yes, Mr. President," Maxwell nodded and turned to leave, but the door swung open, and in came a pretty brunette.

"William," she called out, her expression displeased.

"Excuse us," William dismissed Maxwell, who left immediately. "What do you want, Sheryl?"

The woman, Sheryl, strode quickly toward him. "What's this I'm seeing in the news? It's everywhere!" Sheryl showed him her phone.

"President of the Newman Empire, William Newman, is said to have broken up with his girlfriend, the governor's daughter and brand ambassador, Sheryl Collins, after dating for six months..."

William glanced at the screen, looking entirely unbothered.

"Don't tell me this is true, William. Are you seriously breaking up with me like this?"

"We had an agreement, remember? The contract stated you'd play the role of my girlfriend for six months, and in exchange, I'd deposit a monthly sum of ten million dollars into your account. The contract has expired. What more do you expect?" William raised a brow.

Sheryl bit her lip. The day she dreaded had finally come. "It's true, but William... I–I really love you. I've admired you for years. We can turn this contract into something real. William, I love-"

Sheryl was cut off when William stood up and grabbed his coat.

"Are you done? I have somewhere important to be," William muttered, staring at her with boredom.

Sheryl took slow steps toward him, tears welling up in her eyes. "Just give me one chance, please. I promise I'll help you overcome your allergy. Just give me a chance to show you how much I love you. William..." Sheryl whispered, reaching out to touch him, but her hand froze mid-air at his next words.

"Touch me, and you'll regret it for the rest of your life," he said icily.

Without sparing her a glance, he left the office. Sheryl collapsed to her knees, sobbing bitterly.

Getting out of the Uber, Jessica stared at the massive building in front of her. This was where she was supposed to meet Oliver.

Looking at the invitation card in her hand, she recalled Oliver's words from earlier.

"With this invitation, you'll be able to enter the venue. It's a dinner night, but I booked a room in the hotel. Meet me in Room 48. I'll be expecting you."

Jessica closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You can do this, Jess." She presented her card to the man at the entrance, who ushered her inside.

Some eyes turned her way as she made her way to the event hall. She wore a red fitted gown, her beauty radiant, earning envious glances from onlookers.

Jessica checked the time and saw she still had some time before meeting Oliver, so she headed toward the venue. But she froze when she saw the last two people she wanted to see.

Louis and Amara entered, both wearing matching outfits. Reporters followed them, throwing questions.

"The engagement party was a big success. When's the wedding?"

Louis interlocked his fingers with Amara's before replying, "We'll be tying the knot in two months. You're all invited."

Jessica's heart tugged painfully at his words. Nevertheless, she kept a straight face and walked into the venue, ignoring the gazes that followed her.

She took a seat, her eyes wandering around the glamorous setting. She had always dreamt of attending such events, and if it weren't for Oliver, this would still be a dream.

"Jessica Belles?"

Jessica's demeanor changed when she saw Amara, Louis's fiancée, standing before her.

"Yes, any issues?" Jessica smiled.

Amara smiled back, "I saw you yesterday with Louis. Later, I found out you were his ex. I know it's hard to get over a man like Louis," her smile faded, "but I'm warning you-stay away from my fiancé, or you'll regret it."

Jessica's smile widened. "For someone like you to give me such a direct warning, I suppose you feel threatened by my charms. Am I too beautiful to overlook?"

Amara's gaze hardened as she glared at Jessica, who simply stood and moved to another table.

"How's the dinner going?" William asked, standing in front of the mirror, adjusting his tie.

"Going well, Mr. President. Your cousin arrived not long ago with his fiancée."

The dinner was hosted in one of the hotels under William's name. He was in one of the rooms, getting ready.

A knock came at the door, and Maxwell went to open it.

"Here's your drink, Mr. President," the waitress said, pushing a trolley. She filled a glass with wine, which Maxwell handed to William, who took a sip.

The waitress left immediately.

"Mr. President, there's been a concerning piece of news circulating in the media. Apparently, Miss Sheryl hinted on social media about the possibility of her being pregnant, causing an uproar among netizens."

William smirked, taking another sip from his glass. Knowing the kind of person Sheryl was, he expected her not to give up, but this move was more amateurish than he anticipated.

Finishing his drink, he grabbed his coat. "Let's join the party, Maxwell."

_____

"One more glass, please."

"Miss Belles, don't you think you've had enough?" a lady sitting beside Jessica asked.

"I'm alcohol-tolerant, nothing to worry about," Jessica smiled, trying to sound convincing.

To accomplish what she had come here for, she needed to be drunk.

"Here's your drink, miss." Jessica took a sip from the glass and sighed. Her vision was becoming blurry.

Looking at her phone, she saw it was time.

"Jessica, you can do this." With those words of encouragement, she excused herself and went in search of Room 48.

Staggering through the hallway, her droopy eyes scanned the door numbers. The alcohol was hitting her hard.

Jessica stopped in front of a door, squinting before smiling widely. "Found you!" she slurred.

Jessica opened the door and walked into the dimly lit room. Her gaze landed on a figure lying in bed.

William was trying to sleep but couldn't. He had excused himself earlier from the event after feeling uneasy. He thought a cold shower would help, but the discomfort only worsened, especially in his lower region.

He soon realized he was aroused, and the more he tried to control it, the harder it became.

After another shower, he was lying on the bed when the door suddenly opened, and someone entered.

His eyes shot open, and he sat up, only to see a woman standing at the entrance.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Let's get it over with," Jessica muttered, moving closer.

William frowned immediately. Was this a scheme by his competitors? Whatever it was, it wouldn't work.

Before he could think further, Jessica pushed him onto the bed, straddling him.

"What the-"

"Shh... Don't act like this isn't what you want, Oliver," Jessica whispered, placing a finger on his lips. Her hand trailed down to his shirtless body.

William grabbed her wrist, glaring at her. His face showed how hard he was trying to resist.

His body was betraying him, though, and he could feel the tension building in his lower half.

This had never happened before, and the only thing he could think of was the wine he had earlier.

Jessica smirked. "I see you like being in control."

The sleeve of her gown slipped off her shoulder, revealing her porcelain skin and the generous curve of her chest, which didn't go unnoticed by William.

That was it for him. William grabbed her by the neck and crashed his lips onto hers, flipping her onto the bed beneath him.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, licking and sucking with such desire that Jessica gasped in response.

"Mhm..."

The golden rays of the morning sun peeked through the curtains, shining on the two bodies in bed. Clothes were messily scattered around the room.

Jessica ran her hands over the luxurious fabrics of the soft bed she was sleeping on. Faint red marks were visible on her neck and even on her chest.

She slowly opened her eyes before letting out a yawn, followed by a groan. Her body felt sore and ached badly; she could barely feel her legs.

'Oh no.' Her eyes widened as she remembered what happened last night. She had done it-she had really slept with Oliver. She held the sheets close to her body, suddenly feeling dirty.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a movement behind her. Turning around, her whole body froze-both in astonishment and in shock.

Not only was this man not Oliver, but he looked too perfect to be true. If she had once thought Louis was very handsome, she was wrong-this man overshadowed him by far. From his blond hair, nose, thin lips, smooth skin, everything about this man screamed perfection.

As perfect as he looked, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen this face before-it was Louis's cousin.

Jessica quickly sprang up from the bed. "I need to get out of here!" She couldn't hide the surprised look on her face when she saw her clothes on the floor, torn.

Before her feet could meet the marble floor, a pair of strong arms pulled her back to the bed, with an arm wound around her neck, pinning her down.

"Where do you think you're going? You think you can seduce me and then leave just like that? Is it money you want? I'll pay you double what the person paid you. Now speak-who sent you?" William yelled.

"Huh..." Jessica muttered.

"What? Is the money not enough for you? I'll pay triple what he paid. Now speak up, whore!"

He felt both confused and angry. To think he had fallen for such a cheap trap was infuriating, but at the same time, he couldn't understand why his allergy wasn't resurfacing.

Every time he came in contact with a woman, his body would start itching badly, leaving red marks that took days to heal. The countless doctors he had visited weren't able to provide a cure, but this woman-

"Get off me!" Jessica pushed him off with all her strength.

Holding the sheets to cover her body, she glared at him. "First of all, I didn't come here for you. Who do you think you are that I'd waste my precious time seducing you? You weren't even impressive in bed. If I had to rate you, I'd give you a 2 out of 10. How bold of you to think I'd accept your filthy money!" Jessica scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"What..." William's eyes widened.

Jessica got out of bed. "You can feed that money to the dogs, or better yet, use it to improve your skills in bed." Without looking at him, she grabbed one of the white shirts she saw and marched to the door.

"Mr. Presi..." Maxwell, who was about to knock, was shocked to see a lady opening the door, wearing his boss's shirt.

Before he could recover from the shock, Jessica walked off. Maxwell walked into the room, confused, only to be met with another shock when he saw clothes scattered on the floor and his boss in bed, covered by nothing but the sheets.

He didn't need a fortune teller to know what had transpired here.

"2 out of 10?" William kept replaying her words in his head. There was no bigger insult than what he had just received.

"Mr. Presi-"

"Have this room cleaned up," William said, making his way to the bathroom.

Maxwell looked at the mess the room was in. The red stains on the bedsheets didn't go unnoticed by him. He walked closer to the bed with furrowed brows.

"A virgin?"

______

Jessica got out of the taxi, already changed into another set of clothes she had bought before heading home. She hurriedly made her way to her room but mistakenly bumped into someone.

"Careful," the man said, steadying her by the shoulder.

"Thank you. Jericho?" Jessica muttered when their gazes met.

The man smiled. "Still as clumsy as ever. How have you been?"

Jessica mirrored his smile. "Well-"

"Jessica," a voice interrupted her. She turned to see three people approaching her-her father, stepmother, and stepsister.

"Where have you been? We were so worried about you," Renata, her stepmother, said.

Jessica internally rolled her eyes. If there were an award for the best pretender, this woman would win it hands down.

"Let's go in. We have something important to discuss," Leon said.

A few minutes later, Jessica found herself sitting in front of them.

Leon smiled. "Good news! The company will be merging with the Shermans, a reputable family with conglomerates across the country," he said.

"Okay..." Jessica replied, not liking where the conversation was heading.

"But for the pact to be sealed officially, we need to marry two of our children together. As you can see, your sister is engaged to Jericho, so... congrats! Jessica, you'll be getting married soon."

"What?" Jessica exclaimed.

"Everything has been arranged. You'll be meeting him tomorrow to get acquainted," Renata smiled.

Jessica stood up with an unpleasant look. "Father, I'm not getting married," she said.

"Come on, Jessica, not everyone is lucky enough to marry the man of their dreams. This is a golden opportunity for you," Belinda, her stepsister, commented.

"We're doing this for your own good, Jessica," Leon said.

Jessica snorted. "My own good?"

"Was it for my good when you married your mistress a month after Mom died? Throughout my 22 years on this earth, I've been living like a shadow in this family, and now you want to sell me off to the most prominent family you've encountered. How the hell is this for my good?" Jessica snapped.

"I'm not getting married. Like it or leave it," Jessica said and walked away.

Renata stood up. "Jessica-"

"Mom, let her be. I'll go talk to her myself," Belinda smiled.

Jessica walked into her room, slamming the door loudly. She looked at the white shirt she had been holding all along and hissed.

"That rude jerk. How dare he compare me to a whore?" she muttered, throwing the shirt into the trash.

"Did you see the news? Louis is getting married in two months."

Jessica looked up to see Belinda standing by the door with a scornful smile on her lips.

"Poor thing. Your childhood crush chose me over you, and now your first love has chosen another woman over you. You must be really jinxed," Belinda said, walking closer and standing in front of her.

"You're a failure in your career and in your love life. Isn't life just miserable for you?"

"Get out," Jessica said coldly.

"I just wanted to console my dear sister-"

"Stepsister," Jessica cut her off.

"Huh?"

"You heard me. It's stepsister. My mother wasn't the one who slept around with a married man, resulting in her giving birth to a bastard like you, all because of money. We're not in the same league," Jessica smirked.

"You bitch!" Belinda slapped Jessica, who returned the slap almost immediately.

"Belinda," Jericho walked in and grabbed Belinda by the arm. "Let's go."

Belinda glared at Jessica, who smirked back defiantly.