The Billionaire's Secret: A Nasty Web of Lies

A month earlier

With shaky hands and a smile of excitement plastered on her lips, Lena rang the doorbell of the large, elegantly structured house.

Adrenaline rushed up to her brain, and she felt jittery with happiness as her dirt-stained fingers made their way to caress the flat circular pendant of her golden necklace.

She walked over to the window beside the door and peered through. The classy golden brown interior was just as she remembered, but a bit shinier. "Looks like Adrian had the maids prepare for my return," she thought, her stomach fluttering with butterflies.

"I miss him so much!" She beamed and bounced back to the front door, ringing the bell again with more excitement.

"Coming!" A female voice sang from within.

Lena paused, frowning for a nanosecond. She knew that voice. "How thoughtful of Mira to come help Adrian set up the house," she thought, her heart ringing with more joy.

The door opened with a swift movement, and Lena's wide smile plastered back on her face. "Mira!!" she exclaimed, pulling her in for a hug, which Mira didn't return. Instead, Mira stood there with her eyes widened in shock.

"I'm so glad to see you, Mira," Lena said, but Mira pushed her away, looking her over with disgust.

Lena didn't mind. "You look so good, you know." She chuckled and continued, "Unlike me, though. The cells definitely didn't have disinfectant nor-"

"Baby, who's that?" A male voice interrupted, and Lena's soul brightened up more than it already was.

"Adrian!" She screamed, running towards him with her arms wide open, but in the blink of an eye, she felt a sharp pain in her neck, and she was on the ground.

Before she could realise what had just happened, Adrian and Mira towered over her. There was a look of satisfaction and spite on Mira's face and one of anger on Adrian's as she let out a slight cough.

"W-what's wrong?" Lena asked softly, looking from one person to the other as her hand made its way to her neck, which was starting to burn.

"Holy shit, Adrian, I still can't believe you got married to such a stupid human being!" Mira snared, with a fraustrated hand on her forehead.

"I know, right? What was I thinking?" Adrian growled, crouching to Lena's level.

"What's going on? Is everything alright?" Lena asked again, staring into her husband's eyes. But it didn't seem like the same man who stared back.

Her brows creased. "Adrian," she muttered softly.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Adrian asked.

Lena's voice quivered. "I-I don't understand. I just got released from prison. You were so busy at work. I didn't bother calling you, so I-"

"Shhh," he shushed.

Lena could feel hot liquid settle beneath her eyeballs. She didn't like his demeanour at all.

"I mean, what are you doing in my house, Lena?" Adrian asked, his tone cold.

Lena's face contorted in confusion. "I returned from prison to my husband's house."

Mira rolled her eyeballs. "She gets dumber by the second."

"Does this place look anything like where you were married into?" Lena turned to look around the house, though she could swear she walked into the right house. She turned back to him.

"You don't remember? We're married, Adrian. Two years ago, twenty-sixth of May, remember? You said you love me." A tear rolled down her cheeks as she explained in half a whisper.

"Oh, really?" His face lit up with a smile of mockery. "Where's the ring to prove it?"

Lena swiftly brought her fingers to her face, suddenly realising she hadn't left with her ring. She wiped off her tears and began touching every space, hoping they'd slipped it somewhere in her clothes.

"It's here, I swear," she said, repeating her action continuously. She didn't know which hurt more; the reality staring right in her face or the pain in her neck, which was getting worse with every movement her head made.

Either way, she felt her heart empty out, leaving a painful space that made more tears cascade down her cheeks and blur her vision.

"Anyway," Adrian stood up and walked away from her pathetic figure on the ground. "Without wasting anymore of my time," he collected a few stapled papers from Mira and gave her a deep kiss on the lips while Lena watched helplessly.

He tossed the papers on Lena's face, and as she blinked away the tears in her eyes, they landed on the heading of the page: "Divorce agreement."

"No, Adrian, no, please," she muttered, as her shattering heart echoed in her ears. She quickly stood up from the ground and slowly began walking towards them with the paper shaking terribly in her hands.

"I promise I won't touch your things anymore. I can live in the garage like you always wanted. I'll obey anything you tell me. Please don't do this to me." she could feel a migraine on one side of her head. A sickness she never had the chance to cure completely.

"Just sign the fucking documents and be on your way, Lena. You're stinking up the place." Mira said and turned back to Adrian, who was squeezing every part of her sophisticated body.

Lena stared back down at the tear stained documents which her dirty hands held. More tears dropped. "I have nowhere else to go," she said weakly. Remembering the terrors that awaited her if she went back home, especially in this state.

"Please," she whispered, lips quivering

"You really don't have to sign it now. You can take it wherever you're going but make sure it's signed the next time you walk towards this building," Adrian warned sternly.

Mira proudly walked over to the door and held it open for her to leave.

Lena looked from one person to the other, not wanting to believe either one could betray her this way. Was this really happening? She thought as she slowly and weakly walked towards the door, remembering she hadn't eaten for days.

"Adrian." She suddenly stopped halfway through the door and turned around. With teary eyes, "I-"

Mira swiftly interrupted "Get out, Lena."

Present day

Lena sat on the couch in the silent, empty house, staring at the magazine which she'd gotten from the store. She stared at its flat figure, resting on the table like if she touched it, it would explode.

The grey-blue eyes which stared back at her were bright, yet dark and she still couldn't believe it was him; the same man who she'd met in prison and made her life feel like hell, was clad in a three piece suit which exaggerated his athletic build and chiselled jaw.

And if that wasn't enough, he's getting married to Tessa Maddox; THE Tessa Maddox!

"It can't be possible." Lena whispered, wallowing in her disbelief as her eyes read the tagline "The man, the myth, the legend: Thane Moneau's journey to the top."

'What top?!' her head screamed still not accepting the fact she was staring at a billionaire boss. The same Thane who is the son of her now dead boss. Her eyes strayed to the date on the magazine; fifth of February.

Her brows furrowed and she tilted her head before reaching for the magazine. "That's strange." The pamphlet was now in her hands as she studied the handsome face which stared back at her. "He doesn't-"

She was interrupted by a knock on the door which broke the silence in the house, and made her heart skip a beat as she turned her gaze to the door.

She slowly placed the magazine back on the table, not daring to peel her eyes off the door.

It was dark outside, and if she could remember clearly, no one but herself had walked in through that door in about a week and that was the last time she'd seen Thane. 'Who could that be?'

The knock came again but louder this time.

'The landlord, maybe?' she thought, and her legs seemed to give in to her curiosity as she made her way to the door.

"Who's there?" She inquired quietly, wishing the door had a peephole.

"Is the name Lena?" a gruff and thick voice called from outside.

"Y-yes. Can I help you?" She trembled. Perhaps, she'd be thrown out of a house for the third time in less than a couple of months.

"We were sent by Mr Moneau."

Lena flung the door open at the mention of his name. In the patio's light, her eyes met those of a tall, hefty man who looked like he'd pick her up with a finger if he wanted to.

"What does he want?" she asked softly, feeling like a little child under his intense gaze. He reminded her of the wardens back in prison.

His face stood, emotionless and only his lips moved while he spoke "He asked to get his stuff." He stated and brushed past her then disappeared in the hallway which led to the bedrooms.

"So this is real. Thane Moneau was the one who'd been here!" She reminisced, keeping her eyes where the man had disappeared to.

"That's all." He announced and emerged with a brown briefcase then walked out the door which Lena still held open.

"Wait!" She suddenly blurted, making him turn around to view her pathetic figure. "Sir, please, take me with you."

The hefty man stared her down, his intense gaze piercing through her like a dagger as if trying to see if she'd lost her senses.

She felt a shiver run down her spine as her voice trembled with desperation. "Please, I won't be any trouble. Just take me with you, please." She took a step closer, her hands clasped together as her eyes welled up with tears.

Memories of the past week suddenly weighed down on her.

The man's deep voice sent a ripple of fear through her. "We weren't sent to get you, miss." Lena knew he meant to be polite, but the depth of his voice made it sound like he wanted to smack her with the briefcase. She felt a stinging sensation in her eyes as tears threatened to spill.

Her gaze dropped to the floor, avoiding the man's intense stare. She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself, but her voice quivered as she spoke.

"Oh, please... I don't want to stay here alone. There's nothing for me here, and no one to pay for this house. Please, call your boss, call Thane." She begged, her hands shook as she wrung them together.

The man raised an astonished brow as the name "Thane" escaped her lips. But it was quickly replaced by a mask of indifference.

The more Lena pleaded, the more it dawned on her that if this man refused to take her with him, she was going to die here. She had no money nor anyone to turn to and there was no way anyone would employ her with her criminal record.

With a shaking finger, Lena caressed the back of her other hand, a comforting gesture she'd developed as a child. It was a futile attempt to soothe herself, but it was all she had. "Please," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'll do anything. Just don't leave me here."

The man gave a silent sigh which was surprising, considering his size, then took out a phone from his back pocket and dialled a number. Lena's eyes lit up with hope.

She heard Thane pick up at the third ring.

"Yes, Dante?" He seemed to be really relaxed as his voice sounded lower and stronger than she remembered-or was he pissed at something?

"Sir, there seems to be a problem." Dante informed and took a glance at Lena who looked like a child whose mother had just died.

"What is it? Is it the case?" A sharp whoosh was heard in the background which startled Lena and she raised her eyes to stare at Dante.

'What the hell was going on there?' Lena thought.

"No sir, the case is safe and it's contents are complete."

"So what's the problem? You're interrupting something really important."

"It's Lena sir, she asked to come with us." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, it seemed like everything froze in time as Thane on the other side, fell silent.

On the other hand, Lena's heart beat loudly in her ears like someone who was about to be judged.

Thane's voice suddenly came through again accompanied by shuffling in the background "Put her on the phone."

Dante put the phone on speaker and held it close to Lena.

"Why should I trust you?" Thane's deep voice clouded her senses. "I mean, my father died on your watch.

"I know nothing about it. I told the police everything, Thane." her voice cracked as she spoke. "Please, I have nowhere else to go. I'll do anything, just don't leave me here."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone and Lena's heart sank, thinking she'd overstepped and used the wrong words.

"What makes you think I'd let you into my home?"

The action she made behind her palm increased its frequency. And the pitch of her voice reduced by half. "I...I don't know what else to do, and...and I thought you could help me."

There was another pause and Lena's heart beat slowed more than normal, then a sigh came "Fine, you can come. But, you'll do exactly as I say or you're gone."

Lean's hand strayed to the pendant around her neck and caressed it as her heart lept in relief. "Yes, I understand. Thank you, thank you so much." A smile crept to her lips.

"And Lena," the seriousness in his tone made her smile drop. "Do not ever call me Thane."

Lena could now see why Dante kept saying "we" when he was the only one who came into the house. He had her cramped between himself and another man who hadn't glanced at her when she got into the car.

'What was inside the briefcase that needed so many men to come get?' Lena thought. But that was the least of her problems.

It was pitch black outside, and they'd been driving for what seemed like an hour. She'd have been certain of the time if she had a phone or wristwatch, but all she had was the fading top and pants she wore, as Dante hadn't given her a chance to take anything from the house.

He told her it was Thane's orders.

"Bulldoze the house and build something else on it," she'd heard Thane instruct when he was done speaking to her. "Bring her straight here before getting the package to where it should be." After that, he'd said something she hadn't paid attention to.

But Lena didn't mind, she was finally out of that place.

With zero expectations, she stared straight ahead as the car sped along the tarred road, not daring to look to her right where Dante sat or her left, where she felt the other man steal occasional distrustful glances at her.

She wouldn't blame him, though. Who in their right senses would plead to follow strange men to a location they were uncertain of?

It seemed the activity in her head was a good distraction as soon enough; she felt the car slow down in front of a gate which was too dark to see at night, but she could tell its height.

Just as the car came to a halt before the slowly unfolding gate, Dante and the other man alighted, leaving a confused Lena, the driver, and the other man sitting at the shotgun.

"Take her in." Dante ordered and walked towards another car waiting outside.

Lena's body unconsciously stiffened as soon as the car began slowly entering the compound. And when the gate closed behind them, she realised that she might have begged the devil.

For some reason, the only place with light was the main house and through the light, she could make out its size. For as long as she could remember, she'd never seen anything like it.

Slowly, accompanied by the man from the shotgun of the car, she walked through the door of the house and her breath seemed to seize immediately.

Adrian, her ex-husband, was an extremely rich man and his house contained about fifteen bedrooms. But what Lena's eyes stared at was no fifteen bedroom building.

What her eyes were taking in was the kind of house king Solomon and his first hundred wives would have lived in; if her exaggeration wasn't so much.

It was beautiful, large and the interior decorations screamed luxury and money.

All that came to Lena's mind was 'How the fuck was the man who owned this place in her kind of jail?'

"You must be Lena." The voice of a lady interrupted her thoughts, and she brought her gaze down to view a middle-aged woman dressed in an ash gown which almost hung loose on her body but painted a great picture of her age, and also someone who was well taken care of.

Lena's eyes locked into the woman's and she nodded "Yes, ma'am."

"Very well then, come with me." She had the voice of a typical elderly woman. Not harsh and not too jovial, but pyhad a commanding tone to it.

Lena, still wallowing in her astonishment, followed the woman up the stairs and as they were about to turn a corner, a lady brushed past Lena, hitting her on the shoulder in the process.

"I'm so sorry." Lena apologised quickly and was about to say something when the lady's eyes locked onto hers.

Lena didn't know why, but something about the lady's honey eyes sent shivers down her spine, making her swallow her words and just watch the lady leave without a word.

"It's alright, that's Bridget, she's kind of Mr Moneau's favourite," the woman explained without looking back as they continued down a hall of rooms.

"Is she alright?" Lena asked, genuinely concerned, as she was still a little shaken by what she'd felt.

"Oh yes. She's usually just sour around newbies, but you'd like her once you get used to her."

'Newbies?' Lena thought, ignoring the rest of what the woman had said just as they stopped in front of a door and the woman knocked on it twice.

The door swung open immediately, revealing a blonde standing at it.

"This is your room, Lena." the woman informed, ignoring the blonde who had a brow raised, eyeing Lena with curiosity. "According to Mr Moneau, you'd resume work as his maid."

"She doesn't look like maid material to me, Marie." The blonde mocked and rested on one foot with her arms folded.

Marie just ignored her and turned to Lena, giving her a warm smile. "Not just any maid, dear. You'll be Mr Moneau's personal maid. So you'll take care of his personal space." She said in a giddy tone, which got Lena confused, but she nodded anyway.

"Now, Alexandra." Marie turned to the blonde. "Treat her nicely or you'll have me to contend with." She warned and patted Lena on the shoulder, then began walking away.

Alexandra stared at Lena and flashed her a wry grin. "We're going to be such besties." Using her leg, she kicked the door wider for Lena to come in.

*****

In no time, Lena dressed herself in the maids' outfit, a straight light blue gown that stopped just above the knee and had a zipper at the back.

She made her way to where they'd described as Thane and his fiance, Tessa's room, where she was told to go clean up the mess in the room. She couldn't help but feel honored that she'd be in the presence of Tessa Maddox, supermodel and six times influencer of the year.

Tessa was one woman Lena admired and wished to be like; pretty, happy and fulfilled.

She reached the large door, took out the keys that were given to her, and unlocked the door.

Even though Lena was caught breathless by the decor, beauty, and size of the room, she couldn't help but notice the broken wine bottle and the red liquid that had spilled all over the white tiles.

'Who drinks at this odd hour of the day?' she thought.

Without wasting much time, she set down her equipment and got to work. But in the middle of it, she heard the door slam behind her.

"And who are you supposed to be?"

Lena turned around at the sound of the irritated female voice, to view a pale, swollen-eyed, scattered haired Tessa who looked nothing like the person she usually saw on TV.