All Chapters of BETRAYED ONCE: FROM NOTHING TO BILLIONIARE POWER: Chapter 31
- Chapter 40
97 chapters
Chapter 31: Mainland
Ryan stood at the edge of the pavement, staring at the sealed envelope containing a special receipt for his purchase at the mall. The manager had also offered a home delivery with the Selena Hotel as the address. Assuming his items would be delivered to him today.He slipped the envelope into his pocket, allowing the city to breathe around him. He glanced across the street filled with car honks, noise, and screeching tires.Turning the street, another car drove through. The engine didn’t struggle; rather it announced itself with a deep, controlled growl that made heads roll in its directions.“Did you see that car?!” A figure muttered to his friend beside him.Ryan’s gaze followed it until it disappeared into traffic and a smile spread across his lips. It was the first genuine one that had appeared on his face since the incident.‘It's time to own something like that,’he muttered to himself. He raised his hand across the street, and a cab slowed, stopping in front of him. The driver
Chapter 32: Vintage
“S…S that car is—” she paused, not knowing what to say.“Is it available?” Ryan asked.She hesitated and averted her gaze over her shoulder toward the others again. She was indeed a rookie and hasn't sold a car before. Ryan, who was overserving her, could tell.The other girl who was watching wasn't ready to help; rather, they were all watching her and waiting for her to mess up.“Yes,” she finally said, turning back to him. “It is.”“Good then,” Ryan replied. “Then I’ll drive it.”A louder laugh erupted through the room this time. “So the new girl is faster than her shadow? Huh?”Another girl muttered. “We ignored him for a reason, but June chose not to learn but to do the opposite.”“Go on,” one of the older salesgirls muttered under her breath. “Hand him the keys and let's see how far and how bad your first sales would go.”The girl swallowed, uncertainty finally clouding her face. She wasn't even old enough to be selling cars; rather, she should be in school.Ryan’s gaze shifted,
Chapter 33: The Delivery Girl
The sudden change in weather was brutal. Heavy rain crashed down on the city and the streetlights reflected off the wet road like scattered gold, turning every puddle into a mirror of the glowing night. Ryan placed both hands on the steering wheel as he drove through the rain-soaked streets, the windshield wipers working tirelessly to clear his view.Inside the car, the atmosphere was quiet, almost too quiet, and the new car still smelled fresh with smooth leather, a polished interior, and the faint scent of factory-clean materials. It was the kind of smell Ryan never thought he’d ever be surrounded by in his previous life. Everything about the car screamed luxury, wealth, and power.Selena’s hotel was already in sight, standing tall like a fortress against the storm. Even from a distance, the building looked like a palace carved out of glass, glowing warmly in contrast to the cold darkness outside. The ten-star hotel seemed to belong to a realm free from concerns about hunger and r
Chapter 34: Confirmation
Ryan stared at him for a moment, then turned to the girl instead. “Why are you here?” Ryan asked her. The girl glanced at the security man first, as if afraid he might interrupt her again, and then she looked back at Ryan. “I’m here to do a home delivery to a client,” she explained. Ryan’s eyes dropped to the package in her arms. It looked expensive, with clean packaging sealed tight and protected by plastic to keep it from being ruined by the rain. He frowned. “Is the name by any means Ryan Wright?” he asked. The girl blinked, knitting her brow. “Yes,” she replied slowly. “Do you know him?” Ryan nodded once. “I do,” he said. “That’s me.” For a moment, the girl froze like her brain had stopped functioning. Her eyes widened, scanning Ryan’s face like she was searching for proof. She didn’t believe him immediately. How could she? Ryan didn’t look like the typical client of a ten-star hotel. He was young, too young, and he didn’t carry the arrogant air of the wealthy, but somethi
Chapter 35: No more rooms
The security man’s face was drained of color. His eyes widened slowly, like he was watching his entire career crumble in front of him. “Mr… Wright?” he whispered, almost choking on the words. The receptionist nodded repeatedly, bowing her head slightly. “The penthouse has been maintained for your stay,” she added. “Please accept my warm apology.” The security man’s knees felt jellied. ‘Penthouse?!’ His mind screamed the word like it was impossible. He stared at him as if seeing him for the first time, but Ryan didn’t even glance at him. It was like the man didn’t exist. He turned toward the girl, who was standing there like she was in a dream. Her lips parted, and she looked like she didn’t know whether to breathe. Ryan’s calm voice pulled her back. “This lady will be staying in the hotel for the night,” he said. “Please book her a room under my name.” The girl’s head snapped toward him. "What?" she whispered, her voice small and almost drowned out by the luxury of the lobby.
Chapter 36: Penthouse Guest
The elevator doors slid shut, sealing Ryan and the girl inside. The lobby noise vanished, replaced by a quiet hum from the elevator’s machinery.The elevator was wider than the average one, with its ceiling decorated with dim, elegant lighting that cast a soft glow across their faces. For a moment, neither of them spoke, allowing the silence to linger.Ryan, with a relaxed posture, slid his card across the sensor, and the elevator beep locked their destination. The girl, on the other hand, stood near the corner, keeping a cautious distance. Her soaked clothes clung to her body, and water dripped onto the elevator floor.She looked down, ashamed of the puddle she was making, prompting her arms to hug herself like a shield. Ryan couldn't blame her. She had entered a ten-star hotel drenched, where eyes can instantly isolate and judge without a second glance, and now she was inside an elevator going up to the penthouse.“I… I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” the girl said, breaking the si
Chapter 37: Penthouse Guest 2
“This is insane." The words slipped out of her mouth.He glanced at her. “You’ve never seen a view like this before?” he asked.The girl shook her head. “No,” she admitted. “I’ve never even been inside a hotel like this. The closest I’ve been is delivering food to rich houses.”Ryan didn’t respond, but something about her words seemed to register in his mind. His eyes narrowed, not at her but the memory of the security man’s attitude, which had been dismissive and condescending, making him feel unwelcome in a place that seemed so out of reach.The girl turned away from the window, scanning the penthouse again. She spotted the staircase leading upward. “Is there more?” she asked, her voice cautious with subtle curiosity.Ryan nodded and then walked toward the staircase, and she followed, but she kept her distance.The upper level was even more luxurious, withhallway leading to multiple doors. One of them was the master bedroom, another an office. There was even a private lounge area w
Chapter 38: 24 Avenue
The aftermath of the rain made the evening linger with cold and wet air. Pedestrians moved cautiously through the night, wrapped in thick jackets and hoodies, their hands stuffed into their pockets as they hurried toward whatever destination remained for them. The car pulled up to the entrance of 26th Avenue, making Ryan drop his gaze at the address Harrison had sent to him. According to his information, it was a secluded party with a few little people. He raised his head to the crowd standing outside the building. ‘Is this the right address?’ Ryan thought to himself. He rolled down his windshield, taking a peek at the environment. With a deep sigh be signal for Marcus to dribe into the old building, and people standing close to the gate instantly made way for the luxurious car to pass. The engine indeed made heads roll, and the expression on their face was enough to make a grown man smile. "Omg, is that the vintage McLaren F1?!” a nice mutter in awe. Their eyes followed the car
Chapter 39: Masked Man
The bouncer expression didn't change. "Step aside or I'll have you removed,” he warned.“Please let us just leave, babe." The woman pulled harder this time."Don't tell me what to do!” the man spat, irritation now evident in his voice.Ryan watched the scene unfold, from the humiliation to the anger and the way the woman's shoulders hunched like she'd done this before. He walked over to approach them. "I need your mask,” he said. The man wearing the plague doctor mask turns with surprise evident in his face. "What?” he asked, hoping to confirm.Ryan pointed at his face. "The mask—I want to buy it,” he added.The man stared at him and then let out a short sound as if he had suddenly heard a funny joke. "You're joking?""I'm not,” Ryan replied, his expression unreadable. The man frowned, crossing his arm. "I'm not selling my mask not for any amount, so get off my face."Ryan said nothing, and the man shifted his gaze to Marcus, who stood behind him, silent like a wall.The younger fri
Chapter 40: Mr Blonoir
The line moved slowly, and Ryan stood at the velvet rope, with Marcus behind him. A group of four in matching silver masks stood two places ahead, arguing quietly, their voices sharp with irritation.“He said he was coming,” one of them hissed, his fingers tapping impatiently against the edge of his mask.“Gerald always says he’s coming,” another replied. “And then he doesn’t. He thinks being late makes him important.”The third laughed without humor. “No, he thinks it makes him untouchable.”The fourth leaned closer, lowering his voice. “You don’t think he got stopped, do you?”That question caused the group to fall silent for a moment, and Ryan caught the way their bodies stiffened. It was brief, but it was there. Not the fear of being rejected from a party but the fear of being rejected from this one.The bouncer at the door muttered to his coiled earpiece around his ear, and a small microphone hung at his collar. He held a tablet in one hand and the velvet rope in the other."Inv