BILLIONAIRE IN THE SHADOW

Diamond, all shine and tarnish

"Connor," Rosa said smoothly, her voice firm and demanding. "I want something different."

Conner smirked smugly, his bicep muscle flexing as he tucked his hands in his pocket, looking at Rosa in admiration and lust.

"You always have a different taste for what most people see as ordinary." He pressed on gently, his voice filled with confidence. " Tell me. What Bougie brand of jewelry do you want? Anything for you baby girl." He said.

"I want a Royce Rolls, Conner."

Rosa gushed, like she never thought about it twice, or like she never thought about it once even, as though she thought it was easy peasy— obviously it looks like it's easy for a guy like Connor, being a rich guy, but the flashy life he's living around is just a facade people around him don't know.

And his expression faltered too obviously that Rosa caught it quickly.

She dropped her hand, her face twisting with disappointment, her frustration palpable like it was her flair. "You're not going to get it for me? Really?" Her eyes narrowed.

Connor forced a smile that broke through— half-confidence and half- unsettling

He gulped, barely finding his voice back. "I—I told you, Rosa. I'll do anything for you. You're worth everything I have been doing for you, and a Royce is just a little present. My Dad has two it." He said, forcing a bright smile, similar to someone forced to swallow a known poison.

Conner stepped closer to her, completely regaining his lost Mojo. He stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around his waist possessively as his body pressed on her back. He leaned in, his arm holding her waist firm and gentle.

"You know I always got you, babe," He drawled, his breath brushing Rosa's neck warmly. Her wrathful expression cracked slightly as Conner lingered on her. "You'll have the Royce Rolls. I promise." He said gently and placed a kiss on her neck. Rosa completely dropped her guard, her anger melting into his embrace and romantic gesture. She forced back a smile.

Sensing the shift, Conner leveled up, his finger shuffling her dress as his arm wrapped tighter.

"You know, I have missed you so much. Let's go inside." He said, and without waiting, he lifted Rosa to his shoulder, her hair flopping mid-air. Her heels clattered to the floor mid-steps.

Rosa laughed, hitting him playfully." Let go of me, Connor. Let me down."

Conner laughed, pushing forward into his room which was Sophisticated with modern furniture, the ambiance cool and cozy for the moment.

He said between laughter, his voice floating playfully. "I'm not letting you go. I'm taking you to the promised land..no, promised bed." He chuckled.

Laughter floated in the room, but Rosa's demand still clawed beneath his memory, looping like a threat— a threat that promised to break through his fake lavish lifestyle. Mayne soon.

Meaning while, Evalina stood in front of a tall mirror on the wall of her room, admiring her dress with a joyful smile.

The ocean blue dress poured over her body like a second skin, accentuating her contours. She squirmed gently in 360, looking at the fit of the dress

"This is really good. It's Worth the price." She mused, her happiness deepening. Tristan had gotten the gown for her at the rate of $700! Just a piece of the dress.

She grabbed her new black designer heels, the one Tristan just got for her. She sat on the edge of the bed where she leaned forward as she slipped the heels in her feet. It was comfortable, balancing her posture and adding height to her as she stood.

She clicked forward and grabbed her bag from the bed and stood in front of the mirror, taking in her appearance once again.

She smiled. Satisfied with everything, she turned. Her phone beeped before she could take another step forward. She pulled out the phone from the bag and stared at the screen, her eyes widening with a mix of surprise and gratitude.

$20,000 alert glowed on her screen. From Tristen cole. Her voice caught, stunned for a moment.

Before she could snap from the moment, a text beeped the screen.

A soft smile touched her lips as she read the messages gently, each word carrying care and slight arrogance she didn't catch or maybe she was just blind to see it.

"Check alert, babe. Just a token of $20,000 you asked for the shopping. Enjoy. I'll check on you later when I'm not swamped. Love you."

She chuckled with a mix of amusement and admiration. "Tristin is so sweet for being thoughtful to send the money I asked quickly."

She tucked the phone back into her bag and moved into the living room where the inflatable decors and of the previous night still littered like nonsense in her apartment; ceiling drapes hanging loosely like a curse, the cake spent the night on the table, untouched, the frosting slipping off, and the balloons danced gently on the roof, as though it was laughing hard over the left over and humiliation.

Evalina froze at the door, the previous night event hitting her. Fresh and hard. She had forgotten. Completely forgotten about Dominic, his boyfriend of four years so quickly.

The disappointed look in his eyes that night, she has never seen him looking like that before. Regardless, she knew Dominic was going to come back to beg her to accept him back.

His love for her had carved deep into his heart like veins, and only with her he could function well— Her wild and weird thoughts.

The ball is always in her court to play.