Chapter 1

Ian silently tapped his phone before tossing it aside onto the sleek leather seat of the Maybach. He was supposed to be at his hotel, preparing for his wedding which was the next day, but instead, he was on his way back to his house because his assistant forgot all the documents he needed for the shareholder meetings that would be held the day after his wedding. He couldn’t afford to not review everything before time. The culprit was shivering in the passenger’s seat beside the chauffeur, Ian would deal with him later.

His goal was to get all the shares away from the wrong people. His grandfather, Alexander Carter Hills, was the one with the most shares. Everyone else had collectively 5%. The only downside was that in his old age, he started thinking solely with emotions. Leaving such a formidable amount of power in the hands of the old man would be akin to a death sentence for the conglomerate. This made his well-meaning grandfather “the wrong person”.

“Can you drive faster?”, He asked his chauffeur coldly. The man in question nodded wordlessly and sped up, staying just below the speed limit. 

Ian pinched his brows, his body felt like each part was being pulled away by a tight string and his suit was feeling too stuffy. He had a bad premonition for some reason, the feeling washing over him like violent waves crashing on the shore.

Sixteen hours. He’d heard the news and had been told by journalists so many times now. It was like the rest of the world doubted Ian could keep track of his impending nuptials and needed to remind him at regular intervals, in case. 

The gate to the villa was finally in his sight, he expected the bad feeling to leave since he was at one of his favorite houses again, but it only increased. 

“I’ll be back in a minute”. He grit his teeth and stalked up the stairs. He would get the files and get back to the hotel, then endure the long ceremony that everyone and their mother wanted to attend.

He looked around the study and didn’t find it, where did the inept assistant put it? He walked back out and his eyes caught on his open bedroom door. Which of the housekeepers came back here without his knowledge? And why did they leave his door open? Everyone knew it was off-limits. Someone would be fired after the wedding.

The files were resting right on his bedside table, where he left them before he asked his assistant to grab them. Unfortunately, the files weren’t what caught his attention. Oh no, his attention was fully held by the naked man and woman practicing really hard for the award of best pornographers right on his expensive matte black sheets.

He held his breath and understood what the premonition was all about, after all, his instincts were never wrong. There his fiancee was, riding his nemesis like a master equestrian. She always said she was proficient at riding horses, he could certainly see her talent.

Despite rumors constantly circulating that Ian was a heartless monster with no human feelings, the sight was like a dagger to his heart. Theirs wasn’t a love match by any means, but he had at least hoped they would eventually warm up to each other as their marriage progressed. The only word echoing in his mind was betrayal.

If at all she was going to give herself to another man, did it have to be the bastard that wanted his downfall the most? He grit his teeth and held back the torrent of pain that struck him down to his core. 

“In my bedroom? There are twelve rooms in this house”, Ian smiled sardonically.

Mava, his cheating fiancee, gasped and looked in his direction before trying to hide her face, like she hadn’t just been moaning compositions that would put Beethoven to shame. She quickly tried to grab his blankets to cover her body. Another emotion coursed through him. Disgust.

Was this the woman he would eventually procreate with? 

“Get out”, he said coolly, trying to rein in the sheer wave of negative emotions roiling through him. 

“I-I-I can explain! Please let me explain!”, She put both hands together and looked at him through her lashes with tears glistening in her eyes. Ian felt his disgust quadruple. He hated when people tried to gaslight him with tears.

“Get out.”, he said and grabbed the files. He could only hope that Mark, his eternal rival and the man currently butt naked in his bed hadn’t gone through it. Just in case, he’d have to modify it. And also maybe burn the bed, and disinfect the walls. He would tell his assistants to fumigate the house later.

“What a man you are, huh buddie? You want an a-lister actress to get out in public so her career could be ruined?“, Mark taunted with a smile. Who let the idiot in here in the first place? He would sell this villa. It was permeated with useless security guards. 

He ignored the man’s words and walked out, it was a smart decision on his own part to never let her get into his study. There was no assurance that she wasn’t actually feeding the other man information.

He was past the threshold of the front door when he was hugged from behind by the woman. 

He turned like he was shot and shoved her away. “Don’t touch me”, he said with an irritated glance at the woman who was currently crying a river.

“Y-you never act like you care about me!”, she accused, keeping her face in her hands.The woman's demeanor was one of pitiful vulnerability. Her shoulders slumped and her voice quivered as she spoke, each word laced with a fragile desperation. With a quivering lip and trembling hands, she painted a portrait of someone who had been deeply wounded, both in spirit and in heart. 

She was a very good actress.

“The wedding's off”, Ian deadpanned and walked straight into the car. 

"What?! You can't call it off!", She shrieked. Ian wasn't aware such a sound could come from a human being. 

"I just did", he sat inside and closed the door.

"You can't! My fans will protest! People will boycott your company! Your stocks will fall! Think properly before you mess things up for yourself", she cried with thinly veiled threats. Who did she think she was?

She was the only one with benefits in the entire debacle, she would be Mrs Hills. It would serve to increase her popularity and power. He didn't benefit anything, other than a person to bear an heir, and he was sure he didn't want any member of his bloodline being related to the nasty creature before him.

"We'll deal with it", he rolled up the windows and the chauffeur immediately began to drive away from the villa. He never really liked the villa anyways, he'd demolish it and make a community park.

~

The moment he stepped into his hotel, he got a call. He checked the caller ID and felt his insides shrivel up.