MR BILLIONAIRE'S REGRET: CHASING HIS IRRESISTIBLE WIFE

(ARIELLE S POV)

The rest of the morning passed quietly as I cleaned the apartment after Dwayne left. His place had a certain charm to it. It wasn't flashy, but there was a quiet allure in the way everything was arranged. Much like Dwayne himself. Effortlessly captivating. As I was about to tidy up the bed, a familiar feeling washed over me. My period had arrived earlier than expected. I quickly grabbed a spare tampon from my bag and hurried to the bathroom to check. A little blood, just as I'd thought. I sighed softly.

By the time I finished, another ten minutes had passed.

No wonder I'd been so emotional yesterday, or the back pain that kept me tossing and turning last night.

It's funny, how your body never feels like it's changing, but then, just like that, it reminds you time is slipping by, one day after another, unrelenting in its passage. How many more days like this would I have before I'd feel truly different? Life just goes on.

I should ask Dwayne if women deal with blood more often than the mafia. Especially if she's a woman in the kitchen... would the sin of killing be even worse? Thinking of this terrible joke, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself, shaking my head, pushing away the thoughts that threatened to drown me.

When I finished cleaning, folding, tidying, I took a shower in the guest room where I'd slept the previous night. I felt a little better, a little lighter.

As I rifled through the closet, not-so-surprisingly, I found some good work clothes, next to Dwayne's sharp, tailored suit.

I picked out something simple, but it fit perfectly.

Downstairs, breakfast was already set out in the kitchen, so I put things together and also made Dwayne a couple of meals to keep him going for the rest of the week. It was my little way of saying thank you to him.

The morning passed in routine actions, each one neat and orderly, but it felt like I was just going through the motions. I did my best to keep my mind focused on the present, numbing myself to everything else.

Looking at the blue door of Dwayne's house one last time before heading to work, I took a deep breath and steeled myself for the day ahead.

The restaurant was busy as usual, orders running in from customers in their dozens.

Rebecca was more than an efficient hand, running about the place like she had multiple limbs. When I had to go pick up Maverick from school, she was more than willing to step up into a more advanced role and coordinate things in my absence. It felt good to know I could rely on her.

Much later in the day, I was sitting in the kitchen, nursing a glass of wine while I did some work on my laptop.novelbin

Rebecca had sent in a ton of spreadsheets for me to go through, all reports of the day's business. I'd just returned to the house only a while ago after taking a run, leaving Maverick in the care of the babysitter. He was being sweet as always, understanding my need to take a little time for myself.

While on the run, I'd tried to think more about life without Jared and the pain I'd known him to bring to me. The space I needed, even if it was just a few moments. I'd left my phone on 'Do Not Disturb,' in case he tried reaching out, and I made a mental note that blocking him would be next on my to-do list.

I was so invested in my work when my phone beeped on the table. I looked at the screen and found I was a text message from Ashley. I quickly put my laptop aside and picked up the phone.

'No need to worry about the money anymore. There's a chance my family's business can be saved." the message read with a blink emoji.

For a moment confusion clouded my mind, before I suddenly remembered everything. I'd been so carried away with the events of the previous night to remember I had better things to worry about. Things concerning the people who genuinely mattered to and cared about me.

I chastised myself and tapped away on her contact to dial her number. It went straight to voicemail after the first ring. I sighed, about to leave a message, when my phone vibrated again. It was Ashley calling back.

"Hello? Arielle? Christ! Where did you keep your phone? I've been trying to call you all day," Ashley's voice sounded, the concern in her tone unmistakable.

"Oh please forgive me Ash. There's just been so much going on with me lately. I'm so sorry. I got your text. What's the big news?"

I heard her sigh on the other end, but there was a tinge of hope and excitement in her voice when she spoke again. "I'm not sure, Ari," she began, "But I spoke with my boss earlier today and he gave me an address. Said there was someone there who could help me." "An address?" I slightly frowned, "Well, guess we'd just have to book an appointment with this fellow then. Oh wait.. we don't know who he is. Or she is. Heck, we don't know anything about them," I joked with an underlying tone of reason. "Haha, very funny girl," Ashley remarked with apt sarcasm in her voice.

I chuckled before my expression turned serious again. "Just seriously though.. why won't your boss just give you a proper name and perhaps a picture. Y'know.. something more concrete to work with? Like the whole detail? He's weird." "Oh Ari..." Ashley sighed with a little hesitation in her tone. She kept mute for a couple of seconds before speaking again. "He's not a bad person, y'know. Really."

I raised an eyebrow, having no idea where that comment came from. "Really? Well that's pretty rich coming from the same mouth who called her boss a bloodsucking workaholic capitalist."

"Oh sh..," Ashley cursed in mortification and the line went oddly silent for a minute.

I was about to call out to her after a while when I heard a voice come from the other end with a rather mildly irritated note.

"Bloodsucking really, Miss Tompson? When did I suck your blood?"

It was a man's and I was left wondering what Ashley was doing out with a man so late in the day. And it didn't make any sense that she didn't think it worthy enough to tell me we always spoke about things of the nature before anything serious came out of it. "Ash? Who's that?" I asked, genuinely worried for my friend. I heard Ashley's voice come lightly in the background as she spoke to whoever it was. I strained my ears to make out their words and a wave of recognition hit me. I found the male voice familiar. "Wait... Is that Mr. Roman? Is that you? Ashley what is your boss doing over at yours so late in the day?"

The line went silent, and I could hear a click on the other end-Ashley had hung up.

I stared at the phone for a moment, stuck in a mix of surprise and confusion. A whirlpool of possibilities swirled in my head and my thoughts jumped from one end to the other,, a playful yet suspicious smile creeping onto my face. What in the world are these two up to...?

I put my phone down on the table to return to my work when I heard two pairs of feet pattering towards me.

"Mommy? I can't sleep. Can you come stay with me?" Maverick asked softly. I pulled him in close and planted a kiss on his forehead.

"I told you momma's got you, okay?"

I asked and lifted him off the ground.

He nodded, rubbing his eyes sleepily as he snuggled into my neck. I led him to the bedroom and tucked h kim in, before slipping into the tiny space beside him. We held our arms around each other and soon fell asleep.

Morning came sooner than I'd expected. I had planned to go with Ashley to the address Mr. Roman had provided her with.

We were driving in my car. I had my reservations and concerns about the entire development but I kept my thoughts to myself so I didn't come across to Ashley as pessimistic. Whatever she was willing to share, that I was willing to take. If she didn't, I wouldn't pry.

Besides, we had more pressing matters to worry about. What if this person who we were supposed to meet wasn't entirely invested in the idea of offering us any help?

Be optimistic, Arielle, I cautioned myself inwardly.

"Hey, you good?" I asked, glancing at Ashley in the passenger seat. I could feel the anxiety radiating from her, even though she was doing her best to hide it. "Yeah. Sure," she shrugged with a little smile.

I didn't buy it but I didn't press any further. I focused on the road for the rest of the drive and only hoped for the best.

As we approached the location, I felt a knot tie up in my stomach. It looked very familiar.

"You sure this is the address?" I asked Ashley, my stomach tightening with dread.

"Yeah. Why?" Ashley asked with a little frown. "Anything that matters?"

I pulled the car into the driveway of a large, luxurious villa, and the recognition hit me like a ton of bricks. "I think... This is one of Jared's holiday homes. He hardly ever comes out here, though," I said, turning off the engine. Ashley's eyes grew wide in realization and her facial features were instantly drawn out in a frown. "You can't be serious! How could Roman send us all the way out here to meet Jared? That.. that..," she launched into a tirade of curses.

I couldn't tell which one was meat for who, because she seemed intent on taking a dig at both men her boss and Jared.

"Relax. Mr. Roman probably didn't

know who he was sending you to. Besides, how could he have known I'd come with you?" I reasoned, trying to steady my nerves. "This place is somewhere Jared rarely goes to. I've only been here once. There might be someone else living here. I might be wrong."

"Oh, please," Ashley muttered under her breath as we climbed out of the car.

As we walked further into the large premises, I couldn't shake off the growing feeling of awkwardness brewing in my stomach. I was very skeptical about our supposed host-whoever they were. What ties did they have with Jared?

I didn't want to be the one to stop Ashley from getting the help she needed, not when her family was counting on it. But the moment I rang the doorbell, I instantly regretted my hesitation.

The moment the door swung open, I froze. Standing there, framed by the doorway, was the last person I ever expected to see.

"Sofia?" Ashley's voice cracked as she cried out, her disbelief hanging in the air. The woman in front of us was unmistakably Sofia-her face unreadable, as usual, but it was her.

My breathing hitched in my throat. I could feel the same reaction coming off of Ashley beside me as well. And before either of us could say a word, a second voice called from behind Sofia. It was calm yet commanding and very unmistakable.

"Arielle. Ashley. Come on in," said Jared's mother.