Steamy Billionaire Series Collection

MR. BEAUTIFUL CHAPTER 41

GABRIELA few hours ago…“Son, is this girl who I think she is?” Dad whispered when he brought me to the corner so others wouldn't hear. Apparently, there was no point in denying it. If there’s a family member who knew my situation, it was Dad and Coulson. Mom knew where I came from, but she didn’t thoroughly know everything, and so did Maya.

“She doesn’t have anything to do with her family. She’s also a victim. I found her again, Dad—or sheElazar Stark, the man I looked up to the most and who accepted me for who I was, patted my back, consoling me. “Are you going to tell her?”

“Soon. I’m afraid that she might run away from me. I can’t have that.”

His eyes gleamed. “You love her. Still“Yes.” I nodded. “That’s why I’m more afraid. I will tell her everything when she’s ready. She’s not, and we’re still new.”

He looked at me. “You’ve grown up to be a great man, Gabriel. Your father would be so proud of you.” He grinned.

“Well, I was raised by two great fathers,” I inserted.

“As a matter of fact, you resembled him in all ways. I see him in you all the time,” he went on. “When we became friends at Columbia University, we were inseparable. He was also always there to rescue me from my pathetic self.”

I chuckled. “You are one of the greatest men I know, Dad. I can’t picture you like that.”

“But I was and changed because of your father. He would constantly tell me that ‘Nothing will happen if you don’t try. Of course, I told you this many times already.” Indeed. And he’d never get tired of telling about it over and over.

“So he really was like you, son,” he continued. “Determined and passionate. But I just want you to be careful. The path you chose isn’t an easy road. Always make sure you are one step ahead of your enemy.”

“I’ll make sure I am ten times ahead. Don’t worry about me, Dad,” I assured. “Audrey is different. She’s not like her family.”

“She’s a very lovely girl, Gabriel. True love doesn’t come twice. Your mother wasn’t my first love, but she was my last.”

We exchanged a brief hug before I excused myself to find Audrey. I noticed that they were taking too long. I wouldn’t know what Maya was telling her…

AUDREYNowThe days in the office went by normally—normally like those days when I didn’t exist at all in his eyes. Gabriel would only call me if he needed something work-related. He stopped texting me, he would go home without letting me know, and he’d always respond to me in such a short manner.

I wanted this. Space. I asked him for it, and that’s exactly what he was giving me, but he never had been any colder.

His words to me back then kept me going. I was never going to run because there’s no point in running. I needed my job as well and having to put food on the table was also important.

Unfortunately, I still couldn’t see him as Liam Cross. He looked absolutely like the man who’d almost claimed me, but he was different now—too different that I couldn’t blame myself for thinking he was a different person.

But there were times reality would strike me. Looking at him the other way won’t change the fact that he was Liam, and I wasn’t daydreaming. The person seated in that luxurious office, holding a thousand-dollar fountain pen, wearing a designer suit, and a man who was fucking sexy as hell was Liam Cross. He was the same man who made me feel wanted and beautiful, but I couldn’t grasp the whole situation. I was still confused.

I wouldn’t know how to approach him either.

My hours went on. There was no idle time in Stark’s office. There’s always so much to do, and at this moment, I needed to deliver Mark Collins the signed documents he needed for the Sports Fest tomorrow. I sprang up to my seat when our General Manager suddenly appeared.

“Audrey.” He grinned.

“Bryan. What’s up?”

“I need you to give this to Gabriel.” He passed on the campaign-related portfolio. I grabbed the files and placed them on my desk. “Are you ready for tomorrow, Audrey?” he asked with a smile.

“Nah. Sports aren't really for me.” I chuckled.

“But you should know that it’s mandatory for everyone to join, right?”

I nodded. “I’m aware, but I’d probably just watch.”

“Oh, that means you aren’t on the team yet!” he stated cheerfully as if it was something to celebrate.

“The others asked to have me join them, but—”

“You refused,” he finished my sentence. “Very well, I’m hoping you won’t refuse me. There’s a game I want to play, but I don’t have a team for it yet. I don’t exactly need an entire team. It is played by two people.” He scratched his chin. “Do you mind being on my team?”

I blinked. I always knew Bryan was direct, but I didn’t expect that he would invite me.

“I’m not sure—” I paused as I caught sight of a tall, red-head stunning woman in an emerald dress who went into Gabriel’s office. I watched him as he moved from his seat and flashed out a very charming smile, one I didn’t get to see the past few days and kissed her cheek.

What the hell?

“Audrey? Audrey,” Bryan called, snapping me back to reality.

“Hi, yes!” I shifted my attention back to him, but then he took a glance at Gabriel’s office.

“Francesca Moretti.”

“Huh?”

“That’s Francesca Moretti. I didn’t know she was back.”

Back from where? “Who is she?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“Gabriel didn’t really say. I saw her a few times, and one, in particular, was last year at the company Christmas party. Their relationship was unclear, but they were pretty close. The first time I saw Gabriel flirting in public.” He laughed, then shrugged.

My heart clenched. Was there anything else he wasn’t telling me? Aside from having an ex-fiancée and being the man I didn’t think he was—was she another lover he wasn’t telling me?

God. Stop assuming already, Audrey. You needed space from him to think, not cloud your mind on something unnecessary.

“So, I was saying, will you join my team?”

“Oh—yeah, sure. Let’s play tomorrow. Might as well enjoy it.”

He clasped his hand. “Great! Thank you, Audrey,” Bryan said, and that was the same time I saw Gabriel with the red-head coming out of the office while clinging onto his arm, giggling as they headed to the elevator. I shut my eyes.

Bryan disappeared out of sight and continued digging into my daily task. However, I waited and waited for Gabriel to come back, but he didn’t.

***At least two hundred employees of Stark Apparel were invited to witness and join the sports fest, which was being held at Valley Golf and Polo Club in Southampton—another property of the Starks. The acres of land were spread beyond my sight’s reach. I couldn’t tell anymore where it ended. The place was also said to be featured at the Exclusive. As expected for the Starks. They always just astound people by their wealth.

The sports fest would take two days, so night lounging was provided for the players and important guests inside the estate.

While the first team started warming up for the first game, my job was still to make sure everything was in order and faultless. We had visitors from the media other than the people from the magazine and guests from another firm we had a partnership with.

I was practically occupied, walking here and there, I didn’t notice I bumped onto Gabriel and stumbled, but he caught me.

“You okay?” he asked softly, and I almost melted to earth’s core with his voice alone.

I looked up at his magnificent face and noticed he was casually dressed in a white Fendi polo shirt and sports shorts, and a pair of designer custom tennis shoes. The air almost abandoned my lungs by how much I longed for his touch again, but it’s as if I was struck by lightning when I found the red-head next to him, wearing matching clothes.

I moved away immediately. “I’m fine, Mr. Stark. I’m sorry.” I looked away from his magnetizing gaze and headed on to my actual destination, but he caught my arm and brought me back.

“Audrey, can you see me later?” he whispered near my ear, making me shiver.

“I don’t know. I promised I’d join Chelsea for dinner.” I yanked away from him, but he caught my arm again.

“I insist,” he said, and he let me go. The redhead glanced at me and flashed out a smile, but I wasn’t sure if she really was smiling at me. I shook my head to concentrate on something else, and I marched away from them.

The games went on, and it was a frantic day for everyone. I watched from the audience in the upper box but kept my eyes attentive to the situation. The game Bryan involved me with was second to the current game—which was soccer. I was told the game I participated in was actually tennis.

Peach and Chelsea, from the same department, abruptly appeared at my side, getting ready for the next game, which was volleyball. Both girls were already in their uniforms.

“God. The teams were unfair,” Peach complained, Chelsea’s partner in the department whose real name was Hailey, but she colored her hair peach. “We are against taller players.”

“Height doesn’t matter,” I said. “You have a spring on your jump, so you’re going to be fine.”

Chelsea stretched out his arms. “Looks like our bosses are playing tennis for the last games for today.”

“Hence the outfit,” Peach remarked. “But who’s with Stark today?”

“The redhead?” Chelsea asked.

“Yeah. She looks familiar.” She pointed out the lower box to our left, where Stark and the woman were sitting together watching the games.

“Francesca Moretti. She’s an Italian tennis star and an artist,” Chelsea said, which she already told me at home last night. “They’re playing in a pair today, I guess.”

“What?” My eyes grew wide.

“Oh right.” Chelsea grinned. “You must be playing against them with my boss, Audrey. How fun,” she meant the last word sarcastically because I told her Stark and I got into a fight, but I couldn’t tell her everything yet.

“You’re playing with Bryan Jameson?” Peach asked unbelievably.

“Unfortunately, we will both lose because the last time I played tennis was in high school.” I rolled my eyes. “And against a tennis star? Was Gabriel serious?”

“I think he’s serious,” Bryan’s voice mingled in our conversation. He was already in his outfit for our game later, and he studied me. “It’s still better than not having a team at all. Why don’t you change now, Audrey, so we can go for a warm-up? There’s a court out there near the polo club.”

I looked down at my outfit, and it definitely wasn’t for warming up. This morning, Bryan provided a uniform for me.

“Oh, I got it.” I nodded. “Chels?”

“Yes?”

I gave her my ledger and a pen. “Please look after this for me for a moment. You can give it to Mark later when your game is on.”

“Oh, sure.” She smiled. “Go for it, Audrey, and show Stark what you’ve got!” she said with a head’s on. She was angry at him yesterday about bringing another woman into the office, but she didn’t actually know it was me who asked him for space.

I exhaled. “He apparently doesn’t look like on the losing side.” I turned around and headed to the dressing room and laid out the uniform, and it turned out to be the same as Bryan was wearing.

It looked like a couple-vs-couple to me now. I heaved a sigh. Bryan outdid it this time, but I was thankful I wasn’t out of place.

Suddenly, I heard someone come into the dressing room, and the door was shut. I looked around and covered my almost bare self immediately, but then someone snatched me from behind, and I was pinned against the cold surface of the lockers.

“Shh.” Gabriel’s face appeared in front of me, making me gasp.

The gapless distance between us caught me off-guard, and I felt suddenly intense. “Gabriel?”

“You need to see me tonight.”

“Why? I told you I can’t.”

“I’m going to introduce you to someone.”

I gulped hard, and my heart was beating so fast again. “Who?”

“Just come, and I’ll tell you?”

“What? Your new girlfriend? No thanks.” I looked away from his gaze, but he made me face him again with his fingers on my chin.

He frowned. “You’re my girlfriend, Audrey. Don’t twist your mind out of anything else.”

“But I thought everything about us was done? You were avoiding me… not even talking to me—”

“Audrey, you’re the one who asked me for it,” he pressed. “You wanted space. I’m just giving you what you want. But allow me some of your time tonight, and I will let you go back to whatever you’re doing right now.”

“Who’s she?” I asked. My mouth just slipped. I regretted it right away.

“As I said, I will tell you later, okay? She knows about you.” He tucked some hair strands beneath my ears. “See you at the game later. Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you.” He kissed my forehead.

I smirked. “Getting cocky already?”

He stared at me for a moment as if he was going to say something else, but he left.