A DEAL WITH THE DEVILISH BILLIONAIRE

A DEAL WITH THE DEVILISH BILLIONAIRE

last updateLast Updated : 2025-03-22
By:  MHIZDARHMEYOngoing
Language: English
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Ava Hart, a fiercely independent accountant struggling to save her father from crippling debt, is forced into a contract marriage with enigmatic billionaire Damien Cross. Known as "The Devil in Armani," Damien is a ruthless businessman who leaves a trail of destroyed lives in his wake. He manipulates Ava into marrying him to secure a façade of stability that will appease his board of directors during a critical business merger. While Ava despises Damien's arrogance and cold demeanor, she reluctantly agrees to the marriage, knowing it’s the only way to save her father’s legacy. As they embark on their enemies-to-lovers journey, the tension rose with the arrival of Damien’s seductive ex-fiancée, putting them in a dangerous love triangle, and the revelation of dark secrets that could destroy them both.

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Chapter 1

1. A TWIST OF FATE

Ava Hart stared at her computer screen, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she worked through the endless stream of numbers and calculations. The small accounting firm where she worked was quiet that evening; the hum of the fluorescent lights was the only sound aside from her typing.

At twenty-six, Ava was brilliant with numbers, and it was a skill she had honed from an early age. Numbers were predictable and logical, and unlike life, they always made sense if you worked through the equation. But despite her talent, Ava’s life was anything but balanced.

She lived modestly in a two-bedroom apartment with her parents, who had fallen on hard times after her father’s small construction business went bankrupt. Her mother, once a lively florist, had stopped working to care for her husband after his health began to fail. Ava had stepped into the role of breadwinner without hesitation.

She didn’t resent the responsibility; she loved her family fiercely. Her father, Henry Hart, had always been her hero. He is kind, honest, and hardworking. Watching him struggle with guilt over their financial troubles broke her heart.

But Ava believed things would get better. They had to.

Her phone buzzed on the desk, interrupting her thoughts. She sighed, glancing at the screen. It was a message from Layla, her wealthy and glamorous best friend she met at university.

Hey, Ava! Emergency. Need you to cover for me tonight. Blind date. Usual spot.”

Ava groaned. Layla’s “emergencies” were usually trivial, but Ava couldn’t say no. Layla had helped her family financially more times than Ava could count. This was just one of the few ways she could repay her kindness.

Do I have to?” she responded, resuming her work almost immediately.

“Please! Just go. Act rude. He’s a jerk, apparently, so he won’t even mind either. Thanks, babe!”

Ava rolled her eyes but grabbed her bag reluctantly. If it was just a matter of acting rudely to scare off some self-absorbed rich guy, she could handle it, and she actually needed someone to rain her frustration on.

****

The restaurant was as extravagant as Ava expected. It had soft lighting, glittering chandeliers, and a pianist playing in the corner. It was the kind of place she couldn’t afford even on a good month.

Her date was easy to spot. He sat at a corner table, exuding an air of quiet authority. His dark, tailored suit fit perfectly, and he watched the room with a detached confidence that made her stomach turn.

Ava reminded herself why she was there. It was to act rude, send the guy packing, and call it a night without any delay.

“Mr. Cross?” she asked, feigning indifference as she approached.

He stood, extending a hand. “Ms. Layla?”

His voice was deep, smooth, and annoyingly magnetic. She ignored his outstretched hand and sat without waiting for him to pull out her chair.

“You’re late,” she said flatly.

His brow lifted slightly, but he didn’t reply. Instead, he studied her for a moment, his dark eyes sharp and assessing.

“Shall we order?” he said finally, signaling to the waiter.

Ava bit back a sigh and decided to escalate. “Actually, let’s not waste time. I’m not interested in whatever game you’re playing. I don’t need anyone to force me into a loveless marriage.”

Damien Cross leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. “Game?”

“Blind dates, contracts, whatever this is,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “I’m not here for your convenience or your money.”

To her surprise, he chuckled; it was a low and amusing sound. “Direct. I like that.”

She bristled. This wasn’t going according to her plan.

“Let me guess,” he said, leaning forward slightly. “You think I’m some arrogant billionaire who uses his money to get whatever he wants.”

“You’d be correct.” Her response was sharp

“And yet, here you are.”

Her cheeks flushed, but she held her ground. “Not for you. For my friend.”

I was tired of dragging it out. I had to let him know that both I and Layla had no intention of satisfying his need.

“I know you weren’t the one. It’s good that you cleared yourself at least,” he smiled as he raised his cup of tea

His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Then this should be easy for both of us. I’m not interested in love, and I doubt you are either. I need a temporary arrangement of a wife, in name only. Nothing more. What do you say?”

Ava blinked, caught off guard. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. I’m offering you a marriage contract. Six months, strictly business. No feelings, no strings attached. In return, I’ll pay you whatever amount you want.”

Her stomach twisted. He couldn’t know about her family’s struggles. Could he?

She stood abruptly, her chair scraping the floor. “You have the wrong person, Mr. Cross. Find someone else for your games.”

“Judging from your look and dress, you are not from a rich family. You probably need money badly.” his voice was laced with mockery.

“Darn you!” She leaned closer to him and grabbed the cup of water on the table. “You and your money stink!” The contents of the glass filled Damien’s face at the sound of the last word.

Without waiting for his response, she turned and walked out of the restaurant, her heart pounding.

Her hand had acted faster than her brain.

****

The apartment was dark when Ava arrived home. She kicked off her shoes and headed to the kitchen, expecting to find her parents watching TV or talking quietly at the table like their daily routine.

Instead, she froze at the sight before her.

Her parents were tied to chairs in the living room; their faces paled with fear. Three men in dark suits loomed over them, one of them holding a bat.

“About time,” one of the men said, turning to face her.

Ava’s heart raced as she stepped forward, her hands trembling. “What are you doing? Let them go!”

“You’re late on payments,” the man said casually, inspecting the bat in his hands. “Mr. Hayes doesn’t like delays.”

“I—I’m working on it! I know the deadline has passed, but I will surely pay for this month,” Ava stammered, her mind racing for a solution. “Please, just give me more time.”

The man sneered. “Time doesn’t pay the bills, sweetheart. Your daddy owes a lot of money, and we’re done waiting.”

“Maybe we should sell off some of his good organs. That will pay the debt,” one of the jokes.

Others chuckled at his joke that was not funny as the one talking to me walked closer to my parents.

We need to teach them some lessons so that she can be activated." He raised the bat, and Ava’s world seemed to tilt.

“Stop!” she cried, stepping between him and her parents. “I’ll get the money. Just… don’t hurt them.”

The man lowered the bat slightly, considering her. “You’ve got one week. If we don’t get the full amount, things are going to get messy.”

Ava nodded frantically, tears streaming down her face.

The men left her parents untied and left without another word, their heavy footsteps echoing in the hallway.

Ava collapsed to her knees, her hands shaking as she reached for her parents.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I’ll fix this. I promise.” Her hands trembled as she undo the rope

Her father placed a trembling hand on her shoulder. “Ava, you’ve done enough. This isn’t your burden.”

But it was. And she would find a way to save them, no matter what it took.

As she sat on the floor, holding her parents close, one thought echoed in her mind.

Damien Cross.

She had walked away from his deal once. But now she wasn’t sure she could afford to walk away again. However, she shook off the thought as fast as it came.

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18 Chapters
1. A TWIST OF FATE
Ava Hart stared at her computer screen, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she worked through the endless stream of numbers and calculations. The small accounting firm where she worked was quiet that evening; the hum of the fluorescent lights was the only sound aside from her typing.At twenty-six, Ava was brilliant with numbers, and it was a skill she had honed from an early age. Numbers were predictable and logical, and unlike life, they always made sense if you worked through the equation. But despite her talent, Ava’s life was anything but balanced.She lived modestly in a two-bedroom apartment with her parents, who had fallen on hard times after her father’s small construction business went bankrupt. Her mother, once a lively florist, had stopped working to care for her husband after his health began to fail. Ava had stepped into the role of breadwinner without hesitation.She didn’t resent the responsibility; she loved her family fiercely. Her father, Henry Hart, had always
last updateLast Updated : 2025-01-22
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2. NO OTHER WAY
Ava sat on the edge of her bed, her laptop open in front of her, the screen filled with spreadsheets and overdue notices. She rubbed her temples, trying to will away the pounding headache that had been her constant companion since the previous night. The image of her parents tied up and terrified haunted her, and the men’s threats echoed in her ears.One week. That was all the time they’d given her to come up with an astronomical amount of money which was far more than she could ever hope to earn on her meager accountant’s salary.Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen. It was her best friend, Layla.“How’s it going? Have you figured out anything yet?”Ava sighed, typing back a quick response. “No. It’s bad, Layla. Really bad. Nothing is coming forth anywhere.”Within seconds, Layla was calling. Ava picked up, grateful for the sound of her friend’s voice.“Ava, talk to me,” Layla said, her usual confident tone replaced with concern.Ava let out a shaky breath. “They showed up
last updateLast Updated : 2025-01-22
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3. THE DEVIL'S GAME
Damien Cross’s office was a fortress of glass and steel, a reflection of the man who ruled it. His reputation was legendary: a self-made billionaire who had built an empire from nothing. But beneath the polished exterior lay a man far darker than anyone could imagine. He’s a man who thrived on control, calculated ruthlessness, and the relentless pursuit of power.The marriage contract was just another tool in Damien’s arsenal. His board of directors had been growing restless, their trust shaken by recent scandals and the looming acquisition of TitanTech, a technology firm critical to expanding his empire. They wanted stability, a more humanized image of their aloof and cutthroat CEO. A wife, even a fake one, was the solution.Damien sat at his desk, the soft glow of his computer screencasting shadows on his face. Before him was Ava Hart’s profile, or rather, the one he had fabricated. The transformation was already in motion. She was no longer the struggling accountant from a lower-cl
last updateLast Updated : 2025-01-22
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4. A DANGEROUS GAME
Ava stood in front of the ornate mirror in Damien’s penthouse, her reflection barely recognizable. The sleek, emerald-green gown she wore hugged her figure perfectly, its understated elegance radiating wealth and sophistication. A diamond necklace glittered at her collarbone, matching the earrings that dangled from her ears. Her makeup was flawless, and her hair was styled into a classic updo.She looked every bit the part of Ivanna Moretti, the enigmatic daughter of a reclusive oil tycoon. But behind the perfect exterior, her nerves were a raging storm.“I still don’t think this is right. I am stepping into the deep waters without any safety jacket. Any wrong move, I’d get eaten up by the dangerous creatures,” she muttered as she checked herself out in the mirror.For a slight second, she loved what she saw but her senses quickly brought her back to reality. The transformation made her curious about what the real Ivanna looked like and where she was.“Relax,” Damien’s deep voice cut
last updateLast Updated : 2025-01-22
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5. BENEATH THE MASK
The ballroom was silent as Alessandro Rossi’s question hung in the air. His fluent Italian rolled effortlessly off his tongue, and Ava could feel the weight of every pair of eyes on her. Her pulse raced, and for a fleeting moment, panic threatened to overwhelm her.But then something clicked.Damien’s gaze bore into her, his expression unreadable, though she could sense the tension radiating from him. Whether it was adrenaline or sheer determination, Ava suddenly found herself speaking.She once had to learn Italian when her boss handed an Italian client over to her. The client had been a handful, and it was like a punishment, but she got through the pain, learned the language to a reasonable extent and was able to take care of the client. Who knew it would be helpful on a day like this?Her words came out with confidence she didn’t know she had, her Italian flowing smoothly as she answered Rossi’s query. She gestured delicately, mimicking the poise and sophistication Damien had drill
last updateLast Updated : 2025-01-22
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6. POLISHED TO PERFECTION
The days following the engagement party were a whirlwind for Ava. Damien’s promise that the “real deal” had begun now felt like an understatement. Her life became a tightly choreographed routine, every hour of her day meticulously planned by Damien’s team.Ava woke before sunrise every morning, her schedule starting with lessons designed to transform her into the perfect high-society fiancée. Though she had initially agreed to this arrangement to save her family, she hadn’t anticipated how much of herself she would have to sacrifice in the process.****“Straighten your back, Miss Hart...no, Ivanna,” the etiquette coach corrected, tapping her spine with a thin cane. “A lady of your status must exude grace in every movement.”Ava bit her tongue to hold back a retort, her muscles aching from holding the rigid posture. She had spent the past two hours balancing a book on her head while walking back and forth across the marble floor of Damien’s study.“You slouch even a little, and they’l
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-19
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7. MORE RULES
Ava sat across from Damien in the dining room, the wealthy atmosphere of her surroundings starkly contrasting the tension in the air. Damien was reviewing a document on his tablet, his expression was sharp and unreadable as always. Ava shifted uncomfortably in her seat, waiting for him to speak.Finally, he set the tablet down and looked at her. “There are some things we need to clarify.”Ava frowned slightly. “More rules?”“Precisely,” Damien replied without hesitation. “This arrangement is strictly transactional. I don’t want you getting any ideas about what this is. You’re playing a role, and nothing more.”His words were clinical, devoid of emotion, and they stung more than Ava cared to admit. She kept her face neutral, refusing to show how much his coldness affected her.“What kind of rules?” she asked, crossing her arms.“For starters,” Damien began, leaning back in his chair, “you’ll submit a weekly report detailing how your week went. I want to know everything. Every interacti
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-20
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8. BEHIND THE MASK
Ava stood on the stone pathway leading to the sprawling garden behind Damien’s estate, the crisp morning air brushing her cheeks. She had discovered the garden during one of her rare moments of solitude and immediately felt drawn to it. It was vast and meticulously maintained, with winding paths, vibrant flowerbeds, and a tranquil fountain at its heart.Here, amid the manicured beauty, she felt a small sense of peace and a fleeting escape from the rigid demands of her new life.This morning, she had planned to spend an hour exploring the garden, hoping to gather her thoughts and center herself before another grueling day. As she walked, her heels clicking softly against the stone, she rounded a corner and stopped abruptly.There, seated on a wrought-iron bench near the fountain, was Damien.But this wasn’t the Damien she had come to know, not the cold, calculating man who ruled his world with an iron fist. This Damien was different. His suit jacket lay discarded on the bench beside hi
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-22
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9. UNRAVELING THREAD
The warmth of the morning sun cast soft golden rays over Damien’s estate, but inside Ava’s room, the light barely touched her. She sat by the window with a blank sketchpad on her lap, her mind preoccupied. Her quiet life under Damien’s rules had become a strange rhythm, one she tolerated but didn’t enjoy. However, the outside world she’d left behind was beginning to stir trouble in ways she couldn’t ignore.At the small Hart family apartment, Ava’s father, Henry, paced back and forth while her mother, Clara, sat at the dining table, clutching her phone as if willing it to ring. Days had turned into weeks since they’d last spoken to Ava, and the worry was consuming them both.“Have you heard anything from Layla?” Clara asked, her voice thick with desperation.Henry shook his head. “Nothing. She keeps saying she doesn’t know what’s going on.”Clara bit her lip, tears threatening to spill. “This isn’t like Ava. She wouldn’t just vanish like this.”“She said she’d fix it,” Henry said, his
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-24
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10. A GAME OF DOUBT
Vanessa Steele was many things. She was sharp, calculating, and relentless. She prided herself on her ability to read people, and Ava, Damien’s supposedly mysterious fiancée, was no exception. From the moment Vanessa met Ava, something about her didn’t sit right.Vanessa had seen plenty of heiresses from powerful families, and they all carried themselves with an air of entitlement and effortless grace. But Ava? She was different. There was a hesitation in her movements, a guardedness that Vanessa couldn’t quite place. It wasn’t just mystery; it was inconsistency.So, Vanessa decided to do what she did best to snoop out whatever they were hiding.Vanessa’s first move was subtle. She made it a point to linger in spaces where Ava was present, watching her interactions and studying her behavior. At one such gathering, Vanessa found her opportunity. A small group of Damien’s associates had gathered in the estate’s parlor, and Ava was seated with them, sipping tea.“Darling, I hear you’ve s
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-26
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