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CHAPTER 104: "A NIGHT MEANT FOR US"
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2025-04-23 22:44:51
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IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER 105: A GLITCH IN THE PLAN
NATHAN'S POVAfter I complimented Islaâs dress and told her how beautiful she looked, her smile lit up like the night sky. I offered her my arm, and she gently held onto it as we headed to the car. I walked to the passenger side, opened the door like a gentleman, and she stepped in with a playful smile.âThank you, sir,â she teased.âOnly the best treatment for the prettiest girl in the city,â I replied, grinning as I closed the door behind her and moved to the driverâs seat.It wasnât a long drive, but I took my time. I wanted the night to go slow, to take it all inâher presence, her smile, and the chance to show her how I truly felt. I had been planning this night for days. Iâd checked everything twice, from the wine list to the table view. I wanted it to be perfect, something she would remember.When we got to the restaurant, it was glowing with soft golden lights. Everything looked perfect from the outside. I parked the car and quickly walked around to open Islaâs door again. She
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-04-24IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER 106: A FAMILIAR VOICE
ISLAâS POVNathan and I were already seated at the restaurant. The food had just arrived, and we had started eating. I couldnât help but smile at how peaceful and natural it felt. We talked about our favorite meals, and Nathan kept making me laugh with silly food jokes. I didnât realize how much Iâd missed this â laughing freely, feeling seen, and justâĶ happy.Nathan looked up at me with a boyish grin. âThis is nice, right?âI nodded, my heart fluttering a little. âYeah. It is.âWe continued eating, sharing bites from each otherâs plates and laughing over how I liked my pasta creamier while he preferred his spicy. We had barely made it halfway through our meal when something shifted.A voice. A familiar one.My fork paused mid-air.I knew that voice.âIsla?âI turned my head slowly, my stomach tightening as my eyes met his. Victor.He stood just a few steps away from our table, dressed in a crisp dark suit, looking just as surprised as I was.âVictor?â I said, stunned. âWowâĶ itâs been
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-04-25IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER 107: STIRRED EMOTIONS
ISLA'S POV I shouldâve known the calm wouldnât last long. Something about the way Nathan held my hand as we walked out of the restaurant made my heart race, but that peace was fleeting. The night had gone perfectlyâuntil now.It just a night, and I hadnât stopped smiling since that dinner. Nathan had kissed me gently after driving me home, and it wasnât just a kissâit was a promise. But promises have a way of being tested.I had no idea that stepping into Nathan's apartment would shake me up the way it did. After the incredible dinner we shared last night, I had a strange urge to surprise himâjust a casual drop-in to bring him break fast, maybe a slice of my favorite pie from that little corner bakery I knew he liked too. Something light. Something romantic. I guess I just wanted to see his smile again.Not in that awkward âHi, Iâm meeting you for the first timeâ kind of way. No. We had met before.She was the woman Nathan hugged warmly. Iâd known there was a history between them. Na
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-04-25IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER 108 : TANGLED HEARTS
ISLAâS POVThe memory of seeing Sienna in Nathanâs apartment still burned at the edges of my thoughts. I wasnât angryâat least, not in the way I had expected. But I was confused. It felt like pieces of a puzzle I didnât know I was solving were being scattered again. Nathan had explained it all: she needed help, it was temporary, she was moving out soon. But that didnât make it easier. Knowing Sienna had been in his space, the same space Iâd come to feel safe in, twisted something in my chest.Still, I pushed through my day at the office, handling back-to-back meetings and trying to focus on my work. Judith must have sensed something off because she nudged my arm during a break and whispered, âYou sure youâre okay? Youâre staring at your coffee like it said something offensive.âI laughed softly. âIâm fine. Just tired.ââYou sure itâs not âNathanâs-ex-roommate-is-hot-and-still-kinda-thereâ tired?â Judith grinned, clearly trying to lift my mood.I gave her a look. âNot funny.ââOkay, ok
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-04-25IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER 109: THE ART OF CONNECTION
ISLA'S POV The morning light filtered through the blinds, casting a soft glow across my apartment. I sat at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in hand, my thoughts swirling like the steam rising from the mug. The events of the past few days played in my mindâNathan's unexpected kiss, the lingering tension between us, and the invitation from Tasha. It all felt like a whirlwind, and I was caught in the middle, unsure of where I stood.I glanced at my phone, noting the time. I had a meeting with Tasha later today to discuss the upcoming event at her gallery. She had mentioned it briefly when we met, but now it seemed more significant. The idea of merging corporate events with creative showcases was intriguing, and I couldn't help but wonder how Nathan would fit into this world.As I sipped my coffee, I thought about Nathan. He had been distant lately, his usual warmth replaced with an air of mystery. I couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something, something important. But wha
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-04-26IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER 110: "SHADOWS IN THE SPOTLIGHT"
ISLA'S POV The lights inside the gallery shimmered like stars caught in motion, casting warmth over sleek canvases, glass sculptures, and colorfully dressed guests weaving in and out of conversations. The event was going smoothlyâTashaâs idea to merge creative exhibitions with culinary excellence had turned out to be brilliant. Nathanâs corner had drawn a crowd, as expected. People werenât just eatingâthey were savoring. Even the art enthusiasts lingered around his table longer than necessary, sampling delicate bites and engaging him in cheerful banter. Isla watched him, a soft smile playing at her lips. He moved with grace and humility, laughing modestly when someone complimented his smoked truffle crostini or lavender lemon tart. âThis is a hit,â Tasha whispered beside her, sipping a glass of Prosecco. âYou were right about him. Everyoneâs raving.â âIâm glad,â Isla replied. âHe deserves this. Heâs been hiding too long.â âIs he always this humble?â Tasha asked, raising an eyebro
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-04-26IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER 111: CROSSROADS AND CONVERSATIONS
NATHANâS POVI wasnât planning to see Sienna that day.Sheâd called earlier in the morning asking if I still had the spare keys to my old apartment. Apparently, a few of her belongings were still tucked away in the hallway closetâleft behind from the chapter of our lives I preferred to leave unread. I told her Iâd be at the restaurant all day and she could swing by to pick the key up there.The Yard was already buzzing with energy when she arrived, her signature scent trailing in ahead of her. She had always been composedâpolished like fine silverâbut today there was something lighter in her steps. Maybe it was the sun or the scent of rosemary in the air, but even I couldnât deny how easily she still blended into places like this.âStill my favorite spot,â she smiled as she slid into a booth near the corner.I nodded, handing her the key across the counter. âFigured youâd show up before lunch. Still remember your usual?âSienna glanced at the chalkboard menu and laughed softly. âYou h
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-04-26IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER 112 : A DANGEROUS DEAL
VICTOR'S POVIt was strange how easy it became to talk to Sienna after that night at Nathanâs restaurant.What started with a simple exchange of numbers turned into casual chats every other day.Nothing serious at first â just random conversations about life, work, memories from our different paths.But tonight, something shifted.We found ourselves sitting outside a small coffee shop, two cups of coffee warming our hands while the cool evening breeze brushed past us.Sienna was watching the busy street, a faint smile on her lips, looking like she was somewhere else entirely.I took a sip of my coffee, then said, âYou know, I noticed something the other day.âShe turned to me, one brow raised, curious. âOh yeah? What's that?ââThe way you look at Nathan,â I said, keeping my voice casual but steady. âItâs... different.âFor a second, she froze â just a small flicker across her face before she hid it with a laugh.But I caught it.I saw through the smile she tried to wear like armor.âY
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-04-27
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IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER 132: A FUTURE TOGETHER
VICTOR'S POVI leaned back in the chair, staring out the window as the city stretched endlessly before me. My mind was cluttered, not with the chaos of the world outside but with thoughts of Sienna. The woman who had unexpectedly come into my life and made me see things from a perspective I never thought possible. She was beautiful, strong, and confident, and I couldnât have been more grateful for her presence. But lately, I couldnât help but feel a strange sense of uneaseâa feeling that things were shifting, and I needed to make sure we were both on the same page.Our relationship had been growing steadily, and weâd reached a point where we were living together. It felt like the natural next step for us. But as much as I loved her, there was something about the future that I hadnât yet confronted. I had spent so much time building my career in the fashion industry, creating a name for myself, and handling the endless demands of clients, but I was starting to see that I couldnât do it
IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER 131: THE UNEXPECTED INVESTOR
NATHAN'S POVThe morning light broke through the glass windows of my restaurant, casting long shadows across the polished floors. The atmosphere was different nowâcalmer, more refined. I couldnât help but stare at the space with a sense of pride. This was itâthe culmination of everything Iâd worked for, everything Iâd fought to rebuild after the fire that nearly destroyed me. The grand opening had been a success beyond my expectations, and the momentum was building.New customers were coming in, the buzz around the restaurant was palpable, and I had a growing list of people eager to invest in the business. It was a far cry from the old days, when I could barely keep the place running. Now, I had international clients showing interest, and local influencers were raving about the food. It was almost surreal. If you had told me a year ago that Iâd be in this position, I wouldnât have believed it. But here I was, standing at the helm of a thriving restaurant, ready to take it to the next
IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER 130: "FLAMES OF VICTORY"
NATHAN'S POVThere are few moments in life when everything feels exactly rightâwhen every ounce of pain, sweat, and late nights comes together into something that makes you believe in yourself all over again. That was what my grand opening felt like.My new restaurant wasnât just bigger. It wasnât just more luxurious. It was me, reborn.The space gleamed with copper accents, ambient lights, and marble counters that caught the reflection of every glass raised in celebration. The open kitchen concept allowed guests to watch us in action, the aroma of seared herbs, sizzling garlic, and glazed duck drifting across the room. There were private dining rooms now, soundproofed for VIP guests, with curated wine lists and personal chefs. We even had a rooftop lounge with a skyline view that made you forget you were still in the city.I had poured my heart into every detailâfrom the hand-carved wooden sign that bore my name to the recipe cards we handed out like pieces of art. I hired a stronger
IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER 129: "SHADOWS AT THE TOP"
ISLA'S POVI had always known Lucas wouldn't go down without a fight. But I never expected him to fight this dirty. Every morning I walked into the office now, I braced myself for the newest headline, whisper, or suspicious glance. My name had been dragged through boardroom gossip, backchannel emails, and anonymous memos. All fingers pointed at one person: Lucas.Ever since I helped Nathan, Lucas had made it his mission to tear me down. He couldnât touch me directlyâat least not in a way that would be obviousâbut his games were relentless. Strategic leaks to the media. Internal rumors that I forged financial reports. Claims that I was emotionally compromised and prioritizing personal relationships over the companyâs future. It was all carefully designed to paint me as a liability.But I wasnât about to back down.At work, I held my head high, keeping my focus razor-sharp. If Lucas wanted a war, heâd get one. Only, I wouldnât fight him the way he expected. Heâd try to rattle me, make m
IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER128: "UNFINISHED PAGES"
NATHAN'S POV hadnât planned on stopping by Islaâs apartment, but after another late night of overseeing the renovation of my new restaurant, something in me craved the familiarity of her presence. It had been a long few months since the fire. A long few months since everything blew upâliterally and emotionally.She opened the door with a blanket over her shoulders, her eyes slightly puffy, like she hadnât been sleeping well either. We didnât say much at first. Sometimes silence was our safe space.The new restaurant was finally coming together.I stood in the middle of the main floor, tools still scattered, the scent of fresh paint still clinging to the air. It wasn't just a rebuild. This was something betterâa new version of everything I wanted to be. A statement. A fresh start.But even as I stood there, admiring the polished countertops and the ambient lighting we tested last night, my mind wandered.Victor.Sienna.I didnât hate him. I couldnât. Victor was a good man, even if his
IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER 127: WHEN LOVE FINDS A HOME
SIENNA'S POVI donât know when exactly it happenedâwhen Victor stopped being just the man Isla used to love and started becoming the man I couldn't stop thinking about.Maybe it was in the little momentsâlike our late-night phone calls, or how heâd drive across town just to bring me food when I had a long day. Maybe it was in the way he looked at me, as though I was the only thing in his world that made sense. Love didnât hit me like a train. It came slowly, gently, until suddenly I couldnât imagine my life without Victor in it.I still remember the way he asked me to move in with him. We were sitting on his couch, legs tangled together under a throw blanket, watching an old rom-com. I had just made a snarky comment about how unrealistic the couple in the movie was, when he turned to me, his voice calm but deliberate."What if we tried it?"I looked at him, confused. "Tried what?""Living together. You and me."My heart skipped a beat.He smiled when he saw the look on my face. "I kn
IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER 126 TITLE: "SMOKE AND SECRETS"
SIENNA'S POVWhen Nathan told me about the fire in his restaurant, my heart dropped. The words came out casuallyâlike it was just another rough dayâbut I could feel the weight behind them. I stared at him, waiting for him to say it was a joke or maybe an exaggeration. He didnât.âWaitâwhat?â I asked, almost breathless. âYour restaurantâĶ it burned down?âHe gave me a quiet nod, eyes slightly distant, as if replaying the moment in his head. âLast night. Caught me off guard.âI stood frozen in his living room, my fingers tightening around the edge of my phone. âOh my God, Nathan. Are you okay?ââIâm fine. JustâĶ pissed.â He rubbed his hand through his hair. âEverything was gone. Tables. Kitchen. DÃĐcor. Even the cash register melted.âI moved to sit beside him on the couch. âDo you know what caused it?âNathanâs jaw clenched. âIâm sure it was Lucas.âThe name sent a wave of anger through meeven though I don't even know who he hisNathan then told me how he had been making him and Isla liv
IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER 125: FEELINGS, FLAMES, AND FRIENDS
SIENNAâS POVIâve always liked having things figured out. Plans. Boundaries. No room for surprises.But lately, Victor has been nothing but a surprise.He asked me out yesterday.And the strange part? I wasnât shocked.Not because I saw it coming, but because deep downâif Iâm being completely honest with myselfâIâd been waiting for it. Hoping for it, maybe. Even if I didnât want to admit it.Thereâs been thisâĶ spark between us. A silent pull. We dance around it every time we talk. We laugh too much, our conversations last too long, and we look at each other just a second too slowly.There were never any secret feelings. No big, buried truth. Just a growing, electric sort of chemistry I kept ignoring.Until I couldnât.Until he asked me out.And I shouldâve told him before he did. I shouldâve said, Hey, this thing between us? Itâs not just you. I feel it too.But I didnât.And now heâs launched the idea of us, and Iâm floating somewhere between giddy and terrified.Because I like him.
IT'S A JOB, NOT A RELATIONSHIP, MR. BILLIONAIRE Â Â Â CHAPTER 124: A PROPER KIND OF TROUBLE
VICTORâS POVThere were exactly three things I was good at: solving problems, handling pressure, and pretending like I wasnât slowly falling for Sienna Collins.The last one? Not going so well lately.She had this habit of showing up in my head at random timesâduring meetings, workouts, even while I brushed my teeth. Iâd hear something funny and instantly think, Sienna would laugh at this, or smell something that reminded me of the cinnamon scent she always carried, like she rolled in fresh bakery air every morning.It was annoying.And addictive.We hadnât called it anythingâwhatever this was between us. We hadnât kissed. We hadnât confessed anything. But the tension? It was there. Palpable. Thick enough to stir with a spoon.So I did the only reasonable thing a grown man with mildly obsessive thoughts could do.I planned a date.A real one. With no interruptions, Just her. And me.And possibly a small romantic ambush.---I picked the spot carefully. A rooftop garden restaurant in
