My billionaire driver

The First GlanceThe sound of polished shoes echoed against the marble foyer.Ariana stood at the top of the staircase, arms folded in rebellion, lips set in a scowl. The heels of her feet were bare against the warm wood. She hadn’t even bothered to change out of her silk shorts and oversized hoodie.Below, the front door clicked open.And he walked in.The man her father had apparently assigned to stalk her every move.But Ariana’s breath caught — just for a second.Tall.That was the first thing she noticed.The kind of tall that made ceilings nervous. He had to be 6’4, broad-shouldered and lean, like he belonged on a runway in Milan or stepping out of a luxury car commercial.His skin was a rich golden brown, kissed by the sun but polished like a man who knew his worth. His jaw was sharp, clean-shaven, and defined enough to cut glass. Dark brows sat over intense hazel eyes, eyes that looked like they’d seen too much and said too little.His black suit clung to him like it had been

Liam adjusted the comm_linkHis jaw flexed.> “Mission is underway. Subject dropped off at campus. Defensive, spoiled, and volatile—just as her file suggested. Though I’m starting to think the file underplayed it.”The man at the other end chuckled dryly.> “You haven’t even been on the job 24 hours.”> “That’s enough to know she’s not going to make this easy. She thinks she’s in control—trying to provoke me into slipping.”A beat of silence.> “Don’t. You know what’s at stake.”Liam stared ahead at the steady stream of students walking by. Some glanced at the SUV, some didn’t. None of them could imagine the layers beneath this mission.> “Understood. I’ll update you again after pickup,” Liam said.> “Good. And Liam?”> “Yes, sir?”> “Don’t get too close. She’s not just a mission. She’s bait—whether she knows it or not.”The line went dead.Liam sighed, leaned his head back for a second, but didn’t close his eyes. He never did—not in public. Never while on duty. Especially not with he

The hallway echoed with gunfire and chaos. The marble floor of the West Wing, once polished and perfect, now bore the scars of war bullet holes, shattered vases, and streaks of crimson.“Down!” Liam barked, grabbing Ariana by the wrist and pulling her behind the grand piano toppled on its side.Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, almost louder than the bullets slicing the air. “They’re inside the house,” she gasped, her breath ragged. “How the hell—”“They had the security codes,” Liam snapped, his eyes scanning the shadows for movement. “This wasn’t a breach. It was an invitation.”Ariana ducked lower as a bullet struck the piano’s wood, splintering it inches above her head. Her hands trembled. She’d been through bomb threats and political protests. Nothing like this.“Move on my signal.” Liam slid a sleek silver pistol from a holster under his shirt, his muscles flexing with calm precision. “Three... Two... Now!”They burst from cover, Liam leading, Ariana on his heels. As they tur

The hum of Liam’s encrypted server was the only sound in the safehouse now. Outside, darkness lay thick over the rusted warehouses and skeletal cranes of the abandoned industrial zone. Inside, dim lighting cast long shadows over concrete walls and steel shelves. It was a fortress—but even fortresses could be compromised.Ariana was fast asleep, curled on the gray couch like a question mark, her face calm for the first time all day. Liam stood in the adjoining room, at a compact tech station disguised as a broken utility closet. His fingers flew over the matte-black keyboard, lines of code scrolling down a hardened monitor.Her phone lay on the table beside him, its sleek case reflecting the low light. He’d waited until she was asleep. He didn’t like digging through her personal data, but something had been off for days—and tonight confirmed it.He plugged in a black data cable and initiated a diagnostic sweep using his custom scanner.Ping.The system flashed: Secondary App Layer Dete

The rain fell harder now, slicing through the night like nails from the sky. Liam dragged Ariana behind him as they dashed from the back exit of the cathedral ruins. Ghost’s agonized shout still echoed in Ariana’s ears. “Wait—what about him?!” she cried out. “He’s gone,” Liam growled, scanning the shadows with his pistol drawn. “He knew the risk.” “You left him!” she snapped, wrenching her arm from his grip. “I saved you,” he hissed back, spinning to face her under the cover of a decaying stone arch.Ariana’s breath came out in angry gasps, chest rising and falling. “Don’t twist this! You brought me to a man you swore you'd never see. And now he’s dead because of me—because of whatever lies you’ve both been feeding me!”Liam’s jaw clenched. He looked away, rain streaking down his face.“I didn’t want you to find out like this.” “No. You never wanted me to find out at all.”A sharp silence fell between them, heavy with truth neither of them wanted to say. Gunshots crackled again