THE ACCIDENTAL BILLIONAIRE

buzzed in the air as I stood in the corner, my grip on the glass of champagne a little tighter than it needed to be. My engagement party was supposed to celebrate love, yet it felt like a masquerade. The tension between James-my fiancé-and Sabrina-my stepsister-was palpable, darkening the evening with glances and whispered secrets.Sabrina came right up to me, smiling slyly; her sequined dress flashed in the light. "Victoria," she purred, holding out her phone. My stomach curled over as she jammed the screen right in my face. A series of pictures stared back at me--James and Sabrina, arms entwined in intimate poses, faces inches from each other."Surprised?" she sneered, her voice full of triumph.I swallowed the lump in my throat, my fingers trembling. "Why are you doing this?" I whispered."Because I can," she replied smugly. "And because you'll never be good enough for him."Her words pierced through me, but before I could respond, Sabrina grabbed my arm. "Let's make this evening

"I couldn't find a bathrobe in my size," Adrian said casually, breaking the silence."Oh, right. I'll order you one," I replied, busying myself with packing James's things. I couldn't bring myself to look directly at him again, so I focused on stuffing items into a cardboard box.Adrian's brow furrowed as he watched me. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice low but filled with concern. "What's all this? Are you okay?"I blew out a breath, stopping midway in my actions. "Just putting James's stuff out," I muttered, the bitterness creeping into my tone. "Five years of supporting a guy through grad school, and this is what I'm left with.Adrian moved closer, his hand lightly touching mine as he took the box from me and put it to one side. "You don't have to do this by yourself," he said quietly, his lips curving into a small, sympathetic smile.His compassion threw me, but before I could say anything, he leaned down, his face so near I could feel the warmth of his breath.What are you doin

James burst into his office, his anger now converted into resolve. If Lloyd Corporation wanted war, he would give them war."Get the PR team in," James told his assistant, Kelly, as he slung his coat onto the chair.Kelly looked hesitant. "Sir, are you sure that's a wise move? Lloyd Corporation's reputation is—"I don't care about their reputation!" James snapped, his voice cold and sharp. "They think they can humiliate Cox Corporation by pulling out of our projects? They think they can crush us without consequences?"Kelly nodded nervously and left the room to call the team.A Strategic Smear CampaignWithin an hour, James had his PR team assembled in the conference room. He paced back and forth, laying out his plan."We're going to flip the narrative," he began. "I want a statement released immediately claiming that Lloyd Corporation cut ties with us because they're trying to steal our designs."One of the PR managers, Sarah, raised her hand. "But do we have any evidence to back tha