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Chapter 7: Shadows of Recognition
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2025-05-19 21:05:24Chapter 7: Shadows of Recognition
Theo wasn’t the type of man who chased after women. He didn’t have to. Women came to him, clung to him, tried to stay in his orbit like moths to flame. But now, with a half-finished glass of scotch on the table and the echo of a broken wine bottle still in his ears, he found himself standing, pulse alert, and instincts sharpened. That waitress—he knew that body. The shape of her eyes. The tension in her breath when she looked at him. It had to be her. He stepped out of the room, scanning the hallway. It was empty. Too quiet. He moved with quiet precision, checking corners, glancing into the stairwell. But she had vanished like smoke. “Dammit,” he muttered under his breath. He wasn’t giving up that easily. --- Janine’s fingers trembled as she tried to screw the wine cap back on. Her chest rose and fell quickly. The cold air from the wine storage room should’ve cooled her nerves, but instead, it only amplified her fear. Why is he here? Why is he looking at me like that? She clutched the bottle tighter and tried to regulate her breathing. “That night was nothing to him,” she whispered bitterly to herself. “Just another conquest. So why the hell is he acting like… like he cares who I am?” That thought alone made her head spin. The door creaked open behind her, and she nearly jumped. It was Cariza, her co-worker, a warm-faced girl with thick lashes and a protective aura. “Hey, you okay?” Janine plastered on a fake smile, but her voice was barely steady. “Yeah. Just… dizzy, I think. Maybe I need water.” Cariza frowned. “Girl, you’re pale. Just go home. I’ll cover for you. I’ll deliver the wine to Room 3.” Janine hesitated. “You sure?” “Of course. You’re always picking up my slack. Consider it payback.” Grateful and panicked at the same time, Janine grabbed her tote bag, pulled her cap low over her forehead, and looped a disposable mask around her ears. It wasn’t much—but with luck, it would be just enough. --- Theo made his way toward the staff corridor. He couldn’t barge into the back, not without causing a scene, but he waited near the side entrance where waitresses usually emerged to serve. He watched the door. Waited. And then—movement. A woman in a cap and mask stepped out, clutching her bag, her posture stiff and hurried. Something about her stride, the slope of her shoulders—it stopped Theo in his tracks. He narrowed his eyes. It could be her. “Excuse me!” he called out, taking a step forward. She flinched, but didn’t look up. Instead, she kept walking faster, nearly breaking into a run. Theo’s suspicions lit like fire. “Hey! You!” But by the time he reached the door and stepped outside, she was gone. Disappeared into the crowd of city workers, bar-hoppers, and shadows. He stood there, jaw tight, watching the empty street. So close. Again. --- Janine didn’t stop walking until she was two blocks away. Her feet ached, but the adrenaline pushed her forward. She ducked into a nearby alley, leaned against the brick wall, and tore off her mask, breathing heavily. “God…” she whispered, tears pricking her eyes. “Why now?” That man—Theo—wasn't supposed to remember her. Wasn't supposed to search for her. He belonged to a world so far above hers that even a one-night collision should have disappeared in his mind like smoke. But now, everything was collapsing. Her carefully constructed wall, her distance, her silence. What does he want? she thought bitterly. Closure? Revenge? Possession? Whatever it was, she couldn’t let herself get sucked in. She had a family to take care of. A life to hold together. She had no place dancing near a man like Theo. No matter how her body remembered his touch. No matter how her heart had stupidly whispered his name in the dark. --- Back in the bar, Cariza returned to the VIP room and set the fresh bottle of wine on the table with a practiced smile. “Apologies for the wait, gentlemen. Enjoy.” Theo turned to her, sharp eyes locked in. “You—you’re not the one from earlier.” Cariza blinked. “Oh. You mean Janine? She wasn’t feeling well. I took over for her.” Theo's jaw flexed. Janine. So that was her real name. “Do you know where she went?” Cariza gave him a cautious look. “She went home.” “Where does she live?” “I’m sorry, sir,” Cariza replied politely, her smile firm but professional. “We don’t give out private information about our employees.” Theo didn’t argue. Not there. Not with an audience. But now he had a name. Janine. And that was all he needed.
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That Night With The Billionaire Chapter 34: Quiet Gestures
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That Night With The Billionaire Chapter 33: A Mother's Questions, A Daughter's Lies
Janine visited her mother again that day. She had asked Theo for permission, and to her surprise, he agreed with only a brief nod. His driver was waiting for her in the parking lot, patient and quiet as ever. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the anxious energy running through her body. She had one goal today: to spend peaceful time with her mother without letting anything else interfere. When she arrived at the hospital, her mother’s eyes lit up like the sun. “How are you, Ma?” Janine greeted her warmly, leaning in to kiss her on the forehead. Her mother’s fragile smile sent a wave of relief and tenderness washing over Janine. “Better, thank you, Janine,” her mother said, her voice soft but steady. The smile on her face was a balm for Janine’s weary soul, easing some of the weight she carried in her heart. Janine smiled back and pulled up a chair closer to the bed. She started to peel a crisp apple, cutting the slices thin and neat. The small, simple gesture made her feel l
That Night With The Billionaire Chapter 32: Chains and Choices
Janine was still angry. Her chest was tight with resentment from their last confrontation—Theo’s possessive outburst, the harsh words that left her feeling small. She wanted to leave, to be far away from the suffocating hold he had over her life. But she knew she couldn’t—not now, not yet. Every time she thought of packing her bags and disappearing, she was reminded of her mother, still weak in the hospital, and her siblings, who relied on her to make sure they had a chance at a future. If she left Theo now, she would break the contract she had agreed to—no money for her mother’s medicine, no money for her siblings’ school fees. She knew she could work herself to exhaustion in some other job, but there was no guarantee she’d earn enough to cover everything. That was the reality she faced. Some would say she was stupid for staying, that she should fight for her dignity. But dignity didn’t fill stomachs or pay hospital bills. For Janine, staying was the only choice she could live with
That Night With The Billionaire Chapter 31: Tangled Hearts and Tempers
After leaving the bar, Theo drove around the city in a haze. The alcohol had numbed some of the anger swirling inside him, but not all of it. Mark’s teasing had only reminded him of the mess he’d made with Janine. She was in his penthouse, behind a closed door, probably crying. And he was the reason why.He parked outside the building and sat in the car for a while, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. In his mind, all he could see was Janine’s face when she’d looked at that man—Javier. Theo didn’t want to think about what they’d been talking about or how she’d smiled at him.Stay away from him, he thought. Stay the fuck away from him.When he finally made it up to the penthouse, the place was silent except for the pounding in his head. He went straight to his office, pouring himself another drink, the burn doing nothing to dull the unreasonable jealousy raging in his chest. He couldn’t let it go. Couldn’t let her go.Meanwhile, Janine sat on the edge of h
That Night With The Billionaire Chapter 30: Blunt Words and Bitter Realities
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