All Chapters of The Billion Dollar Contract: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Gabriel sat in his office, his chair slightly reclined, fingers steepled in front of him, staring blankly at the polished mahogany surface of his desk. His mind kept returning to what Nicole had said earlier.Why Nicole had told him she loved him? He wondered, his eyes narrowing slightly.Was it because she was excited? Or was that her way of saying thank you? Or… maybe someone else was there with her. But even if a maid was present, she need not have worried because his maids are discreet. He allowed himself a small, almost imperceptible sigh. He was the only one who knew that information, Nicole didn’t.Well… he was glad the shopping issue had been handled. He felt a sense of relief creeping in. Now he could focus fully on work, on the contracts and reports piled neatly on his desk, waiting for his attention.Meanwhile, Nicole had already begun orchestrating her day. She instructed the maid to tell the chauffeur to get the limousine ready, her voice calm and assertive. She also asked

“Hi, Rick,” Nicole greeted nervously as she answered the phone, adjusting her grip on it as she moved further into her room.“Nicole, why did it take you forever to pick up my call?” Rick asked immediately, his concern obvious the moment he heard her voice.“I—um…” she hesitated. “I wasn’t close to my phone, uh… how are you doing?”There was a pause on the other end of the line.“Are you okay?” he asked carefully. “You sound nervous.”“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Nicole replied quickly, silently scolding herself. She hadn’t even realized how tense she sounded until he pointed it out. She cursed herself for not being able to sound more natural.“Vanessa and I are worried about you,” Rick continued. “You didn’t show up for work, so we went to your apartment to check on you, but your place was locked. Where are you?”Nicole swallowed. Guilt settled heavily in her chest, and her grip tightened around the phone.“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys,” she said carefully. “Everything happened so sudd

Gabriel took a quick shower and got dressed in a black suit. Once he was done, he headed downstairs and settled in the living room to wait for Nicole. As the minutes stretched on, he checked the time and decided to make a call.He dialed Daniel, a very famous chef in New York—and also a friend of his. Gabriel’s construction company had built Daniel’s restaurant, and ever since then, Daniel had insisted Gabriel was a special guest who could walk in anytime without notice. Still, Gabriel didn’t like abusing that privilege. Instead, he explained that he urgently needed a reservation for a table for two.After ending the call, Gabriel waited for another twenty minutes before he finally noticed movement on the staircase.Nicole was coming down.She looked incredibly sexy in a black off-shoulder long-sleeve bodycon mini dress paired with peep-toe ankle platforms. Gabriel found himself wondering—briefly—how women managed to walk in heels that high without stumbling. Her hair was styled into a

Three months had passed since Nicole and Gabriel had started their fake relationship. During that time, they had gone on several dates, shared laughter, quiet conversations, and subtle touches that lingered a little too long. Everything between them seemed to be flowing smoothly, yet the contract that defined their relationship lingered in the back of both their minds.It was late at night, and Gabriel was in his study, hunched over piles of documents as always. The desk lamp cast a warm glow over his strong features, highlighting the sharp lines of his face and the focused intensity in his eyes. The room was silent, filled only with the rustle of papers and the faint ticking of the wall clock.Nicole stepped quietly into the room. Her presence immediately softened the sterile atmosphere of the office. She walked across the polished floor, her movements silent, and lowered herself into the chair across from him.“Hey,” she said softly, her voice carrying the familiar warmth that always

Nicole ran into her bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her. The moment she reached the bed, her strength gave out and she collapsed onto it, burying her face into the pillow as tears streamed freely down her cheeks. This was a mistake. A terrible mistake. She never should have agreed to such an offer in the first place. The realization hit her all over again, making her cry even harder as her shoulders shook uncontrollably.She truly thought he was different. Somewhere along the way, she had begun to see a softer side of him—small glimpses of kindness that made her hopeful. But she had been wrong. No matter how much effort she put into warming him up, no matter how she stayed by his side and cared for him, even during his illness, he still didn’t see her as anything more than part of an arrangement. Not even as a friend.How could she have been so stupid? How could she allow herself to develop such strong feelings for him? And now that she had, how was she supposed to erase him f