All Chapters of The Billionaire's Woman: Diane & Luca: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

19 Chapters

1. Is This a Nightmare?

Diane "Br—Break up?" Tears stung my eyes, and my throat went dry as I fought to get the words out of my mouth. This was the restaurant where Luca and I had our first date. He'd asked me to be his girlfriend in this same restaurant four years ago. He'd promised that the next time we dined here, it was going to be with my proposal ring. I was expecting a ring, not… whatever this was. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair, letting out a bitter laugh. It had to be a joke. It was definitely a joke. "Luca, I'm not in the mood for your games.” "I wish it were a joke, Diane, but I'm sorry…I really am,” he responded solemnly, avoiding my eyes. Each syllable of his words felt like a deep cut to my heart while I tried to comprehend the reason for his sudden decision. I wanted to say something, anything, but I was too shocked to find the right words. It seemed like my brain had stopped working for a minute. My fingers gripped the hem of my dress unconsciously. "Why?" I asked him in a low

2. Roses Are Dead

Diane I woke up to bright light piercing through my eyelids. I could hear the beeping of a monitor and the faint murmur of voices, tugging at my consciousness. My body felt very heavy like I was trying to move underwater, and every part of me ached like crazy, even my eyelids. But I pushed through the pain and opened my eyes, blinking slowly, trying to make sense of where I was. “Diane? Diane, can you hear me?” A familiar voice cut through my hazy mind. I turned my head slowly, wincing as the movement sent another sharp pain through my skull. My gaze landed on my best friend, Julia, who sat beside me, her face filled with a mix of worry and relief. “Julia,” I said, my voice sounded hoarse and barely above a whisper. My throat felt drier than sandpaper. “Oh, Thank God.” She leaned forward, wrapping her hand around mine. Her hand was warm and soft as it grounded me in a reality I wasn't sure I was ready to face. She kept whispering gratitude into my shoulder until she finally pu

3. Double Losses

Luca My head pounded like someone was drumming on my skull. I groaned, pressing my lids together as I tried to avoid the bright rays if the sun that'd seeped in through the gaps in the curtains. I didn’t remember coming home last night. I didn't remember much after the fourth—fifth?— shots of vodka. But I remembered the reason why I’d been drinking. Diane’s teary face, and the way she’d looked at me like I’d gutted her. Because I had. The thought made my stomach turn over, and that was when I noticed that the sheets smelled different—like floral body spray instead of the soft lavender scent that Diane loved. Then I felt the tickle of hair against my jaw. I opened my eyes in a small slit, and a flash of blonde crossed my sight. That's not Diane’s hair. Her hair was black, silky, and smelled like coconut. This hair was blonde and had the faint chemical scent of overused dye. I froze. “What the— Who are you?” And then she moaned. I sat up quickly, my heart pounding in my ches

4. New Beginnings

Diane FIVE YEARS LATER The AC was on full blast, but it didn't ease the nervous heat simmering in my chest. I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom, staring at my reflection. The light cast a soft glow on my golden dress making it shimmer like molten gold, hugging my curves in all the right places. The soft silk fabric felt smooth against my skin, yet my mind was anything but calm. Tonight was my night. Five years ago, I'd been lying in a hospital bed, pregnant and alone, with nothing but Julia's hand to hold and a future that looked bleak. Five years ago, I'd made a choice to survive, not just for me, but for the baby growing inside me. I'd worked three jobs while pregnant. Finished my master's degree with a newborn in a carrier on my chest. Climbed from volunteer coordinator to program director to, finally, CEO. Every step had been a battle. Every promotion a war. And tonight, I'd stand on that stage and prove that Diane Allen didn't need anyone to succe

5. A Queen and More

Luca My breath caught and for a moment, I forgot where I was, forgot the deal I was supposed to be closing, forgot everything except the woman standing across the room. She was here. She was real and was even more beautiful than I remembered. Diane Allen. My Diane. Except she wasn't mine anymore, was she? She stood across the room in a champagne-gold dress that should've been illegal—high slit, curves that hadn't been there five years ago, and legs that made every man in the room look twice. Her hair was blonde instead of black, and her lips were red instead of her natural pink. She'd changed everything about herself. Good. That meant she'd been thinking about me too. Diego was still talking, saying something about her accomplishments, but I wasn't listening. I was too busy cataloging every difference, every upgrade, and every carefully constructed piece of armor she'd built. She looked expensive, polished and untouchable now. The look in her eyes. The way she spoke and mov

6. Champagne and Roses

Luca I watched Marko present Diane with a bouquet of white roses— an expensive and thoughtful gesture. He handed them to her with both hands — a small unnecessary detail, slightly ceremonial, like an offering made at an altar rather than a gift passed between friends. She took them with a warm smile and brought them briefly to her nose. It was the kind of gesture that screamed "I know her, I care, and I'm here." It was thoughtful and perfectly calibrated. I couldn’t have said exactly why it bothered me beyond the obvious, but it did. Then he hugged her—not in the usual professional side-hug, but a real embrace—his hand lingering on her waist as cameras flashed. My grip tightened on my champagne glass till the stem creaked under the pressure. Five years. I'd been gone five years, and this bastard had swooped in to fill the space I'd left— the space I'd carved out with my own stupidity. That should've been me up there. Or rather, it would’ve been me if I hadn't been an arrogan

7. Money, Power & Submission

Luca I spent the next couple of minutes sipping on my drink and watching them closely, while Diego continued flirting with the model just a few steps away from me. “Luca, baby.” A voice purred beside me the same time an arm slipped around mine. I froze in my steps, my irritation deepening as I turned to see a familiar face, most likely one of the women I’d been with, and whose name I couldn’t remember. A short blue dress with plunging neckline, designed to draw every eye in the room, hugged her slender frame. She flipped her long brown hair over her shoulders as she watched me under heavily made up eyes. “What are you doing here?” I inquired, the irritation evident in my voice. She flashed her teeth in a cheeky smile. “I saw you on TV looking as handsome as always.” Then she pouted, tracing a long red nail down my sleeve. “You didn’t invite me,” she continued coyly, “but I have my ways.” I barely held back my frustration as I pulled my arm out of the lady’s grasp. She had cho

8. Midnight Confessions

Luca The drive home was a blur of headlights and emotions. By the time I drove through the gates of my estate, the engine was still roaring from the speed. I killed the engine, stepped out, and let the cold night air hit me. The house was silent. Twelve thousand square feet of glass and marble, designer everything, and not a single person who gave a damn about me. My footsteps echoed as I loosened my bow tie, shrugged out of my jacket, and poured myself a glass of whiskey. It burned going down, but not enough to drown out the image of Diane smiling at Marko. I set the glass down, grabbed the bottle instead, and walked to the one room no one knew about. I unlocked the door, flicked the light switch on and stepped into the large room, pulling the cloth from the easel. Diane. I’d been painting her for two years. Every detail—the curve of her jaw, the fall of her hair, the shape of her lips caught mid-smile—was exactly as I remembered. But her eyes… her eyes were wrong. They were

9. Hungover Memories

Luca The screeching sound of curtains being pulled open dragged me back to consciousness. I groaned, trying to bury my face deeper into— Wait. There was no pillow. I forced one eye open and immediately regretted it as the sunlight stabbed directly into my brain, and I realized I was slumped in a chair—the chair in my painting room—my neck bent at an angle that would probably hurt for days. The room reeked of whiskey…and regret. “Good morning, Sir.” My butler, John’s calm, perfectly neutral voice was the second assault on my senses. I squeezed my eyes shut again. “Too damn bright, John,” I muttered, my voice coming out like gravel. My mouth tasted like I’d licked the bottom of a distillery, and my head was pounding like someone was using my skull as a drum. And then I saw my phone lying on the floor beside the chair, its screen dark, exactly where it had fallen from my hand last night. My stomach dropped. Oh fuck. The memories came flooding back in fragments—the painting, t

10. Luck Or Fate?

Luca “Where’s my coffee, John?” I asked, reaching for the bacon. John set the glass carafe back on its tray with deliberate precision. “You had quite a bit to drink last night, Sir. I thought coffee might not be the best choice this morning.” I paused mid-bite, raising an eyebrow. “And since when do you make decisions for me?” John’s expression didn’t change. “Since I started working here, Sir.” I let out a short laugh, shaking my head. The absurdity of it—my butler making executive decisions about my caffeine intake—was almost funny. “Fair enough. But I’ll take my coffee now.” John hesitated, probably debating whether to try persuading me or not. “Something wrong?” I asked. “Not at all, Sir.” He turned toward the kitchen. “I’ll bring it immediately.” “Good.” John had been with me for three years. He’d seen me at my worst—drunk, angry, destructive, hollowed out by regret. He’d cleaned up after my breakdowns, picked me up when I couldn’t stand, and kept my house running when I

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