All Chapters of The Billionaire's - Power, Pain and Pleasure: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Dean tugs at the collar of his shirt, entering one of the most powerful men’s private quarters. He was finally in the company of someone he desired to be one day himself, a trillionaire. Somewhat star-struck as he looked around the spacious room, there he found Mr. Henson sitting behind his ornate desk smoking a cigar with a dark colored drink in his hand.“My son-in-law, I’m glad you came to see me. Come in and have a seat.”When he took a seat, he immediately shifted from nervousness as he sat across from his now father-in-law. The clink of ice in his glass punctuated the study's quiet. Mr. Philip Henson, his gaze sharp but not unkind. The air was thick with expectation as Dean took a breath, clearing his throat and speaking."Sir, thank you for taking the time to see me. I know you have a busy schedule, but I thought we needed to meet and get more acquainted with one another on a business level.”“Sure, what can I do for you?”Dean cleared his throat once more. “I wanted to share

Janiya’s hands were shaking as she slid her key card through the parking garage exit. The city was dark, pulsating with scattered neon lights, and in the distance, taxi drivers zoomed across the freeway. Her double shift cleaning two office buildings had left her feet throbbing, and her nerves frayed, but her mind churned. The email from the Chinese company kept flashing through her thoughts, both a beacon and a warning.She merged onto Broad Street, headlights sweeping over the glossy pavement. Her phone, wedged in the cupholder, buzzed with another notification. Probably a payment reminder, she thought grimly. She checked her banking app at red lights, watching the numbers shrink with every passing day. A few hundred dollars left in her account, when her rent for her studio, which cost two thousand eight hundred dollars, was due in four days. The math was brutal. Temptation had a new face, and it spoke Mandarin.She’d read the email from the Chinese company three times already. The

Janiya shot out of the parking lot, heart pounding as she swerved close to oncoming traffic. She barely missed clipping a car, but hardly noticed; her mind was a storm of tangled emotions. Sad or free, she couldn’t tell. Leaving her family was more emotional than she realized. Something inside her had snapped, unleashing a hidden part of herself.Gripping the steering wheel, she tore down neighborhood streets, her speedometer climbing past 50 in a 35. She didn't want to miss her flight. Without thinking, she merged onto the freeway, her foot heavy on the gas, weaving recklessly between cars. Tears blurred her vision until one sign cut through the haze: International Airport.“Why is there so much traffic?” Janiya shouted, her knuckles white as she gripped the wheel. She blared her horn, darting between lanes with no regard for the rules or the drivers around her.“What the—!” she cried, wrenching the wheel and stomping the brakes. For one terrifying second, she squeezed her eyes shut,

The man’s gaze shot from her hips to her face. The pen Mr. Lee held slipped from his grip and clattered onto the table as he looked up at her, his eyes wide and his words stumbling. “Is Zane trying to play a practical joke on me?”“Excuse me, sir,” Janiya replied, not sure what he meant.“Umm...how...how can I help you, Ms.?”Mr. Lee’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing to slits, and his mouth began to move before his brain could catch up, asking her, “How can I help you?” He asked once.Janiya stared back. “Uh… Yes, good morning. I’m here for the interview.”Mr. Lee snatched his glasses off his face and looked down at the resume. "Are you supposed to be J. Jones?"“Or her?” he asked, glancing at Janiya, setting his glasses down.“Yes, J. Jones—Janiya Jones,” she said.Janiya silently repeated: Be professional.“Please, take a seat. Coffee, tea, something to drink?”Mr. Lee sat still for a moment, mentally scrambling to organize his thoughts and the questions he needed to ask.“Thank y

Janiya lay back on the narrow mattress in her Changsha apartment, holding her phone between her shoulder and ear. Late afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, painting golden stripes on the plain white walls. She grinned as Elisa’s familiar laughter crackled through the speaker, connecting her new home to her old one.“So, seriously, you don’t miss American coffee yet? Or, like, Target? Or men who make cat calls at you, instead of guys just staring at you from afar pretending they are not interested.” Elisa teased, and Janiya could practically see her friend’s raised brow.Janiya snorted. “Girl, you know I was never a Target addict. The coffee here? It’s all tea, all the time: black, green, oolong, you name it. Plus, I’m living off baozi and chili noodles. You would die for the street food here.”“Yeah, but do people really stare at you 24/7, I don’t know if I could deal with that. I know I would have to ask them, what are you staring at?”Janiya rolled onto her stomach and p