All Chapters of Stolen from The Billionaire : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Maverick“How did you know about her birthstone?” Charlie asked after Marie left my office. “Why didn’t you want me to tell her?”I paused as my eyes fell back on the contract she had just signed. Her signature was there in black ink. It was clean, legible and I remembered how she firmly wrote her signature with that fire that drew me in rather than kept me out. A small part of me respected her for that. “It’s better this way,” I said flatly, even though my chest tightened. “She doesn’t have to know.”Charlie tilted his head curiously. “Know what?”I ignored him, and stared at her name on the paper like it had burned itself into it.One night eight years ago.. She had taken another long swing of her beer, laughed and told me her birthstone like it was the most important thing in the world. I just wanted her to keep speaking without me interrupting her, but then the detail stuck. I remembered her auburn hair falling into her face, the sound of her giddy laughter and the heat in her e

Marie I stood in front of the mirror, trying to believe that the woman staring back was really me.The silver gown hugged my body like it was a second skin. It was smooth, elegant and wasn’t too revealing, but it showed just enough to make me feel both nervous and confident. The fabric shimmered under the warm light of my room, and when I turned, the soft open back revealed a part of me I never thought I’d show in public. There was also a slit on one side of the dress that was high enough to be considered daring and low enough to be semi-modest.I had styled my auburn hair into a low bun, with a few gentle curls that brushed against my neck. I’d also pinned in two tiny diamond clips that Charlie had given me earlier today at the office.“Every billionaire’s girlfriend needs a little sparkle.” he had said with a mischievous wink and grin.I smiled at the memory, even though I was still very anxious. This wasn’t just any night, it was the first time I would be seen in public as Maveric

Maverick The ride back from the charity gala was too quiet. The driver kept his eyes forward as we drove through the city lights and the dark streets of Los Angeles.Marie sat at the other end of the seat, staring out her window as if the night sky had all the answers she needed. I watched as the silver of her dress shimmered faintly under the streetlights, and her auburn hair pinned with those diamond hairpin I had given Charlie to give her. She looked beautiful, no —she was too beautiful, and it was the kind of beauty that distracted men and complicated plans.Tonight? she had been perfect. She was charming, graceful, intelligent, and everything she needed to be. But then she opened her mouth on that dance floor and asked that question.I clenched my jaw and looked out my own window. Marie didn’t understand what was at stake. She didn’t know about the merger, Roland and the billions involved. To her, all of this was still about that damn wristwatch she stole eight years ago. She t

MarieThe sound of my phone ringing and someone pounding at my door at the same time dragged me out of sleep.My head was still heavy from last night’s charity gala. The champagne, the flashing lights, the endless small talk and introductions. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming until I heard the sharp and impatient knock again.“Hold on,” I mumbled as I dragged myself out of bed.My eyes stung with exhaustion as I walked to the door. When I opened it, my sluggish brain took a long moment to process what I was seeing.“Charlie?” I blinked.“Good morning, sunshine.” He walked right past me like he owned my apartment. “Pack a small bag, we’re leaving.”I frowned. “Leaving? What are you talking about?”“Five minutes, Marie.” He glanced at his wristwatch. “Brush your teeth, wash your face, and let’s go.”I still stood there, blinking at him. “Five minutes? You barge into my apartment the morning after a gala, order me to leave, and you won’t even tell me where we’re going?”“Marie.” He

Marie Maverick’s words from earlier kept echoing in my mind. The way his voice had softened when he spoke about his father’s death had surprised me. For a moment back there, he wasn’t the billionaire CEO that everyone feared and he wasn’t the man who’d blackmailed me into a fake relationship. No, he was just a man who’d lost someone he loved, and that made me feel things I didn’t want to feel.The silence between us wasn’t so heavy anymore. It was soft, uneasy, and full of unspoken thoughts. But I didn’t look at him. Instead, I kept my eyes glued to the window and pretended to watch the city rush by. I wanted to stop thinking about him, but it was hard.That was when I saw it. A crowd in front of my apartment building. My heart skipped as I sat up straight to see what exactly was going on. People were standing with cameras and phones and some even had microphones and speakers. My heart stopped as I frowned and leaned forward. “What the heck is going on?”Maverick parked the car a