All Chapters of Plaything For Hire; A Billionaire In Disguise : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

EVIAN.It always happened like this. The moment my father brought his new family into the house my grandfather built, I became a ghost. I drifted through rooms that no longer saw me, a presence tolerated but never acknowledged. I was the daughter who resembled the woman he’d erased, the memory no one wanted to look at too closely. So when I saw them together, it shouldn’t have shocked me.And yet, it still split something open inside my chest.Beneath the fairy lights strung across the garden...lights meant to celebrate Kate’s latest triumph...sat Francis.My Francis.He had once told me that peeling shrimp was a sacred, ridiculous ritual. 'Our' ritual. Fingers intertwined, laughter low, promises whispered like vows. "It’s only for you," he’d said, smiling as though choosing me was the simplest truth in the world.Now his hands moved with the same care, the same tenderness, for her.He leaned toward my half-sister and offered her a perfectly curled piece of shrimp. She accepted it wi

Even as darkness overwhelmed me, the cold still crawled into my bones, wrapped around my lungs, and pressed against my skin like hands that wanted me gone. I curled into myself on the freezer floor, my arms wrapped tightly around my chest, my breath coming out in weak, broken gasps.I was scared of loosing consciousness... I was scared of letting the cold pulled me in. What was the point of dying this pathetic?I tried to scream again...No sound came out.As I tried to opened my eyes, darkness blurred at the edges, and my thoughts began to scatter. My fingers felt numb. My legs refused to move from the spot it laid. I wondered, distantly, if this was what my mother had felt in her final moments....this quiet realization that no one was comingThe cold finally won.My body trembled until it could no longer fight, and the dark room seemed to fold in on itself. My teeth stopped chattering. My thoughts slowed. I thought this was how dying felt right now...quiet, lonely, unnoticed.But t

The world narrowed to the heat of his skin under my palms, the solid weight of him beneath me. I didn’t know how we got to the room, and I didn’t care. The chaos in my head demanded a different, louder noise to drown it out.He gave it to me.His mouth was a brand, kissing away the memory of every cold, cruel touch I’d ever endured. He found places on my skin that made me arch and forget my own name. I was on top, taking charge, riding the wave of my own reckless decision. This was my choice. My destruction. My first real power in years.I shed my clothes like a second skin, helping him with his. When I leaned down and bit his nipple, a rough sound escaped his throat. It was a spark in the dark. He rolled us over, his body caging mine. His eyes, dark and intense, devoured me."I want you," It was all the permission he needed. The rest was a blur of sensation, a beautiful, punishing history written on my aching body. For a few hours, I wasn’t Evian the ghost. I was just a body c

Evian By the time I stepped out of the car, the sky was completely dark.10:07 p.m.The mansion was blazing with light.Waiting.Of course.The gates shut behind me with a heavy metallic sound that echoed longer than it should have. The air felt colder than usual. Or maybe that was just anticipation.I walked in without rushing.The moment I pushed open the front door, I knew they had been sitting there for hours.My father stood near the fireplace, his walking stick planted firmly in front of him like a judge’s gavel. My stepmother sat upright on the sofa, arms crossed tightly. Kate leaned casually against the armrest, but her eyes were sharp and restless.“You dare to come home at this hour?” my father’s voice thundered across the room.I paused deliberately and looked up at the large clock hanging above the staircase.“It’s only ten.”“Only?” my stepmother repeated, as if I had said something outrageous.I slipped off my heels slowly and placed them neatly by the door. “What if I

I called him at noon.He picked up on the second ring.“I want to see you,” I said.There was a small pause on the line. “When?”“Today.”“Time and place.”I liked that about him. No unnecessary questions. No dramatic tone.“Five o’clock,” I said. “I’ll text you the location.”“Alright.”He hung up first.I stared at my phone for a moment before putting it down. I wasn’t nervous. I just needed air. I needed to step out of this house without someone demanding money or obedience from me.By four-thirty, I was dressed.Not overly dramatic. Just sharp enough to feel untouchable. A fitted black dress, low heels, minimal jewelry. My hair down. Clean. Controlled.I walked downstairs calmly and headed toward the car lot.The afternoon sun was still warm, but the house felt colder than usual. As I stepped into the open space near the cars, I heard footsteps behind me.“Evian.”I stopped.I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.Francis.I turned slowly.He looked almost relieved to see