Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Billionaire's Showgirl: Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

For several seconds, I simply stared at him.The words sat there between us, refusing to make sense.Marriage.Not a date.Not another publicity appearance.Not a temporary arrangement designed to survive a few months of headlines.Marriage.The lake shimmered beyond the windows while soft guitar music drifted through the house, but suddenly none of it mattered. The beautiful view disappeared. The luxurious dining room disappeared.All I could see was Luca sitting across from me looking entirely too calm for someone who had just informed me that our contract apparently included a future wedding.I laughed.Not because anything was funny.Because the alternative was panicking."You can't be serious.""I'm completely serious."His answer arrived without hesitation.Of course it did.I pushed the contract away from me and leaned back in my chair."Marriage?"The

The remainder of the afternoon passed slowly.Brian had not been exaggerating when he suggested I stay inside.Every time I glanced through a window, I spotted one of Luca's security guards somewhere nearby. They weren't standing directly outside my door, and none of them appeared particularly interested in what I was doing, but their presence lingered around the villa like an invisible fence.I could leave if I wanted to.At least, that was the illusion.Something told me that if I decided to test the boundaries of Luca Moretti's hospitality, I would discover very quickly how much of a choice I actually had.The thought wasn't exactly comforting.With nowhere else to go, I found myself wandering through the villa until I eventually discovered a bookshelf tucked into a quiet corner of the living room. The collection seemed surprisingly ordinary for someone like Luca. There were biographies, business books, history books, and even a fe

By the time our first day off from rehearsal arrived, I had almost forgotten what free time felt like.For weeks, my life had revolved around dance counts, costume fittings, endless notes from Jake, and the constant emotional whiplash that seemed to come with being anywhere near Luca Moretti. Somewhere along the way, I had forgotten what it felt like to spend an afternoon doing absolutely nothing, which was probably why I found myself curled up on the couch with a romance novel in my lap and a cup of coffee growing cold beside me.I hadn't read for pleasure in months.Not really.Before The Cashmere Crown, before fake relationships and blackmail and all the complicated messes that had become my life, I had always loved books. There had been something comforting about disappearing into someone else's problems for a few hours, especially when those problems usually ended with declarations of love and happily-ever-afters.Those women never had to worr

By the time I finally admitted that I needed Luca's help, I had already spent nearly twenty minutes wandering through The Cashmere Crown looking for him.Unfortunately, the first person I found wasn't the billionaire currently responsible for half of my problems.It was Brian.The head of security stood near one of the private entrances, speaking quietly into an earpiece while watching the casino floor with the kind of focus that made me wonder if the man ever actually blinked. Around him, tourists laughed, slot machines chimed, and cocktail waitresses hurried between tables, but Brian himself looked as calm and unmoved as a statue carved directly into the building.His eyes settled on me immediately."Miss Hart."I barely slowed down."I need to see Luca."Brian's expression remained perfectly neutral."I gathered that. Mr. Moretti is home."The word sounded strange.Luca Moretti having a home felt oddly i

The private subway doors slid shut behind me with a soft hiss.A moment later, the train began moving.I settled into the empty compartment, smoothing my hands over the crimson fabric of my dress while the city Luca had built beneath the city everyone knew carried me away through the darkness.The first time I had stepped onto one of these trains, I had been terrified.Now, I found myself smiling.Which probably said something deeply concerning about my life choices.Or perhaps about Luca.Most likely both.Several minutes later, the train slowed.Through the windows, the sleek private tunnels gave way to brighter lighting and busier platforms. The atmosphere changed immediately, becoming less like the hidden arteries of a secret kingdom and more like the Las Vegas the rest of the world imagined.Gold.Light.Noise.Life.The doors opened, and suddenly the familiar sounds of the Strip r