All Chapters of THE BILLION DOLLAR DECEPTION : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

30 Chapters

The Matriarch

Sera's POVMy heart slammed against my ribs with every step I took down the grand staircase.Near the fireplace stood a man holding a glass of dark scotch.Milan Rojer.I recognized him instantly from the photos in Victoria's file. He was tall, dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit, with sharp facial features and sleek black hair. The moment my heels hit the bottom of the staircase, his eyes locked onto mine.His dark eyes narrowed slightly, tracking my every movement with an intense gaze. It wasn't the look of a friend happy to see an old companion. It was the look of a hunter realizing something was wrong with his prey.Panic flared in my chest, but I forced myself to look away, moving to stand near Adrian.Even in the middle of a massive stock crisis, Adrian commanded the entire room. His posture was imposing, his jaw set in a hard, uncompromising line as he spoke in a calm, authoritative voice to ease the men's worries.The second he sensed me approaching, his hand reached ou

True Intent.

Sera's POVThe silence in the dining room hung heavy and suffocating, thick enough to choke on. Every eye at the table was fixed on me, but all I could feel was the icy, calculating glare of the Kingsley matriarch.My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. My hands trembled beneath the table, clutching my gown so hard my knuckles turned white. I held my breath, waiting for Adrian to say something and defend me, because for the life of me, I had no reply to her question.Adrian slowly turned to his mother. His posture unyielding, his sharp jaw set like carved stone. When he spoke, his voice was utterly void of emotion, dripping with cold, detached arrogance.“I didn't just settle for her, Mother," Adrian said smoothly, leaning back in his chair and swirling his wine glass with casual indifference. “I picked her because it was business. Richard Hale had something I wanted, and I had something he desperately needed. We struck a deal.”Her dark eyebrows raised, her lips pres

Fury.

Adrian's POVI stood at the end of the hallway, every drop of blood in my body turning to pure, boiling lava.My eyes were fixed on Milan’s hand, his fingers were casually wrapping around Victoria’s delicate wrist, his thumb brushing over her skin as if he had every right to touch her. He was leaning into her space, whispering into her ear while she stood there, letting him hold her.A dark, dangerous fury exploded behind my ribs, raw, territorial, and completely out of my control. Old friend or not, I was done with this overstepping bastard.“What the hell is going on here?” I growled out.Milan slowly released her hand, turning to face me with a relaxed, mocking smile. Victoria gasped softly, taking an immediate step back, her wide green eyes locked on mine in sheer terror.I marched down the hallway, not stopping until I was towering right over Milan. The air between us cracked with lethal tension.“Adrian, relax,” Milan said smoothly, adjusting his suit jacket. “We were just admir

Milan's Threat.

Sera's POVThe air in the room instantly turned to ice.Gerald’s voice still echoed from the speaker of Adrian’s phone, but my brain had completely gone blank.My gaze snapped down to the side pocket of my gown. Milan had slipped something into my pocket.Adrian’s dark eyes narrowed into lethal slits. The lingering heat between us vanished, replaced by the dangerous, calculating intensity of his suspicious gaze. He lowered the phone from his ear and took a step even closer towards me.“Take it out, Victoria,” he ordered, his voice dropping into a low, terrifying growl.Panic surged through my entire body. If Milan knew I wasn't Victoria, whatever was written on that paper would destroy me. It would expose the lie, end the fake marriage, and likely send me straight to prison. I couldn't let Adrian see it.“I... I don't know what you're talking about,” I stammered.“Don't lie to me,” Adrian snapped, extending his hand. “Give me the paper.”My heart hammered against my ribs like a trap

What are you up to, Victoria?

Adrian's POVI slammed my hands down on the conference table, the sound echoing off the glass walls of my executive boardroom.“I don't care what the legal team says, Harrison,” I growled, my voice dark and unyielding as I stared him down. “If the board wants to push back on the recovery plan, tell them they can sell their shares today. Every single one of them. I am not negotiating.”Harrison swallowed hard, quickly gathering his leather folders and nodding. “Understood, Mr. Kingsley. I’ll relay the message immediately.”The board members shuffled out of the room like scolded children, leaving me alone in the massive space.I rubbed the bridge of my nose, feeling a dull ache throbbing in my head. The corporate sabotage was getting worse. The stock crash had wiped out millions of our value overnight, and someone in this company was still leaking confidential information directly to our competitors.My mind kept drifting away from the numbers and shifting back to Victoria.Ever since I

Cold Steel.

Sera’s POVAdrian stood towering over our booth like a vengeful god, his chest heaving, his dark eyes burning with a fury that made my throat lock up. On the floor behind him, Milan scrambled to his feet, wiping blood from his lips while four armed men closed in around him.“What the fuck are you doing with him, Victoria?”Adrian’s voice didn't just rattle the glass on the table, it shattered what little courage I had left. My brain kicked into survival mode. I couldn't tell him the truth. If I told him Milan knew I wasn't Victoria—I swallowed the lump of terror in my throat, forcing my voice to stay steady as I locked eyes with Adrian.“He called me!” I blurted out, letting my voice shake with terror. “He claimed he had proof about who was leaking the company's files to the press! He said if I agreed to sit and spend some time with him, and give him some money, he would give me the name of the leaker so I could give it to you.”At this point, I was a professional liar. Maybe if I t

Desire.

Adrian's POVI stared down at Victoria, my chest heaving as my words echoed inside the car.I threatened to send her right back to her father's house where she belonged, but as soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them instantly.Seeing her sitting across from Milan, watching that slimy viper put his hands on her wrist, had awakened a possessive monster inside me that I couldn't control.My mind raced through everything she said in the lounge. She went to Milan because he promised her the name of the leaker. She wanted to do something useful so I would see her as someone important, not just a clause in the business deal with her father.Her actions were both foolish and arrogant. Milan Rojer was a ruthless predator, and the fact that she thought she could walk into his trap and handle him on her own made my blood turn to ice.Yet, a twisted, dark part of my ego was deeply satisfied. She had risked her own safety to protect my company. She wanted desperately to prove her worth

Handling Crisis.

Adrian's POV“How's it going, Gerald?” I asked, standing at the top floor of the executive suite in my company, watching the city below through the glass. The sun had barely risen, but my PR and cybersecurity teams had been locked in the tech room since three in the morning.“Every server, boss,” Gerald reported, stepping up behind me. He looked exhausted, but his voice was steady. “We've managed to deploy takedown measures, hit the hosting platforms with copyright orders, and wiped out every link leading to the video from social media. Anyone who tries to download that video right now will only get a broken link.”“Good,” I said, adjusting the cuffs of my shirt. “Has Easton arrived?”“He just entered the boardroom with the rest of the members,” Gerald replied, a hint of mockery in his tone. ‘He must feel so happy coming to tear you down and finally take over the board.”I adjusted my tie and turned towards the door. “Let's go disappoint them.”When I pushed open the doors of the boa

Stand for him.

Adrian’s POV“You didn't eat a bite of the caviar downstairs,” I said, setting a glass down across from Victoria and sat back, watching her every move through the rim of my glass.She glanced up, wiping her hands with a napkin. “I prefer food that actually fills me up. Caviar is just… not my preference right now.”Not her preference? Before we got married I once heard of how she had thrown a tantrum at a five-star restaurant in Paris because her beluga caviar wasn't available on the menu.“Is that so?” I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the dining table.“Hmm,” she nodded.“So tell me Victoria, what would you say about me buying out an entire boutique just so no one else would buy the same dresses you have?”She paused, her fork hanging in the air. For a fraction of a second, panic flared in her eyes before she smoothened her features.“Buying out a store to keep other people from wearing a dress is just…wasteful, Adrian,” she said, setting her fork down. “You know, with the whol

Milan Strikes Again.

Adrian’s POVBy five in the morning, the penthouse was crawling with a completely new security team. I had dismissed the entire former crew even before the sun came up. If whoever that intruder was could scale my balcony and enter my private dining room last night, then every single man on my payroll was either incompetent or bought.I stood by the window of my study, watching the rain streak down the glass. Downstairs, six armed guards in crisp suits took their positions around the estate."Every camera has been swapped out, Mr. Kingsley," my new head of security reported from the doorway. "The estate is locked down tight. No one enters or leaves without your direct clearance.""Good," I responded, keeping my voice cold. "Keep them on high alert."I turned as the sound of soft footsteps echoed in the hallway. Victoria walked into the room, wearing a tailored cream-colored trousersuit. A discreet bandage was neatly spread around her forearm under her sleeve, hiding the cut she had ta

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