All Chapters of The Bill‍ionaire’​s Muse: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

(Meghan’s POV)The next morning, I found Harlan already at the breakfast table, sitting with a quiet, expectant stillness.Adrian sat across from him with his phone in one hand and a cup of coffee beside him, barely looking up as I took the empty seat next to him and reached for the coffee pot, trying to settle into the normal rhythm of the morning.“Morning.” I offered it lightly, watching Harlan’s eyes flick up to me as he acknowledged it.“Morning,” Harlan said, his tone even as he took a slow sip of his coffee.Adrian glanced up at me for a brief second, his expression unreadable, before his attention drifted back to his phone.I had barely taken my first sip when Harlan looked between us, his gaze lingering like he was measuring something he hadn’t said out loud yet.“You know, I’ve noticed something.” His voice was casual, but it made me pause mid-sip.I looked at him, setting my cup down carefully. “What?” I asked, already unsure if I wanted the answer.“Adrian does defend you w

(Meghan’s POV)I changed my outfit twice before settling on a black dress. It wasn’t particularly fancy, which was probably why I liked it. I didn’t want to spend the entire evening wondering whether I’d dressed too much for dinner, especially when I had no idea what Adrian had planned. After checking my reflection one last time, I picked up my bag and headed downstairs.Adrian was already waiting by the car when I stepped outside. His eyes moved over me as I approached, lingering for a second before he opened the passenger door.I thanked him quietly and got in, adjusting my dress before pulling the door closed behind me. He walked around to the driver’s side and started the engine. For the first few minutes, neither of us said anything. I rested my bag on my lap and looked out the window, watching the familiar streets pass by.I caught glimpses of Adrian in the reflection every now and then. He seemed relaxed, his attention fixed on the road ahead, one hand resting on the steering w

Meghan’s POVWhy did he kiss me?The question stayed in my head even after Adrian pulled away and apologized. I looked at him, trying to understand what had just happened, but his expression gave me nothing. A moment ago, he’d leaned toward me without hesitation, and now he looked almost as surprised by it as I was.It wasn’t part of the arrangement. We were supposed to convince everyone that we were a real couple, and I understood that sometimes we would have to act accordingly. Holding hands, standing close, letting people see us together—those things made sense. Even a kiss, if we were surrounded by people watching us, could have been explained.But there hadn’t been anyone watching us.That was what bothered me.I glanced away, trying to convince myself there was a simple explanation. Maybe we’d spent so much time pretending lately that the line between what was real and what wasn’t had become harder to keep track of. Maybe he’d acted without thinking.That should have been enough.

(Meghan’s POV)I returned to my desk with Naomi’s folder tucked under my arm and set it beside my laptop. For a moment, I just looked at it.Two days.I pulled the chair closer and opened the folder again, this time with a pen in my hand. If I was going to finish the project within the deadline, I needed to know exactly what I was dealing with before I started making decisions.The first section contained the existing layouts for the major spaces. I went through them carefully, checking the dimensions against the notes from the proposal. Some areas needed only minor adjustments, while others would require more thought. The sitting areas had to work with the circulation around them. The bedrooms needed to feel comfortable without wasting space, and the common areas had to connect without making the entire interior feel repetitive.I moved to the next section.The interior concept would have to carry through all of it. The finishes, materials, furniture direction, and smaller details co

Megan POVThe second day came, and somehow, I had finished the assignment Naomi had given me.I had spent almost every free hour on it since she handed it over. I worked through lunch, stayed up later than I should have, and went over the numbers so many times that by the end, I could barely look at another spreadsheet without wanting to throw my laptop across the room.When I finally saved the completed file, I sat back in my chair and stared at the screen for a few seconds.I was exhausted.My shoulders ached from sitting in the same position for hours, and I had a headache pressing behind my eyes. Still, seeing the completed assignment sitting in front of me made me smile.Naomi had given me two days because she clearly thought I wouldn’t manage it.She had probably expected me to come back with excuses, ask for an extension, or admit that the work was beyond me.Instead, I had finished it.I checked the final figures one more time before closing the laptop. I was too tired to celeb