Alle Kapitel von A Deal With The Devil: Bound To The Ruthless Billionaire : Kapitel 1 – Kapitel 9

Roman Carrington had one strict rule: never spend more than one night with the same woman.It was a good rule. It kept his life clean, unentangled, and uncomplicated. It had survived tabloid scandals, greedy social climbers, and every beautiful woman who mistook his bank account for a personality. One night, one goodbye, no promises, no repeat performances.He was never wrong about people.Until Friday night at The Obsidian, when a woman in a red dress downed three shots of tequila at the bar and didn't give him a second glance.He’d noticed her the second she walked in. He knew the Ashford family, he’d been dodging their desperate attempts to secure a meeting with Carrington Corporation for months. Sophia Ashford, in particular, had spent the last few months hunting him at every high-society event.So when the Ashfords walked into the club, Roman almost left. Then he saw her.She sat near the edge of their VIP booth, staring at the couple across the table like she was watching her ow

KaiaWe pulled up to the Ashford estate at seven, and my arms had gone numb somewhere around Sunset Boulevard."Girls!" Catherine Ashford met us in the foyer, looking elegant in a cashmere wrap. "Just in time for dinner. Sophia, tell your brother to come down and tell him to bring that girlfriend of his to the table on time for once. The last time they were late, the lamb was ruined."I made my face blank and kept walking."Kaia, honey, you look exhausted," Catherine added, almost as an afterthought. "Sophia, are you running this poor girl ragged?""She's fine, Mom. She likes helping." Sophia pecked her mother's cheek and dropped her bags right in the doorway. "Kaia, can you take those up for me? I need to freshen up.""Of course," I said.I always said of course.___Liam's door was cracked open.I don't know what made me slow down. Ten years of practice, and I still hadn't learned not to look. But my feet stopped before my brain could stop them, and then I was staring through the ga

KaiaThe private elevator was silent. I stood against the back glass wall, watching the numbers climb. Sixty. Sixty-one. Sixty-two.My heart hammered. The tequila still buzzed in my veins, but the cold reality was settling in. I was in an elevator with a complete stranger.I glanced at him from under my lashes. He leaned against the opposite wall, hands in his pockets, watching me.Ding.The doors opened, revealing an ultra-modern penthouse. Large glass windows wrapped around the entire living room, offering a breathtaking view of the glowing city lights below. The kind of place you see in architecture magazines."You must be rich-rich," I said, trying to sound cool. My voice came out small.He laughed quietly and walked past me toward the bar. "Want a drink?""No." I wrapped my arms around myself. The red dress felt tighter than before. "I think I've had enough for one night."He set the bottle down, picked up his own glass, and turned. He noticed the way I stood, feet glued to the r

KaiaThe music seemed to stop.Or maybe it was just the blood rushing in my ears. I stood there, frozen, staring up at the man from the bar. Roman Carrington. The man I had spent a week trying to forget. The man whose shirt was currently hidden at the bottom of my laundry basket."Roman, darling," Sophia purred. She stepped right in front of me, blocking me from his view. She pushed her chest out and touched his arm. "I think you have me confused with someone else. This is just Kaia."Roman didn't even look her in the eye. He looked through her, his gaze locked on mine while I tried desperately to look anywhere but at him."I know exactly who you are, Ms. Ashford," he said. His voice was cold enough to freeze the room.Sophia smiled, taking it as a compliment. "Of course you do."Roman gave her a smile. It didn't reach his eyes. He reached down, took Sophia's hand, and pressed a quick, dismissive kiss to her knuckles. "You wouldn't mind if I steal Ms. Sinclair for a minute, would you?

KaiaThe white roses sat on my dining table like a massive, heavy shadow. I tried pushing the box to the corner of the room, but the smell of fresh blooms filled my small living room anyway. Every time I looked at them, my skin felt hot. It was a constant reminder of Roman Carrington’s face.My phone buzzed on the counter. Sophia’s name flashed across the screen.> Sophia : Kaia. I’m so sorry about how I acted at the gala. I was just stressed and drank too much. Can we please talk? Come over for lunch tomorrow at the house. Just us girls.I stared at the screen, a lump forming in my throat.A tiny wave of relief washed over me. For the past few days, my stomach had been in knots. I felt guilty. Even though I didn't plan any of this, and even though I didn't know Roman was *that* Roman Carrington when I met him at the bar, I hated fighting with Sophia. She had been my friend for ten years.I decided right then that I would go. I would tell her the truth, that I had no romantic inter