“Your son called me dad today.” My billionaire boss says and my entire body freezes. “He just… misses his real father,” I stammer quickly, trying not to panic. Because he can never find out the truth. Four years ago, we had a one night stand, and I lied to him afterward, telling him I was on birth control and everything was fine. What he doesn’t know is that I forgot to take the pill that night… and the little boy he’s slowly getting attached to is actually his son. And if Javier Hill ever discovers I hid a child from him for four years?… He’ll ruin my entire life.
CHAPTER: 1
~Gabriella’s POV~
I finished my last exam of the semester and let out a long breath of relief. Part of me wanted to celebrate because one more problem in my life was finally gone. The other part already knew what summer meant.
I needed to find a job again.
Being a twenty one year old orphan in a big city wasn’t exactly easy. There was nobody to rely on except myself and whatever skills I had managed to build over the years. At least those skills had helped me get a scholarship and study almost for free, and for that I was grateful. Still, gratitude didn’t pay rent.
A few days ago, I found a decent second hand camera at a thrift store and spent almost all the money I had left on it. It was risky, maybe even stupid, but now I could finally start taking photography jobs. Maybe this was my chance to become the photographer I had always wanted to be.
The thought made me smile.
I would be okay. I always was.
My phone buzzed in my hand and Chloe’s name flashed across the screen. My best friend.
Chloe: “Start getting ready. I’ll be at your place in an hour. Wear something short and ridiculously pretty.”
A second later, more messages followed.
Chloe: “You’re finally going to relax after all those exams.”
Chloe: “And please, for the love of God, have some fun with a hot guy tonight.”
I rolled my eyes and typed back.
“Shut up.”
Chloe: “Never!! This is going to be an unforgettable night.”
I went back to my dorm room and stared at my tiny closet for a solid minute before sighing.
“Okay,” I muttered to myself. “Let’s see what counts as pretty in my tragic little wardrobe.”
Most of my clothes were practical. Oversized sweaters, old jeans, hoodies stolen from college events, and way too many black shirts that looked exactly the same. After digging through everything, I finally pulled out the shortest dress I owned. It was tight, dark red, and honestly a little too cheap looking under bright light, but at least it hugged my body in the right places.
I curled my hair a little, put on mascara, and stepped back to look in the mirror.
Not terrible.
Definitely not Chloe level hot, but not terrible.
Before leaving, I grabbed my camera from the desk near the window and slipped the strap over my shoulder. Clubs weren’t really my thing, but maybe I could at least take some interesting pictures. Neon lights, drunk rich people, dramatic shadows. Maybe some of them could even sell on stock websites for a few extra dollars.
At this point, I was willing to monetize literally anything.
Right on time, Chloe burst into my dorm room without knocking.
Her eyes scanned me from head to toe.
“Oof,” she said dramatically.
“Wow. Thank you.”
“The dress is kind of fighting for its life,” she admitted as she walked closer, “but honestly? That deep neckline are saving the entire outfit.”
I laughed despite myself.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“And yet I’m right.” She grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the door. “Come on. Tonight we’re fixing your sad little workaholic life.”
The club was already packed by the time we arrived.
Music shook the walls hard enough for me to feel it in my chest before we even got inside. Neon lights flashed across the huge room, bouncing off glass tables and expensive bottles. Everything looked polished and unreal. Rich people laughing too loudly, women in glittering dresses, men wearing watches that probably cost more than my tuition.
For a second, I just stood there taking it all in.
“Holy moly,” I said quietly.
Chloe grinned proudly like she personally owned the place.
“I know.”
A waiter passed by carrying a tray full of drinks and Chloe immediately turned toward him.
“Oh no,” I said the second I saw them.
“Oh yes.”
Five minutes later, the liquid burned down my throat while Chloe dragged me deeper into the club. Then, almost as quickly as she arrived, she disappeared into the crowd after spotting a group near the dance floor.
“I’m going dancing!” she yelled over the music.
“Traitor!”
“Love you!”
And just like that, I was alone.
Honestly, I didn’t mind.
I slipped my camera off my shoulder and started taking pictures instead. The lights here were incredible. Blue and gold reflections spilled across people’s faces, smoke curling through the air like something out of a movie. Couples kissing in dark corners. Bartenders throwing bottles behind the counter. A girl laughing so hard she almost fell off her chair.
Click.
Click.
Click.
At least this kept me entertained.
Then the entire mood in the room shifted. Women suddenly straightened in their seats. Heads turned toward the entrance almost all at once. Even from across the club, I could feel attention moving through the room like a wave.
I looked up instinctively.
And saw him.
Tall. Dark suit. Broad shoulders that made every other man around him look painfully average. His face was sharp enough to belong in a magazine, all clean lines and cold confidence. Dark hair slightly messy like he had run a hand through it on the way inside. Expensive watch. Calm expression.
The kind of man who looked completely aware that people stared at him everywhere he went.
A few women nearby immediately started whispering to each other.
One of them nearly dropped her drink.
Jesus.
Without even thinking about it, I lifted my camera.
He looked unreal under the club lights. The shadows cut perfectly across his face while the gold lighting caught the edge of his jaw.
Click.
The picture came out even better than I expected. I lowered the camera to look at the screen, zooming in slightly… Then a deep voice spoke right beside me.
“You should really ask permission before taking pictures of strangers.”
My head snapped up and he was standing directly in front of me now. Close enough for me to catch the scent of expensive cologne. His eyes dropped briefly to the camera in my hands before meeting mine again.
“Delete it.”
“Your son called me dad today.” My billionaire boss says and my entire body freezes. “He just… misses his real father,” I stammer quickly, trying not to panic. Because he can never find out the truth. Four years ago, we had a one night stand, and I lied to him afterward, telling him I was on birth control and everything was fine. What he doesn’t know is that I forgot to take the pill that night… and the little boy he’s slowly getting attached to is actually his son. And if Javier Hill ever discovers I hid a child from him for four years?… He’ll ruin my entire life.
CHAPTER: 1
~Gabriella’s POV~
I finished my last exam of the semester and let out a long breath of relief. Part of me wanted to celebrate because one more problem in my life was finally gone. The other part already knew what summer meant.
I needed to find a job again.
Being a twenty one year old orphan in a big city wasn’t exactly easy. There was nobody to rely on except myself and whatever skills I had managed to build over the years. At least those skills had helped me get a scholarship and study almost for free, and for that I was grateful. Still, gratitude didn’t pay rent.
A few days ago, I found a decent second hand camera at a thrift store and spent almost all the money I had left on it. It was risky, maybe even stupid, but now I could finally start taking photography jobs. Maybe this was my chance to become the photographer I had always wanted to be.
The thought made me smile.
I would be okay. I always was.
My phone buzzed in my hand and Chloe’s name flashed across the screen. My best friend.
Chloe: “Start getting ready. I’ll be at your place in an hour. Wear something short and ridiculously pretty.”
A second later, more messages followed.
Chloe: “You’re finally going to relax after all those exams.”
Chloe: “And please, for the love of God, have some fun with a hot guy tonight.”
I rolled my eyes and typed back.
“Shut up.”
Chloe: “Never!! This is going to be an unforgettable night.”
I went back to my dorm room and stared at my tiny closet for a solid minute before sighing.
“Okay,” I muttered to myself. “Let’s see what counts as pretty in my tragic little wardrobe.”
Most of my clothes were practical. Oversized sweaters, old jeans, hoodies stolen from college events, and way too many black shirts that looked exactly the same. After digging through everything, I finally pulled out the shortest dress I owned. It was tight, dark red, and honestly a little too cheap looking under bright light, but at least it hugged my body in the right places.
I curled my hair a little, put on mascara, and stepped back to look in the mirror.
Not terrible.
Definitely not Chloe level hot, but not terrible.
Before leaving, I grabbed my camera from the desk near the window and slipped the strap over my shoulder. Clubs weren’t really my thing, but maybe I could at least take some interesting pictures. Neon lights, drunk rich people, dramatic shadows. Maybe some of them could even sell on stock websites for a few extra dollars.
At this point, I was willing to monetize literally anything.
Right on time, Chloe burst into my dorm room without knocking.
Her eyes scanned me from head to toe.
“Oof,” she said dramatically.
“Wow. Thank you.”
“The dress is kind of fighting for its life,” she admitted as she walked closer, “but honestly? That deep neckline are saving the entire outfit.”
I laughed despite myself.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“And yet I’m right.” She grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the door. “Come on. Tonight we’re fixing your sad little workaholic life.”
The club was already packed by the time we arrived.
Music shook the walls hard enough for me to feel it in my chest before we even got inside. Neon lights flashed across the huge room, bouncing off glass tables and expensive bottles. Everything looked polished and unreal. Rich people laughing too loudly, women in glittering dresses, men wearing watches that probably cost more than my tuition.
For a second, I just stood there taking it all in.
“Holy moly,” I said quietly.
Chloe grinned proudly like she personally owned the place.
“I know.”
A waiter passed by carrying a tray full of drinks and Chloe immediately turned toward him.
“Oh no,” I said the second I saw them.
“Oh yes.”
Five minutes later, the liquid burned down my throat while Chloe dragged me deeper into the club. Then, almost as quickly as she arrived, she disappeared into the crowd after spotting a group near the dance floor.
“I’m going dancing!” she yelled over the music.
“Traitor!”
“Love you!”
And just like that, I was alone.
Honestly, I didn’t mind.
I slipped my camera off my shoulder and started taking pictures instead. The lights here were incredible. Blue and gold reflections spilled across people’s faces, smoke curling through the air like something out of a movie. Couples kissing in dark corners. Bartenders throwing bottles behind the counter. A girl laughing so hard she almost fell off her chair.
Click.
Click.
Click.
At least this kept me entertained.
Then the entire mood in the room shifted. Women suddenly straightened in their seats. Heads turned toward the entrance almost all at once. Even from across the club, I could feel attention moving through the room like a wave.
I looked up instinctively.
And saw him.
Tall. Dark suit. Broad shoulders that made every other man around him look painfully average. His face was sharp enough to belong in a magazine, all clean lines and cold confidence. Dark hair slightly messy like he had run a hand through it on the way inside. Expensive watch. Calm expression.
The kind of man who looked completely aware that people stared at him everywhere he went.
A few women nearby immediately started whispering to each other.
One of them nearly dropped her drink.
Jesus.
Without even thinking about it, I lifted my camera.
He looked unreal under the club lights. The shadows cut perfectly across his face while the gold lighting caught the edge of his jaw.
Click.
The picture came out even better than I expected. I lowered the camera to look at the screen, zooming in slightly… Then a deep voice spoke right beside me.
“You should really ask permission before taking pictures of strangers.”
My head snapped up and he was standing directly in front of me now. Close enough for me to catch the scent of expensive cologne. His eyes dropped briefly to the camera in my hands before meeting mine again.
“Delete it.”
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