Rock Star Billionaire

“I am not hurting you... At least I had no intention of fucking doing so.” I tried to catch her eye but she was looking away from me.

“Well, it’s a little too late for that,” she said in a barely audible whisper, making the knot in my chest feel heavy.

“I am sorry. And I’m sorry to say that I am not going to be okay with you talking to that moron. It’s for your own good.”

“I know how to take care of myself. Been doing it for twenty years without you, thanks. And if you’re going to be sleeping with other women – and after seeing your wife, I don’t believe for a second that you’re not, no matter what you say – then I should have the right to at least decide who I keep company with.”

“For the last time, I am not fucking Gina. Or anybody else for that matter.”

“For the last time, I don’t believe you. And I have work to do,” she said, then without any warning stormed out of my office, leaving me perplexed.

Chapter 3

Aria

These days, being inside an active classroom was the only respite my mind got. Tired of Zayden, the contract, and all the drama surrounding it, I had made a newfound resolution to concentrate on one thing: school. If I was constantly thinking about numbers and graphs and economics theories, there would be very little time to worry about much else. I had begun staying in the library late every night and avoiding catching Zayden’s eye while at work.

As my mind began drifting off in my Public Finance class, I tried to bring myself back. Focus on school. That was my new motto. My Econ and Finance teacher, Mr. Weber, and I were on excellent terms; so far I had aced all his classes with top marks, so he often counted on me to have the right answer. It was an extremely comforting intellectual environment away from the royal mess that the rest of my life had become.

Class had just started and after Mr. Weber finished taking the roll call, he made an announcement.

“Class, today I have a little bit of a surprise for you.” He flashed his white teeth, as though very pleased with himself. It made his old, wrinkly features light up a little bit. He didn’t laugh very often. “A surprise guest!”

Oh, that was interesting. Last year we had had a guest in his Intermediate Macroeconomics class and it had been incredible. He had brought in the Vice President of Finance of Dylan Motors – a multi-billion dollar corporation – and

he had told us his amazing rags to riches story and taken the class by storm. Who could it be this time? There was a murmur of excitement through the whole class and I couldn’t help but be overcome by enthusiasm myself.

“Our guest has taken time off his incredibly busy schedule in order to speak in front of you today. Most of you probably know him by name – if not, you should if you want to get anywhere in the world of finance. The school and many professors far more capable and venerated than myself have been trying to get him to come and speak for years, but he has only now found the time. So we should consider ourselves extremely grateful.”

You could slice the anticipation in the room with a knife. Everyone was suddenly sitting upright with perfect posture, and the guy in front of me, who usually napped through class, was ready with a notebook and a pen. It was rare for the whole class to be so alert and present.

“Who is it?” a couple of students asked, unable to conceal their excitement.

“He is a young man – much younger than myself, to my shame – who has taken a family empire and built it into an incredible corporation. Students, please let me welcome, Mr. Zayden Sinclar, owner and Chief Executive Officer of South National Bank!”

Wait, what? I must have heard that wrong… It couldn’t possibly be? No, no, no. This was just not happening. He wasn’t going to walk into my classroom right now, it had to be some kind of a sick joke. Maybe there was someone else with that name? Hah, I was being stupid. One Zayden Sinclair who was the CEO of South National was more than the world could or needed to take. I pinched myself hoping to wake up from a bizarre dream and jumped with pain.

Unable to take my eyes off the front of the classroom, I waited in a panic. Maybe he would cancel? Could I stealthily escape the classroom before anyone noticed? I could pretend to faint, nobody was going to see any reason for me to fake passing out, since nobody knew about Zayden and I. And I was in Mr. Weber’s full confidence; he would never suspect me of ditching a class for no reason. Yes, I could totally pull that off!

But just as I was gathering the courage to fall down flat on to the floor, Zayden walked in, looking like he just zoomed out of a magazine, and staring right ahead at me. The class broke into a loud applause as though they had just seen the President of the United States. He caught my eye with a sly twitch of his mouth, his face ridden with amusement, and I looked away. I would have a full-fledged panic attack at any moment.

“Welcome, Mr. Sinclair,” Mr. Weber said cheerfully. “Thank you so much for coming here to speak with our students today. The class collectively could not be more excited!”

“Is that so?” Zayden asked Mr. Weber with a slight laugh. “Collectively? Each and every one of them? Are you sure?” He was facing Mr. Weber, but looking at me from the corner of his eyes.

If there were ever a time to want to disappear into the ground beneath me, it was right in that moment.

“Of course!” Mr. Weber exclaimed in pure delight. Gosh, did he have to sound so ridiculously excited? “In fact, I have never seen my whole class so alert this early in the morning before. Everyone is awake, for starters.”

Zayden chuckled, sending goosebumps down my spine. If only he didn’t look so damn good, my life would be so much easier.

“That is very flattering. It is very nice to see you all,” he said, now directly looking at me. “I have some questions for you all, before I start yapping endlessly. Any volunteers?”

The whole class raised their hands as high up in the air as it went. Except me, which was a mistake because it caught Mr. Weber’s attention.

“Aria, why don’t I see your hand up in the air?” he asked, looking almost hurt, as though I had personally offended him.

Shit. Great, Aria. What a wonderful way not to draw attention to yourself. Should have just blended with the crowd!