Chasing The Billionaire's Heart

Mia awoke startled, sluggish and confused. Her perplexity was only made worse by the strange surroundings. She squinted at the gentle light coming in through the penthouse suite's floor-to-ceiling windows. A king-sized bed with luxurious white linens, slick marble floors, and a breathtaking view of the metropolitan skyline that stretches far into the horizon made the suite an extravagant tribute to grandeur.

Like a broken reel of film, the events of the night before flashed across her head. Everything had felt so real and alive, including memories of hushed conversations, laughing, and the warmth of Xavier's presence. Now, however, she felt a surge of unease in the glaring morning light. What had she done? Although she was unable to recall the details, she was aware enough to recognize the seriousness of what had happened.

Her heart thumping in her chest, she sat up and looked around the room. Xavier was nowhere to be seen. She didn't want to consider him or acknowledge that his absence was more of a loss than a comfort. This was not how it was intended to be. An overnight getaway. It was only intended to be that. She had made it clear to herself that she didn't need this kind of trouble in her life.

Mia got up and headed to the floor-length mirror, her legs shaky. Disorganized, with smudged eyeliner and tangled hair, her mirror gazed back at her. It dawned on me that last night wasn't only a slip-up. It was a decision, and there would be repercussions. Wiping the lingering taste of sadness from her lips, she took a sharp breath.

The shower was a welcome escape, the hot water rushing over her body, relieving the tension that had accumulated in her muscles, the rhythmic pulse of the water grounding her, helping her to clear her mind, but even as she closed her eyes, she couldn't get rid of the memory of Xavier's touch, the intensity of his gaze. She turned toward the bathroom, hoping to wash away the feeling that clung to her like a second skin.

She wrapped herself in a towel and went to the large closet to find something more suitable to wear after getting out of the shower. A tiny note on the bed caught her attention as her hand passed over the hangers. As she picked it up, the clean handwriting was instantly recognizable, and her heart skipped a beat.

"I'll get in contact."

Xavier.

She held the note in her hand and crumpled it, fighting the urge to scream. There was no intention for this to be difficult. She was supposed to be indifferent.

As the city was illuminated by the golden rays of the morning sun, Xavier sat in his sleek black sports vehicle across town, gazing out the windshield. His thoughts were focused on what had happened the previous evening, and he had hardly slept at all. He couldn't get enough of Mia; there was something unadulterated and alluring about her that caught him off guard.

He was not prone to emotional outbursts, particularly after such a night. Mia, however, had been unique. It had been thrilling to watch her laugh, the way her eyes glowed as she talked, and the way she pushed him with each sentence. He could still feel the heat of her presence and the echo of her touch on his skin as he drove through the city streets.

In an attempt to concentrate, he tightened his hold on the steering wheel. This was absurd. This was the first time he had ever let himself get carried away by someone like this. It was an error. He needed to move on.

He reflected on his note to her. He intended it to be short and informal, but as the minutes went by, he began to question whether he had made a mistake. Although he had been eager to get away, he wasn't really sure why he felt the need to pull away so fast. A part of him cried out for more, while another part urged him to go before things got out of control.

Mia's thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind as he pulled up to the office building. There was too much on the line for him to afford to be distracted. He had an empire of businesses to manage and a reputation to uphold. He couldn't let everything he had worked for to be undone by a brief experience like Mia.

His phone, however, buzzed in his pocket as he got out of the car. Expecting another business call, he looked at the screen, but instead his breath stuck in his throat. It was Mia's message.

"Complications are not necessary in my life. We ought not to have done this.

The words struck him like a blow to the body. Even though Mia was moving away, he was stopped in his tracks by the manner she sent the note. He hesitated because of a faint undercurrent of regret, dread, and possibly even longing.

A second message appeared before he could reply.

"But you are always on my mind."

Xavier's heart was pounding. Unsure of how to respond, he stood motionless for a minute, gazing at the television. He wanted to respond, wanted to soothe her in some way, but the burden of his obligations, his meticulously planned existence, seemed to override the desire. He was unable to let himself become involved. Not right now. Not in the company of Mia.

But deep down, he knew he wasn't as immune to her as he had believed.

With a deep breath, he typed a quick response: "I understand. Let's just forget about it."

Before he could reconsider, he pushed send.

He proceeded toward the building's entrance while putting his phone back in his pocket, but the eerie feeling persisted. He couldn't help but think that he could regret his error more than he wanted to acknowledge it.

As Xavier tried to ignore the thoughts of Mia, hours went by and the day dragged on. But despite his best efforts, they persisted like an unsatisfactory itch. He withdrew to his office in the evening, seeking comfort in his job.

That's when his phone buzzed again.

It was Mia. But this time, there was no message.

Just a photo.

A photo of them together, taken during their dancing the previous evening. When he wasn't looking, she had snapped it. They were close in it, her head cocked back in laughing, his hand around her waist. It felt almost genuine again because of how well the moment's intensity was conveyed.

As Xavier's fingers lingered over the screen, his breath hitched in his throat. Everything he was attempting to forget was brought back to him by the picture. However, as he gazed at it, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something much more intricate than he had ever envisioned was about to happen.

He had hardly finished typing his reply when his office door sprang open. Claire, his assistant, appeared in the doorway, her face displaying anxiety. With a folder in hand, she said,

"Mr. Blackwood, you need to see this."

Xavier hesitated, but as he looked at Claire, something in her expression made his stomach drop.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, dread creeping into his voice.

Claire simply nodded. "I think you need to see this. It's about Mia."