Chapter 2
684words
I tried to immerse myself back into my ordinary routine: morning coffee, double shifts at Bellini's, late-night painting. But every moment, I felt the absence of the man who had been just "Adam" to me.
A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts.
Just past midnight—who would visit at this hour? I cautiously approached, peered through the peephole, and gasped.
Alexander Barrett stood outside my door, but this wasn't the immaculate billionaire from magazine covers. His hair was disheveled, his shirt wrinkled, with obvious dark circles under his eyes. Most shocking of all, he looked like he'd walked here, soaked through from the rain.
I opened the door, standing warily in the frame. "What are you doing here?"
"Emma." His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in a while. "May I come in?"
"Where are your bodyguards and fancy car?" I glanced down the hallway, looking for suited security men.
"No bodyguards. No car," he said with a bitter smile. "As a matter of fact, nothing at all anymore."
I frowned but stepped aside. Whatever had happened, I couldn't leave him dripping in the hallway.
Alexander entered the apartment, looking both familiar and foreign. His eyes fell on the pile of unopened gifts.
"You didn't open them."
"I don't need your charity, Alexander."
He shook his head. "Not charity. Just... gratitude."
I handed him a towel. "So, are you going to tell me what happened? Why Boston's wealthiest bachelor is showing up at my crappy apartment at midnight looking like he just crawled out of a dumpster?"
He dried his hair, offering a tired smile. "I had a fight with my father. About the future of the company, about my future." He paused. "About you."
"Me?"
"He thinks you're a distraction. Thinks you're the reason I suddenly want to change how the company operates." Alexander sighed. "I told him you helped me see a different way of living, a more authentic one. He... wasn't pleased."
"So what did he do? Cut your allowance?" I asked sarcastically.
"He froze all my accounts. Revoked my position at the company. Essentially cut off all my financial resources." Alexander looked at me, vulnerability in his eyes. "I'm broke, Emma."
I stared at him in disbelief. "You're telling me that Alexander Barrett, heir to Barrett Industries, is now penniless?"
"Technically, yes. At least until I agree to live life my father's way." He hesitated. "I know this is sudden and unfair, but could I stay with you for a few days? Just until I find work, get enough to rent my own place."
I should refuse. This was a terrible idea, letting this man who had lied to me back into my life. But looking at him standing there, wet and vulnerable, so much like the "Adam" I'd first discovered, I found I couldn't say no.
"The couch is yours," I finally said. "But there are rules: you pay rent once you find work. You do chores. And no more lies."
He nodded, gratitude shining in his eyes. "Thank you, Emma. I promise I won't let you down."
I turned toward my bedroom, not wanting him to see the complicated expression on my face. "Don't make a big deal of it. I just don't want you sleeping on the street and getting murdered. Imagine the headlines: 'Artist lets billionaire become homeless, tragedy ensues.'"
He chuckled softly, the sound making my heart flutter slightly. "Goodnight, Emma."
"Goodnight, Alexander." I paused at my bedroom door. "And... welcome back."
After closing the door, I leaned against it, closing my eyes. What had I just done? Let Alexander Barrett back into my life? But this time, things were completely different. This time, he wasn't the billionaire with unlimited resources. This time, we were on equal footing.
The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating.
