8x featured | A pick your own genre / version story. Choose between a sweet ChickLit love story or a mind-bending Thriller Romance.
When a grumpy billionaire fake dates a sunshine barista to understand how love works, they are forced to face the mon...
Content Advisory: This is probably not needed but adding it just in case. This chapter gets a bit dark so here's a disclaimer to mentally prepare you. Take care <3
🦋 + 🐍
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(Priyankha's Version)
"I knew I'd find you here." The smirk in his voice sent a shiver running down her spine.
So he wasn't bluffing when he threatened to keep an eye on her. The mere realisation that she had no escape from this man was enough to send Priyankha's thoughts spiralling. If she ever wanted to run away from him, there was no place she could escape to. He knew where she lived, the places she worked at and possibly more. But what if he somehow managed to find out that one thing Priyankha had sworn to take to her grave. What if-
It's going to be alright, the familiar soothing voice in the back of her mind reminded her. Think of something happy. Something nice. Think of butterflies.
She took a deep breath and ducked below the counter once again so her landlord wouldn't see her at that moment. Pretending to check the cookies that were now done, she tilted her head ever so slightly to catch a peek at the iced coffee guy. Though he was still fast asleep with his head buried into his arm, she was relieved that the landlord wouldn't dare to misbehave in his presence. Or so she hoped.
"Hey, darling." The proximity of his voice left her in terror. "Don't ignore me. I can see you're trying to hide from me. Which is pretty useless, to be honest."
He chuckled darkly and Priyankha turned her head upwards — only to notice him leaning over the counter. His gaze bore right into her eyes, grinning like a devil while Priyankha immediately broke eye contact and looked away at the hot tray of cookies in her hand.
She turned off the microwave switch and mentally began noting the things around her that she could use, just in case...
Pretending to flatten out the creases on her apron, she tried to buy time to analyse the situation. Why did this man need to show up right now and ruin someone's perfect day? She wished she could turn back time to relive the comfortable silence that lingered between her and Oliver; not the one that cut her to the core this way. The café now felt like a haunted house and the man giving her shelter — when no one else did — stood there like a ghost.
If only she could open her eyes to the reality of this being nothing more than a bad dream.
But the unsettling feeling that left a bitter taste in her throat was not the fear of dealing with a creepy man at this tiring hour. It was about having to face her landlord whilst the man she had a crush on was right next to her. She wondered how he would react if she were to slap her landlord right then and there. Would he judge her for this? Or would he understand and appreciate her courage?
To hell with his opinion, she knew either way the worst was yet to come. Because if he tried to protect her — or merely showed the least bit of affection for her — her landlord would definitely take it the wrong way and would do everything in his power to make this man's life absolute hell. As well as hers. But there was no way she was going to throw him in harm's way like that.
