Page 38 of Billionaire’s Cruelty

“Clare’s on it.”

That was Trevon—he always had a plan. But sometimes, his plans failed when it came to being a person. He lived his life according to a strict blueprint, and it worked. He’d achieved everything he ever wanted—success in business, a thriving career, and wealth most people only dreamed of. But fun? That was never part of his plan. It took too much time. He used to scoff at us whenever we asked him to relax, to join us for a night out.

When we arrived at the airport, Clare was already waiting for us. I scanned the area quickly. There was no one else in sight.

“Good to see you again, Sir,” she greeted me with an unfamiliar politeness. I couldn’t remember the last time she was this formal—maybe during her interview or the first few weeks on the job. It had been a while.

Trevon tossed her the car keys without a word, a clear signal to get rid of the vehicle. Clare caught them effortlessly and handed them off to a middle-aged woman who appeared silently from behind her. I had been wrong—she did bring backup.

I strode into the airport, pausing in front of a towering row of flight information screens.

“It’s gate 59, Sir,” Clare said smoothly, already anticipating my question.

Trevon’s tall frame was easy to spot at a ticket desk. In a sea of faces, he stood out—not just because he was the only Black man around, but because he had a presence no one could ignore. When he turned and caught my eye, he waved, holding what I hoped were our tickets.

“My guy could only get us business class seats,” Trevon said as he handed me mine. “First class was completely sold out”

“Thanks. It sounds like you had some help getting these?”

“It’s a full flight, but my friend made it work. She offered her clients a ridiculous amount of air miles and bumped them to first class if they agreed to fly later.”

“Win-win,” I muttered.

Without wasting another second, we headed toward security. I didn’t need to turn around to know that familiar, unwanted presence was still trailing us.

I stopped abruptly and snapped. “Where do you think you’re going.”

“I need to protect you, Sir.”

Her voice was steady, but it was the reflection of the harsh airport lighting that gave her away. Without it, I might have missed the shimmer of her watery blue eyes—bright and unyielding as they locked onto mine.

“Haven’t you done enough?” I shook my head, frustration curling in my gut. This mess—part of it—was my fault. I’d let her get too comfortable, too relaxed with her job. If I had drawn the line earlier—stopped her from joking around, from bossing Dave and others who were far more experienced—maybe things wouldn’t have spiraled out of control. I knew the moment I hired her that she was young and arrogant. I just thought time would change that. If only I had given her a real chance to learn.

“Let me make it up to you,” she pleaded.

“I have Mario.” Though, in truth, I wouldn’t trust him with my life. He wasn’t trained security, just a thug willing to do anything for the right price.

“Please, Sir, Mr. Li.” Her voice trembled as she swallowed hard. “I made a mistake… and I don’t know how you could ever forgive me.”

Before I could respond, she dropped to her knees. I froze in disbelief as she lowered herself further, about to perform a kowtow—an ancient gesture of apology.

“Get up. Get up!” I hissed through clenched teeth.

But of course, the stubborn woman refused to move.

“I’ll kneel here until you forgive me,” she said, her tone unwavering.

I sighed, knowing she wouldn’t stay there forever. Airport security would have her up and out in five minutes if she kept this up.

“You’re fucking embarrassing me,” I muttered under my breath, my voice low enough for only her to hear.

People were already staring. I could feel their judgmental eyes burning into me—painting me as some heartless asshole who bullied women. And God, I hated that feeling. I was a lot of things, but I had never bullied a woman in my life.

“Get up,” I sighed, exasperation dripping from my words. “How are you going to get a ticket if you’re still on the floor?”

8

June