Page 107 of How to Fall for the Secret Billionaire
When I finally return to my room, I lie down quietly, but sleep doesn’t come.
I stare up at the ceiling. At the shadows on the walls. At the faint cracks in the plaster above the window.
Margot is more than worth it. She’s more worthy of this life than me. I’ve known that from the beginning. But what I’ve never been sure of is whether I belong in it.
In this town. This family. In the kind of love that asks for everything. I replay Edie’s voice in my head:People break when they carry too much alone.
They see it. Even when I try to hide it, they see it.
This wall I keep up. The hesitation. The fear.
The truth is I’ve spent most of my adult life building an empire and here I am—at the edge of something more real, something permanent—and I’ve been too scared to leap.
But Margot leapt. Every day. With her hands full and her heart open. She’s made room for me in this life without asking for anything in return.
And suddenly I realize—I want to stay. Not in passing. Not as a visitor. I want the early mornings and the family dinners. I wantthe hard conversations and the long nights. I want to explore things with her and see how real this can get.
I don’t know if I deserve her, but I’m going to try.
It’s barely six when I knock on her door.
I’m not even sure she’ll answer, but I know I have to try. I owe her that. Honesty. No more surprises. No more wondering.
The door opens with a creak, and Margot appears, hair tousled, sleep still clinging to her eyes.
“Cal?” she frowns. “What are you doing here?”
“Honesty,” I say, standing my ground. “From now on. No more surprises like that.”
She stares at me for a beat, then—without a word—steps aside and lets me in.
The room smells like lavender and fresh sheets. Morning light filters in through the window, soft and golden. She folds her arms across her chest as I turn to face her.
“Are you ready to tell me everything?” she asks.
My stomach tightens. I know what she means. She’s not just asking about yesterday. She’s asking about me—the parts I’ve kept tucked away. The parts I still haven’t named out loud.
“What do you want to know?” I ask, even though I already do.
She raises an eyebrow. “Why do you look like you’re on death row?”
I exhale a shaky laugh.
She softens, just a little. “Cal… what do I need to know? I don’t like secrets. You already know that.”
“I know.” I take a step closer, then another. I reach for her hands, and this time, she doesn’t pull away. “I’m not lying to you, Margot. Everything I’ve said about myself is true.”
“So you’re a tech businessman.”
“Yes. I came here from L.A. I used to run a company, but I left because I was overwhelmed and needed peace. That’s all.”
Her gaze is sharp, searching. “You’re leaving some things out.”
I shake my head. “Not on purpose. There’s just… a lot I haven’t said yet.”
She nods, almost to herself. “There’s a lot we still have to know about each other.”
“That’s why I extended my stay,” I say. “We have time.”
