Page 12 of My Billionaire Neighbor's Secret

“Oh, my! They’re undressing in his office!” Ellie said eagerly.

“What?” I said in surprise, hurrying to join her at the window.

To my shock and great embarrassment, it was at that exact time when Carter came to his window and stared up straight at us right before he pulled down the blinds and blocked our view.

“Oh, shit!” Ellie exclaimed, echoing the exact words in my mind.

My heart was pumping hard. I couldn’t believe he’d seen us spying on him as if we were crazy adolescents.

But then, what exactly was he doing with those girls?

“They’re probably having an orgy,” Ellie assumed, giggling. “Well, I’d certainly want to be one of those girls. Carter is just so gorgeous.”

I laughed but did not say anything. I did not want to imagine what was now happening behind the covered window of his home office.

“Maybe he’s a porn artist, or he makes porn films!” Ellie blurted out. “What do you think, Leigh?”

“I’m not sure what to think, to be honest,” I admitted.

That evening, I slept soundly and dreamed I was dressed like one of those girls, making out with Carter at his poolside. Then suddenly, the setting shifted to a church. I was now wearing a lovely wedding dress that made me look like a princess while I stood at the altar. In this sequence, Carter looked at me with pity as my ex-fiancé waved goodbye from the church entrance. My heart felt so heavy. I was begging Drake not to leave me, but he had an evil grin on his face and just kept on waving. I turned to Carter then, but he vanished into thin air, leaving me all by myself, drenched in my tears.

I woke up in the middle of the night, sweating and panting and remembering the wretchedness of the past.

Chapter 6

CARTER

ThelobbyofTheHaven was swarming with tourists who were either there to check in or to dine at the famous in-house steak restaurant. This was a mid-range hotel that had been profiting much higher than most of the other Las Vegas accommodations in our company.

A big smile spread across my face as I remembered how I’d stumbled upon a hotel like this many years ago after running away from my second foster parents, who also turned out to be abusive. I was a teenager then, broken and rebellious but filled with great ambition. Little did I know that someday I would become this successful and powerful.

At first, I wanted revenge. I wanted to show everyone who hurt me in the past what I had become. But as I matured and underwent several therapies with psychologists, I learned to forgive and forget. Eventually, I just let it all go and focused on building my business empire while staying as private as possible.

“Carter!” someone called my name. His voice stood out in the crowd even though we hadn’t seen each other for a decade.

I looked at the tall, brown-haired man coming toward me. He was wearing a plain shirt and a pair of jeans, looking more mature and respectable than when he’d been a defiant twenty-something citizen who wanted revenge from the world. He now sported a cleaner look, but the twinkle in his eyes and the grin on his face made me spot him at once. He still had one arm covered with tattoos, but his shaven face and cropped hair were a fresh change.

“Drake,” I greeted, grinning back as we shook hands and patted each other’s backs. “You’re looking amazing! You are glowing, my man.”

“Carter, my brother,” Drake answered. “You don’t look so bad yourself even now that you’re a billionaire already.”

We both laughed and headed to the bar, where we ordered beer and some snacks.

“How long has it been since we last saw each other?” Drake asked. “Ten years? Eleven? I can’t remember, bro.”

“Yes, around that long,” I said. “How’ve you been? What do you do now?”

“I’m good, thanks,” Drake replied. “I’m actually between jobs right now. I’ve applied to some companies here because I’m thinking of moving here.”

“Really? Why?” I wondered. He’d always been sort of indecisive, even when we were growing up together in the orphanage. We had kept in touch throughout the years. But unlike me, he actually got adopted by a good family and became a spoiled, entitled teen who loved to party and rebel.

Drake shrugged with a grin. “Just for a change of scenery. You know me… I get bored easily…”

“Yeah, I know,” I agreed, chuckling. But I could tell from his face that there was something huge that had made him come here. It wasn’t just a random visit or decision. “So tell me… What really brings you here?”

He took a swig of his beer and then laughed. “Okay, you got me. You know me that well…”

“It’s a girl,” I finished for him, making him grin sheepishly. “I can’t believe it. Drake Johnson came all the way from Ohio to pursue a woman. She must be real hot.”

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