"Honestly, if I were a man, I'd marry me" she laughed quietly. " Okay, that's enough"
She picked up her phone and checked the time
"Thirty minutes early" she sighed. "I hate being early"
She put her phone inside her handbag, opened the car door and stepped out. The soft sound of her heels hitting the polished pavement echoed through the quiet entrance of the luxury hotel.
Click, Click, Click, she didn't rush. She placed one foot carefully on the ground, adjusted the hem of her short, perfectly tailored dress, ad slowly rose to her full height. She closed the door gently then she stood there for a moment, looking at the car, a smile touched her lips.
It wasn't the most expensive car in the world, but it was hers, she had worked for it and he she had another one at home, a beautiful apartment, a growing fashion and design business, enough money to take care of herself. She had come a long way but as she looked at her car, she wasn't satisfied.
"Two cars," she murmured, she folded her arms. "Only two" she shook her head "No. I need more".
A security guard standing nearby smiled politely at her. "Good afternoon, ma"
"Good afternoon" she smiled back and started walking toward the entrance. After a few steps, she stopped. She turned around and looked at her car again.
"Don't worry," she whispered. "Your sisters are coming" she laughed at herself "Three, four..... maybe five more" she continue walking.
As she approached the entrance, a young man opened the glass door for her. She walked inside, the cool air immediately touched her skin, she took off her sunglasses and looked around the beautiful lobby, everything was exactly the kind of environment she loved. Marble floors, Huge chandeliers, Fresh flowers, people dressed in expensive clothes, soft music playing somewhere in the background. Anne smiled "This is more like it" she walked toward the reception desk.
"Good afternoon" Anne greeted the receptionist
"Good afternoon, ma. How may I help you" said the receptionist
"I am here for the fashion program event upstairs." The receptionist checked her name "Your name, please?"
"Anne Williams"
The woman typed something into the computer "Yes, ma. You're on the guest list, she was directed to the elevator.
As she waited for the elevator, she looked herself in the mirrored wall and smile. The elevator doors opened, she stepped inside. As the doors closed, she sighed and whispered to herself
"Girl this is beautiful, I don't want a man who will tell me love is enough" she rolled her eyes "Love without money" she laughed softly and shook her head "I've worked too hard on myself and I know what I want and I will get it, I'll surely get a man that matches my lifestyle"
The elevator dinged, the doors opened and then she stepped out elegantly, she adjusted her dress and walked toward the ballroom. She didn't know it yet, but somewhere inside that room was the man she had spent weeks trying to find. Lucas Sterling
Unlike the men Anne had rejected before him.... Lucas didn't need to prove that he had money, everyone already knew, he owned companies, several of them. Technology, Real estate, Luxury Fashion, Finance, International Investments. Lucas had a reputation, his family name was practically a brand on its own. And Lucas was the youngest and most powerful member of the Sterling Family.
But money wasn't the only thing people talked about. They talked about his personality. Cold, Private Difficult, Unpredictable, some people called him rude, others simply called him dangerous. His parents had spent years trying to find him a wife. They had introduced him to beautiful, educated women who came from familes with money and connections, he rejected them one after another. His mother once asked him,
"Lucas, what exactly are you looking for?" He barely looked up from his phone, he did not reply.
"Which type of woman would you prefer? talk to me" said his mother. He replied "Mom please, not today" Lucas finally looked at her and then he stood up and left "See you later mom" he said.
Then he said,
"Someone who doesn't want me because I'm rich." And that was the irony. Because the woman walking toward him that afternoon wanted exactly that.
Anne didn't know his name yet. She didn't know his story, she didn't know that his family had been searching for a woman he would actually choose. And most importantly, she didn't know that Lucas Sterling was about to become the biggest temptation of her life because Anne had always wanted a billionaire. She just never expected the billionaire to be the one man she couldn't easily control.