Page 1 of Don't Fall for the Billionaire
Chapter One
Charlotte
I grip the mug in my hands, the heat from the coffee inside warming them as I stare out the window at the trees, which were still green. But if you looked closely enough, you could see small flecks of red and orange around the edges of the leaves.
“Morning,” Jeremy's voice echoed through the kitchen. “What are you doing?”
“Morning. Staring at the trees that will soon be transforming themselves from green to beautiful yellows, oranges, and reds.”
“Misery. Depressing. I hate fall.”
“Excuse me?” I whipped my body around to face him. “How can you say that?”
“You like fall?” He tipped the piping hot coffee to his lips.
“Fall is my favorite season ever,” I said. “It's a magical season.”
“Care to explain how you think it's magical?” Jeremy asked.
“Ever since I was a child, fall always felt like a reset button to me. It's like the calm before the storm. Fall is the slowdown before the chaos of the holiday season approaches. I don't know. There's something about the colors, pumpkins, spices, crispoutdoor air, and the falling leaves that makes me feel warm and safe. I love everything from pumpkin patches to hayrides, hot apple cider on a crisp day, and walking through a pile of leaves.”
“Oh, come on, Charlotte.” He tipped his mug to his lips. “You know you only think you like fall because everyone else does. It's just Instagram and Pinterest nonsense. Pumpkin spice and all that manufactured coziness is bullshit. I didn't think you werethatgirl who fell for that shit.”
“It's not shit. I just told you I've loved fall ever since I was a child.”
“You might have liked it a bit. But then you discovered Instagram and Pinterest as you got older, and that's when all that nonsense brainwashed you. I thought you were smarter than that.” His brow arched.
I stood there in shock. We'd been dating for almost three months, and I feared his true colors were starting to show. He invited me to spend the weekend with him at his home in the Hamptons. I arrived last night, and after we had sex, he slept in the guest room because he was coughing and didn't want to keep me up all night. The thing was that his cough sounded fake.
“Because I like the fall season, I'm not smart?” My brows furrowed.
“I think in your case, it goes beyond 'like.' I think it's an obsession and it's not healthy,” he said.
“Like your job?” I arched my brow.
“My job is the reason I have the luxury of living like I do. It allows me to afford this big, beautiful Hampton home and a portfolio that most people would kill to have. A season is just a season, and fall is the worst of them all. I had no idea you were this obsessed with it. Maybe you don't belong in my world after all.”
“Your world?” I said, my voice quiet but steady.
“You know what your problem is?” A condescending smirk appeared on his lips. “You're telling me that you get all sentimental over dead leaves and shorter days. It's pathetic. Successful people don't waste time romanticizing decay. In my circles, we appreciate things with actual substance—beautiful art that matters and makes a difference. Experiences that elevate us as human beings.”
“Your circles?” My hands tightened around my coffee mug.
“It's about sophistication, Charlotte. Real people don't get all excited and weepy over dying leaves and pumpkin spice nonsense.”
“You don't have a favorite season?” I cocked my head.
“No. A season is just a season. I have a favorite life and I'm living it. I get excited when the numbers in my portfolio change and grow. Now, stop all this fall nonsense and acting like a child.”
“Okay.” I set my mug down on the island, walked out of the kitchen, and went to the bedroom.
Grabbing my overnight bag sitting in the corner, I threw my things into it.
“What are you doing?” Jeremy stood in the doorway with his arms folded across his chest.
“I'm leaving.”
“Why?”
