Page 7 of The Billionaire Dating Game

“Are you certain about not renewing these service contracts,” the lawyer asked. “The profits from this partnership can offset some of the losses you’ve experienced as a silent shareholder of Dalyi Enterprises.”

The most lucrative international advertising contracts Dalyi Enterprises acquired were with his family’s media company, Popova Media & Marketing Inc., run by his siblings Dmitri and Katya. But those contracts were up, and he would not be using his reputation to secure new ones, especially knowing he was about to crush Jasmine’s company.

Effective marketing had tripled his international businesses despite being under investigation. He not only invested financially in start-ups, but he put enough marketing and advertising dollars behind a company until it was a name consumers recognized.

“Popova Media will no longer publicly or privately back Dalyi Enterprises, Mrs. Ford.”

Come Monday, his shares were going up for sale, and he wanted to see Jasmine’s face when she heard the news, but he’d settle for the angry voicemails from calls he had no intention of returning.

Mrs. Ford closed the folder containing the contracts he’d declined to sign, stuffing them into her leather briefcase. “What about Miss Candice Harper and her friend? Do you want me to take care of it?”

Bytake care of, Mrs. Ford would sue or keep Candice wrapped up in court proceedings until her bank account grew cobwebs. His lawyer was a tiny woman dressed in a pencil skirt and silk blouse—a pocket-sized Diane Lockhart if he ever met one, and a wrecking ball in and out of court.

Hearing Candice’s name sent hot adrenaline directly to his groin, and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees to hide his discomfort. There was no doubt he found her sinfully attractive, and she tempted him in ways no other woman had. But their relationship started with a lie, and he couldn’t trust any woman, no matter how alluring, that deceived him for money. He’d trusted his fair share of beautiful women over the years, and it got him nothing but heartbreak.

No, he didn’t want to sue Candice Harper. Instead, he wanted to bury his dick between her smooth dark thighs and fuck her until his name rang from her lips—like peeling church bells on a Christmas morning.

The hotel phone rang, and he welcomed the distraction, answering it on the second ring. “Yes?”

“Mr. Popova, Miss Harper is insisting on seeing you,” the male clerk at the front desk said.

Alexei had a mind to make Candice wait in the lobby for trying to go back on an agreement. He’d almost believed her when she said she’d never done a bait and switch before with Anna, but her leaving proved otherwise. “Have her brought to my penthouse,” he said instead.

It didn’t take long for the chime from the elevator to echo inside the penthouse suite and for Candice to charge directly to where he sat on the sofa. He reclined into the seat and didn’t pretend to hide his head-to-toe assessment of her attire. Skinny distressed jeans hugged her legs revealing the generous curve of her hips and the shape of her thighs. A shapeless white tee was tucked into the waistband of her jeans, and her hair was pulled into a messy bun at the crown of her head. No makeup. No flashy jewelry. Candice didn’t need any of it to glow, and she was the epiphany of laid back. She was gorgeous.

For a brief moment, she reminded him of Katya and the countless weekends they spent enjoying life, blocking out the world and the responsibilities expected of them. But this woman wasn’t his sister who’d been by his side all his life. This woman ran the first chance she got.

“Did you have something to do with my credit card declining?”

Of course he did. No self-respecting businessman allowed the person swindling him to get away scot-free.

“Oh my goodness! What is it with wealthy people and your need to control everything?”

“Not everything,” he said, holding her stare. “Right now, I’m entirely focused on you.”

“Don’t strain yourself,” she said under her breath, but he heard her.

He almost smirked. Almost.

“You can’t do this. You can’t just have my card…how did you even…” She shook her head. “Who does this?”

Alexei did. And he had no regrets.

His company employed one of the best Grey Hat hackers as their head software engineer. Stephen not only reinforced the company's web security, but he’d found proof of Jasmine’s betrayal by hiring a private investigator to dig into her past.

“Where were you going?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“Home,” she answered cautiously. “You can’t keep me in Paris.”

“So, you admit to having no intention of fulfilling your end of this arrangement.” He looked at Candice before nodding to his lawyer and watched as Candice’s gaze followed him to the woman sitting quietly off to the side.

“My apologies, Miss Harper. I didn’t want to interrupt…as you were determined to have a word with my client.” She nodded. “I’m Mrs. Ford, Mr. Popova’s lawyer.”

Candice paled, but Alexei gave her no time to recover before nodding to the lawyer.

“You are correct, Miss Harper. My client can’t keep you or force you to fulfill your side of the agreement, and you are free to leave at any time.”

Candice closed her eyes and sighed.

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