Hate To Love You My Billionaire Lover

Arianna’s first encounters with Travis were anything but ordinary. Though she hated thinking about it, she remembered it like it was yesterday.

****

She slowly opened her eyes and looked out the window of the moving taxi. It was a beautiful day, but her mood was just the opposite. A hangover and the memory of last night’s assault weren’t necessarily the recipe for a happy person.

At a stoplight, Arianna began to sift through the contents of her bag. She found her wallet, keys, lipstick, and perfume. Nothing was missing besides her necklace.

The first stop was at a boutique. She bought new jeans and a long-sleeved shirt to cover the bruises on her arms. She shoved his shirt into her purse and wore her new clothes out of the store.

The final stop was at her house. Her family members greeted her pleasantly as she trotted up to her room. She slept for the rest of the day and all through the night.

She got out of bed in the late afternoon the next day. After taking a long bath and getting dressed, she decided to go into the city.

Arianna took the bus to get rid of the security that usually followed her around. She rode it until she was unfamiliar with the streets.

Her bus stopped to let some people off, and Arianna spontaneously decided she would get off, too.

After taking two left turns on her walk, she was on a winding road surrounded by many darkly colored buildings. She passed by the alley where she was drunk and surrounded by gangsters last night.

But in the daytime, the area was quiet and peaceful.

Feeling thirsty, she entered a café. It had soft music and a strong smell of coffee beans. She was surprised to find that it was filled with people who appeared to be students. They were all hunched over a laptop or textbook, meticulously studying.

Arianna knew that there were two universities in the area, but the campus was usually empty during the summertime.

She decided to do as the students were doing. Next door was a bookstore where she picked up a fresh mystery novel. To avoid returning home, Arianna went back to the café and ordered a large tea before finding a comfortable couch to read on.

Arianna sat on the couch for several hours while she finished the book. As she was picking up her things to leave, she noticed a familiar figure passing by the door.

After quickly tipping her waiter, she rushed outside.

He was in stark contrast to her male classmates. They were into hip-hop style these days, so they were often found in graffiti T-shirts and fat trousers, not to mention their strange hairstyles.

It was satisfying to see a well-dressed man. He was like an early autumn breeze, cool but refreshing.

The man was about ten meters ahead of her. She could easily catch up in a few steps.

Arianna paused for a moment. She remembered how indifferent he was to her the morning after saving her. What would she even say to him right now?

She dropped her gaze to the sidewalk for a moment. He was gone when she looked up, and she felt her heart drop.

In the following few days, Arianna was haunted by the missed opportunity. She went to the street every day and repeated the same activities.

After purchasing a novel, she went to the café and took a seat facing the window. She read the books and kept an eye on every person who walked by.

Some of the students who studied at the café began to recognize her. She started exchanging smiles with many of them as the days went by.

Though she never saw him, she had something to look forward to every day. Spending time at the café always puts her in a good mood. Even her family noticed it when she returned home.

One day, she arrived later than usual. Her seat by the window was already occupied by someone else. She scanned the café, looking for another comfortable seat.

Her heart nearly stopped. Seated in the back corner was the man she was waiting for. He was looking down, reading his book intently.

Arianna sat down in another corner where she could see him from afar.

She kept her head down and didn’t dare to look up at him again. But after a half-hour of struggling to focus, she gave up on the ridiculous romantic novel in her hands.

What if he had been here every single day? She always went directly to her seat and was barely conscious of her surroundings.

But she did not think this was possible. The man had a strong presence, too obvious to go unfelt even when he was seated in the back corner.

After playing with her fingers for several minutes, she reached for her tea. But to her surprise, her cup was empty.

Arianna glanced toward the counter, getting ready to get a refill when she noticed the man looking in her direction. He was too far away for her to see his facial expression.

She turned her head from side to side to see if he could be looking at someone around her, but she was all alone. So she smiled at him politely through her rosy cheeks.

However, he immediately lowered his head and continued to read his book. He didn’t seem to recognize her.

In his defense, her look now was very different from how he found her in that alley when he saved her. A pleated skirt replaced her torn jeans, and she had strappy sandals on rather than sneakers. Her hair was delicate and neat rather than a sweaty mess.

No matter how hard she tried, Arianna couldn’t focus on her book. She finished another tea and only read about two sentences at that time.

Another cup was calling her name. This was the only café in town that offered black licorice tea, and Arianna had become addicted to it.

As she looked back towards the counter, she couldn’t help but look at the man.

But as soon as her eyes landed on him, his gaze moved from his book to her. Arianna’s face started to get hot.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.