Billionaire's Bargain: You belong to me

Adeline's Pov

After more than a year of sending resumes and knocking on closed doors, I finally had a job. It wasn't glamorous, but it felt like a lifeline-proof that maybe the tide was turning in my favour. I had no idea the same day would tear my world apart.

"Mom! Mom!" I screamed.

"Calm down Adeline and talk to me," she said, shaking her head.

Words always slip away from me whenever I'm happy or too sad. Right then, my chest heaved, my breaths shaky, like someone who had just run a marathon.

"I finally got a job," I exhaled, half-laughing. "It's not really nice but I love it." I twirled around her, giggling.

"I'm so proud of you," she smiled. "What's the job?"

"Just a job at a restaurant," I muttered, not really sure of how she would react.

Her face fell immediately

"Restaurant?" she repeated.

"Don't start, Mom. You can't expect everything to be successful overnight. Rome wasn't built in a day. You have to start from somewhere."

"I know, but how much is the pay? You know how many debts we have, and you came in laughing like you'd won the lottery." She gave a short bitter laugh and shook her head. "All these years I've reminded you how lucky you were to be picked up off the street...now I'm not even sure whether you're still my good fortune or another burden."

The smile I'd been wearing was sliding off my face, I shook my head, the tears returned ten fold, an undeniable burn settled low in my stomach, something I haven't experienced in years.

I let out a shaky breath, "I know about the debts," I whispered. "I know you picked me up when nobody else wanted me. But do you have to remind me every single fine I try to breathe? Do you have to make me feel like I'm a mistake you regret?" My voice cracked and I blinked hard against my tears. "All I wanted was to come home with good news for once. Just this once."

Sometimes she acted as if she really cared about me and on other days she said things that are like poison on my skin. She didn't even know that her words were knives, piercing through me long after she'd thrown them.

"Don't make it look like I said anything that's a lie," she said and looked away.

A sudden knock on the door snapped me out of whatever thought I was drowning in. She wiped her palms on her skirt, walked closer, and opened the door.

"Hello, how may I help you?" she questioned.

I glanced toward the door, my heart still heavy from our exchange.

She stepped aside and a man stood by the doorway. My breath heaved, his jaw was chiseled like it had been carved from stone, his dark hair was a mass of soft curls that looked almost perfect to be real. Even the way he adjusted the cuff of his