Billionaire’s

Rayna pushed her cart slowly down the grocery aisle, scanning the shelves as she went. It was late in the afternoon, and the store wasn’t very crowded, making it a peaceful time to shop.

Her list was almost complete, but she still needed to grab one more thing- her favorite cereal. She turned the corner into the cereal aisle, her eyes immediately locking on the bright blue box she always bought.

Her heart sank when she saw there was only one box left. Quickening her pace, Rayna reached out to grab it, but just as her fingers touched the box, another hand did, too.

Startled, she looked up and froze when she saw who the hand belonged to. Ethan.

Her heart skipped a beat. Was this what Fate was? Or was this just a coincidence? How was it possible that she was meeting him again this way? Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

Ethan’s dark eyes met hers as he wondered why he was running into her again this way. He refused to believe it meant anything.

For a moment, neither of them said anything, their hands still gripping the same box of cereal. Rayna could feel her pulse quicken, and she fought to steady her breath.

“Was this planned?” He asked, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“I beg your pardon?” She asked, wondering what he was talking about.

“Why am I running into you here? Did you come here knowing I would be here?” He asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Rayna sighed. She hadn’t expected to see him here, and certainly not like this. If she had thought for a moment that she would run into him here, she wouldn’t be wearing her ugly errand dress. Damn!

“Was I supposed to know you’d be here? Listen, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but what I do know is that I touched this first. You should let go,” she said, trying to sound confident, but her voice came out a little too weak.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think so,” he said flatly, still trying to figure out if his brother or sister–in–law had told Rayna that he was going grocery shopping.

Rayna blinked, caught off guard by his calm response. She tightened her grip on the box. “You know, I wouldn’t have thought we had the same taste in cereal.” She tried to make her tone light, but the tension between them was undeniable.

Ethan scoffed, still holding the box with a firm grip. “I don’t have the same taste as you. This isn’t for me,” he said. “It’s for my sister–in–law,” he lied.

At the mention of Sara, Rayna felt a flicker of guilt. She knew it was probably a pregnancy craving. She hesitated for a second before releasing the box with a sigh. “Well, if it’s for Sara, I guess I can let you have it,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “But in exchange, how about I buy you a drink? To apologize for the other night.” She winced slightly when she remembered how he had stormed out of the cafe the last time.

Ethan’s expression hardened at the mention of what she did, and he shook his head. “I don’t want a drink from you. Thanks for this,” he said and turned to leave with the box of cereal.

Rayna blinked, taken aback by his blunt refusal, and she quickly blocked his path. “Everyone makes mistakes, you know?” she said, trying to sound reasonable.

Ethan let out a dry laugh, shaking his head again. “Sure. But not everyone goes around calling strangers names when they don’t even know what they’re talking about.” His tone was sharp, and Rayna could feel the sting of his words. “You said I looked like a pervert.”

Rayna bit her lip, embarrassment flooding her. She had been so wrong that day, jumping to conclusions and letting her frustration get the better of her. “I…. I wasn’t thinking straight. I guess I had too much to drink,” she said, hoping that would explain her behavior.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed, his voice cold. “Why am I not surprised?” he said. “Hiding behind alcohol, huh? Isn’t it funny how a drunk person accused me of being a pervert?”

Rayna’s face flushed with anger and humiliation. She had apologized with good intentions, trying to make things right, but now she just felt like she was being attacked.

She straightened up, her chin lifting defiantly. “What’s your problem? Yes, I made an error in judgment and called you a pervert. You also said I was unattractive, didn’t you? If I could forgive you for that and still humble myself to apologize to you, why do you keep acting like a jerk? You know what? Forget it,” she snapped. “You might not be a pervert, but you’re an unforgiving jerk, and I no longer care whether you forgive me or not. I’ve apologized, and that’s it. You can take it or leave it.”

Without waiting for a response, she pushed her cart down the aisle and walked away from him. She didn’t look back, but she could feel Ethan’s eyes on her as she left him standing there with the cereal.

11:03 AM S

Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she clenched her fists, angry at both him and herself for how the conversation had gone.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket as she pushed her cart toward the checkout. She pulled it out and saw Evelyn’s name on the screen.

“Hey, Evie,” Rayna answered, trying to keep her voice steady despite the swirl of emotions inside her.

“Hey, Ray. Are you okay?” Evelyn asked when she didn’t hear the usual excitement in Rayna’s voice.

“I just ran into that jerk. I don’t understand how Derek can be a ten, and his friend is a minus 10,” Rayna said, and Evelyn giggled.

“You ran into Ethan again? Doesn’t that mean he’s your destiny? That was what you said, right?” Evelyn asked, and Rayna snorted. “More like my nemesis or archenemy,” she muttered, and Evelyn hooted with laughter.

“Your what? I take it you didn’t ask him out as you planned to do when you meet him?” Evelyn asked amidst her laughter.

“You sound like you’re enjoying my annoyance,” Rayna hissed.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It’s just so funny. I mean, you had such a beautiful, romantic picture. So, I’m surprised,” Evelyn said as she tried to bring her laughter under control.

“That guy is a bastard. I’m not apologizing to him anymore. He can go to hell for all I care,” she muttered. “What’s up with you, anyway? Why did you call?” She asked curiously, not wanting to talk about Ethan anymore.

“Are you home? I was thinking of dropping by,” Evelyn said, her tone warm.

Rayna sighed, trying to shake off the frustration from her encounter with Ethan. “I went grocery shopping, but I’m on my way home now. You can come over if you want. I’ll be there soon.”

“Perfect! I’ll see you in an hour,” Evelyn replied before hanging up.

Rayna slipped her phone back into her pocket and paid for her groceries, her mind still buzzing with thoughts of Ethan.

She couldn’t believe how quickly things had spiraled, and part of her regretted how she had handled the situation. But another part of her- still stinging from his words- felt like maybe it was better this way.

As she walked out of the store and headed to her car, she took a deep breath, hoping that seeing Evelyn would help take her mind off things.