Entangle with Mr. Billionaire

At nine on the dot, Maya Thatcher strolled through the grand hall of the Thatcher family mansion, her heels clicking softly against the polished marble floor. The chandeliers above cast a warm, golden glow that brought out the room's elegance. Today was supposed to be a big deal—the day she’d officially get engaged to Derrick Vader, a match that would solidify the Thatcher family’s spot among Sylvaria’s elite.

As she gazed around the room, Maya’s heart was doing this weird combo of excitement and nerves.

The grand hall buzzed with chatter, everyone dressed to impress and sipping on champagne. Maya flashed a polite smile as she mingled, making small talk with a few guests, but her mind was somewhere else entirely. She was on the lookout for Derrick. He should’ve been right there with her, charming the guests and making sure everything was running smoothly. But he was nowhere in sight.

“Oh, Maya, darling!” An older woman with a tight bun and a dazzling necklace grabbed her arm. “You’re positively glowing tonight! Derrick’s a lucky man.”

As the first granddaughter, Maya knew all eyes were on her, and she forced a smile. “Thank you, Mrs. Whitmore. I’m very lucky too.”

Mrs. Whitmore leaned in, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “You know, it’s not every day the first-borns of two such prominent families get together. This is a historic moment!”

Keeping up the appearance, Maya nodded, her smile tightening. “Yes, it is.”

“Well, dear, enjoy every second of it. Marrying into the Vader family… You’re securing your place at the very top!” Mrs. Whitmore gushed, squeezing Maya’s hand before drifting off to chat with someone else.

As Maya turned away, a middle-aged man with a salt-and-pepper beard clinked his glass to get her attention. “Maya! Exciting times, huh? You and Derrick, what a power couple. The Thatchers and Vaders—unstoppable!”

Maya gave a small laugh. “I certainly hope so, Mr. Adams.”

“You know,” Mr. Adams continued, swirling his drink, “marrying Derrick is the best move you could make. That guy’s got ambition, connections, everything. Together, you two will be the talk of the town for decades.”

“Thank you, Mr. Adams. That’s very kind of you to say,” Maya replied, though her mind was drifting further from the conversation.

With a slight smile, she excused herself from the group, her unease growing. Where on earth was Derrick? It wasn’t like him to vanish, especially today. Maybe he was upstairs handling some last-minute thing or another minor crisis. It wasn’t unusual for him to disappear briefly, but usually, he was easy to find. Her feet moved quickly up the grand staircase, her mind racing with possibilities.

At the top of the stairs, Maya was struck by the eerie silence, a stark contrast to the lively buzz downstairs. She paused, scanning the long hallway lined with closed doors. Then she heard it—soft, muffled noises coming from one of the rooms down the hall. It was Bella's room.

Pausing for a moment, Maya’s brow furrowed. What could Bella be doing in there, and why was Derrick missing? A knot of anxiety tightened in her stomach as she approached the door. The closer she got, the clearer the noises became—whispers, moans, and the unmistakable sound of a bed creaking. Maya’s heart started throbbing loudly in her ears. No, it couldn’t be.

Her hand trembled as she reached for the doorknob and turned it slowly. The door creaked open, and the sight before her made her blood run cold.

There, on the bed, tangled in sheets, were Derrick and Bella. Their eyes widened in shock as they saw her standing there. Maya felt like the floor had just dropped out from under her. She wanted to scream, to cry, but all she could manage was a choked gasp.

"Maya, I—" Derrick stammered, scrambling to cover himself, but Maya cut him off.

"You pig!" she spat. "How could you? Today of all days!"

When their eyes locked, Bella, equally flustered, tried to speak, but Maya’s fury silenced her. "You too, Bella? My own cousin? How could you do this to me?"

Tears of rage welled up in Maya’s eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She was stronger than that. Her whole life, she’d been taught to keep it together, no matter what. But this—this was beyond anything she’d ever imagined.

"I'm calling off the engagement," Maya declared. "And I'm going to tell everyone what a disgusting, unfaithful pig you are."

With a sigh, Derrick's expression shifted from guilt to anger. "Maya, don't be ridiculous. You can't call off the engagement. Think about what this will do for our families. To you. You'll be humiliated."

"I don't care!" she shot back. "You deserve to be humiliated after what you've done."

"Listen," Derrick snapped, grabbing his shirt from the floor and hastily putting it on. "This marriage isn't just about us. It's about our families. The Thatchers need this alliance to maintain their standing. Without this marriage, your family's influence will plummet."

Scoffing, Maya crossed her arms, glaring at him. "Oh, so now you're concerned about my family's influence? How noble of you. But let's be real, Derrick, the only thing at stake here is your own ambition. You're just afraid that without this engagement, your father will cut you off."

The daring look in her eyes made Derrick's jaw tighten. "That's not true. The Vaders have been planning this union for years. My father expects me to uphold our family's legacy."

"And sleeping with my cousin is part of that legacy? Give me a break." Maya scoffed.

Still wrapped in the sheets, Bella finally found her voice. "Maya, please, it's not what it looks like."

"Really? Oh, I am so sorry for misunderstanding you guys... I am sure grandfather and the rest of the family will help me understand what this is even better, don't you think?" Maya shot her a withering look.

As he took a step closer, Derrick's eyes narrowed as he said, "Think carefully, Maya. If you go through with this, you'll not only ruin me but your own family. Do you really want that on your conscience?"

Smiling ever wider, Maya met his gaze, unflinching. "The only thing being ruined here is your reputation, Derrick. And you brought that on yourself."

Derrick's face flushed with anger. "You stubborn—"

Rolling her eyes, Maya turned on her heel, ready to storm out and expose Derrick for the lying cheat he was. But before she could take a step, she felt Derrick’s hand on her arm. She whipped around, glaring at him.

"Let go of me!" she demanded.

"Maya, wait," Derrick pleaded, but there was a menacing edge to his voice. "You need to calm down and think about this."

"I've thought about it enough!" she snapped. "Now let me go!"

But Derrick didn't release her. Instead, his grip tightened, and before she could react, he pulled her back and wrapped his arm around her neck, locking her in a chokehold. Maya's eyes widened in shock as she struggled to breathe, her hands clawing at his arm.

"Derrick, what are you doing?" Bella shrieked, jumping off the bed and rushing over. "Let her go! You're going to hurt her!"

Derrick's face was twisted with panic. "She was going to ruin everything!" he yelled, his grip tightening as Maya's struggles weakened. "I had to stop her!"

"Derrick, stop! You're going to kill her!" Bella screamed, but Derrick didn't seem to hear her.

Slowly, Maya's vision began to blur, and darkness crept in at the edges. The last thing she heard before losing consciousness was Bella's frantic voice and Derrick's ragged breathing.

When Maya finally went unconscious, Derrick laid her on the floor and started pacing about as he ran his finger through his hair.

"Oh my God, what have we done?" Bella whispered.

Still pacing back and forth, he glared at her as he let out, raising his voice, "She wasn't supposed to pass out! What the hell are we going to do?"

The two remained silent as Bella wrung her hands anxiously. For a moment, she looked to where Maya lay sprawled on the ground, then she shook her head violently.

"We have to fix this," Bella said, her voice steadier now, though her eyes were wild with fear. "We can't let her ruin everything... Derrick, stay with her... I'll figure out what to do. We can't let her tell anyone about this."

Stopping in his tracks, Derrick nodded numbly, his eyes filled with desperation. "Yeah, okay... hurry."

With each step, Bella’s heart was racing, but not from fear or guilt. It was more of a twisted thrill, a rush of adrenaline that came with the realization that she was about to take control. Derrick had really messed up this time, but she wasn’t going to let everything they’d worked for go down the drain. There was a way to fix this, and she was going to make sure it worked.

As she stepped into the hallway, her eyes scanned the empty corridor. Then she spotted him— a guy wearing a plain white shirt with black pants, the same as the waiters from the catering company her grandfather had hired. Perfect. An idea, nasty and desperate, began to take shape in her mind, and a smirk tugged at her lips.

Without a second thought, Bella called out, “Hey, you! Waiter!”

The guy froze, clearly caught off guard. He turned around, and Bella took in his appearance—dark hair slightly tousled, deep-set eyes, and an expression that was calm, almost too calm. He looked out of place here, like he didn’t belong. That was exactly why he was perfect.

“Yes, ma’am? Can I help you?” he asked politely, though there was a flicker of unease in his eyes.

With a smug smile, Bella strode up to him quickly. “I need your help with something. It’s important.”

His brow furrowed as he stared at her for a moment and then asked, “What kind of help are you talking about?”

“Just follow me,” she said, keeping her tone casual yet firm.

Staring hard at her, he hesitated but then nodded. “Alright, I’ll help. Lead the way.”

After a faint nod and smile, Bella led him back to her room, her mind racing as her plan started to form in her head. She didn’t care who this guy was—that was exactly why he was perfect. He was a disposable pawn in the game she and Derrick were playing.

When they reached her door, Bella stopped and turned to him. “Wait here,” she instructed sharply.

The waiter nodded, leaning against the wall as he waited. Bella slipped back into the room, closing the door behind her. Derrick was still pacing like a caged animal, his face twisted in panic.

“Derrick,” Bella hissed, grabbing his arm with a forceful grip. “I have a plan.”

He stopped pacing, his eyes wild with desperation. “What plan? How can you fix this?”

Meeting his eyes, Bella’s lips curled into a cold smile. “We’re going to turn the tables on Maya. We’re going to make it look like she was the one cheating.”

The was a pause as Derrick stared at her, his expression shifting from panic to something darker, and then he asked, “How?”

“There’s a waiter outside,” Bella explained. “I’m going to bring him in here, and you’re going to knock him out.”

Derrick’s initial shock turned into a sick kind of amusement. “Knock him out? Then what?”

Bella’s eyes gleamed with such coldness as she side-eyed her cousin and said. “We’ll strip him down, throw him in bed with Maya, and make it look like she was the one sneaking around. When she wakes up, she’ll be too disoriented to remember anything clearly, and we’ll have all the evidence we need to ruin her.”

Immediately, Derrick’s lips twisted into a cruel grin as the plan sunk in. “That’s… brilliant. She won’t know what hit her.”

Glad that they were on the same page, Bella nodded, feeling a surge of confidence. “Exactly. And as for the waiter, we can buy his silence or scare him into keeping his mouth shut. Either way, he won’t be a problem.”

The clearly the picture became, Derrick’s eyes hardened as he considered the plan. “Let’s do it. Bring him in.”

For a hesitant second, Bella took a deep breath, steadying herself. Then she opened the door just a crack and motioned to the waiter. “Come on in,” she whispered, trying to sound casual, though her heart was racing.

The waiter stepped into the room, his expression wary but cooperative, and then his eyes locked on Maya, not seeing Derrick who was hiding behind the door, and then mumbled, “So, what do you need me to do?”

Before he could even process the situation, Derrick moved like a predator. He raised his arm and struck the waiter hard in the neck. The guy’s eyes widened in shock and pain before he crumpled to the floor, unconscious. Derrick stood over him, breathing heavily, a dark satisfaction creeping into his eyes.

“Didn’t even see it coming,” Derrick muttered, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

Hastly, Bella quickly knelt beside the unconscious man, checking his pulse. “He’s out cold,” she confirmed, more as a formality than concern. “Alright, let’s get him on the bed.”

Not hesitating, Derrick grabbed the waiter’s legs while Bella took his shoulders. They lifted him together and dragged him over to the bed where Maya was still lying, barely conscious, her breathing shallow. He carefully undressed the waiter, tossing his clothes aside with little care “Here, let me help with Maya,” Bella said, as she started removing Maya’s clothes. “We need her to be in a position where this looks convincing.”

“Yeah, just make sure she’s in a cuddling position. We don’t want any mistakes.” Derrick added, a faint smirk not leaving his lip.

Unzipping her cousin's dress, Bella nodded, stripping Maya down to her underwear. She then positioned Maya so that she was lying close to the waiter, her body draped over his. Bella made sure Maya’s arm was around the waiter’s waist, her head resting on his chest.

“Perfect,” Bella said, stepping back to admire their work. “This will definitely look like Maya was up to something.”

Meeting Derrick's eyes, Bella’s fingers trembled from adrenaline and cold satisfaction as she and Derrick made the final adjustments. They stepped back to stare at the two, Maya and the unconscious waiter entangled in bed, the perfect image of betrayal and scandal.

Her eyes glittered with a malevolent thrill as Bella turned to Derrick and said, “This is it. We’ve got to stick to the plan. Make sure no one finds out about this before we get the story out.”

“Got it. I’ll stay here and make sure everything’s set. You get downstairs and spread the word.” Derrick said, staring at his watch.

With a quick nod, Bella headed out the door, her heart racing with the thrill of what was to come. She moved swiftly down the grand staircase.  As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Bella’s eyes scanned the bustling grand hall. Guests mingled, champagne flutes clinking and laughter filling the air.

She spotted her grandfather, the patriarch of the Thatcher family, a distinguished figure with a chiseled face and a salt-and-pepper beard, cut an imposing presence in the grand hall. His sharp blue eyes filled with authority. He had a solid build, the kind that spoke of both strength and a life of disciplined routine. Even in his mid-sixties, he moved with a commanding grace, his tailored suit hanging impeccably from his broad shoulders Summoning her courage, Bella approached him with a look of panic etched on her face. “Grandfather! Grandfather!” she called out, her voice trembling just enough to catch his attention.

Her grandfather, a tall man with a commanding presence, turned towards her with a concerned frown. “Bella, what’s wrong? You look distressed.”

Bella took a deep breath, her eyes wide with feigned fear. “It’s Derrick! I—” She paused for dramatic effect. “I just saw him. He—he caught Maya in the middle of something terrible.”

Her grandfather’s brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

Bella’s gaze flickered around the room, noting that several guests had overheard her. “Derrick caught Maya cheating on him. In her room. With another man.” The words burst from her lips, louder than she intended.

The room fell silent, the buzz of conversation dwindling to a hush as guests exchanged shocked glances. Bella’s face turned a shade paler as she registered the reaction.

“I didn’t mean to shout it out,” Bella stammered, putting on a show of sudden regret. “I’m so sorry, I just… I didn’t know how to handle it. I didn’t want everyone to hear…”

Her grandfather’s expression shifted from concern to bewildered anger. “Cheating? Are you certain?”

Darting her eyes around, Bella bit her lip and then nodded vigorously, her eyes wide with manufactured distress. “Yes, I saw them myself. Derrick is upstairs, still in shock. I tried to stop him, but—”