One Night With A Mysterious Billionaire (The Heiress's Revenge)-Chapter 26: What will you do if I marry

Raymond had been drinking since morning, seated in the private VIP section of the lounge. He had always been able to hold his liquor, so despite the number of glasses scattered across the table, he was barely drunk. His eyes were still sharp and clear, betraying nothing of the alcohol coursing through his veins.

Damon was sprawled across the sofa, completely passed out, while Liam had slumped forward on the table, his head resting on his crossed arms. Raymond looked at the two men and let out a tired sigh.

"To think I called them out to drink with me, and they’re already passed out this early," he muttered to himself.

He leaned back, his fingers tightening around his glass as his thoughts drifted. He needed to return to his life, to restore order and control, but there was one loose end he couldn’t ignore—Lena.

Traveling again without settling things with her felt wrong. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t pinpoint when everything between them had spiraled so badly out of control.

The warmth of the lounge no longer comforted him. As he stood, planning to leave, his gaze swept lazily over the crowded dance floor—and froze.

A woman dressed in a revealing outfit was dancing under the flashing lights, her movements careless and familiar. His blood boiled instantly when he recognized her.

Lena.

At first he wondered how she could move that seamlessly, her waist twisting to the rhythm of the music, her hands in the air. Her moves were pleasing to the eyes and my eyes darkened at that thought.

Lena, on the other hand, dreaded the thought of going home to face Raymond. She couldn’t tell whether the tightness in her chest was remorse or fear—or something far more complicated. All she knew was that she needed space.

So when Sylvia suggested they hang out, Lena didn’t hesitate.

"Why don’t we go dancing, Lena? Clear our heads a little," Sylvia said as Lena locked her office door, preparing to leave for the day.

Lena let out a weak laugh. "That actually sounds like a good idea. You know I don’t want to go home early."

Sylvia stopped walking and turned to her. "Why don’t you want to go home?"

"There’s... someone there I don’t want to see," Lena replied softly.

Sylvia studied her for a moment, then nodded, deciding not to pry further.

"I’m not even dressed for partying," Lena whined.

"And I don’t want to go home to change."

Sylvia grinned. "We don’t have to. We’re rich, remember? And you have a rich boyfriend. He can afford it. Let’s stop by a clothing store, grab a party dress, change at my place, then go out. What do you think?"

Lena’s lips curved into a smile. "I think that’s a great idea. Let’s go get drunk."

They stopped at a high-end boutique and bought everything they needed. Sullivan, Lena’s driver, took them around without asking questions, though he seemed uneasy. After changing into their new outfits at Sylvia’s place, they headed straight to the lounge with mini club .

Sylvia was in the mood to release all her pent-up frustration. The moment they arrived, she ordered shots for both of them.

It had been a long time since Lena last danced, she love dancing which was a secret no one knows about except her mom. and for once, in a long time she allowed herself to forget everything. She still hated the taste of alcohol so she took only a shot and refuse to taste it again, Sylvia on the other hand kept drowning her sorrows with more shot.

The music was loud, the lights dazzling, and her body moved freely as she laughed and swayed with Sylvia.

She was enjoying herself, until someone suddenly gripped her wrist.

Before she could react, she was being dragged off the dance floor.

"Hey—!" she tried to scream, but the music swallowed her voice. Panic surged through her until she looked up and saw who it was.

Raymond.

The anger she had managed to suppress flared violently.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!" she shouted, struggling against him.

Raymond ignored her and continued dragging her toward the exit. When she resisted harder, he abruptly lifted her and threw her over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" she yelled, pounding against his back.

Outside the lounge, he carried her straight to his car and placed her inside before locking the door. Lena immediately began banging on the window, shouting angrily, but Raymond didn’t spare her a glance.

Instead, he turned to Sullivan, who stood frozen in place.

"I gave you one job," Raymond said coldly. "Drive her around and report back to me. Not only did you fail to report, you brought her here of all places."

Sullivan’s face went pale, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Sir, I thought you were aware, that’s why I didn’t—"

"You thought?" Raymond cut in sharply. "I hired you as her driver and bodyguard, not her friend. You’ve failed at both."

Sullivan lowered his head. "I’m sorry, sir."

"I’ll deduct your salary. Fail again, and you’re gone."

"Thank you, sir. I’ll do better," Sullivan promised.

"I don’t care about words. I want action," Raymond said. "Make sure Damon, Liam, and Sylvia get home safely."

"Yes, sir."

Raymond got into the driver’s seat. The moment he started the car, all hell broke loose.

"Raymond, who do you think you are?" Lena exploded. "You don’t get to tell me where I can go or what I can do!"

He stayed silent, exhausted, letting her vent.

"Is this because of that stupid contract?" she slurred bitterly. "You think you own me because of it?"

She laughed humorlessly. "You know I only signed that contract because you blinded me with your handsomeness."

"Really?" Raymond asked, amused despite himself.

"I just hate it when you use the contract to control me," she continued, her voice cracking. "All I ever wanted was to be there for you. You took care of me, why wouldn’t you let me take care of you too?"

Her words hit him harder than expected. He drove quietly toward the villa, listening as she poured her heart out.

After a moment, he asked softly, "Lena... how would you feel if I got married right now?"

She was silent for a few seconds. "I’d be sad," she said honestly. "But I wouldn’t do anything. You already warned me to stop intruding on your privacy and to follow the contract."

Raymond had no response. He didn’t even understand his own feelings anymore.

By the time they arrived at the villa, Lena had fallen asleep.

He carried her upstairs, gently changed her into

clean clothes after bathing her, and tucked her into bed. As he watched her sleep, conflicted emotions churned within him, heavier than the alcohol ever was.

The next morning, Lena woke up with a splitting headache. It felt as though her skull was being split in two. She groaned softly and turned on the bed, her eyes squinting as she slowly took in her surroundings. The bed was neatly made on the other side—too neat. That alone told her everything she needed to know.

Raymond hadn’t come back the previous night.

Lena raised both hands to her head, pressing her temples as a wave of discomfort washed over her. She felt terrible, like her head might fall off at any second. As she sat up, memories from the previous night began to rush back, one after the other, without mercy. She remembered going out with Sylvia, the laughter, the drinks she swore she could handle. Then the dancing. And then... Raymond.

Everything that happened after that came crashing down on her all at once. Her chest tightened as she recalled the things she had said to him—sharp, careless words spoken under the influence of alcohol. The anger she had felt then now turned into embarrassment and regret. Lena shut her eyes briefly, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

"I’m never drinking alcohol again," she declared hoarsely to the empty room.

Dragging herself out of bed, she went into the bathroom to take a bath and prepare for work. The warm water cascading down her body helped ease the tension in her muscles and slightly dulled the headache, but it didn’t completely chase the hangover away. By the time she was done, she still felt heavy and uncomfortable. She slipped on a pair of sunglasses to hide her tired, puffy eyes before heading downstairs.

Raymond was already seated at the dining table.

Her steps slowed instinctively. Every other morning, he would have called her over, asked if she wanted breakfast or coffee. Today, he didn’t even spare her a glance. He acted as though she wasn’t there.

Lena greeted him softly.

Raymond paused, lifted his head, and looked at her for a moment—long enough to make her uneasy—before responding briefly and returning to whatever he was doing. Nothing more.

The coldness caught her off guard. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something else, but in the end, she advised herself against it. Turning away quietly, she walked out of the house and got into her car, driving straight to work.

At the office, the incident from the previous day was still being discussed in hushed tones. Gossip flowed freely, though no one dared speak too loudly in her presence. Lena opened her phone and noticed that most of the inner circles had already started banning Ashley and Evans. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"I would’ve laughed so hard if not for this hangover," she muttered to herself.

Before evening came, she received an invitation.