One Night With A Mysterious Billionaire (The Heiress's Revenge)-Chapter 42: Do you love Vegas city

"I will be travelling in two days," Raymond muttered softly as he continued to pat Lena’s back in a slow, soothing rhythm. His voice was low, almost hesitant, as though he did not want to break the fragile peace surrounding them.

Lena lifted her head slightly from his chest. "When will you be back?" she asked quietly, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the fabric of his shirt.

"Two weeks at most," he replied without hesitation, then paused before adding casually, "Do you love Vegas City?"

The question caught her off guard. Lena straightened a little, her eyes flickering with surprise. "Most people don’t know this," she began slowly, "but I graduated from the Oakland School of Arts and Structural Design."

Raymond raised his brow, genuine astonishment crossing his face. "Oakland?" he asked. "What happened to you?" His tone held curiosity, but also disbelief. He knew only the rich and famous could afford to attend such an elite institution.

"Well," Lena exhaled softly, "I got in through a scholarship program when I was sixteen. I graduated at nineteen." A faint, nostalgic smile curved her lips. "My dream was to start as an independent contractor before eventually opening my own company. But my mother’s ailment brought me back to York City right at the start of my career."

She paused briefly, then continued, "At the time, I had just finished one of the biggest contracts in York City." Her smile turned wry, as though the memory carried both pride and regret.

Raymond listened intently, his arm tightening around her slightly.

"Instead of letting that project catapult me forward," Lena went on, "I had to return to York City to help my mother run her company. I never had the opportunity to get a business degree. The construction part, I know well, just like my mother, but the business side? I know nothing about it." She sighed. "That was why when Evans offered to help me, I didn’t think twice."

Raymond’s eyes darkened almost imperceptibly.

"What big project was it that you carried out in York City?" he asked, carefully masking his suspicion.

Lena’s face brightened. "I designed the blueprint for Love Triangle when I was seventeen. When news about the project spread, my school was highly recommended by sponsors to join the competition. I submitted my design blindly." She laughed softly. "At first, I thought it was a joke when my design was picked from my department. But then the bidding phase started, and my contract went up against over seven hundred designs... and it won."

Raymond stared at her in disbelief. "You were pretty young then. How did you manage to pull it off?"

"My mentor, the professor I was under, helped me with everything," she replied honestly. "I stayed behind the scenes while I focused on the blueprint."

A thoughtful silence fell between them.

"Then it would be easy to move you to Vegas City, correct?" Raymond asked at last.

"I would have left long ago," Lena muttered softly, her gaze lowering, "if not for my mother’s company."

Raymond shifted slightly and looked at her seriously. "Your company isn’t the building itself. We can move it to Vegas City. All you need is one contract to establish your footing. You can leave this branch here, and we’ll open another in Vegas City." He studied her expression carefully. "How do you see this plan? Is it something you’d like to try?"

Lena nodded instinctively, excitement flashing in her eyes, but moments later she grew restless.

"Then I’ll need a very good general manager to continue the work here. I don’t want to close my mother’s company."

"You don’t have to worry about that," Raymond assured her calmly. "I have someone in mind, someone who understands business." He paused. "Is that okay?"

"Yes," she said quickly. "I think that’s fine." Then, her eyes widened as realization dawned on her.

"So... does this mean we have to be together now?" she asked, her voice squeaking with excitement.

Raymond chuckled softly, nodding. She lifted herself on her and kissed his lips, softly. Her happiness, impossible to hide.

Raymond quietly observed the small woman in his arms, emotions swelling in his chest. He had always suspected she was the infamous designer everyone whispered about, but he never imagined she was the one behind Love Triangle. Wow, he told himself.

After their bonding session, Lena fell asleep with her head resting on Raymond’s shoulder. He carried her gently to the bed, tucking her in before lying beside her. Exhaustion soon claimed him as well.

Ashley had been awake since Selena and Evans were released from police custody, yet neither of them had come to see her. She lay on the hospital bed, her face wrapped in thick bandages, unrecognizable even to herself.

Her fingers trembled as she bit her nails repeatedly, anxiety gnawing at her sanity. Her hatred for Lena grew stronger by the minute.

When I got myself back, she thought darkly, she would pay for everything she did to me.

She was terrified of looking into the mirror. Every time she asked the nurses how she looked, they smiled awkwardly and said things like, "A woman’s beauty lies in her heart," or "Looks don’t matter."

Those words only confirmed what she already feared, that she had become hideous.

Desperate, Ashley borrowed a phone and called Evans and Selena, wondering why neither of them had visited since their release. The moment Evans realized it was her, he ended the call with only two words.

"I’m busy."

The line went dead.

Shock and pain ripped through Ashley. Tears welled in her eyes as rage replaced heartbreak. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"After everything I did for you," she muttered bitterly, "this is how you repay me? Scumbag. I won’t let you go." Her eyes turned cold and venomous.

Selena promised to visit soon, but Ashley didn’t bother calling Mr. Smith. She knew he would only insult her and call her incompetent.

She had done everything for them. They weren’t the ones humiliated and destroyed like this. If they cast me aside, she vowed silently, I’ll drag all of them down with me, especially Evans.

The nurse nearby shivered, sensing the chilling aura emanating from Ashley. She quickly took the phone and left, unwilling to stay even a second longer. They were already horrified by Ashley’s face.

Once alone, Ashley summoned her courage and dragged herself toward the mirror. With trembling hands, she slowly removed the bandage. What she saw made her screamed in fright, her face scared beyond recognition

Her scream echoed through the room.

She collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, her cries loud and unrestrained could be heard across the hospital halls. She cried till she couldn’t cry again, she just sat there defeatedly.

At that moment, the door opened. Selena stepped in and froze. Seeing the figure on the floor, Ashley lifted her face, the jarred scar on her face made her look like a monster and

Selena screamed.

"Please, I don’t have any money! Don’t hurt me!" Selena begged, her legs giving way. "I’m just here to see my goddaughter!"

Seeing Selena trembling in fear brought a twisted sense of satisfaction to Ashley’s heart, though it was brief and fleeting, and it didn’t last long, but for that moment, it was enough to know she was not suffering alone.

"It’s me, stop being dramatic," Ashley told Selena.

Selena slowly looked up again, her blurred vision finally clearing. This time, she noticed the resemblance, the familiar eyes staring back at her.

"Ashley... is that you?" she asked, her voice unsure and trembling.

Ashley nodded her head. She carefully stood up from the ground, wincing slightly as pain shot through her body, then walked over to the bed and sat down. Selena followed her movement and sat beside her, her gaze filled with concern.

"What happened?" Selena asked softly, reaching out as if afraid Ashley might disappear again.

Ashley quietly narrated everything that went down, how the plan to have Lena abused escalated, how Mr. Black suddenly appeared, and how he came to Lena’s aid. She told Selena in chilling detail how the two men she went with lost both their hands, for helping her hold unto Lena.

She told her what Mr Black did to her and made her promise not to tell Evans or Mr Smith. As the words sank in, Selena felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She swallowed hard, silently telling herself that Mr. Black was far too terrifying. From now on, they would need to proceed with extreme caution.

After thinking for a while, Selena finally spoke up.

"For now, stay low. Don’t go after Lena yet. Focus on your treatment first. I’ll have them book you for cosmetic surgery so you don’t end up with a permanent scar. Is that okay?" she asked gently.

Ashley nodded.

She had no plans of going after Lena right now, unless she had a death wish. Mr. Black would find countless ways to torture her before killing her, and she wasn’t ready to die yet. Not before completing her revenge. A dark glint flashed through her eyes, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Selena.

Selena sighed and shook her head. She knew Ashley would never truly let Lena go.

"Okay," she said softly, helping Ashley rest her head on the pillow. "Try to relax. Forget those horrible things for now and focus on getting better first."

She held Ashley’s hand and spoke calmly.

"Promise me you won’t go after Lena without informing me first."

Ashley remained silent.

"Please," Selena pleaded. "You’ll have your time, but not now. Let me make the plans from here on."

After Selena reassured her that they would eventually make Lena pay for everything she had done to her, Ashley finally accepted Selena’s terms.