《The Billionaire's Brat》全部章節：第 11 章 - 第 20 章

RomanThe car pulled up in front of the hotel just as the sun slipped beneath the skyline. Tall marble columns framed the entrance and warm golden light spilled out from the wide glass doors. The valet opened my door and I stepped out, smoothing my suit jacket as I looked up at the building. Elegant, old money, the kind of place Jonathan would pick without thinking twice.Inside, the lobby had been transformed. Chandeliers hung like frozen waterfalls from the ceiling, casting light across the polished floors. Staff in crisp uniforms moved through the crowd with trays of champagne and finger food. The guests were already deep in conversation. Expensive dresses. Perfect hair. Laughter that sounded like rehearsed music.I walked in with steady steps, familiar with this world but never quite a part of it. Heads turned, some faces lit up with recognition. A few people nodded my way and I returned the gesture. I wasn’t in the mood for small talk.“Roman,” a voice called out.I turned and sa

Nova’s PovI walked back inside with Jace, my hand on his arm. I was laughing at something he said, probably a joke about one of the guests. It felt good to laugh, especially here, surrounded by people I didn’t care about. For a moment, I almost felt like I belonged. Almost.Jace was talking about something funny, his voice light and easy, but then a cold, sharp presence hit me. It was like the air got heavier. I knew before I even looked who it was.Genevieve.She swooped in, slipping between us like a shadow. Her smile was tight, but her grip on Jace’s arm was firm, pulling him away from me. She muttered something about not getting motorcycle grease all over him, her voice too sweet and too fake.Jace didn’t even blink. He went with her without a fight, leaving me standing there, feeling like an outsider all over again. My stomach tightened, and the laughter in my throat died.It didn’t matter. It wasn’t like I came here to have fun anyway. I just wanted to survive the night.Jonath

Nova First-person POVI was halfway through my iced coffee when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Maya was talking about one of her professors again — the one with the messy hair and the weird obsession with lizards — but her voice started to fade when I saw the name light up on my screen.Roman Grey.I stared at it for a second, confused. Then I remembered. He’d asked for my number after the gala — said something about wanting to check in, be nice, whatever. I didn’t think he actually would. But here it was. A message.“Hope your day’s going alright. How’s school treating you?”Simple. Polite. Unexpected.I chewed on my straw and texted back, “It’s boring, as usual. My friend’s been ranting about reptiles for ten minutes straight.”His reply came faster than I thought it would. “Sounds intense. Poor lizard guy. Hope he survives the semester.”I smiled a little without meaning to. Maya noticed and raised an eyebrow.“You texting your secret admirer or what?” she teased.“Just someone,” I

Nova’s PovBy the time I got home, my feet were aching and my head was buzzing. The moment I stepped through the door, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding and dropped my bag right on the floor. No energy to carry it to my room. I was already peeling off my jacket before I even reached the bathroom.The shower was calling my name. I let the water run for a few seconds, waited until it was hot, then stepped under. The warmth hit my skin and instantly relaxed me. I tilted my head back and closed my eyes, letting the water wash away the day. School had been long. Roman’s messages had kept me on edge, and even though we didn’t say much, I kept replaying everything in my head like a movie. I didn’t know what he wanted. I didn’t even know what I wanted. But he was in my thoughts and it annoyed me that he was.After I dried off, I went to my closet. It was time for Velvet Mistress I picked out one of my favorite bodysuits. It hugged my curves just right. Then I sat in front of my

POV: RomanI leaned back against the headboard, one hand holding a glass of whiskey, the other resting on the laptop balanced on my lap. The screen glowed in the dim room, showing Velvet Mistress in the middle of one of her lives. It was a recording from earlier in the day, but I didn’t care.I had been dealing with nonsense all day. I was trying to find someone to head a project I’ve been building for months, but it felt like trying to dig gold out of a landfill. On paper, the candidates looked perfect. Impressive resumes. Polished smiles. Fancy degrees. But I always dig deeper. And once I did, every single one of them came apart like cheap fabric.One guy had been quietly involved in a corporate espionage scandal over a fifteen-thousand-dollar pen. A pen. Another woman ran a so-called “motivational retreat” that somehow ended with multiple lawsuits about goat therapy. And the last candidate of the day seemed like a normal, respectable man until I found his private blog claiming billi