Billionaire & His Liar (Damned billionaires series #1)

Chapter 1

Serena

"Come home tonight. He will be joining us for dinner." the draining conversation I had with Dad this morning keeps buzzing me in my ear. I can't help but keep getting goosebumps remembering his usual demanding tone.

Yet, as I sip my tenth glass of tequila, I can't help but revisit the exchange."But Dad, how can you fix my engagement to a stranger without my knowledge? Are we going bankrupt? Don't tell me you are selling me to your business rival for making peace."

"Serena, for heaven's sake, how many times must I stress that those unrealistic books are not worth your time?" Frustration tinged his tone, reflecting his inclination to maintain control over everything. "I've known him since he was a kid. You won't find a better man to be your husband than him. Our conversation ends here. I'll see you tonight."

"You'll never find a better man as your husband than him."

His words lingered in my mind, replaying over and over, impossible to shake off.

"So, what's your take on it?" A distant voice suddenly pulls me from my thoughts, and I realize I'm standing near the kitchen counter.

"Sorry?" I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that I couldn't focus on the person next to me or what he said. Slowly, I grasped my surroundings: the place bustling with people, a group of popular guys from my university playing tequila shots on the pool table, and a couple shamelessly making out on the couch.

"Wait... is that Jenny the hoe?" I ask dumbfoundedly. "Isn't she dating Lexi?"

"Yeah, sort of," he says.

"What do you mean, sort of?" I ask curiously, deciding to ignore it as I had more pressing matters to worry about. "Never mind. So what were you saying?"

He starts excitedly, "I was talking about Niki. Remember when I told you she applied for the internship at Sterling tech.?" How could I forget? He keeps blabbering about his girlfriend every moment. "So she got the offer letter last week. Imagine interning at the top tech company." He says dreamily, "She never misses a chance to make me proud."

I'd been on the edge since I had the conversation with dad this morning and the last thing I wanted to hear was my ex blabbering about his girlfriend.

I pour another glass of tequila and gulp it down in one go. The throbbing in my head keeps increasing, and him incessantly talking about his girlfriend in front of me isn't helping.

"So, she faced stiff competition from her-"

"Tyler," I erupted, unable to contain my frustration any longer. "Do you have any shame left? You talk about your girlfriend as if nothing happened between us."

Tyler and I were inseparable, deeply in love. Our relationship seemed perfect, but one day, when he returned from Australia, he shattered my world by confessing that we weren't compatible and that our relationship wouldn't work out.

"What do you mean?" He mumbled reluctantly. "I thought we sorted things out."

"You moved on quicker than Jenny the hoe changes boyfriends! You're worse than her!"

"Serena, I-"

"Tyler!" Myra's voice suddenly broke in from behind. "Thank heavens, you're here." Myra, my best friend, comes to my rescue, "You need to go and watch over Lexi. He's totally drunk and naked and keeps saying that 'they're coming for us!' Go before he makes a fool out of himself."

"Unbelievable!" Tyler hurried away.

"I only stepped in because you made me promise to handle these moments," Myra shot me a glare. She vehemently opposed the idea of staying friends with Tyler after our breakup.