Billionaire & His Liar (Damned billionaires series #1)

Chapter 2

Serena

As the morning light seeped through the window blinds, I groggily stirred from my slumber, feeling the aftermath of last night's actions. A throbbing headache greeted me as I reluctantly opened my eyes to the soft hues of dawn peeking through the curtains.

I sighed getting up as my mind began flooding with last night's fragmented memory. I shouldn't have agreed to play Lexi's silly game as it turned out I won almost every time and had to take tequila shots. Next thing I remember after that me waking up in this room. Myra might've dropped me here before I completely passed out.

Pressing my temples I checked my phone and shocked to see 20 missed calls from dad, 5 missed calls from mom and few texts from Myra. I knew even if I flew the country or started living in a mountain where no one could find me, I would be dragged back home and lectured by dad for skipping the dinner and letting him down. Oh boy, I brought it upon myself. I should be ready for consequences.

Picking up my jacket and shoes I left the room and walked downstairs where I came across Lexi. He had a broom in his hand and was on a cleaning duty. I was surprised to see him dressed and clean. I half-expected him to still be in a disheveled state, not looking remotely presentable. I couldn't help but wonder if his condition from the night before was truly worse than mine.

"How are you so put together when you seemed worse off than me last night?" I quizzed, closing the distance between us.

He scoffed, "If you had a satan as your brother hovering over you with a whip in his hand all the fucking time until you translate at least ten chapters of pride and prejudice into Russian you wouldn't have asked me this question."

I gasped at the revelation. I knew he had a brother but I never imagined him to be this cruel. In that fleeting moment, a surge of hope flooded my thoughts—I prayed fervently that the man my father had chosen as my future husband was nothing like Lexi's brother.

"Thought it was a love story," he added with a grimace, accepting the comforting pat I offered. "but all I witnessed was true horror."

"That's why you should never throw parties at home."

"I was positive they wouldn't be back until morning. I wonder why he's here without Dad, and in such a bad mood. Someone might've pissed him off badly." He snickered at last part.

"I guess I should leave before I run into your brother." I mused aloud, ready to leave. As I turned around I bumped into a wall stumbling back. But this was no wall. Hell! A wall would never smell that good. Despite the haze of the umpteen tequila shots from the night before, I couldn't overlook the intense and deadly aura emanating from him. Even in my post-tequila aftermath, his intense presence was impossible to ignore.

"Are you leaving already?" He said in his deep dominating voice, "and I thought you're staying for dinner since you missed last night."

"Huh? Who're you?" I didn't get it.

He took a step closer, his whiskey eyes never leaving mine, "You manage to make a fool out of me, crash my house and sleep in my bed all that without knowing who I am?" Oh, so he's Lexi's cruel brother. "Then allow me to introduce myself, Ms. Harper- I am Roman Sterling. Your soon-to-be husband"

I was left speechless. A mix of surprise and apprehension began running in my veins. His last sentence drained the blood out of my body. I skipped the dinner to avoid him and what a cruel fate it was that I landed in his house and bed. Maybe when the god was giving blessings I was out of town.

Despite the shock, I managed to compose myself and straightened my back to look confident.
"I am Serena Harper. Your soon-to-be nightmare."

"Yeah. By the looks of it you won't have to try harder." He said eyeing me head to toe with disappointment.

A clear indication of the disrespect I felt in that moment.

"Yeah, you should look at yourself." Lexi chuckled, barely suppressing his amusement. "I bet you won't be able to recognise yourself."

With my long, curly locks, I pride myself on maintaining their appearance meticulously. I instinctively opened my phone's camera to ensure I was presentable enough before heading to my afternoon classes. What I witnessed was going to give me a nightmare. My hair seemed intact, but my face? Oh, the horror.

I had a dick doodled on my right cheek.

This is so embarrassing. I tried to rub it off but it didn't seem to work. I tried to wash it off but all went in vain.

I was on the verge of breaking down. "What should I do? It's not going away and I have classes in afternoon."

"I guess they used permanent markers." Lexi scrunched his nose. "I'd rather clean house than go to university with dick on my face."

"I can't afford to miss these classes; my grades have already been slipping," I thought in a panic, glancing at Roman, who seemed in a hurry. Verdant university in NY city was a very prestigious university for art school which held afternoon classes for those students who were lacking behind. I was among top 30 but there were few subjects where I wasn't doing well.

"Sit down. Let me see what I can do," Roman offered with a sigh, walking around the kitchen counter, and I followed his lead. Surprisingly, he wasn't as awful as Lexi made him out to be. "Close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you."

I obeyed, suppressing the feeling of distrust that nudged at me, much like girls often ignore red flags.

"How much longer?" I asked after a while.

"Just a little more," Roman replied. "Okay. We're done. You can open your eyes now."

Slowly, I complied. "Is it gone?"

"Why don't you take a look?" Lexi answered, a smirk playing on Roman's lips.

When I looked at myself I saw the dick was gone. However, there was a dog at its place.

I didn't know what took over me that I started crying. "Why..." hiccups, "Why dddid youuu," hiccups, "ddo thhatt?"

I couldn't see as everything was blurry when tears started pouring down my face.

"Shit."

"Oh fuck! I completely forgot she gets super sensitive during hangovers."

"I didn't know she'd react this way. What do we do? What do we do? I am going to kill you."

"What? Why me? it's not my fault. You're the one who made her cry."

"Alright. You're her friend. Help me out here."

"Hmm... let me think." After a pause, "Well, she's fond of this artist..."

"Great," Roman tapped away on his phone, "Mrs. West, I want you to purchase these paintings and deliver them to my house immediately. No matter how many millions it costs."