The Billionaire's Authentic Daughter ▶️

6 | J U L I A

My heart was thumping loudly in my chest because the stranger sat next to me was Braxton Ford. I didn't know how I didn't recognize him before, having looked at his pictures, heard the girls in my school fangirling over him, listened to their music and liked it.

I attributed it to my fright of the paparazzi crowd which were no doubt outside the library because of Braxton.

He hadn't said a single word since he started driving but I was looking at him every now and then, unable to keep my eyes off of the pop sensation from the band Astronomical Beats who had stolen millions of hearts with his singing and his skills with drums.

"I-Where are you taking me?" I asked but he looked over at me questioningly and I cleared my throat, willing my voice to be little louder because he hadn't heard me the first time. "Where are you taking me?"

"My house." He replied, as if it explained everything. "We have a lot to talk about."

I didn't know what he wanted to talk to me about when he barely knew me. This was the first time we were meeting but he behaved as if he had known me for quite some time. I remembered back in the library when he referred to me as Juliet.

"Please just drop me off here. Thank you for saving me from those people." I said politely as I waited for him to stop the car.

He didn't. "I'm not going to let you go anywhere. Not when it's unsafe for you to be out here alone and when the country is in uproar because you ran away for home."

My eyes widened. The whole country knew that I ran away from home? Braxton Ford, one of the band members of Astronomical Beats knew I ran away?

"How did you know?"

He rolled his eyes. "How can anyone not? You're all over the news."

"I am?" My voice was the loudest it had ever been.

"Why? I'm no one famous..." I trailed off.

"Let's just talk when we get home. Or do you want me to drop you off directly at your house?"

I shook my head wildly. That was the last place I wanted to be at. "Please, don't take me there." I pleaded.

"Hey, hey," he said softly, noticing my distressed expression. "I'm not going to take you there, okay? I'll just take you to my house. Is that alright?"

I went to shake my head. "Please just let me get off here. There's no reason for you to take me to your home."

He gripped the steering wheel firmly. "I'm not going to let you wander around alone. I'm taking you to my house and that's it." His voice had a tone if finality in it and he didn't want me to argue with me over this further.

"Sorry." I mumbled but I doubted he heard me because he didn't respond.

I made myself small in the passenger seat and kept quiet for the rest of the ride.

Eventually he pulled into the driveway and I looked up to see a huge house. It was magnificent and nothing like what I had ever seen.

I was gawking at it with my nose pressed to the car's window and I didn't even realize when Braxton got out and opened the door for me.

I immediately scrambled out of the car. "You didn't...have to do that...for me." I said timidly, looking in his direction from the corner of my eyes but not meeting his gaze as I nervously played with my back strap.

"You're different than what I remember of you." He said uncomfortably which only confused me. "Let's just go inside."

"I...don't think that's a good idea. I shouldn't."