Free The Setup (The Dark Billionaire, #1) by L.N. Pearl

Prologue
    J ennifer felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. She was running into the darkness, lonely, hurt, broken, and desperate. She had made mistakes in her life but she had never screwed up that much. Never before had the stakes been so high. For the first time in her life, she could feel the weight of regrets crush her bones and destroy her from within. Her heart was sore and empty.
    It was her fault.
    She had started everything. Everything had been based on a lie. It was supposed to be a game, a setup. Not the end of her existence. She should have turned her back a long time ago but she had been swept away by him, unable to resist the flood of unknown and overwhelming emotions he had triggered. Now, a line had been crossed and she could never, ever go back. Things would never be the same again. She deserved it. She didn’t deserve him.
    The beach was deserted and Jennifer found her way to the ocean in the dim light of the moon. There, just a few moments ago, her life had been changed forever. It was supposed to be her happy ever after . Bruce had fulfilled her sweetest dreams and her wildest fantasies. The climax of her entire life hadn’t lasted very long, though. It was over – back to reality; the harsh and cold reality of her own stupidity. Why had she decided to do it? The only person she had been able to fool... was herself.
    She took one step into the cold water, then another, and walked aimlessly. She felt attracted by the horizon and the infinity of the ocean. The wind blew through her hair and she shivered, thinking about Bruce’s strong arms and his warm chest. She would give anything to feel the softness of his velvet skin again; if he ever decided to talk to her again and forgive her.
    She had been too naive. It was a lesson and she was paying the price. She wished she could press the rewind button somewhere and start all over again. It wasn’t going to happen, though; the fairytale was over. The billionaire’s girlfriend – or whoever she really was – had to face her responsibilities...
Chapter One
    “Jennifer,” he said, with his bossy voice. He wasn’t looking at her, his nose down and looking at the manila folder between his large hands.
    “Yes, Mr. Wilson,” Jennifer said, ready to leave.
    “You’re going home now?”
    “Yes,” she said. “Do you need anything?”
    He ignored her question and frowned, still looking at his papers. “Phuket, right?”
    She nodded, even though he wasn’t looking at her. Jennifer needed a break. She had planned this trip for months and she couldn’t wait to wear her bikini and spread her toes under the burning sun of Thailand.
    “Yes,” she said. “I'm leaving tomorrow morning. I told you yesterday already...”
    “I know,” he mumbled.
    She flicked her blue eyes to the side and her eyebrows went up. “What can I do for you then? We've been talking about this for two months at least.”
    “Well, things have changed a bit in the last two months,” he said, exhaling loudly.
    Oh no, come on. Don’t tell you’ve changed your mind... I hate those last minute conversations.
    “I’ve done my best to make sure everything goes smoothly during my absence,” she said, feeling the blood pumping faster in her veins. New York billionaire Bruce Wilson was the kind of man to work twenty-five hours per day, eight days a week. As his assistant, Jennifer knew better than anyone. At thirty-five, he was a self-made man and the words vacation and holidays seemed to be missing in his vocabulary.
    “I don’t know if it will be enough, though,” he said.
    It’s never enough...
    Jennifer cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips. She tried to recall all the things she had done for him during the last few days alone. There was the charity event to help children in Africa. Then, the polo competition he had hosted. His birthday party, with the dozen world famous models he had requested. The interviews she had arranged with business and entrepreneurship