Billionaire's Bride

Masquerade Ball

By the time Janette arrived at the Stark mansion, it was already noon. As she stepped through the gates, she couldn’t help but notice how much had changed. The once bustling estate now seemed desolate, with only a handful of staff members lingering. The garage, once filled with an array of luxurious cars, now held just a few. "So, that's why he came back into my life," she thought with a sly smile. "I should be thankful to whoever did this to him."

As she entered the house, she couldn’t miss the absence of much of the expensive furniture. A pang of pity struck her for Robert Stark—pity for daring to cross her husband, Asher Norman. After all, Asher was still technically her husband. She hadn’t signed the divorce papers yet, and deep down, she knew Asher was behind all of this.

“You're back,” a voice interrupted her thoughts. Julia Stark stood at the bottom of the stairs, her expression unreadable. Janette nodded in response. Neither woman had ever felt the need to engage in conversation before, and Janette wasn’t about to start now.

"I'm sorry for what my husband put you through," Julia muttered, her voice tinged with bitterness. "It's because of him that I’m in this wheelchair now." Janette wasn’t sure why Julia was opening up to her, but she simply nodded. Everyone knew Robert Stark was a controlling man who acted like he owned the world.

“Thank you,” Julia added, her tone softer now. Janette looked at her, puzzled.

“For what?”

“For bringing him to his knees,” Julia replied, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“I didn’t…”

“If you hadn’t left Asher Norman, he wouldn’t have risen to seek revenge for his mother’s death.” Julia’s words left Janette speechless. She wanted to respond but couldn’t find the words. After a moment of silence, Julia dismissed her, instructing her to get ready for the ball that was set to begin at six that evening.

Janette entered the guest room and gasped at the sight of a stunning gown laid out for her. She quickly freshened up and slipped into the dress, marveling at how it fit her perfectly. With no makeup artist on hand, thanks to Stark’s financial downfall, she applied her own makeup—something she hadn’t done in a year but found oddly comforting.

An hour later, she arrived at the venue, no longer intimidated by the grandeur of such events. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, knowing today was the day everything would change.

As she stepped inside, paparazzi swarmed her. It was her first public appearance in four months, and they had endless questions. Robert Stark appeared out of nowhere, pulling her inside with a muttered comment under his breath. He handed her a silver-white mask and gave her a list of instructions, all of which she promptly ignored.

Inside, the ballroom was breathtakingly decorated. Businessmen stood with their arm candy, and women in lavish gowns gossiped in hushed tones. The moment she entered, all eyes turned to her. The combination of her stunning dress and her mysterious absence from the public eye left everyone staring—some with admiration, others with jealousy or disdain. But Janette felt none of her old nerves under their gazes. However, a familiar shiver ran down her spine as she felt someone’s eyes on her. When she turned to look, no one was there.

“Hello, Jane,” a familiar voice called out. It was Kate Larsen, the woman who had shown her around on her first honeymoon with Asher while he was busy with business.

"Hope you remember me," Kate said with a smile.

“Of course I do,” Janette replied warmly.

"There were rumors you disappeared," Kate pressed on. "Where have you been these last four months? And is it true you and Mr. Norman are separated?"

Janette laughed instead of answering, realizing now that she should have watched the news during her absence just for amusement.

Before she could respond, a man interrupted, asking Kate for a dance as music filled the background. Meanwhile, Robert Stark motioned for his soon-to-be son-in-law to dance with her. The man complied, looking more like a robot than a human as they moved across the floor.

After dancing with four different men, her feet began to ache, and just as she was about to retreat, a familiar hand grasped hers. The touch sent a jolt through her, and she turned around to see none other than Asher Norman. Butterflies erupted in her stomach as she took in his appearance. He wore a black mask with a matching suit, white shirt, and black tie, looking as handsome as ever.

“Where do you think you're going?” he whispered, pulling her closer. She blushed as the scent of his cologne enveloped her, sending her heart racing. She placed one hand on his shoulder, the other in his grasp.

“Missed you, sweetheart. You look beautiful,” he murmured.

“Missed you too, Mr. Norman,” she replied softly, leaning in to kiss him. She removed his mask to gaze into his eyes, and he did the same, lifting her mask. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as the spotlight shone on them, but they were too lost in each other to notice.

"Wait! Will someone tell me what's going on here?" Robert Stark’s voice cut through the moment, pulling them back to reality.

Janette smiled as she looked at him. “Today’s the day you pay for all the sins you've committed."

Surprise! Surprise!

Two updates in a day just because my story is just few reads away to hit the 10K mark.

Next update is a week away .

You guys will get to know soon what has happened in the story.