The shift in their relationship was inevitable, but the changes were so gradual that before the billionaire knew it, they hadn’t just become a part of his life. They were already a part of him. There was no Christien without Kharis, no Kharis without Christien.

It used to be that when he’d wake up the first thing he’d check was the stock market and his emails. Now, the first thing he’d look for was Kharis’ messages. Had she woken up in the middle of the night? If so, why? Did she remember to blow him a kiss before going back to sleep?

Showers had also become the most erotic part of his day. It was Kharis’ idea that they watch each other taking one, and now there wasn’t a single day that he didn’t end up jerking himself off after seeing Kharis run soapy hands over her nubile body.

It used to be he hated the time he had to spend cooped up inside his car while heading to the university and work, but now it had become one of his favorites. This was the time he could chat with Kharis at leisure, the time they could talk about anything under the sun. He kept waiting to get bored, but it never happened. Even when she told him every little thing – the other kids in her class, what she ate for lunch, what she talked about in her phone call with Paul – it just didn’t feel enough. He still found himself craving for more, and it terrified him because it felt right. So damn right that he didn’t know what he’d do if all this turned out to be an illusion.

* * *

The billionaire’s visits to Connecticut remained rare, with Kharis still punishing him for his continuous refusal to let her move in with him. For Christmas, they had stayed with Paul, who was also now engaged to his ladylove Maureen, a pleasantly rounded woman in her late forties. Both the billionaire and Kharis liked her a lot, but more importantly they were just happy that Paul had someone with her again. It was a constant worry for both of them, with Kharis’ grandfather having long voiced out that he wasn’t fond of the idea of joining Kharis if she were ever to move to Miami.

After dinner, Christien and Kharis retired to her third-floor bedroom, where they then proceeded to seduce each other and see who would come first. It had become a game to them of sorts, albeit one that drove them crazy, more so Christien who always had to be the one to call a halt when things were getting too dangerous.

Kharis being Kharis she kept trying to get him to fuck her, and there were instances he had to literally tie her down with whatever he could reach – his necktie, the belt of her robe, and once – the fucking cord of her bedside lamp. It was that…or have Kharis rub her pussy over and over against his cock until he lost all sense and just fucked the shit out of her.

For her nineteenth birthday, Kharis asked the billionaire if she could accompany him to one of the infamously hedonistic masquerades of the Prince of Darkness. Through the screen of his iPad, he saw the little mutant holding her breath as she waited for his response.

“Please?” she said when he still didn’t say a word. “Pretty, pretty please?” She clasped her hands together and fluttered her lashes at him.

In spite of everything, he found himself smiling a little. The little mutant knew she had boatloads of charm, and she certainly wasn’t afraid to use it.

“You told me no press is allowed in any of the events,” she reminded him.

That much was true, but Christien still didn’t like the idea of risking having her identity exposed.

“Please, Christien? Please?”

“Only if you agree to my condition,” he finally conceded.

“Yay!” Brown eyes sparkling with excitement, she said eagerly, “I’ll agree to anything---”

“Good. Because I want you to wear a paper bag over your head the entire time.”

“Anything but that,” Kharis quickly corrected herself.

Christien leaned against the headboard of his bed. “That’s my only condition.”

“But Christien, a paper bag?”

“I thought it would please you,” the billionaire drawled. “As I recalled---” And this was when he used his trump card. “Didn’t your beloved Ezria do it?” And thank God he had dutifully agreed to binge-watch Pretty Little Liars with her in one of their video call dates. Martyrdom paid, after all.

Her mouth opened and closed several times.

The billionaire waited patiently.

Kharis’ shoulders slumped. “I hate you.”

The billionaire smirked. “Tell you what, baby girl. When we attend the party, we can even dress like them.” By the time he was done speaking, her eyes were shining again, and she was smiling like nothing could ever be wrong in the world.

“You’d do that for me,” she breathed. “Really?”

“Anything for you, baby girl.” And he meant it. He would do anything to make sure she would always be safe – no matter what happened.

* * *

It was a cold rainy Friday when Kharis came to Miami and as soon as his private jet touched down, the billionaire’s bodyguards immediately came to escort her through a series of private passageways. As Christien was unable to fetch her from the airport himself, no expense was spared to ensure that not one member of the press would have a glimpse of his little mutant as she made her way to him.

Christien: I’m sorry I’m not there to welcome you, baby girl.

Kharis: Please stop saying sorry or I’ll start feeling guilty about messing up your schedule. I told you, didn’t I? I’m just happy to have these days where you’d be coming home to ME. That’s all I want, baby boy.

Christien: I’ll let that one go for now...little rabbit.

Kharis: HAHAHAHA. Not. Will you just quit that? So I like vegetables. Big deal.

The billionaire almost snorted at Kharis’ reply. She liked vegetables? That was an understatement if he ever heard one. He could still remember the first time he had joined her for breakfast. She had literally stunned him speechless when he saw her devouring two huge bowls of fresh greens in less than ten minutes.

And when she was done, she had blinked at him, asking, “What’s wrong?”

Mutant, he had thought then. She really was a little mutant, and now he had discovered that one of her mutations involved being a vegetable-chomping rabbit.

Christien: I need to go. I have a business meeting in ten. I’ll see you tonight?

Kharis: Excited to see you. <3 I love you, Christien.

Christien: You know how I feel.

Kharis: Absolutely. And whether you believe it or not – you do love me, baby boy.

The rest of the day moved fast enough, with the billionaire making sure to finish as much work as he could to ensure he had the rest of the weekend free to spend with Kharis.

It was almost seven by the time he could leave his office, but his secretary suddenly called after him, saying he had a visitor. “A lawyer from California, sir?”

Ah.

The papers were done then, the billionaire thought.

* * *

Christien frowned at the darkness that welcomed him as he unlocked the door to his apartment. “Kharis?” He stepped inside, his redheaded companion following behind him, and just as he reached for the light a figure jumped out from behind the sofa.

Moonlight illuminated the woman’s appearance, with her dark hair in pigtails, and her face ghostly white except for the two huge red blobs on her cheeks. She looked very much like Annabelle, the infamous haunted doll, and when her blood-red lips started to move, Christien involuntarily stiffened---

“Holy fuck.”

Behind him, his pregnant lawyer muttered in the same half-stunned, half-freaked-out tone, “Holy shit.”

“Advance happy second anniversary, baby boy!”

A moment later, and all the lights flared into life and Annabelle – no, wait it was his little mutant wearing a wig – came running towards him, a horrific smile on her face.

The billionaire grunted slightly as he caught his fiancée in his arms.

An I-got-you-smile curved on her lips as she gazed down at him. “Did I surprise you?”

After taking the ghastly wig off her blond locks, he smiled back at her and said pleasantly, “Nope.”

But she only laughed. “Yeah right.” One small hand drifted down to his chest, and her smile turned smug. “Your heart’s beating pretty hard.”

“Because I have my fiancée in my arms,” the billionaire said smoothly.

“Swoooooooon.”

But even though this had become one of their private jokes, it still had her cheeks turning pink, and the billionaire’s lips twitched. “Don’t tease if you’re the one who’s going to end up blushing, little mutant.”

“I know.” But her tone was more curious than anything, and he saw that her gaze was still trained behind his back. It was only then he remembered he had yet to introduce his companion, but before he could say another word, he heard Kharis say cheerfully, “Hi. I’m Kharis.”

Fredericka Spears-Grachyov couldn’t help smiling back. “Hello. I’m Fredericka.”

“Oh!” Kharis was beaming now. “You’re Alyx’s cousin and the girl in the article. The one who tamed the Russian Beast?”

It was Fredericka’s turn to blush. “Err, right.” It was, however, a hoot to hear her husband described as the Russian beast, and she couldn’t help smiling slyly at Christien as she asked the girl, “And you’re the French beast’s tamer, right?”

“I guess I am,” the billionaire’s fiancée answered happily.

Christien rolled his eyes at this, but both women pretended not to notice.

“You’re so pretty.” Kharis’ earnest words drew the lawyer’s attention back to the girl. “Pregnancy suits you.”

Fredericka couldn’t help smiling. “Thank you.” She had heard a lot of good things about this pretty little charmer, but her lawyer self had insisted on taking other people’s words with a grain of salt. She preferred to meet a person first before making any judgments and now that she had---

She was absolutely delighted, just like how everyone had told her she would be, once she met the girl who had Christien di Luca’s ring on her finger.

Noticing the girl’s still-inquisitive gaze, she added, “I’m Christien’s lawyer.”

The girl gestured to herself, saying cheekily, “I’m Christien’s crush.”

Fredericka couldn’t help grinning back. “Really?”

“Uh huh. It was crush at first sight for this guy.”

“Is that so?” Fredericka was doing her best to keep her voice even, but it was hard, with her billionaire client looking like he was about to murder his so-called crush.

“Yup! This guy has been crushing on me since I was sixteen---” Her brows furrowed. “So I guess that makes---” A look of amazement dawned on her face, which unfortunately made her look even more terrifying. “Oh my God, this guy has been crushing on me for three years!”

The billionaire’s teeth gnashed against each other. “Goddammit, Kharis.”

But the little mutant didn’t even seem to hear him. “I just can’t believe it,” Kharis was whispering in audible awe. “Three years.” She looked back at Fredericka. “Can you believe it? It’s been three years. This guy has been crushing on me for three years?”

Fredericka didn’t even have to fake looking impressed. “It’s out of this world.” And it was, considering what she knew of her client.

“I know, right? This guy---”

“---is about to disappear from your life for good,” the billionaire finished for her, “if you say one more word.”

Fredericka started coughing just as Kharis let out a gasp. “No!” And then she gave her fiancé a tight hug, saying feelingly, “Sorry.”

There was one moment of silence, and then the billionaire muttered, “It’s not like I can ever stay mad at you.”

Kharis kissed his cheek with a loud smack. “I love you.” And then she looked at Fredericka and winked, saying, “Isn’t he adorable?”

This time, Fredericka gave up trying to control her laughter.

The billionaire closed his eyes in defeat. Why couldn’t he just learn his lesson? Kharis would always speak her mind, no matter if it made him look like the most lovesick fool in history.

A knock sounded on the door, and Kharis tugged his sleeve. “Could you let me down? That may be the guy I’m waiting for.”

Christien’s blue eyes turned icy. “What guy?”

Fredericka started coughing again. Never had she imagined she’d see Christien di Luca this jealous---

Kharis was blinking in confusion. “The guy delivering our anniversary cake?”

---over a delivery guy!

Fredericka coughed and coughed as color stained Christien’s high-boned cheeks while Kharis successfully wriggled out of his hold. As the girl headed towards the door, Fredericka said teasingly, “Jealous much?”

“I’m not.” The billionaire’s tone was stiff.

Amazing, the lawyer thought. The first time she had met Christien di Luca, it had been Reid Chalkias who was her client then, and she recalled finding the Prince of Darkness’ friend terrifyingly inscrutable.

Among his friends, Christien had always been the one to know what was the right thing to say and do, the only one to never show his emotions beyond his courteous smiles. When he had taken the stand, the jury had been most impressed by him, and Fredericka had secretly thanked the stars that he was a witness for her client rather than the opposition. Otherwise, he would have been a nightmare to cross-examine. Although the billionaire might appear the perfect gentleman on paper with his elegant manners and polished looks, Fredericka had never been able to shake off the thought that it was all a ruse. That deep inside the billionaire was coldly calculating and ruthless, and he had done everything by the book because it had been the path of least resistance.

And yet---

She watched the billionaire watch his fiancée open the door with possessive eyes. Either she had been completely wrong about him, which she strongly doubted---

Or it was the sixteen-year-old Kharis Stamos who had made the billionaire seem human.

When the billionaire’s young fiancée returned inside, she was holding a huge bouquet of pink roses, and Fredericka blinked. Wow. She turned to the billionaire. “Is pink your favorite color?”

“No.” The billionaire’s voice was low and grim.

“Are roses your favorite flowers?”

“No.”

Kharis reached them then and the girl offered the bouquet to Christien with flourish. “Surprise!” As the billionaire took the flowers from her hand, the girl smiled up at him, asking, “Do you like it?”

“I treasure everything you give me, baby girl.” He heard Fredericka cough ‘smooth’ but ignored it. “Do you have any other plans for the rest of the night?” He then added gently, “I’m only asking because Fredericka’s actually here on business.”

Hearing her cue, the lawyer swiftly opened her file case and pulled out the contract that the billionaire had requested of her. “Nothing onerous,” she promised with a smile. “I just need you to sign a couple of papers.”

“Oh. Sure.” Kharis lifted one side of Christien’s jacket as she spoke and plucked the pen out of his inner pocket.

“All the terms are pretty straightforward,” Fredericka began as she handed the contract to the younger woman. “It’s about…” Her voice trailed off. She had been planning to explain what the contract was for, but there no longer seemed any point with Kharis already signing on the dotted line.

The younger woman returned the documents to Fredericka, asking, “Is there anything else?”

“Err – no, I guess that’s it.”

“You didn’t even read it.” The billionaire’s tone was exasperated.

“Oh. Right.” A sheepish smile touched her lips. “Umm…oops?”

Fredericka was fascinated. Christien di Luca might be renowned for his own charming ways, but this girl was the real deal. She was just so…cute. She could probably massacre an entire town and still escape scot-free by simply smiling her way out of a death sentence.

However, there was also the other side of Kharis Stamos, and Fredericka unconsciously placed a protective arm over her pregnant tummy. If this girl were her daughter, she’d probably worry herself to death.

After saying goodbye to Kharis and promising the younger woman that she’d keep in touch, Fredericka stepped out of the apartment together with the billionaire. “You really don’t have to---”

“You know I do,” Christien said mildly. “Your husband would kill me if he learned I had let you wait for the elevator alone.”

She wished she could say that was an exaggeration, but it wasn’t. So she changed the subject instead, saying, “You’re right about Kharis. She has zero sense of danger.”

The billionaire’s lips twisted in a humorless smile. “I did warn you.”

“I know, but…” Who would’ve thought that there was still someone in this day and age who didn’t know better than to sign a contract without reading a single line of it? Shaking her head, she said, “Anyway, with this contract signed, it’s official. She’s your legal heir, and you’ll never have to worry about her future.”

Christien raised a brow at the lawyer’s odd tone. “But?” He paused then asked mockingly, “That is a but I am hearing, isn’t there?”

Fredericka met the billionaire’s gaze head on. “You seem to care for her a lot.”

“And this concerns you because?”

Fredericka didn’t answer right away. She knew being Christien di Luca’s lawyer didn’t give her a right to meddle, but---

“Yes, there is a but. And I don’t normally do this, but…” She cleared her throat. “One: I really like Kharis. Two: Pregnancy has made me tactless. And three: Sergei Grachyov has successfully spoiled me, and now I never need to worry about losing clients.”

Which might happen in Christien di Luca’s case, Fredericka thought, if he ended up disliking what she had to say.

His face turned expressionless. “You’ve yet to make your point.”

“I think you already know,” she answered evenly, “but if you want me to spell it out…” Fredericka frowned up at him. “Why haven’t you dropped Karolina Martin as your mistress?”

“Because she stopped being one a long time ago.”

“Does she know that?” she blurted out.

“If she doesn't,” the billionaire said coldly, “then she must have turned into an idiot overnight. I haven’t slept with her since meeting Kharis.”

And yet Karolina was singing a different tune, Fredericka thought. “I don’t mean to sound callous,” she said finally, “but I think you should completely cut ties with her if you want what’s best for Kharis.”

“I wasn’t lying when I said I haven’t slept with her---”

“And I’m telling you now it doesn’t matter. The woman’s still staying in your apartment, for God’s sake.”

“It’s just an apartment,” the billionaire dismissed.

Fredericka’s gaze narrowed. “Don’t play that game with me, Christien.” She knew of course it was pregnancy making her so unreasonably affected by Kharis’ situation, but even so. She just didn’t get why someone as smart as Christien di Luca could act like a supreme idiot in this case.

“You’re being an idiot about this,” she muttered.

“And you’re being nosy as hell,” he retorted.

The elevator doors slid open before her client could reply, and Sergei Grachyov lifted an inquiring brow when he saw his wife scowling at Christien. “Did I miss anything?”

She stomped inside, saying, “Oh, nothing. Just Christien di Luca about to make the biggest mistake of his life---”

Sergei frowned, and Fredericka snapped her mouth shut, realizing just how way out of line she was. “I’m sorry,” she said grudgingly.

“No apologies needed,” the younger man said stiffly.

She didn’t answer, but when Sergei was about to press the Close button she realized she simply couldn’t leave it like that. “Wait!”

The Russian billionaire pressed Hold instead.

Christien’s face was stoic, and she realized he already knew what she had to say, had probably thought of it himself---

“Why are you doing this?” Fredericka asked in confusion. “You wouldn’t make Kharis your legal heir if she didn’t mean so much to you, Christien. And to be honest, I’ve never seen you happy like this so – why risk ruining it?”