My Heartless Billionaire Fiance

I watched through the exit glass door as the two men sent to pick me up from school stood close to a black SUV outside. They were both in suits.

"Do you know them?" Mrs. Teresa asked, holding me firmly. She wanted to be sure before taking me out to them. But I wasn’t sure either, especially since I had never seen them before.

However, the SUV they came with had the Hargrove Corporation logo on it, and that was the company my father worked for. He was a pharmacologist there, he probably sent them.

"Yes," I nodded slightly and raised my head to look at Mrs. Teresa. She knew I wasn’t completely sure, I could tell by the way she looked at me. But she was willing to risk it.

"Okay," she said, then walked me out to the two men in suits.

One of them opened the back door for me, and the other made sure I was in before the first shut the door. Then they both hopped into the front seats.

Mrs. Teresa waved me goodbye as we sped away. She looked genuinely concerned.

The men didn’t say a word throughout the drive. They just drove to a convenience store, refueled the tank and got me some snacks before continuing.

As we got closer to our destination, we approached an iron gate that opened automatically. I quickly realized it wasn’t home, but I was too scared to speak. I just curled up in the backseat, clutching my backpack to my chest like armor.

The SUV drove through the wrought-iron gates of the Hargrove estate, its tires crunching over the gravel driveway. There was a mansion up ahead. It looked like a modern-day castle, built with classic architecture and the finest materials.

As we parked at the front of the mansion, a servant came and opened the door for me. I didn’t need anyone to tell me to step out. I did it gently, thinking my parents could be somewhere around, waiting for me.

As I stared at the mansion’s entrance, I realized how grand it was. The door was big and flashy, made of rich mahogany, flanked by sculptures and majestic columns. I had only seen such things on TV, never in real life.

Stepping into the mansion, I was immediately engulfed in a world of luxury and extravagance.

The floors were paved with rare, exquisite marble laid in intricate patterns. At the center was a grand staircase with a plush red carpet leading to the upper floors.

Everywhere you turned, maids were busy doing one thing or another. The walls were decorated with paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries. I didn’t understand what made them special until I grew older. At the time, they just looked like random pieces of art.

“Seraphina?” someone called my name, someone I had never seen before. A beautiful woman in a purple and black gown was walking down the grand staircase. "Wow, you look so lovely" she said, beaming at me.

Behind her was a handsome young boy. Stiff in a blazer that didn’t quite fit, he stared at me with the kind of look kids usually reserve for spiders.

The servant who had brought me in bowed and walked away, leaving me with the strange woman, who introduced herself as Mrs. Hargrove, and her son, Franklin Hargrove; the heir to the Hargrove family.

After showing me around, she took me to a room and told me it was mine. The room was spacious, beautifully decorated, and filled with toys I didn’t recognize and cushions too neat to touch.

Scared, I cried and begged her to take me home. I wanted to see my parents, unaware that they had died in a helicopter crash earlier that day.

“Feel at home, Seraphina. Here, you will have everything you need” Mrs. Hargrove said as I continued to cry.

That was a while ago. Now, I pretty much felt at home in the Hargrove estate. And like Mrs. Hargrove promised, I had everything I needed except for one thing, and that was Franklin, whom I had grown to love with all my heart.

He didn’t seem to care about me. He was cruel, heartless, and always seemed to enjoy hurting me emotionally. He was five years older than me.

On my 10th birthday, I received countless gifts from people associated with Hargrove Corporation. Many wealthy individuals attended the party, which was held on Starling Island — Hargrove’s most expensive investment yet, complete with multiple housing estates, a boatyard and a small airstrip.

When I was asked to make a wish, I closed my eyes and thought deeply. Then I opened them and stared at Franklin, who wasn’t paying much attention to me. I wanted him to know how much I loved him, so I naively wished to be his wife.

He lifted his head and glared at me with so much hatred that I started trembling right where I stood. Mrs. Hargrove noticed and gently placed her hand on my shoulder.

“Your wish is granted,” she smiled, and the entire hall broke into loud applause.

Franklin stood in anger and left the building, camera flashes trailing behind him. From then on, he became even more aggressive toward me. He would corner me whenever he had the chance, warning me not to go through with the planned wedding.

I can’t even count the number of times he threatened to make my life miserable if I didn’t call off the engagement. But I was willing to take the risk because I loved him.

And that was how my birthday wish turned into my engagement to Franklin Hargrove, heir to the Hargrove Corporation.