This Billionaire's Neighbor: This Billionaire, #7

By Rachel Foster

Chad is a wealthy billionaire who has built his success off of his dad's fortune by investing. His parents always wanted to arrange a marriage with a childhood friend, Nicole, but Chad was never interested in her in that way.Mandy is a newly divorced from her verbally abusive ex-husband Jeremy. Desperate to feel safe, she moves into an expensive gated community where her grandparent's had lived. One night her ex-husband shows up at Chad's investment company where Mandy is recently hired. Chad hears yelling and he finds Mandy running towards him. He knows her story and isn't messing around. He tells Jeremy to go home as he calls 911. Mandy finds comfort in the security of Chad and soon they're falling for each other. When Chad's parents learn that Mandy has been married before, they're not quick to accept her into the family. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: 3rd Publishing
• Release date: Mar 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215604786

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This Billionaire's Neighbor

Rachel Foster

Copyright © 2018 by Rachel Foster

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Contents

1. Chad

2. Mandy

3. Chad

4. Mandy

5. Chad

6. Mandy

7. Chad

8. Mandy

9. Chad

10. Mandy

11. Chad

12. Mandy

13. Chad

14. Mandy

15. Chad

16. Mandy

17. Chad

18. Mandy

19. Chad

20. Mandy

21. Chad

22. Mandy

23. Chad

24. Mandy

25. Chad

26. Mandy

27. Chad

28. Mandy

29. Chad

30. Mandy

31. Chad

32. Mandy

33. Chad

34. Mandy

35. Chad

36. Mandy

37. Chad

38. Mandy

39. Chad

Epilogue – Mandy

1

Chad

I

had nearly made it to the elevator when my secretary, Daisy, came running down the hall behind me. Mr. Green! Mr. Green!

I swallowed back a sigh and turned to her. Yes, Daisy?

Daisy looked sheepish as she stepped back, apparently embarrassed over her rush when she was normally so calm and composed. Her cheeks flushed pink. It was a good look on her, that extra bit of color. Cute. Your mother called right as you left. I put her on hold. I know it’s a hassle, but you always said to alert you right away if someone in your family wanted to get in touch with you.

I sighed and nodded. Right. Thank you, Daisy. I didn’t wonder why Mom hadn’t directly called me. I would normally still have been in my office and been available. Today was a little bit different. I don’t feel like going all the way back and unlocking my office again. Tell her she can call my cell.

I will. Thank you.

Thank you, I echoed. I whacked the elevator button and stepped on when the doors opened for me. Daisy’s heels clicked on the polished marble tiles as she walked away. I always told her she could wear whatever she wanted. Let the people who had a problem with it come directly to me with their complaints so I could tell them to mind their own business. She insisted on wearing heels and prim, proper dresses despite all my efforts. I was forced to conclude that was what she was comfortable in, which was really too bad. If she relaxed a little bit sometimes...

Well, no point in thinking about that.

Mom’s call came through as I was stepping off the elevator into the underground parking garage. I answered and put the phone to my ear. Wisps of my hair brushed against the device and I reminded myself to get a haircut soon. Hi, Mom, I said.

Why aren’t you at your office? my mom asked.

I’m fine, thanks, I teased gently.

Mom made an exasperated little laugh. I’m glad to hear it. My goodness. How am I ever supposed to know where to reach you?

My car automatically unlocked as the key in my briefcase came within the boundary of the sensors. It was a comforting, welcoming sound. I opened the door and pushed the button to start the engine, which purred softly to life. It’s really not that big of a deal, Mom. You got me. What did you need?

It was better to have her call my work because I might not hear my phone or think to check while in a meeting. Thanks to Daisy, whose job it was to answer calls and deliver information to me, I was guaranteed not to miss anything important.

Where are you going? I heard your car, Mom said, ignoring my question.

I rolled my eyes. Well, Billie Jo, I said, using her name to antagonize her in a slightly more serious manner, the gym had an unexpected closure last week and all the time slots had to be rescheduled. Aaron and I have the boxing room reserved, and this is the best time they had available.

Will you tell Aaron I said hello?

Of course. He’ll be happy to hear from you.

Thank you. There was a smile in her voice. So, Nicole’s family will be coming over for dinner this weekend. I would really love for you to be there, too.

I strummed my fingers on the steering wheel. What day?

I’m not sure yet. I told her parents that I would get back to them with a good night for it. What’s your schedule like?

I don’t know, I muttered. Not off the top of my head. I’ll have to check and get back to you once I’m home. Don’t cancel if I can’t be there, okay? Your ability to have fun shouldn’t hinge on my availability.

I’d really prefer if you could be here. There’s always next weekend.

I looked at the time on the dashboard and saw I was going to be late to the gym if I didn’t get going now. Because of Nicole, right?

Well...

Like I said, I’ll get back to you. Tell Dad I said hi and I love you. And I love you, Mom. Call me anytime.

I love you, too.

I hung up and leaned my head back against the headboard, sighing. Nicole Darner was a kickass paralegal on a very successful lawyering team. At 5’2" and 100 lbs soaking wet, she was an unstoppable force of nature who never failed a task assigned to her, no matter the obstacles standing in her way. When it came to practicing the law, the obstacles could be quite substantial. Anyone who made the mistake of messing with her would quickly find out that they were the ones who needed to be afraid.

Nicole was also my childhood friend.

Mom had been trying to set us up for basically our whole lives in some sort of modern twist on an arranged marriage. That would have been fine, except I had no interest in Nicole in that sort of way. She was practically my sister at this point, and she wasn’t my type, anyway. I wanted someone taller, for starters. Someone with a gentle soul who could relax and enjoy the little things.

Nicole was too busy, too hyper, always plowing forward to the next thing.

Mom never got the hint.

I decided I would rather not deal with that right now. I backed out of my parking space and headed across the city to the gym Aaron and I had been frequenting for over a decade. The lot out front was relatively empty at this time of day. I had no trouble finding a spot up by the front and headed inside.

Aaron stood at the front desk in the lobby, gesturing around while talking to the receptionist. He was laughing as he talked, clearly into the conversation. Her expression was polite, though her eyes screamed for someone to come rescue her.

I walked over and tapped Aaron on the shoulder. Hey, I said.

Aaron turned around and gave me a friendly punch on the arm. Hey yourself. What took you so damn long?

I’ll explain in a little while. I turned to the receptionist and made a face at her where Aaron couldn’t see it.

She smiled slightly. She was pretty new to the place, having only been there a couple months. One of these days, she’d grow comfortable enough to tell Aaron to knock it off. Hi. Chad Green, right?

Right. And you’re Bethany.

Right! Bethany said. She looked at her computer. The boxing room is all yours. There’s about a 10-minute gap between you guys leaving and the next party coming in, so if you hurry up, you can get away with staying over your time slot to get your full hour.

Thanks, Bethany. I nodded to her and grabbed Aaron’s arm. Come on. I need something to beat up on.

Aaron shrugged me off and walked with me down the hall to the locker room. What do you think of her, Chad?

Who?

Who do you think I’m talking about? Bethany, obviously!

I pushed open the door to the locker room and stepped through. The air was instantly several degrees warmer, and the smell of deodorant and sweat was strong. I swung my gym bag onto one of the benches and turned to look at Aaron. I think you’ve got no chance with her.

Why? You want her? Aaron started to change into his workout gear.

I put my back to him and did the same, shedding my suit jacket and dress pants. "First of all, no. Second of all, I don’t think she’d want you or me. She’s wearing a promise ring, Aaron."

Shit, really? I didn’t notice that.

I don’t know how you could have missed it. Wait, yes I do. Wishful thinking. I shook my head. I don’t recall her wearing it before, but she was today. So, you’re out of luck. Gotta move off to your next target.

Well, damn. He scowled. Back to the drawing board for me. Hey, what’s up with you, then? Why did you sound frustrated earlier?

Tell you when we get to the room.

We finished getting dressed and stowed our bags away in the lockers. We each had a large refillable water bottle with us as we went from the locker room to the boxing area. We donned gloves and set up a couple bags for warm-ups.

I jabbed a series of light taps against the bag in front of me, increasing in speed until my heartbeat began to pick up and my face felt hot from the beginnings of exertion. I slowed down in the same manner and then broke off to take some deep breaths. I moved lightly on the balls of my feet to keep from losing my rhythm now that I had it.

Beside me, Aaron was taking measured punches at his own bag. He caught it with each little sway, forcing it back again.

I didn’t have any weekend plans, I began. Until my mom called as I was coming here. That’s why I was late. Though it wasn’t illegal to talk on the phone while driving, I saw no reason to push my luck. I didn’t have my cell attached by Bluetooth to my car’s system, either. The quality was just awful and it was far more convenient to pull over to the side of the road to talk, especially when it might be work related and I’d need to write something down.

She says hi, by the way.

Tell her I said hi back. Aaron began to alternate his punches from hard to light, an exercise in control. The body tended to want to get locked into repeating the same motions and while that could be useful for maintaining a rhythm, it didn’t make for a particularly dynamic workout. Engaging the mind was as important as working the muscles.

She wants to have Nicole’s family over for dinner and naturally, she wants me there. I shook my head. I honestly can’t believe that she still hasn’t given up on this. It’s as impressive as it is frustrating. Even worse is she wants me there so much that she’ll reschedule if I don’t show up. So if I want her and Dad to enjoy themselves, I have to agree.

That sucks, Aaron said. I mean, it sucks that she’s cajoling you into it like that. But I think you’re at least a little bit crazy.

I eyed him and feigned a punch in his direction. He blocked me. I shifted around him and we exchanged blows and blocks while working our way to the middle of the floor. Our punches had no real force just yet. It was still a warmup, refamiliarizing us with the other and forming a sort of wordless communication that was absolutely necessary for this sort of team exercising.

I’ve always liked Nicole, Aaron said.

I wasn’t surprised to hear it. The signs had always been obvious. He just had never said it out loud in such certain terms before.

I’d be ecstatic if someone set me up with her.

I couldn’t think as our warmup became a true sparring session, delegating that task to the back of my mind. Aaron was a very forward sort of guy, enthusiastic and lively. He was adaptive, up for pretty much anything at any given time. He also had a lot of energy. Whereas I could only find the time to work out once every week, he was at the gym every day. When he couldn’t get to the gym for whatever reason, he would work out at home or go for a run. It was how he made sense of the world around him, as he had once explained it to me. Things fell into place while he was freeing his body of stressors and anxieties by way of movement.

If anyone could handle Nicole, it was probably going to be him.

They had interacted a time or two, but I didn’t recall how that had gone because I wasn’t thinking of things in these terms.

Aaron’s gloved fist found a way through my defenses, landing a hit against my upper arm. I backed off, conceding, and we paused to catch our breath.

I can put in a good word for you, if you want.

Huh? He frowned, puzzled.

I grunted. Did you already forget what we were discussing?

You mean with Nicole?

Sure, why not? If Mom wants to play matchmaker, well, I’ll join the game. It’d get her off my back if Nicole was unavailable.

That’d be great. I wish I’d had the guts to do it myself, but I’ll take what I can get. Aaron laughed. I appreciate it.

Sure. Now get back over here so I can kick your ass.

Aaron thumped his fists together and came at me. This time, my mind was totally clear and I was ready for him.

2

Mandy

I

tensed automatically as the front door to the house opened, my mind racing with all the terrible possibilities. Like a safety instructor reviewing emergency exit plans, I thought of all the ways to leave the house. The front door. The side door into the garage from the laundry room. The back door. All the windows, first and second floor. The single window in the basement. And I thought of all the things I could use to defend myself, conventional and not so much. Knives in the kitchen. Shovels in the garage. Books. I could pick up the ottoman and throw it. Bottles and jars in the fridge.

I knew I was being dumb, long past overkill and into the boundaries of insanity, but I couldn’t help it.

Hailey walked through the open door, carrying a white bag filled with Chinese food containers. I’m back! she declared. Then she noticed the look on my face and her expression changed to one of concern. Are you okay? she asked. Did something happen?

I shook my head.

Good. Because it looked a little like you were thinking of taking that vase on the coffee table and bashing me on the head with it. Hailey smiled and walked over, setting the bag down on the aforementioned coffee table. Sorry if I was gone a little longer than we thought. Someone in front of me was making a fuss.

That’s okay, I murmured. I stayed busy. Busy in the regard that I had been sitting there on the couch thinking of all the potential ways things could go wrong.

Hailey started taking out all the food and arranging it on the table, followed by an array of sauce packets and utensils. She sat down on the couch beside me and prepared her food. I joined her, even though I wasn’t very hungry right then. I knew I’d need the energy.

How was work today? I asked Hailey.

Hailey picked up the TV remote and pointed it across the room at the television. It was really good, actually. We picked up several new clients.

Oh, that’s great! An actual emotion managed to work its way through the dour fog hanging low over my thoughts. Congratulations.

Thanks! I’m pretty happy about it. I’m glad all these connections I made are starting to pay off.

I always had faith in you.

Hailey smiled at me. I know. Thank you.

When are you going to buy out your dad’s company?

Hailey laughed. He tells me I can pry it out of his cold, stiff grasp when he’s gone, but I think he has plans to sign it over to me when he’s retired. He’s hinted as much, then pretends he isn’t hinting. To be honest, I’m kind of scared of taking it on and then ruining it.

That won’t happen. You know he wouldn’t even hint about it if he didn’t believe you could do it.

She smiled more, her cheeks turning pink.

I focused on my food and even though I wasn’t hungry, I recognized it tasted good and that made it easier to keep eating. Hailey was my best friend in the whole world. We’d known each other since kindergarten. Her father ran a small gardening empire. Half the city used his services for maintaining their lawns and other areas of greenery, cutting grass, laying down new seed, trimming hedges, planting new flowers every year, and so on. Some of my favorite memories were tagging along with Hailey and her father, doing yardwork all day, and then getting dinner and ice cream afterwards.

Hailey developed an interest in the design aspects of modifying landscapes, whether they were parks or the small strips of grass between the road and sidewalk. She had started a landscaping company as a result. She started out getting business from her father’s clients, who were looking to add onto what they already had, and had been building out from there. I couldn’t have been more proud of her for all of her hard work.

Hailey abruptly set her food down and turned to me. I looked back at her, tilting my head. She put her hand over one of mine. I could hire you, you know. That’s always an option. You could be my assistant.

Tears rose into my eyes. I put my food aside, no longer able to even pretend I was enjoying it. I appreciate that. But you’re already doing so much for me.

I’d do anything for you and you know it. Hailey gazed into my eyes. Her straight blonde hair framed her serious face. Say the word and you work for me now. I already know you’re good for the position.

You already have a secretary.

It would be good to have someone else to come along with me. Shoulder some of the burden.

I shook my head and turned my face away. I knew she wouldn’t be offering if she didn’t mean what she said. I would feel awful, I said. I don’t really have the creative brain like you do.

The offer is open forever. Okay? Hailey rubbed my shoulder and went back to eating.

I tried to keep myself calm and control my breathing. My stomach was all tied up in knots from the guilt I felt. She was already doing way too much for me.

I was living in her house, for goodness’ sake.

I had recently divorced from my husband, Jeremy, after the situation between us turned sour and then dangerous. But divorce alone was too simple a word. I had more or less run away, packing all my belongings and coming here to an entirely different city. Hailey had eagerly allowed me to move in with her when I told her what was going on. I had money enough to pitch in with the bills and everything. She wouldn’t let me, which only made me feel even worse.

And then something else terrible had happened recently. I didn’t know how much more I could handle. I felt like a vase on the very edge of tipping over onto a hard floor, brittle, fragile, without the means to save myself.

I’m sorry, Hailey said.

I looked up. Why are you sorry?

I know the whole work thing has been hard for you. I shouldn’t have brought it up.

It’s okay, I reassured her. I appreciate it. I really do.

I just feel so bad for you, Mandy. You didn’t deserve any of this.

The pressure of tears came again and it took everything I had to hold them back this time. I looked at the carpet between my feet, examining the speckled pattern. It was so hard to tell them I was quitting. I tried so hard to keep going after I left Mulberry Creek. Mulberry Creek was the little town where I used to live. Previously, it was only a drive of about ten minutes to get to my workplace. After moving in with Hailey, the time frame tripled, sometimes quadrupled if traffic was bad. I had to get up earlier every morning when I wasn’t sleeping well anyway, and I wound up getting gradually more and more worn down.

Them denying me some vacation time was just the last straw, I said.

Hailey picked at her food and watched me in silence, letting me talk. I didn’t like to go too deep into these things. Sometimes the words just kept running out of me though, the floodgates opened.

It was like they were mad at me for quitting. My hands curled into fists in my lap. Like it was only the effect my quitting would have on the company was what mattered. They didn’t care about the divorce or that I was concerned for my own safety.

It’s good that you quit, Haley told me. They obviously don’t really care about their employees. It’s better that you got out while you could.

Maybe.

Hailey covered her mouth, concealing a yawn. Geez, she said. Sorry about that.

It’s okay. You’re probably worn out from getting all those new clients signed on. I smiled gently, picturing her running around her office like a chicken with its head cut off. You should relax tonight. Go to bed early. I don’t want you to get run down.

I couldn’t do that.

Yes you can. I’ll clean up the kitchen like you were wanting to do. It’s the least I can do to help out.

Hailey still looked undecided.

To be honest, I would have much rather she stayed up and hung out with me. However, I was already taking up so much of her time and energy. I couldn’t bear to ask for anything more.

It’ll be good to have you out of my hair, maybe, I said, forcing a joke. I’ll need to find a new job eventually. I was planning on sending out some applications tonight, and it’ll be much easier without having you breathing down my neck.

My best friend perked up. You’re looking for another job? That’s a great step to take! Don’t worry if nothing happens for a little while though, okay? Good things take time.

Bad things take time, too.

I didn’t tell her that.

We ate the rest of our dinner and then watched a couple shows before Hailey decided she was going to head back to her room and relax for about an hour before going to sleep.

Night, I said. Sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.

Hailey laughed and ducked down the hallway, heading for the stairs to the second floor. I heard her footsteps, the ceiling creaking while she moved around up there, followed by the sink turning on.

I stood up and went to my own room, which was for now the downstairs guest room. I locked the door and leaned a chair in front of it, beneath the handle. I made sure the window was locked, the blinds and curtains obscuring the glass to prevent anyone from peering in at me. Heart thumping, I made a circuit of the room, checking in the closet and beneath the bed. Only then did I feel safe enough to relax.

I sat down on the bed with my laptop and booted it up. Earlier in the day, I had gathered a bunch of resources and now I combed through them, looking for the right kind of jobs. My interest wasn’t so much in the positions offered as the type of company. I wanted everything I did