THE BILLIONAIRE WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN MY STEPFATHER

THE BILLIONAIRE WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN MY STEPFATHER

Tonia Gospel · Ongoing · 202.1k Words

778
Hot
1.5k
Views
60
Added
Add to Shelf
Start Reading
Share:facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

Introduction

Waking up in a stranger's expensive sheets was my first mistake, but finding out he’s my mother’s new billionaire fiancé was my absolute destruction.

The night I met Dominic Vale, I had just lost my job. The rain was pouring, the elevator broke down, and one thing led to another. I snuck out of his penthouse before sunrise, praying I would never see his dangerously handsome face again.

I thought it was just a reckless one-night stand. A secret I would take to my grave.

Until tonight.

"Alina, I have wonderful news," my mother said, practically glowing with happiness as she unlocked our apartment door. "I'm getting married."

I was happy for her. She deserved it. She told me he was wealthy, powerful, and wanted to take us both to dinner.

But when the private dining room door opened, my entire world stopped.

Dominic Vale stood there in a dark suit. The same broad shoulders. The same intense, dark eyes that had memorized every inch of my body just forty-eight hours ago.

Shock flashed across his face. Real shock.

"Dominic," my mother said warmly, stepping forward to kiss his cheek. "This is my daughter, Alina."

The silence that followed felt louder than thunder.

He didn't blink. He didn't look away. His gaze locked onto mine, slow and careful, replaying the exact same forbidden memories I was.

He held out his hand like we were complete strangers.

"I believe we’ve already met," he said smoothly, his thumb subtly brushing against my pulse point as I shook his hand.

My mother laughed. "You have?"

"Yes," Dominic replied, his eyes darkening as they dropped briefly to my lips. "We shared a very... unforgettable ride in the elevator."

Chapter 1

The night I met Dominic Vale, I had just lost my job.

And somehow, that still wasn’t the worst part of my evening.

“Clean your desk before you leave.”

My boss didn’t even bother looking at me when he said it.

The words landed like a slap.

For a moment, I just stood there, staring at him across the office desk.

“I… don’t understand,” I said slowly.

He sighed as if I were the one being difficult.

“Alina, the company is making adjustments. Your position is no longer necessary.”

“That’s not what you said last week.”

He finally looked up then.

Cold.

Impatient.

“That was last week.”

The finality in his tone made it clear the conversation was already over.

My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag.

Two years.

Two years of staying late, taking extra shifts, doing things that were never even part of my job description.

And this was how it ended.

Just like that.

“Fine,” I said quietly.

I turned before he could see the frustration in my eyes.

But just as I reached the door, his voice stopped me.

“Oh, one more thing.”

I paused.

He slid a thick envelope across his desk.

“Take these documents to Vale Tower. Twenty-fourth floor.”

I frowned slightly.

“At this hour?”

“Consider it your last task.”

My jaw tightened.

Of course it was.

But arguing wouldn’t change anything.

So I picked up the envelope and walked out.


The rain started halfway through my bus ride.

By the time I reached Vale Tower, the storm had turned the streets into mirrors of reflected light.

I stood outside the massive glass building for a moment, staring up at it.

Vale Tower was famous in the city.

Tall.

Impressive.

Intimidating.

It belonged to one of the most powerful business empires in the country.

And somehow, tonight of all nights, I was the unlucky person delivering paperwork here.

“Just drop the files and leave,” I muttered to myself.

I pushed through the glass doors.

The lobby was enormous.

Soft golden lights reflected across polished marble floors, and the quiet elegance of the place made me suddenly aware of my damp coat and slightly messy hair.

Definitely not the picture of professionalism tonight.

I walked toward the elevators at the far end of the lobby.

One of them was already closing.

“Wait!”

I slipped my hand between the doors just in time.

They slid open again with a quiet mechanical sound.

I stepped inside quickly and pressed the button for the twenty-fourth floor.

Just as the doors began to close again, a deep voice spoke behind me.

“Hold the door.”

I pressed the button without thinking.

A man stepped inside.

And suddenly the elevator didn’t feel empty anymore.

He was tall.

Broad shoulders, dark suit, rain still clinging to the edges of his hair.

But what caught my attention most was the quiet confidence in the way he carried himself.

Like he belonged anywhere he walked into.

The elevator doors closed behind us.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

The elevator began moving upward.

18, 19, 20.

Then suddenly…

The elevator jerked violently.

I gasped as my balance shifted.

My heel slipped against the polished floor.

Before I could fall, a strong arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me back.

My body collided with his chest.

Warm.

Solid.

Very close.

“Careful,” he said quietly.

His voice was calm, steady.

The kind of voice that naturally commanded attention.

I quickly stepped back, embarrassed.

“Sorry.”

Then the elevator shuddered again.

And stopped.

The lights flickered once… twice…

Then dimmed into emergency lighting.

I stared at the frozen floor numbers.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

The man beside me leaned casually against the wall, completely unbothered.

“Well,” he said calmly, “this is unfortunate.”

I crossed my arms.

“That’s a polite way to describe being trapped in an elevator.”

He studied me for a moment.

“You’re not panicking.”

“Should I?”

“Most people would.”

I shrugged.

“Screaming probably won’t fix the elevator.”

A faint smile appeared on his face.

And suddenly I realized something unsettling.

He was even more attractive when he smiled.

The emergency lights cast soft shadows across his face, highlighting the sharp line of his jaw.

He looked like trouble.

The kind sensible women stayed far away from.

“What floor?” he asked.

“Twenty-four.”

His eyebrows lifted slightly.

“That’s where I’m going too.”

Of course he was.

Minutes passed in silence.

Then the elevator jerked again.

My balance shifted for the second time.

“Oh come on—”

I stumbled forward.

Straight into him.

His hands caught my waist instantly.

This time neither of us moved.

My back touched the wall behind me, and suddenly he was very close.

Close enough that I could see the faint gold flecks in his dark eyes.

My heart began beating faster.

His gaze moved slowly across my face.

Curious.

Focused.

Then it dropped briefly to my lips.

“Tell me something,” he said softly.

“What?”

A small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“Do you always fall into strangers’ arms like this?”

Heat rushed to my cheeks.

“I tripped.”

“Do you?”

The teasing tone in his voice made my stomach flip unexpectedly.

“You seem very entertained by this situation,” I said.

“I’m entertained by you.”

The honesty of the statement caught me off guard.

Before I could respond, the elevator suddenly jolted back to life.

The lights brightened.

The numbers began moving again.

The doors slid open.

I stepped out quickly, relieved to finally have space again.

But just as I started walking away, his voice stopped me.

“Wait.”

I turned.

He was still standing inside the elevator.

Watching me.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Alina.”

He repeated it slowly.

“Alina.”

“And you?” I asked.

“Dominic.”

Something about the way he said his name made it sound important.

But before I could think about it, the elevator doors began closing.

“Maybe we’ll meet again,” he said.

I gave a small polite smile.

“Maybe.”

The doors slid shut.

And as I walked down the hallway toward the office I was supposed to visit, I had no idea that the man I had just met in that broken elevator…

Was about to become my mother’s fiancé.

Last Chapters

You Might Like 😍

First Taste in a Century​

First Taste in a Century​

1k Views · Ongoing · Sherry
Fresh out of college and fumbling through his first year in the real world, twenty-two-year-old Lysander wanders away from a friend’s party and into an isolated forest. There, he stumbles upon the high-tech laboratory hidden within the ancient castle of Vivienne—a vampire who has spent one century cultivating solitude. Disgusted by the intimacy required to hunt, she long ago withdrew from humanity, passing the endless decades perfecting homemade synthetic blood rather than sampling the countless varieties of plasma she grew tired of.

But Lysander’s arrival spells disaster. In a clumsy accident, he doesn't just ruin dinner; he obliterates her state-of-the-art scientific instruments. With her life’s work destroyed and her synthetic supply cut off, the scent of his living blood overwhelms her engineered senses. Forced to break a century-long abstinence, she takes what she needs, only to find herself addicted not just to his taste, but to the man himself.

Using the equipment as a flimsy excuse to lure him back, Vivienne battles a terrifying new obsession. She craves his body despite believing he’s taken, despising her own weakness. Meanwhile, Lysander’s initial terror curdles into a forbidden fascination. Can a relationship survive when one person feels everything, and the other only hungers?
The Ice Between Us.

The Ice Between Us.

1.7k Views · Completed · Nora Obeche
In the world of elite hockey, discipline is the only currency that matters. For Julian Thorne, the perfectionist Captain of the Northwood Olympic Center, every stride is calculated, and every emotion is frozen solid. He is one season away from the pros, but the team is drowning under public scrutiny and a board of directors looking for any reason to cut the cord.

​Then comes Jax Miller.

​Jax is a hotheaded rookie with a lightning-fast puck and a reputation for burning bridges. He doesn't follow playbooks, he doesn't respect authority, and he’s determined to melt Julian’s icy composure. When a viral video of their on-ice collision threatens to bankrupt the program, Coach Clain delivers an ultimatum that feels like a death sentence: they must live together in a cramped, two-bed dorm for the duration of the season.

​Forced to navigate the high-stakes world of sports fame, "forbidden" locker-room tension, and the mysterious blackmailer who caught their first mistake on camera, Julian and Jax must decide what’s more dangerous: losing their careers, or losing themselves to the person they were supposed to hate.
The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

2m Views · Ongoing · Jaylee
Soft hot lips find the shell of my ear and he whispers, "You think I don't want you?" He pushes his hips forward, grinding into the back of my ass and I groan. "Really?" He chuckles.

"Let me go," I whimper, my body trembling with need. "I don't want you touching me."

I fall forward onto the bed then turn around to stare at him. The dark tattoos of Domonic's chiseled shoulders, quiver and and expand with the heave of his chest. His deep dimpled smile is full of arrogance as he reaches behind himself to lock the door.

Biting his lip, he stalks toward me, his hand going to the seam of his pants and the thickening bulge there.

"Are you sure you don't want me to touch you?" He whispers, untying the knot and slipping a hand inside. "Because I swear to God, that is all I have been wanting to do. Every single day from the moment you stepped in our bar and I smelled your perfect flavor from across the room."


New to the world of shifters, Draven is human on the run. A beautiful girl who no one could protect. Domonic is the cold Alpha of the Red Wolf Pack. A brotherhood of twelve wolves that live by twelve rules. Rules which they vowed could NEVER be broken.

Especially - Rule Number One - No Mates

When Draven meets Domonic, he knows that she is his mate, but Draven has no idea what a mate is, only that she has fallen in love with a shifter. An Alpha that will break her heart to make her leave. Promising herself, she will never forgive him, she disappears.

But she doesn’t know about the child she’s carrying or that the moment she left, Domonic decided rules were made to be broken - and now will he ever find her again? Will she forgive him?
Reborn: My Biased Brothers Beg Me To Come Back

Reborn: My Biased Brothers Beg Me To Come Back

9k Views · Completed · Eleanor Sterling
In her past life, Arabella Oberon was the lowest-ranking member of the Oberon family.

She genuinely took in Regina, the butler's daughter, only to be constantly manipulated by this cunning and manipulative woman.

Regina gradually stole the love from her three brothers.

Arabella was forced to give Regina blood transfusions time and again, her weight plummeting to a mere eighty-eight pounds.

Ultimately, under the relentless pressure from her brothers, she jumped out of a window in despair and died. Her last words were,

"What about Regina's blood transfusions?"

When she opened her eyes again, Arabella found herself reborn three years earlier—the very day Regina appeared at her doorstep crying, begging for help.

Looking at the pitiful, tearful girl before her, Arabella smiled.

No more soft-heartedness.

No more groveling.

Instead, she "kindly" arranged for Regina to move into the servants' quarters, to earn her own living through honest labor.

Faced with her brothers who sided with her, she no longer bothered to please them.

And towards her former fiancé, Theodore, whom she had once fawned over, she remained cold, distant, and indifferent.

Moreover, in this life, they would discover that her identity was far more than just the eldest daughter of the Oberon family.
The Spy Who Left

The Spy Who Left

1.5k Views · Completed · Orion Vale
"She's naive. A pretty little socialite who got lucky marrying above her station."
"I still can't believe she actually did it. Aria Hart, filing for divorce. Who saw that coming?"
"How long do we think it'll take before she comes crawling back?" Another voice joins the conversation.
"Three days," Victoria declares. "Five at most. She has no money, no skills, no family. Where's she going to go?"
When Aria Chen divorced billionaire Leon Hart, New York's elite sneered, betting she'd crawl back within days. She never did.
Three years later, the world is rocked when Dr. Aria Vale, CEO of a revolutionary cybersecurity empire, steps into the spotlight. The mysterious genius who built a billion-dollar company from nothing is none other than Leon's discarded wife, the woman everyone thought was just a pretty ornament.
Now, every powerful man wants the queen Leon threw away a renowned scientist seeking partnership, a financial titan proposing an empire, and an actor offering devotion. Each sees the brilliance Leon ignored.
Then Leon discovers the truth: Aria's sacrifices, her secret double life, and the daughter she's been raising without him. For the first time, the man who once took her for granted must fight for her love. But can he compete with men who valued her from the beginning?
A story of love, betrayal, and power where the king must kneel before the queen who never needed saving.
The Alpha King's Human Mate

The Alpha King's Human Mate

469.9k Views · Completed · HC Dolores
“You must understand something, little mate,” Griffin said, and his face softened,

“I have waited nine years for you. That’s nearly a decade since I’ve felt this emptiness inside me. Part of me began to wonder if you didn’t exist or you’d already died. And then I found you, right inside my own home.” 

He used one of his hands to stroke my cheek and tingles erupted everywhere. 

“I’ve spent enough time without you and I will not let anything else keep us apart. Not other wolves, not my drunken father who’s barely holding himself together the past twenty years, not your family  – and not even you.”


Clark Bellevue has spent her entire life as the only human in the wolf pack - literally. Eighteen years ago, Clark was the accidental result of a brief affair between one of the most powerful Alphas in the world and a human woman. Despite living with her father and her werewolf half-siblings, Clark has never felt like she really belonged in the werewolf world. But right as Clark plans to leave the werewolf world behind for good, her life gets flipped upside down by her mate: the next Alpha King, Griffin Bardot. Griffin has been waiting years for the chance to meet his mate, and he's not about to let her go anytime soon. It doesn't matter how far Clark tries to run from her destiny or her mate - Griffin intends to keep her, no matter what he has to do or who stands in his way.
A PRINCESS IN DISGUISE; BOUND TO THE ENEMY KING

A PRINCESS IN DISGUISE; BOUND TO THE ENEMY KING

5.3k Views · Ongoing · Jennifer Nwabueze
"You will be married to the King of Grok on the fourth night, and that's final!"

I fell to my knees, the cold marble digging into my skin. I had studied for years in the flickering candlelight, memorizing every herb and poison to pass the healer's exam. I wanted freedom. I wanted to save my mother from the servant's quarters. I placed second. I thought I had won my life back.

But the King didn't give me a badge of honor. He gave me a death sentence.

"Raven Thorne shall be wed to the King of Grok," he announced, his voice echoing in the silent hall. Princess Ellie, the woman who had tormented me for years, slapped her hands over her mouth to hide her cruel laughter. She was supposed to marry the Beast. Now, I was the lamb being sent to the slaughter in her place.

They say King Liam drinks the blood of his enemies. They say he is more monster than man. And now, I have to walk into his bedroom, wearing the Princess's silk gown, and pray he doesn't tear me apart.

I looked at the King, tears streaming down my face. "I'll do it," I whispered, my voice trembling. "But my mother must be safe."

I sold my body and soul to a monster to save her. But when the carriage door opened and I finally looked into the Beast's golden eyes, I realized the terrifying truth...

He wasn't a stranger. He was the man I met in the woods.
Diaries Of A Hybrid And Her Mate

Diaries Of A Hybrid And Her Mate

2.3k Views · Ongoing · Sherryann Martinez
R18 MATURE CONTENT

Beautiful Aubrianne Ivanov, raised by her single mom, had a tough childhood. With low self-esteem, she became an outcast and was alone one too many times for her liking. Time spent at her part time job, she eventually grew into a brave, confident, and determined young woman who walked right into an opportunity that would change her life forever.

Will Aubrianne truly feel whole? Will she find what has been missing in her life? Will she allow herself happiness and joy? Will she find love, and most importantly, will she survive what's to come?

Join Aubrianne on her journey as she discovers who/what she is and navigates all the heartbreak, betrayal, drama, and exciting and thrilling events that come her way...

Excerpt:

She lay before him in all her magnificent beauty draped across his king-size bed in the most compelling and provocative way known to man or beast. And for Alpha Zayne, it was the most captivating view he had ever had the pleasure of seeing with his own eyes.

She stared at his every movement, lips slightly parted, her stunning brown eyes scanning every inch of his gorgeously toned and glorious body while heat radiated off of hers. He was HERS.

Her body trembled in delight and anticipation; she was ready and wanted to be with him in every way.

As innocent as she was, she wanted him to...no need him to take her in the worse ways, bringing her to heights of pleasures she had never experienced before.

Fuck she is beautiful, one fine specimen, and she is all MINE, MY MATE. A wave of pure unbridled possessiveness vibrated through Alpha Zayne. He thanked the Divine Moon Goddess, for she has truly blessed him.

He drank her in, eyes trailing up her toned sexy legs spread wide for him, and she gave him that come-and-get-it look.
Omega Bound

Omega Bound

2.6m Views · Ongoing · Veronica White
Ayla Frost is a beautiful, rare omega. Kidnapped, tortured, and trafficked to rogue clans and corrupt alphas to do with as they pleased.  Kept alive in her cage, broken and abandoned by her wolf, she becomes mute and has given up on hope for a better life until one explosion changes everything. 

Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life. 

Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
Pregnant by My Husband's Rival Alpha

Pregnant by My Husband's Rival Alpha

14.7k Views · Completed · Christina
I woke up three years into a marriage I barely remembered—pregnant with twins that weren't my husband's.

Those words should have destroyed me, but the truth was worse: I'd been used as a broodmare by the man who swore to love me, set up in a hotel room with a stranger because My husband Alexander Cross couldn't father children himself, and now I carried the secret babies of Damon Lester—the most powerful and dangerous Alpha in San Loris—while my own family replaced me with the daughter they'd always wanted. But when that same stranger's doctor appeared at my door, when twenty million dollars exchanged hands over a fake perfume bearing my secret identity, and when Damon's gray eyes locked onto mine with recognition I couldn't afford, I realized my carefully hidden life as the legendary perfumer Vera was colliding with a pregnancy that could cost me everything.

Could I protect my babies from the husband plotting my death, hide my true identity from the Alpha who's been hunting me for years, and reclaim the freedom I'd buried along with my dreams—even if it means standing alone against the wolves who see me as nothing more than a womb to be used and discarded?
Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother

Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother

2.9m Views · Ongoing · Harper Rivers
Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother.

"What is wrong with me?

Why does being near him make my skin feel too tight, like I’m wearing a sweater two sizes too small?

It’s just newness, I tell myself firmly.

He’s my boyfirend’s brother.

This is Tyler’s family.

I’m not going to let one cold stare undo that.

**

As a ballet dancer, My life looks perfect—scholarship, starring role, sweet boyfriend Tyler. Until Tyler shows his true colors and his older brother, Asher, comes home.

Asher is a Navy veteran with battle scars and zero patience. He calls me "princess" like it's an insult. I can't stand him.

When My ankle injury forces her to recover at the family lake house, I‘m stuck with both brothers. What starts as mutual hatred slowly turns into something forbidden.

I'm falling for my boyfriend's brother.

**

I hate girls like her.

Entitled.

Delicate.

And still—

Still.

The image of her standing in the doorway, clutching her cardigan tighter around her narrow shoulders, trying to smile through the awkwardness, won’t leave me.

Neither does the memory of Tyler. Leaving her here without a second thought.

I shouldn’t care.

I don’t care.

It’s not my problem if Tyler’s an idiot.

It’s not my business if some spoiled little princess has to walk home in the dark.

I’m not here to rescue anyone.

Especially not her.

Especially not someone like her.

She’s not my problem.

And I’ll make damn sure she never becomes one.

But when my eyes fell on her lips, I wanted her to be mine.
After One Night with the Alpha

After One Night with the Alpha

537.5k Views · Completed · Sansa
One Night. One Mistake. One Lifetime of Consequences.

I thought I was waiting for love. Instead, I got fucked by a beast.

My world was supposed to bloom at the Moonshade Bay Full Moon Festival—champagne buzzing in my veins, a hotel room booked for Jason and me to finally cross that line after two years. I’d slipped into lacy lingerie, left the door unlocked, and lay on the bed, heart pounding with nervous excitement.

But the man who climbed into my bed wasn’t Jason.

In the pitch-black room, drowned in a heady, spicy scent that made my head spin, I felt hands—urgent, scorching—searing my skin. His thick, pulsing cock pressed against my dripping cunt, and before I could gasp, he thrust hard, tearing through my innocence with ruthless force. Pain burned, my walls clenching as I clawed at his iron shoulders, stifling sobs. Wet, slick sounds echoed with every brutal stroke, his body unrelenting until he shuddered, spilling hot and deep inside me.

"That was amazing, Jason," I managed to say.

"Who the fuck is Jason?"

My blood turned to ice. Light slashed across his face—Brad Rayne, Alpha of Moonshade Pack, a werewolf, not my boyfriend. Horror choked me as I realized what I’d done.

I ran away for my life!

But weeks later, I woke up pregnant with his heir!

They say my heterochromatic eyes mark me as a rare true mate. But I’m no wolf. I’m just Elle, a nobody from the human district, now trapped in Brad's world.

Brad’s cold gaze pins me: “You carry my blood. You’re mine.”

There is no other choice for me but to chose this cage. My body also betrays me, craving the beast who ruined me.

WARNING: Mature Readers Only