TAMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE

Hannah's POV

Ding! My phone buzzed on the table for the fifth time this morning. David was freaking out again, and honestly, it was starting to get on my nerves. I picked it up, already rolling my eyes.

"Hannah, are you sure about this? What if she doesn't like me? What if she thinks I'm not good enough for you?" His voice was trembling, and it was honestly kind of cute

if I wasn't already stressed out myself.

"She's my sister, David. Not some evil overlord." I paused, thinking about Sophie's sharp tongue and the way she could reduce a grown man to tears with one sentence. "Okay, maybe she's a little intimidating, but you'll survive."

"A little intimidating? She's Sophie Reeds, the Sophie Reeds. People literally write articles about her glare!"

"David, if you keep panicking like this, I'm going to hang up. Breathe. You'll be fine," I said firmly, hoping my voice didn't betray how nervous I was too.

When we pulled up to Sophie's building, even I had to admit it was a lot. Glass and steel glinted in the sunlight, stretching high into the sky like it owned the whole block. People in suits scurried in and out like ants, and I could feel David stiffen beside me.

"Wow," he whispered. "She really is—"

"Rich? Powerful? Scary?" I offered, smirking.

"All of the above," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Relax," I said, grabbing his hand. "It's just Sophie."

As we stepped into Sophie's office, it felt like walking into a battlefield. The walls were glass, her desk was immaculate, and her vibe screamed untouchable. She was sitting at her desk, eyes glued to her laptop, typing furiously. Her focus was so sharp you could probably bounce a knife off it.

"Hannah," she said, her tone cool and detached. "You're late."

"Nice to see you too, sis," I shot back, trying to keep the mood light. "I brought someone for you to meet."

Her eyes finally shifted to David, and the intensity of her gaze was enough to make him fidget. She didn't say anything for a long moment, just looked at him like she was trying to figure out what made him tick.

"This is David," I said, nudging him forward.

David extended his hand, his smile a little shaky. "It's an honor to meet you, Ms. Reeds."

She raised an eyebrow, finally shaking his hand. "David. Hannah's mentioned you."

"All good things, I hope," he said with a nervous laugh.

Sophie tilted her head slightly. "We'll see."

I could feel the tension in the air as we sat down. Sophie's questions were sharp, calculated, and clearly designed to make David squirm.

"So, David, what do you do?"

"I'm a software engineer," he said quickly.

"Hmm," she said, her tone neutral. "And how exactly did you meet my sister?"

"At a friend's party," he answered, his voice steady despite the weight of her gaze.

She nodded slowly, her expression giving nothing away. "Interesting."

"Okay, enough with the interrogation," I said, cutting in before she could ask anything else.

"Sophie," I started, a little unsure.

She didn't even look up. "What?"

I nudged David forward, but he was frozen. Great. Guess it was all on me. "We're here to check on you," I said, rolling my eyes at my coward of a boyfriend.

"I'm fine," she replied, still not looking up.

"With Damien Steele, right?" I teased, folding my arms.

Her fingers paused on the keyboard. Just for a second. Then she resumed like nothing happened. "What are you trying to say, Hannah?"

David finally found his voice. "Wait,Damien Steele? Isn't he, like, the ruthless Damien Steele?"

At that, Sophie stopped typing. Completely. She looked up, her gaze sharp enough to cut steel. "Excuse me?"

David blinked. "I mean, that's what people say about him, right?"

She stood up, towering over both of us despite being barely my height. "Let me make something very clear," she said, her voice icy. "No one talks about my clients like that. Especially not in my office."

David shrank back, but I wasn't about to let her bulldoze us.

"Relax, Soph," I said, stepping between them. "We're just saying you've been working nonstop, and it's all because of this guy. You can take a break, you know."

Her eyes flicked to me. "Hannah, you don't understand the pressure I'm under right now. This isn't some regular client. It's..."

"Damien Steele, we know," I cut in. "The guy who eats PR strategists for breakfast or whatever. But seriously, you're going to burn out if you don't step away for a bit."

She crossed her arms. "I'm not burning out."

David, bless his brave soul, decided to chime in again. "You really don't need to let someone like him control your life."

"Someone like him?" Sophie repeated, her tone dangerous. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"I just mean..."

"No, please, enlighten me," she interrupted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "What do you think you know about my client?"

David looked to me for help, but I was too busy trying not to laugh. Sophie was in full attack mode now, and there was no stopping her.

"I just think someone with his reputation..."

"His reputation?" Sophie snapped. "Do you know him personally? Have you worked with him? Or are you just repeating gossip like some tabloid reporter?"

"Okay, okay, time out!" I said, holding up my hands. "Can we all just take a breath?"

Sophie turned her glare on me. "If you're here to waste my time, you can leave. I have work to do."

"No one's wasting your time," I said, standing my ground. "We're trying to help you, Sophie. You can't keep going like this."

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Hannah, I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine. Really."

"You're not," I insisted. "And if you don't take a break willingly, I'll make you."

Her eyebrows shot up. "You'll make me?"

"Yes," I said, crossing my arms.

David, sensing an opportunity, jumped in. "A break might actually help you focus better, Sophie."

She shot him a look that could've frozen lava. "And why do you care, David?"

"Because Hannah does," he said simply.

That seemed to catch her off guard. For a moment, she just stared at him, her expression unreadable. Then she sighed again, this time sounding more tired than angry.

"Fine," she said. "One hour. But if anything goes wrong while I'm gone, it's on you."

"Deal," I said, grabbing her hand before she could change her mind.

The cafeteria was buzzing with energy, and for once, Sophie didn't look like she was about to bite someone's head off.

"This is your cafeteria?" David asked, looking around in awe.

Sophie smirked. "Impressed?"

"It's...nice," he said, clearly understating it.

We sat down at a corner table, the tension from earlier slowly melting away. Or so I thought.

"So, David," Sophie began, her tone deceptively casual. "What exactly do you see in my sister?"

Oh no. Here we go.

David froze, his fork halfway to his mouth. "Uh, well, I think she's..."

"Amazing," I cut in, glaring at Sophie. "Right, David?"

"Y-yeah," he stammered. "Amazing."

Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Really? And what makes her so amazing?"

I kicked her under the table, but she didn't even flinch.

"Okay, that's enough," I said. "We're here to relax, remember?"

"Just making conversation," she said, smirking.

"Right," I muttered.

Despite her best efforts to grill David, the lunch ended on a surprisingly light note. Sophie even laughed a couple of times, which was basically a miracle.

As we walked back to her office, she turned to me and said, "You're lucky, Hannah. He seems decent."

"Decent?" I repeated, rolling my eyes.

"It's a compliment," she said, smirking.

I laughed, feeling a warmth in my chest. For all her walls and sharp edges, Sophie still had a heart.