TAMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE

Sophie Reed's POV

I had just finished my nightly ritual face mask, cozy socks, and my favorite playlist softly humming through my earbuds. I was ready to drift off into much-needed sleep when I heard the sharp ping of a notification.

At first, I ignored it. Whatever it was, it could wait till morning.

But then it buzzed again.

Groaning, I reached for my phone, muttering to myself about people who didn't understand the concept of personal space.

When I saw Damien Steele's name flash on the screen, my heart did a little flip. Not because I liked the guy I didn't. He was arrogant and insufferable. But whenever he messaged, it was bound to be something dramatic.

I clicked the notification, and sure enough, his text read:

"Meet me at Bollum cafe."

I frowned, already irritated. Before I could process why he'd texted, another message popped up.

"7 a.m. please."

I let out an exaggerated hiss, tossing my phone onto the bed. "I shouldn't even sleep, right? Of course not. The great Damien Steele needs me," I muttered sarcastically.

I picked up my phone again, typing a quick reply:

"I'll come when I feel like it. You don't get to control me, Damien. I'm not your employee—I'm a consultant."

With that, I threw my phone onto the nightstand, turned on my side, and closed my eyes.

Bzzz.

I snapped my eyes open, glaring at my phone like it had personally offended me. "What now?" I grumbled, picking it up.

"It's very important, Ms. Reed."

I didn't bother replying this time. Instead, I sighed, set my alarm for an ungodly hour, and tried to will myself to sleep.

The next morning, I arrived at the address he'd sent, still grumpy from the early wake-up call. It was a sleek, modern office building of course, Damien wouldn't meet in some casual café.

When I walked in, I didn't bother with pleasantries. "Be brief," I said curtly, plopping into the nearest chair.

He looked at me with that infuriatingly calm expression of his, as if my attitude was amusing to him. "I need you to get rid of someone," he said bluntly.

"Excuse me?" I leaned forward, unsure if I'd heard him correctly.

"You heard me."

I blinked at him. "Do I look like a kidnapper to you?"

His lips quirked slightly, the closest thing to a smile I'd ever seen from him. "Fifty million."

That made me pause. Fifty million? My mind immediately wandered to all the things that money could do for my business expanding my team, upgrading tech, securing high-profile clients.

But I quickly composed myself, narrowing my eyes. "One hundred million."

"Seventy." he cut in

"Ninety." I agrued.

"Eighty." he replied staring deadly into my eyes but I ignored

I crossed my arms. "Eighty-five, and I'll think about it."

He nodded, and just like that, the deal was struck.

"So, who's the unfortunate soul?" I asked, though I already regretted letting my curiosity win.

"Cassandra Laine," he said without hesitation. "I need you to create a scandal that will make her irrelevant."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why her?"

Damien leaned back, his face darkening. "She's a distraction. My stepmother brought her into my life for her own schemes. If I don't cut her off now, she'll become a problem."

I frowned. "And you think ruining her life is the answer?"

"She's not as innocent as she looks, Ms. Reed," he replied coldly. "Trust me, this is the only way."

I hesitated. Something about this didn't sit right with me, but eighty-five million wasn't a joke.

Finally, I sighed. "Fine. But don't expect me to get my hands dirty. I'll do it my way."

Damien smirked, standing up. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

I stared at the check for a moment, my fingers itching to grab it, but Damien's voice pulled me back to reality.

"This isn't a game, Ms. Reed," he said, leaning back like he owned the whole world—which, let's be honest, he probably did. His voice was calm, but the threat was clear. "You take this, and you deliver. If you mess this up, well… let's just say you'll regret it."

Excuse me? Regret it?

I tilted my head, letting out the driest laugh I could muster. "Wow. Big words for someone who can't handle their own mess. Let me tell you something, Mr. Steele. I don't do threats. You want me to do this, you better keep your attitude in check. I don't work for you; I'm here to clean up the disaster you created."

His smirk didn't move, but his eyes narrowed just slightly. I knew I'd struck a nerve. Good.

I grabbed the check with a little more flair than necessary and stood up, tucking it neatly into my bag. "Don't think for a second you own me just because you threw some money my way. This isn't about you—it's about what I can do with this."

As I turned to leave, he called out, "Ms. Reed."

I paused at the door but didn't look back. "What now?"

His voice was quieter this time, but it carried that same cocky edge. "Don't disappoint me."

I rolled my eyes so hard I was surprised they didn't fall out of my head. "Funny, I was just about to tell you the same thing."

With that, I walked out, slamming the door behind me for dramatic effect. My heart was racing, but I kept my head high all the way to the elevator.

The second the doors closed, I leaned against the wall, clutching my bag like it was full of gold. My mind was spinning. I'd just agreed to do something crazy. Something very crazy. And for what? A paycheck?

But then I thought about the money and what it could do—not just for me but for my company, for the people who worked their butts off alongside me.

"Breathe, Sophie," I muttered to myself, shaking off the tension.

The thing about Damien Steele? He thinks he's untouchable. And maybe he is. But if he thought I was just going to roll over and take orders, he was dead wrong.

This wasn't his game.

It was mine now.

DAMIEN POV

The door slammed shut, and I just sat there for a second, staring at the space she'd occupied moments ago. Then I laughed a low, amused chuckle that probably would've pissed her off if she'd heard it.

"What a rude lady," I muttered, leaning back in my chair and rubbing my jaw.

No woman talks to me like that. Not in my house. Not in my office. Not in my world. And yet, Sophie Reed just strolled in here with all the attitude in the universe and tossed it right in my face.

Still, I couldn't shake the tiny smirk pulling at my lips.

I'll let it slide...for now.

Not because I'm feeling generous or anything. No, it's because she's useful. She's smart, she's ruthless, and she's just the kind of person I need to deal with Cassandra. And honestly… arguing with her? I might actually enjoy it.

I pushed myself out of the chair, still thinking about the fire in her eyes. She didn't flinch when I threatened her. That alone was impressive. Most people crumble under my stare, but not her. No, Sophie Reed stood there, chin high, giving me back as good as she got.

"Unbelievable," I said under my breath, shaking my head.

But there's something she doesn't understand yet. No one messes with me, Damien Steele. Not without paying the price.

Sophie Reed thinks she can come into my world and talk to me like I'm just another man. Like I'm not the man who owns half this city.

She doesn't realize it yet, but I'm going to tame that sharp tongue of hers. I'll show her who's really in charge.

For now, I'll let her have her little victories. Let her feel like she's got the upper hand. It's fine. I can wait.

But when the time comes, Sophie Reed will learn that in my world, everything and everyone bends to me.

Even her.