Page 17 of The Billionaire’s Betrayal (Billionaires of Paris #2)

TRISTAN

Eva and I were going through a rough patch.

The tension between us over Audrey had driven a wedge so deep that we barely spoke anymore.

We passed each other in the hallways during the day, and at night, the few words we exchanged felt empty, hollow echoes of what we used to be.

Eva’s anger was palpable, but mine was growing too.

Usually, our fights never lasted long. We always found a way back to each other after an honest conversation. But this time was different. We were entrenched in our positions, like two armies locked in a war of attrition.

I had rarely felt this kind of anger before. With each passing day, my frustration built, and I resented Eva for it.

She wanted me to let Audrey go, and that demand infuriated me. How could she ask that of me? She knew how much I relied on a competent assistant. And now, just because she couldn’t control her jealousy, she wanted to take that away from me.

Yes, Audrey was beautiful and desirable.

Denying it would have been hypocritical.

But that wasn’t what mattered. What truly counted was her incredible efficiency, her almost instinctive ability to anticipate my needs, to handle crises, to support me in every project.

Because of her, I could focus on the big picture without getting bogged down in the details, working in an environment where everything just flowed seamlessly.

And Eva wanted to take that from me?

But more than her request, it was her lack of trust that hurt the most. The constant doubts, the barely veiled suspicions… How could you claim to love someone while doubting them at every turn?

Yes, I had turned off my phone during lunch the day of the cyberattack, but with the workload piling up, the pressure had become suffocating.

I needed a break, just for an hour. The fact that Audrey had offered to join me didn’t bother me.

She was good company, and I didn’t understand why Eva was making such a big deal out of it.

Her attitude was becoming oppressive, and I had to admit it, she was starting to weigh on me.

At night, I locked myself in my office, avoiding the inevitable confrontations that always ended the same way: heavy silences, swallowed resentment, half-spoken reproaches. Every attempt at conversation only made things worse. The more we tried to talk, the more our disagreements piled up.

To escape it all, I drowned myself in work. As if professional success could compensate for the failure of my personal life. As if my colleagues’ praise could somehow heal the wounds in my heart.

My mother’s bitter words echoed in my mind, relentless.

Do all couples end up like this? Worn down by unspoken words, misunderstandings, the small wounds that accumulate day after day? Even the strongest love,was it doomed to crumble under the weight of frustration and doubt until all that remained was an unbridgeable chasm?

After the cyberattack, every day was a battle to regain lost trust. Meetings turned into trials where we had to constantly prove our competence.

I could see the doubt in our partners’ eyes, the new wariness that tainted every exchange.

The questions were sharper, the expectations higher.

We spent hours presenting reports and charts, demonstrating that our systems were now impenetrable.

The board demanded answers, increasing the number of security audits.

Every morning brought new interrogations about our protocols.

Every night, I was still at the office, buried in endless reports.

The days stretched on, blending into each other.

I only went home in the middle of the night, exhausted but unable to slow down.

Thankfully, the cybersecurity team had worked miracles. Their quick response had contained the damage, protecting our most critical data. We had avoided the worst, but the threat still loomed. One wrong move, and all our rebuilding efforts would collapse like a house of cards.

In this chaos, Audrey had become my anchor.

She anticipated every need, handled crises with unnerving calm, found solutions where I saw only dead ends.

When everything felt overwhelming, she appeared with a cup of coffee and a reassuring smile, ready to weather the storm by my side.

Her presence had become more than support, it was essential.

A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. Audrey stepped in, holding two steaming cups of coffee, her face lit up with a warm smile that instantly erased the exhaustion of my already hectic morning.

“Good morning, Tristan,” she said in her melodic voice. “I figured you could use this to get through the day.”

“You read my mind,” I replied, grateful for this small ritual that had become ours.

I got up from my chair and walked around the desk to meet her. Our fingers brushed as she handed me the cup. Standing close to her, I took in the comforting aroma of the coffee before taking a sip. These shared moments, simple and genuine, had become precious breaks in the whirlwind of our days.

The sleek jumpsuit Audrey wore today elegantly hugged her figure.

Her expression shifted slightly as she took a breath, as if gathering her thoughts.

“It’s about Eva,” she began gently, her eyes searching mine.

“I know we’ve had our… differences, but I’m really worried about her.

She’s so wrapped up in her role as CEO and the Hope Foundation that I fear she’s heading straight for burnout.

I’ve noticed she smiles less, that her mood darkens…

I’m afraid she’s pushing herself too hard. ”

There was genuine concern in her voice, and it touched me. I liked this side of Audrey, especially knowing how hard Eva could be on her.

“I was wondering if I could lend a hand,” she continued cautiously. “Not to take her place, of course, just to lighten her load a bit before the inauguration.”

“And how do you see that happening?” I asked, intrigued.

A small smile played on her lips, as if she had been waiting for that question.

“I did some research,” she said, pulling a file from her bag. “Epsilon Ventures, an investment fund specializing in social projects, could be an ideal partner. Their reputation in the educational field is outstanding, and their support would give the Foundation immediate credibility.”

She had clearly thought this through. It wasn’t a bad idea, such a partnership could definitely strengthen the Foundation’s visibility.

“Eva values the Foundation’s independence,” I pointed out.

“Of course,” Audrey nodded reassuringly. “I would only initiate the discussions, introduce the project. Eva would still have full control over the decisions. And in the meantime, she could focus on what truly matters to her.”

She paused, as if a new thought had just occurred to her.

“I could even draft a first version of her inauguration speech,” she suggested. “Just a rough outline for Eva to tweak as she sees fit. It would give us a chance to collaborate, to get to know each other better…”

The idea intrigued me. If Eva saw that Audrey was genuinely trying to help, maybe the tension between them would ease. And if they learned to work together, everything would become much simpler.

“Alright,” I agreed. “But let’s go slow. I don’t want Eva to feel sidelined.”

“Of course. Thank you for trusting me, Tristan. I promise you won’t regret it.”

She stood gracefully, her hand brushing the edge of my desk as if to extend our conversation. A subtle, satisfied smile played on her lips as she walked to the door, her confident stride accentuating the natural sway of her silhouette.

“Thanks for listening, Tristan,” she murmured before closing the door softly behind her.

It was only after she left that I wondered if I had just made a huge mistake. Was I underestimating Eva’s resistance to Audrey? Would she see Audrey’s efforts to help, or would she take my approval as a betrayal?

I pushed the doubt aside with a deep breath. After all, I was only trying to help the woman I loved… right?