Chapter 1
By day, I was Alexander Sterling, billionaire CEO of Sterling Enterprises. I lived in a penthouse overlooking Central Park, drove a fleet of luxury cars, and rubbed shoulders with the world’s elite. My life was a carefully curated masterpiece, a testament to success, power, and influence.
But by night, I was someone else entirely.
It started innocently enough. A chance encounter at a dive bar on the wrong side of town. I was there on a whim, trying to escape the suffocating monotony of my life. That’s where I met her—Lila.
She was everything I wasn’t. Wild, free, unapologetically herself. She didn’t care about my money or my status. To her, I was just Alex, the guy who bought her a drink and made her laugh.
And for the first time in years, I felt alive.
I started seeing her more often, sneaking away from my responsibilities to spend time in her world. She lived in a tiny apartment above a tattoo parlor, surrounded by art and music and chaos. It was the complete opposite of my sterile, controlled existence, and I loved it.
But I couldn’t tell her the truth.
So I lied.
I told her I was a freelance photographer, traveling the world and living paycheck to paycheck. It was a ridiculous story, but she believed me. Or maybe she just didn’t care. Either way, it worked.
For a while, at least.
The double life was exhausting. I had to juggle board meetings and business trips with late nights and spontaneous adventures. I was constantly on edge, terrified that someone would find out.
But it was worth it.
Lila made me feel things I hadn’t felt in years. Joy, passion, freedom. She reminded me of who I used to be, before the money and the power and the expectations.
And then, it all came crashing down.
It happened at a charity gala. I was schmoozing with investors when I saw her. Lila.
She was standing across the room, her eyes wide with shock and betrayal. She was wearing a waitress uniform, holding a tray of champagne flutes.
Our eyes met, and for a moment, time stood still.
I wanted to explain, to beg for her forgiveness. But before I could say anything, she turned and walked away.
I found her outside, sitting on the steps of the venue. She didn’t look at me as I approached.
“Lila,” I said, my voice trembling. “I can explain.”
“Explain what?” she snapped, finally turning to face me. “That you’re a billionaire? That everything you told me was a lie?”
“I didn’t lie,” I said desperately. “I just… didn’t tell you the whole truth.”
She laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. “Do you have any idea how stupid I feel? I thought you were different. I thought you were real.”
“I am real,” I said, reaching for her hand. “This—us—it’s the most real thing in my life.”
She pulled away, her eyes filled with tears. “You don’t get it, do you? You’re living a double life, Alex. And I can’t be a part of that.”
I tried to fix things. I showed up at her apartment, begged her to give me another chance. But she wouldn’t listen.
“You’re not the person I thought you were,” she said, her voice breaking. “And I can’t be with someone who doesn’t even know who they are.”
Her words cut deeper than any knife. Because she was right.
I didn’t know who I was anymore.
Now, I’m back in my penthouse, surrounded by all the things that used to mean something to me. But they feel hollow now, like a shell of the life I thought I wanted.
I miss her. I miss the person I was when I was with her.
But I don’t know how to get that back.
Maybe I never will.
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