His Broke Billionaire

The fifth year I was the underworld kingpin’s secret lover, he lost everything and decided to eat a bullet.

My immediate, gut reaction was to run.

I was halfway through packing a bug-out bag when a line of text materialized in my vision, hovering like a translucent banner ad.

【Don't worry, the male lead doesn't die. He'll make a comeback in six months, crush all his enemies, and the female lead is the little angel who redeems him.】

【As for the side piece who runs away? She dies. Horribly.】

In a heartbeat, I switched allegiances. Dropping the bag, I flew to the rooftop and threw myself at his legs, wrapping my arms around them and bursting into manufactured tears.

"Cole, don't! That ridiculous diamond you gave me? The one the size of a robin's egg? I haven't even had a chance to wear it yet."

The moment the words left my mouth, the comment feed exploded.

【Wow. She might as well pull the trigger for him.】

1

When Cole turned to look at me, his eyes were wide with shock.

"Why are you still here?"

I clutched the cuff of his pants, giving it a playful, desperate shake. "You promised you'd protect me for life. You wouldn't let me leave when bullets were flying, so you can't go back on your word now, can you?"

The comment stream was still scrolling frantically across my vision, a semi-opaque curtain over the world.

【No wonder he's so ruthless with her later. She deserves it.】

【He's literally on a rooftop about to kill himself, and she's still treating him like her personal ATM.】

【He's only got one bullet left for himself. This is brutal.】

【Well, if the side piece wasn't selfish and vapid, how would the main female character's kindness shine through?】

【Just wait. He'll pull the trigger, the gun will misfire, a passerby will take him to the hospital, and the female lead will show up with all her resources to save the day. Can't wait for her entrance!】

My mouth twitched as I read the comments, but my arms only tightened around Cole’s waist. He used to be the kind of man who commanded respect and fear in every corner of the city, the kind of man whose word was law. I could still feel the hard ridge of the scar on his abdomen where he’d taken a bullet for me years ago, but now he was so thin I could feel the sharp edges of his hip bones.

He stared out at the river of headlights flowing on the streets below, his forehead pressed against the cold steel of the gun. His voice was hollow. "I'm a ghost, Annie. The guns are gone, my network is dismantled, and I'm drowning in debt. I can't protect you anymore."

He nodded toward the apartment. "There's a card in the nightstand. It's the last of my cash, five hundred thousand. The pin is your birthday. Take it and go."

I couldn't see his expression, but it was the first time I'd ever heard that voice—a voice that had orchestrated a hundred high-stakes deals—sound so broken. Even at his absolute lowest, his first thought was creating an escape route for me.

I tugged on his shirt, my tone suddenly ...