Billionaire & The Ordinary Girl
Part 3: Between Attraction and Denial
The next morning at the office, Riya tried her best to stay focused on her work. The numbers on the screen blurred in front of her eyes. No matter how much she scolded herself, her thoughts kept drifting back to the ride home last night—the umbrella, the rain, the way Aarav had looked at her as if she was the only person that mattered.
She shook her head and muttered, Stop it, Riya. Don’t be stupid. He’s a billionaire. You’re just… you.
But fate never cared for logic.
Around noon, Aarav entered the finance department again. His presence filled the room like electricity. Colleagues straightened their ties, fixed their hair, whispered in awe. Riya pretended to be engrossed in her work.
“Ms. Sen,” Aarav’s voice came, deep and steady.
Her heart skipped. She looked up slowly. “Yes, sir?”
The ‘sir’ made him smile faintly. “I need you in the conference room.”
The room gasped. Everyone knew he could have asked anyone. Yet he chose her. Again.
Inside the conference room, it was just the two of them. Riya spread the files on the table, trying to avoid his gaze. Aarav watched her for a moment before saying, “You’re avoiding me again.”
Her pen slipped from her fingers. “I’m not—”
“Yes, you are.” He leaned forward, his voice softer now. “Why, Riya? Did I scare you?”
She bit her lip. “You didn’t scare me. You confused me.”
“How so?”
“You’re… you. Aarav Malhotra. You belong to headlines, luxury cars, penthouses. I belong to a one-bedroom flat where sometimes the power goes off at night. Do you see the difference?”
For a second, Aarav looked at her as though she had just spoken another language. Then he said quietly, “Maybe I don’t care about the difference.”
Riya’s chest tightened. She forced herself to laugh, though it came out shaky. “You say that now. But one day, you’ll wake up and realize you can’t live in my world. And I’ll never belong in yours.”
Silence stretched between them. Aarav’s eyes softened, but before he could speak, her phone buzzed. She grabbed it quickly, grateful for the distraction.
---
That evening, while leaving the office, Riya found herself walking toward the bus stop. To her dismay, a sleek black car slowed beside her. The tinted window rolled down. Aarav.
“Get in,” he said simply.
“I told you yesterday, I can manage.”
“And I told you yesterday, stop being stubborn.”
Against her better judgment, she slid into the seat. The silence between them was heavy, filled with unsaid words.
Halfway through the ride, Aarav spoke. “You think I’m too different from you. But do you even know me, Riya?”
She turned to him, startled. His expression was unreadable.
“You know the billionaire. The businessman. But you don’t know the boy who grew up watching his parents fight every night. The teenager who lost his father too soon. The man who built walls because everyone only wanted his money.” His voice cracked, just slightly. “Do you think that man is untouchable?”
Riya’s throat tightened. For the first time, she saw the loneliness behind his perfect image. She wanted to reach out, to tell him she understood. But fear held her back.
When the car stopped, she quickly got out. “Thank you,” she whispered, and rushed inside her building before her emotions betrayed her.
---
The next few days were a storm of emotions. Riya tried to bury herself in work, but Aarav kept finding ways to draw her back. Sometimes it was a small smile across the room, sometimes a casual question only she could answer, sometimes just his presence lingering near her desk.
And every time, her heart betrayed her.
On Friday evening, the company hosted a formal party for clients and investors. Riya hadn’t planned on going, but her manager insisted. Nervous and self-conscious in a borrowed black dress, she entered the glittering hall filled with chandeliers and laughter.
She felt like an outsider instantly. Everyone here sparkled with diamonds, their perfume filling the air. She clutched her small purse, wishing she could disappear.
And then she saw him. Aarav. Tall, commanding, in a perfectly tailored suit. Women swarmed around him, their laughter ringing like bells. Her chest tightened painfully.
Of course. This is his world. Women like them. Not me.
She turned to leave, but a hand caught her wrist gently. Aarav.
“You came,” he said, his eyes sweeping over her slowly.
“I shouldn’t have,” she murmured.
“Nonsense,” he said firmly. “You belong here as much as anyone.”
Before she could protest, he guided her to the dance floor. Music swelled, soft and romantic. She froze, but his hand rested lightly on her waist, his other hand holding hers.
“Relax,” he whispered.
Their eyes met. The world blurred. For a few stolen minutes, it felt like nothing else mattered—the wealth, the fear, the whispers. Just him and her.
But reality crashed back when she overheard two women whispering nearby.
“Who’s she?”
“Probably another gold-digger. They all try, don’t they?”
The words sliced through Riya’s heart. She pulled back abruptly. “I can’t do this,” she whispered, fleeing the hall before Aarav could stop her.
---
That night, as she sat on her bed with tears in her eyes, she admitted the truth to herself.
She was falling for him. And that was the most dangerous thing she had ever done.
---
End of Part 3
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Heartfelt thanks to everyone for staying with the story till the very end. If I’ve made any mistakes while writing, I hope you’ll kindly overlook them. Every single comment from you is truly precious to me, because a writer’s greatest inspiration comes from the readers’ response. How you felt about the story, which part touched you, or where it could have been improved—sharing these thoughts will add new colors to my future writings. Your love and feedback are the fuel for my pen, so please don’t forget to leave a comment.
