My Husband Lost Me, His Billionaire Friend Wants Me

Drunk and barely on her feet, Rebecca was hauled into the private room by two large men who kept her propped upright in front of the group seated inside.

The room was poorly lit, and the table between them was crowded with high-end bottles of alcohol.

The men stared at Rebecca, glassy-eyed and barely able to hold herself up. One of them let out a contemptuous snort. "This is what you brought to impress Mr. Campbell, Kolton? Are you trying to insult him or just embarrass yourself?"

Kolton stared at Rebecca with a hard frown, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

Lily, the girl he had brought on just last month, was supposed to be his best asset tonight. She had innocent looks, real beauty, and more importantly, a rare talent for drawing men in.

He had told her repeatedly to show up looking sharp and ready. Finding her completely drunk was the last thing he had prepared for.

Kolton forced a smile, grabbed his glass, and got to his feet. He turned toward the head of the table. "Mr. Campbell, I sincerely apologize. I moved too fast and brought her here before she was ready. That's on me." He drank and pressed on. "But give her a moment to sober up, and I promise you won't be disappointed."

Ryan Campbell sat at the head of the table, legs crossed, drink turning slowly in his hand, looking at ease but missing nothing. His fingers were long and lean against the glass.

The dim light kept his face partially in shadow, but the quiet authority he radiated made everyone in the room instinctively sit a little straighter.

Ryan said nothing. As the silence stretched, Kolton's head dropped and his hand shook badly enough to nearly lose its grip on the glass.

Everyone had heard stories about Ryan, the Campbell family heir from Pliford, and his unpredictable temperament.

Pleasing him was nearly impossible. But earning his favor made everything else fall into place.

And crossing him came with consequences most people couldn't recover from.

There was a well-known story about a man who had once pushed his luck with Ryan. By the following morning, he and his entire family had disappeared from Pliford completely.

Kolton had seen Ryan's visit to Histead as a rare opportunity to get on his good side. Instead, he had managed to botch it before it even began.

Kolton silently cursed Lily. He clenched his jaw, silently vowing that if she destroyed his opportunity tonight, he would make her pay for it.

"I've had enough," Ryan said, setting his glass down and rising from his seat. "Enjoy yourselves. I'm leaving."

Kolton jumped in quickly. "Mr. Campbell, if she's not to your liking, I have other options. Women who are genuinely—"

Jayden Davies, Ryan's friend, put a hand on his arm before he could finish. "Drop it, Kolton."

Kolton pleaded, "Mr. Davies, please, put in a word for me."

"It's not that I won't help you. You had your chance and fell short." Jayden gave him a pat on the shoulder. "The fact that he hasn't lost his temper is actually a good sign. There may still be a chance for you down the line."

Kolton stood there helplessly as Ryan made his way around the table toward the door.

Kolton turned long enough to fix Rebecca with a cold, vicious look and then gave a sharp nod to the two men who had brought her in.

They caught on instantly. One of them shoved her toward the exit. "Move it."

Rebecca let out a pained sound.

She was already feeling sick, and the rough shove sent her stomach lurching badly.

They grabbed her and hauled her toward the door without any care.

Sharp cramps rolled through her stomach, and she twisted against their grip, fighting the nausea rising fast.

"Stop squirming!" one of them barked at her.

She couldn't hold it. She threw up.

A foul mix of alcohol and bile hit the floor, the smell hitting the room instantly.

And at that exact moment, Ryan had stopped walking.

Rebecca had thrown up directly onto his leather shoes.

For a moment, every person in the room froze. Only Rebecca looked better for it, the grimace gone from her face now that the worst had passed.

Ryan looked down at his shoes with a slight frown, then turned to survey the two paralyzed men and Rebecca with a flat, cold stare.

One of the men felt the cold shoot straight down his back. "S-sorry, Mr. Campbell!"

Kolton's face darkened with barely controlled fury. He rushed over, stripped off his jacket, and started wiping Ryan's shoes. "Mr. Campbell, I'm so sorry. Please don't be angry. I'll pay you double compensation for your clothes and shoes."

Rebecca cracked her eyes open. When she saw the state of Ryan's shoes, she looked up at him with a careful, sorry expression. "I didn't mean for that. They were throwing me around so hard I couldn't stop it."

Even in the low light, her clear skin and delicate features were easy to make out.

Ryan's eyes narrowed slightly. She was just as fresh-faced and beautiful as he remembered, striking enough that three years hadn't faded the memory at all.

Her head drooped forward again as the alcohol and exhaustion pulled her back under.

Then a voice cut through the fog. "Rebecca?"

Her head came up on reflex. "Who's there? Did someone say my name?"

The corner of Ryan's mouth lifted slightly. He reached out and tilted her chin up toward the light. "Lily?" A pause. "Interesting."

He pulled his hand back and glanced coolly down at Kolton, still crouched at his feet. "She leaves with me. Whatever you want for her, tell Jayden."