The Billionaire's Reluctant Partner.

Naomi's POV The problem with falling apart is that the world doesn't stop for you. Bills still arrive in the mail. The sun still rises. People still expect you to function, to smile, to be normal. I was anything but. I didn't know how long I sat in my car outside my apartment building, my fingers clutching the steering wheel as if it was the only thing keeping me grounded. My phone vibrated in the cupholder. Another call. Another responsibility. Another thing I couldn't deal with right now. It had been a week since I last saw him. Killian Royce. Just thinking about his name made my stomach tighten. He was the man who once stood beside me at the altar, vowing forever, only to break those words like they were nothing. And now, he was back in my life in a way I never saw coming. I remembered the moment I laid eyes on him again. He was just as handsome as ever-his sharp jaw, his piercing eyes, the way he carried himself with that effortless confidence. It made my heart race, just like it used to. No matter how much time had passed, he still had the power to affect me. And that terrified me. I forced my hands off the steering wheel and rubbed my temples. I was exhausted. Beyond exhausted. Between fixing last-minute problems and watching my business slowly fall apart, I had no space left to think about anything else. The wedding I had planned for months-the one that had to be perfect-had fallen apart right in front of me, like a house of cards. A scandal that left my company, Lancaster Luxe Events, on the brink of collapse. Clients kept backing out. Vendors were reluctant to partner with me. My reputation, which I had built, was shattered. And now, there was Killian. I exhaled sharply and finally grabbed my phone, checking my notifications. Tara: Pick up your damn phone, Naomi. Tara: I mean it. Tara: I'm coming over to your house if you don't reply in five minutes. I sighed, unlocked my car door, and got out. My best friend could be unstoppable when she wanted to, and ignoring her was about as effective as trying to stop a hurricane with an umbrella. I hardly reached the stairs before I heard hurried footsteps behind me. "You look like hell," Tara tsked, standing in my doorway with takeout and a six-pack of wine coolers. "Thanks," I said as I walked past her and tossed my keys on the counter. "Just what I needed to hear." She followed me in, dropping the food onto my small dining table. "I say this with love, but seriously, when did you last sleep?" I opened the fridge, pretending to search for something, even though all I had was old milk and half a bottle of orange juice. "I don't know. Maybe yesterday?" "Liar." Tara shut the fridge door and turned me to face her. "Talk to me." I closed my eyes for a brief moment feeling tears brim behind them. "It's bad, T. Really bad." She sighed, pulling me toward the table and making me sit down. "Okay, start from the beginning." So I did. I told her everything. How the wedding disaster had sent my business into a downward spiral. How clients were running. How I was barely keeping things together. Tara listened, nodding, occasionally throwing in a few choice curse words directed at the stupid groomsmen that fought and the bride's mother. But when I was done, she just leaned back and studied me. "And Killian?" she asked quietly. I stiffened. "What about him?" I asked with a frown. "Oh, I don't know," she said with a shrug. "Maybe the fact that you saw your ex-husband after all these years, and you're acting like it didn't affect you deeply." I let out a dry laugh. "It didn't." Tara rolled her eyes. "Naomi." I shoved a hand through my hair. "Fine. Yes, I almost had a panic attack when I saw him again. Yes, it felt like someone reopened a wound I spent years trying to heal. But it doesn't matter now, since he means nothing to me anymore." Tara tapped her nails on the table. "Are you sure about that?" I looked away. Because deep down, I wasn't sure at all. Killian had been the one thing I had never fully recovered from. The one regret I still carried, no matter how much I told myself I was over it. But he had betrayed me, had lied to me about some many things that I didn't even know the truth anymore. And no matter how much time passed, I would never forget that. I grabbed a wine cooler and opened it. "I don't want to talk about him." Tara looked at me for a moment before nodding. "Fine. Then let's talk about Lancaster Luxe Events." I tensed. "Naomi, you need a plan. Fast." I took a slow sip. "I have a plan. I just need to-" "-Pull off a miracle?" she finished. "Because that's what it will take to recover from this mess. You're losing money. Your client list is shrinking. You need something big to turn things around." I sighed and rubbed my forehead. She was right. I needed a high-profile event, something so perfectly executed that it would wipe away the stain of the wedding disaster. But with my resources running low, it felt impossible. Tara drummed her fingers against the table. "Have you considered finding an investor?" I let out a short laugh. "Do you know how hard it is to find someone willing to invest in a failing company? Especially in this industry?" "I know. But you built this from nothing once. You can do it again." I looked down at my drink. The thought of giving up made my stomach twist. I had poured my entire soul into this business. Letting it fail was not an option. "There's one more thing," Tara said. I looked up. "What?" She hesitated. "You might not like it." "Just say it." "There's been... talk." I narrowed my eyes. "Talk?" She bit her lip. "Word around the industry is that Killian is expanding his business ventures. And that he's been looking at potential event planning partnerships." The air in my lungs suddenly felt sharp. No. Absolutely not. Killian was the last person I'd ever ask for help. But as I began to speak, another thought came to mind. What if I have no choice? Sterling Affairs was sinking, and I was running out of lifelines. If Killian was investing in event planning... No. I pushed the thought away, burying it deep. I refused to owe him anything. Tara studied me carefully. "You don't need to do anything drastic, Naomi. But maybe... just think about it." I forced a tight smile. "I don't need his help." She didn't look convinced. Neither was I. But that didn't matter. Because no matter how desperate I was, I would rather lose everything than go crawling back to Killian Payne. Even if, deep down, I had the sinking feeling that fate had other plans.