The Secret Life of a Billionaire

The door to the escape room creaked open, and the lights suddenly flicked on, the warm yellow glow quickly dissolving the last remnants of the eerie atmosphere. The host walked in with a huge smile, clearly impressed. "Wow, you guys were amazing! You're the fastest players I've ever seen get through this room. Most people get stuck at the crime scene part and can't get past it!" he said, handing out small, yet thoughtful commemorative gifts to everyone.

Grace Li's eyes automatically drifted to Aiden Thompson's white sneakers, where she noticed a footprint—a clear mark from where she had stepped on him earlier in her panic. Ryan rushed to the bathroom, while Grace Li and Aiden Thompson sat down in the lounge area. The host thoughtfully brought them hot drinks.

Grace Li felt guilty and spoke softly, "Aiden, I'm really sorry. I probably caused you a lot of trouble today."

Aiden Thompson took a sip of his coffee and smiled. "No trouble at all. That game was super fun."

Grace Li grumbled, "Yeah, it was fun, except for that fake body that popped up out of nowhere."

Aiden chuckled. "You're such a scaredy-cat."

Grace Li shot back, "Ryan screamed louder than I did!"

Aiden grinned. "Yeah, that guy's got no nerves at all."

Grace Li rubbed her temples, looking distressed. "Great, now I'm probably not gonna sleep tonight after that."

Aiden raised an eyebrow. "So, the anatomy video you watched last time kept you up all night too?"

Grace Li nodded. "I didn't fall asleep until 3 a.m." She paused, then looked at Aiden Thompson, remembering how calm he had been during the game. "Are you, like, really into horror movies?"

Aiden shrugged. "I watch them occasionally, but I'm not obsessed with them."

Grace Li smiled. "Well, you're tough. Nothing seems to freak you out."

Aiden smiled faintly. "I'm not immune to fear. I just don't show it." He thought back to the moment when Grace Li had suddenly collided with him; his heart had jumped, but he'd quickly realized it was part of the game, which calmed him down. Grace Li had been so sharp solving the puzzle, yet when she was scared, she seemed almost completely out of her element—like a completely different person from the confident, professional woman she was at work.

On Monday morning, the sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting shadows on the office floor. Grace Li had just wrapped up a heated meeting when her phone buzzed. It was an incoming call from Evelyn Garcia. She quickly dropped her documents on her desk before answering, "Hey Evelyn, good morning."

"Grace, I've been diving into that N-Vision project you mentioned, and I'm really interested. I'm planning to visit the project site tomorrow for a closer look," Evelyn's voice was full of excitement.

"Got it, Evelyn. I'll make the arrangements. I've updated the project's latest details and task list on Asana—everyone should log in and check it out. If you have any questions, just drop a comment on there," Grace responded quickly.

Evelyn added, "By the way, your guy Aiden—he's impressive. If I decide to invest in this project, I'd want him involved in the core team. I trust him."

Grace Li immediately understood the implication but pretended not to, responding diplomatically, "Thanks for the vote of confidence, I'll pass that along to him."

"Great, send me the project's location details. I'll meet them there tomorrow."

"Sure, I'll send it over later," Grace said before hanging up. She glanced over at Aiden Thompson. The N-Vision project had mostly been handled by Mike and Ryan until now, but with Evelyn Garcia's recent praise of Aiden, it was clear she had a plan. Grace had wanted to protect her team, but seeing Aiden's occasional hints of ambition made her hesitate. She quickly called a brief meeting with the team to update them on the project status, reassigned tasks, and made sure everything was on track.

Then, she walked over to Aiden's desk. "Aiden, Evelyn just called. She's really interested in the N-Vision project. She's impressed by your skills, so we're going to have you take a lead role in the next steps, working closely with Mike and the rest of the team," Grace said.

Aiden nodded. "I'm good with that."

Grace could tell that Aiden understood exactly what was going on. His quick acceptance told her he was ready for more responsibility. She moved over to Mike's desk. "Mike, Evelyn's seriously interested in the project. She's going to meet with Aiden tomorrow to go over everything, so you two will head to the site together."

Mike groaned. "Grace, you know I don't vibe with her."

"I've got things to handle tomorrow, and you're the one who knows the project best. No backing out," Grace said firmly.

"Fine, fine," Mike grumbled, rolling his chair over to Aiden. "Hey, Aiden, looks like you're up. Good luck with Evelyn tomorrow."

"What's up with that?" Aiden raised an eyebrow.

"You know, I heard Evelyn's into young, good-looking guys. You've got that covered. Let's make a bet—ten bucks says you charm her into backing the project. If you win, the money's yours. If you lose, I'll buy you coffee next week," Mike teased.

Aiden pushed his chair back. "Cut it out."

Ryan chimed in, "Hey Aiden, this is your chance. You get in good with her, and you're set for life. Designer clothes, fancy dinners, the works."

Olivia shot Ryan a disapproving look. "Ryan, if that's your idea of advice, maybe you should take it yourself."

Ryan laughed. "Who knows, Aiden might be into it."

Olivia glanced over at Aiden, who was quietly flipping through some documents. He didn't respond.

The office atmosphere was lively, with colleagues chatting about everything from office gossip to global affairs. Aiden would occasionally chime in, but for the most part, he kept to himself.

The next day, Mike rushed into the office, shouting, "We did it! Evelyn's in for the N-Vision project. She's putting together the investment proposal!"

Ryan jumped up. "Mike, how'd you pull that off?"

Mike chugged down some water. "All thanks to Aiden! Whatever he said, Evelyn was all in. She believes him completely. It's crazy."

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "No way! Did Evelyn have a thing for Aiden?"

"Pretty much! I've never seen a guy win over someone like that," Mike said, grinning.

Olivia looked around. "Where's Aiden?"

"Evelyn's assistant's glasses broke, and she couldn't drive in her heels, so Aiden's taking them back to the office," Mike explained.

Olivia frowned. "That sounds sketchy."

Ryan waved her off. "Olivia, don't overthink it. Aiden didn't seem to mind."

Olivia muttered, "I just don't want you guys messing with him."

Mike shrugged. "Trust me, Aiden's the one calling the shots here."

Grace Li overheard and felt a little uneasy. It seemed like Aiden knew exactly what Evelyn wanted, and he was going along with it. Evelyn Garcia was in her forties, divorced, and had a reputation for being in the spotlight with younger men. Sure, she had money, but Aiden Thompson seemed too good for someone like her. He had so much potential, and Grace couldn't help but feel sorry for him if he got caught up in that. Still, she decided not to interfere.

Aiden Thompson was driving Evelyn Garcia's Maserati, first dropping off her assistant, then heading to her place. As he adjusted the seat and mirrors before pulling out, he made sure everything was in order. U.S. road rules were strict about visibility while driving, and Aiden knew the drill. Once he was satisfied, he started the car.

Evelyn leaned back in the passenger seat, her gaze fixed on him. "Aiden, I really admire you. You've got a great future ahead of you in finance."

"Thanks, Evelyn, but I'm just doing my job," Aiden replied politely.

The car cruised along, and Evelyn suddenly asked, "Did you catch the latest season of Game of Thrones? The plot twists were insane! What did you think?"

Aiden chuckled. "I've seen a few episodes. It's definitely intense. I'm actually looking forward to the game next week. I'm hoping the Yankees can pull off a win."

Evelyn smiled. "You're so well-spoken and knowledgeable. I trust you'll do a great job with this project."

Aiden kept his eyes on the road, replying calmly, "It's an honor to have your trust, Evelyn."

She casually tossed out, "If you ever want to make a move, my company is always looking for talent. The pay is way better than what you're getting now. Plus, I could hook you up with a VIP spot at next month's Wall Street finance summit. You know how rare those invites are."

Aiden remained unfazed. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm happy with where I am. I want to prove myself with my team before jumping to something else."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "Well, how about double the salary?"

"Honestly, it's not just about the money for me," Aiden said.

"Oh? What's it about then?" Evelyn asked, intrigued.

Aiden smiled. "Growing up, my family was well-off, so money never motivated me that much."

Evelyn's eyes widened as she understood. "Ah, I see. So, you come from money. That changes things."

Aiden simply nodded. "For now, that's all I'm sharing."

Evelyn smiled, now friendlier. "I'm curious—why are you so invested in this project? You're even driving us around."

Aiden thought for a moment, then said, "My dad always wanted me to make a name for myself. I want to prove I can do it on my own."

Evelyn nodded, clearly impressed. "You're doing great already. I'm sure your dad's proud."

"Thanks, Evelyn," Aiden said.