Her Forbidden Millionaire

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Blurb:

An African American, millionaire, thriller romance book. In the fast-paced world of financial advising, Phoebe is a trailblazer, adorned with multiple prestigious awards. But her impeccable reputation faces an imminent threat. Enter former child actor Lincoln Gold, who is grappling with overwhelming debt, and seems to be losing money by the second.

When an enigmatic stranger tries to warn her to steer clear of Lincoln, the logical choice would be to sever ties. But there’s a compelling reason not too… Phoebe is head over heels in love with Lincoln! Now she finds herself ensnared in a passionate romance with the troubled star, and the intensity of their connection is undeniable.

And she will risk it all to confront the sinister forces from Lincoln’s past to build a future that she and Lincoln both want. But will her gamble lead to ruin, both in her love life and her career? Or will she find a way to defeat their enemies and continue their love against all odds? Find out in this urban thriller romance story by Simon Iwu.

Chapter 1

One could argue that Crimson City had the best sunsets, which earned the city its namesake, but Phoebe Grissom loved the early morning sunrise. She sat at a table across from her best friend, Pam, sipping on a Macchiato and eating a croissant. With her job at the news station and Phoebe’s as one of the premiere financial advisors in the city, they were always up and out just before the sun. It was the quiet before the storm of rush hour began and they basked in its glory.

Phoebe hummed a bit as she sipped her hot drink. She always believed the subtle vibrations would help cool it before it touched her lips. She was wrong every time. Pam chuckled at her watching her drink the beverage was entertainment every morning.

“Girl, just tell them to drop an ice cube in it,” Pam giggled to her.

Phoebe shook her head. “No! And then it will be watery. I like my sip and hum process just fine.” She glanced up at the television hanging above the register, not too far from where they were sitting. She recognized the station’s logo, “Hey, your station’s on.”

Pam turned to glance over her shoulder at the screen. When she saw the reporter speaking, she rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth. Phoebe shook her head. As pretty as Pam was, her attitude, when it came to what she perceived as competition, was plain ugly. “Hey listen, they’re talking about that guy you like so much. Lincoln Gold.”

Pam sighed and turned around again to catch the tail end of the reporter’s story, “Lincoln Gold really needs to give it a break and take what little money he has left and retire somewhere nice. Some people just aren’t business savvy. I’d hate to be his financial advisor. Who approved cotton candy corn dogs in a bag? As another business of Crimson City closes its doors, the unemployment rate is sure to rise with this latest bust.”

“I can’t stand Derek,” Pam scrunched her face up. “Could you imagine if I said anything like that on the air? That is whenever I get on there.”

Phoebe’s mood sunk a bit. She knew what Pam was capable of and it was a shame that her station manager held her back doing fluff pieces. “It will happen soon. And when it does I’ll be the first one posting and sharing it screaming to the roof tops THAT’S MY FRIEND!”

Pam laughed at her friend’s attempt to cheer her up. “Thanks, girl. But I still wish I could have had that story. I would have been sure to get an interview with Lincoln Gold and his fine ass. Not just a measly statement from his PR team.”

“That would have been great and then you could ask him why in the world his finance team would approve a deal like that. The demographic of Crimson City alone says that’s a bad idea. I love a fair as much as the next person but ain’t no one interested in carnivals and circuses out here,” Phoebe quipped. “As soon as he would have presented the idea, I would have turned it down. Like nope! On to the next one.”

“I imagine with him growing up as an actor, he’s had plenty of people telling him no. Maybe he’s just tired of it and is finally able to do exactly what he wants. Even if it’s going to bankrupt him,” Pam reasoned. Phoebe shrugged her shoulders indifferently. She was just grateful that Lincoln Gold wasn’t her client.

“I see your boy out here looking crazy, Phoebs,” a man’s voice called out to her from behind her. Phoebe knew the sound of Clayton Hicks’ voice anywhere. She rolled her eyes before turning around to face him.

“Hey, Clay.” She feigned a smile. “Now you know I don’t roll like that.” She eyed Clayton Hicks up and down briefly before turning back around to finish her breakfast. Clayton was another advisor from another firm. His dark chocolate skin, absolutely perfect face, and muscular body made him attractive to many women, but to Phoebe he was just annoying.

“But seriously.” He bent down over her shoulder to lean on their table. “What’s going on with him? I hear he’s in the market looking for a new firm.”

“I only deal in facts, Clay,” Phoebe said inching away from him. “That’s gossip until I have a meeting to present our proposals.”

“Ah yes, that’s right. Miss Business Only. I see why you’re getting that Inspiring Leader Award. But hey, aren’t you supposed to mentor those in your field for that? When do I get my one on one session?” He winked, knowing that he was getting under her skin.

Phoebe huffed as she glanced from Pam to Clayton. “Now you and I both know that that will never ever, ever, ever, EVER happen! You don’t need mentoring from me anyway. What you need is a leash and your owner to come get you. Aren’t you married?”

Clayton smirked as he twirled his wedding band around his ring finger. “You wish. This is just to pick up chicks. They know not expect anything long term, and I know they’re gonna be extra nasty trying to outdo my, uh, wife, in the bedroom.”

Phoebe shook her head disgusted. “Oh God, I wish there were reviews for people like you. Let’s go, Pam.”

The two women left the pig standing at the table while they walked out of the cafe. Pam turned to go left and Phoebe turned to go right, but not before giving each other a kiss on the cheek and promising to meet up after work for drinks. Phoebe was ready to start her day, but as soon as she stepped into Warner Waters Financial Consultants, this seemed to be falling apart.

She took a deep breath as she saw one of the interns pacing in the lobby. It was too early for problems. It was only seven in the morning. “Brandon,” she called as she sped up her pace toward the elevators. “What’s wrong?”

“Uh,” the intern seemed to be trembling, “Mr. Aimsley passed away and that was before I could get him to sign his new contracts which means we won’t be in charge of his finances anymore. We’re going to lose millions of dollars and it’s all my fault.”

“Brandon!” Phoebe shouted to get the young man’s attention. “Everything in this world isn’t about money.”