Taming the Billionaire CEO ( Daniel Monroe )

30 LINGERIES AND CHAMPAGNE 

Renee paced around her living room, running her free hand through her curly brown hair that looked like it hadn’t been washed or brushed for days. 

“Pick the damn phone, Daniel,” she cried as the call disconnected again. She had been calling him since the sun rose, but he hadn’t taken her calls nor did he call 

her back. 

She called his number again, “You can’t abandon me, you asshole, I won’t let you,” she muttered as the phone rang, but it didn’t go through. 

She knew going to his house was pointless, especially if Kyra was there. She’d be thrown out like a dog and her pride wouldn’t let that happen. She wouldn’t let Anna see her be humiliated. 

“Think, Renee. Think,” she muttered, giving up on calling Daniel. 

Right! 

She picked up her phone and dialled a friend who worked at a popular TV station. “Thank God you picked the call,” she said with a sigh of relief. 

“I’m busy, Renee. Perhaps we should talk another time,” a male voice that didn’t sound the slightest bit happy to see her said from the other end. 

Her fingers dug into her palm as she clenched her fists. “It is true what they say about knowing who your true friends are during tough times,” she laughed, a bitter edge to her tone. “Before this, you’d be elated to hear from me, but now that I’m in a scandal, you suddenly don’t have time for me.” 

“I’m sorry if I made you feel that way, but I have to go now, Renee. I’m truly busy,” he said. 

“Wait!” she exclaimed before he could hang up, biting down on her lips, embarrassed by how desperate she was. 

“What?” 

“I’d like for you to help me arrange for an interview on your show tomorrow,” she said and quickly added. “It’s regarding this scandal so you know it’s going to benefit your company.” 

No response came from him so she added. “I want to reveal the reason behind my lies and the role of the Monroes in this.” 

The silence was starting to get to her when she heard the sound of shuffling on the other end. After a while, she heard his voice, this time, it had more life and 

excitement. “I’ll get back to you on this, but don’t worry, it’ll surely happen 

tomorrow. 

She heaved a sigh of relief, “Thank you, I’ll be expecting the good news.” She dropped her phone from her ears as he hung up. 

If he wasn’t going to take her calls, then she’d have to use another way to bring 

him to her. 

“Now, what do I wear to see him?” she chirped in a singsong tone as she put her phone on silent and walked to her room to freshen up. 

After spending an hour bathing and getting dressed, she picked up her phone to see she had a text from her friend whom she had earlier spoken with and several missed calls from different people. 

She scrolled through the missed calls to see ten missed calls from Daniel. “I thought you didn’t want to speak with me,” she muttered, a gleeful expression on her face. Kyra and the rest of the Monroes had also called her while she was getting dressed. 

“Good thing I put my phone on silent,” she said as she opened the text she got from her friend, whom she had spoken with. 

The interview is by 2 pm. Be here by 1 pm. 

Attached to the text was a link to an article online. She clicked on it and just as she had suspected, it was the article regarding the interview she was giving the next day. 

“They’re probably terrified I’m going to expose the truth about our supposed marriage,” she scoffed and just as she closed the article, a call came in from. Daniel. “I called you over twenty times, so do better,” she threw her phone to the bed and made her way to her living room. 

She branched into the kitchen and took out a bottle of champagne and two champagne glasses. “I doubt he’ll be in the mood to eat,” she muttered as she wondered what else she needed to prepare for the visit she knew he’d make to her house. 

After about ten minutes of scrolling through Netflix, she heard the sound of a car pulling up in front of her house. 

“He’s here,” she squealed excitedly as she combed through her hair with her fingers and adjusted the red lingerie she was in. 

“Renee!” she heard him shout as she knocked on the door. She slowly walked to the door as though she was a ninja but in stilettos, 

“I know you’re in there, Renee. Stop this game and come out, right now!” he said, his voice getting louder. 

Daniel paced back and forth on the front porch, several thoughts running 

through his head. He was in a meeting when his father called him and told him to ensure Renee didn’t say anything stupid. 

“Okay, I’m sorry, baby,” he said softly, clenching his fist to suppress his anger. I shouldn’t have chased you away that night or ignored your calls. I should have. listened to you. Now, open the door-” 

“-I know you’re in here because none of your three cars are missing and you don’t like Taxis,” he said, knocking gently on the door. 

After waiting for a while and wondering if she had gone out, he heard the soft click–clack of heels. 

He heaved a sigh of relief, believing she was going to open the door, but after waiting for three minutes, he went livid. “Open this damned door, Renee!” He repeatedly slammed his fist against Renee’s door. “I swear I’m going to break it down if you don’t open it now.” 

Renee stood in front of the door, a smug grin on her face. “His desperation is like music to my ears,” she said with a satisfactory sigh, as she admired her nails. 

When the knocking got louder and more violent, she knew he was serious about breaking the door down. “Break my door and I’ll add that to what I’m saying on the show tomorrow,” she threatened. 

“Just please open the door, okay?” 

She snickered. “And why exactly should I open my door for you when you shut yours in my face? You claim you love me and yet didn’t try to hear my side of the story regarding all of this,” she crossed her arms. “That’s one way to show love.” 

“And you lied to me about your pregnancy, Renee. For fuck’s sake, I’ve been waiting and hoping you’d finally agree to have a child with me even before you ran away from the altar-” 

“Because I loved you so much, I didn’t have one with Anna who was more than ready to give me a child and yet you lied to me about the one thing I wanted. How do 

you expect me to react when I found out you lied about it?” he said, raising his voice at the last sentence. 

She felt a pang of guilt hit her, but shook it off. It wasn’t her fault she had to lie to get rid of Anna for good. “Oh, come on! You knew I wasn’t ready and yet kept imposing your wants on me. How was that fair to me? It’s not my fault I lied to you because I was scared of losing you.” 

“Scared of losing me?” he scoffed, “Why would you even- let me in so we can discuss this better, okay?” he pleaded. 

For fuck’s sake, just 

“And what about watching your father hit me?” she questioned, anger coursing through her veins like adrenaline. Whenever she recalled how he didn’t do 

anything, she felt like running both him and his father with her car. 

“Renee, let’s talk inside.” 

“Fine,” she said, opening the door.