Stranded With A Grumpy Billionaire

Carolyn Joyce Stranded With a Grumpy Billionaire A billionaire romance, enemies-to-lovers romance Copyright © 2023 by Carolyn Joyce All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. Carolyn Joyce has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book. First edition This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy Find out more at reedsy.com Contents Chapter 1 Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Epilogue Also by Carolyn Joyce Chapter 1 Madeline I was nervous as a feral cat as I forced my way down the crowded sidewalk on Bond Street. The bustle of people pushing, shoving, the reverberating sounds of cars stuck in traffic and car horns blasting heightened my senses. A cool mist hung heavy in the air, pushed back and forth by the constant movement of bodies of stale air. New York, no other place was like it. It had a pulse you could feel. And today that pulse was drawing me in like a vacuum. I looked up at the forty-story skyscraper, lost in thought. How was I going to approach my meeting with Nathan Crew? This pitch meant everything to me. I needed a contract for my company, or we’d go broke. My team of seven was racing beside me, following my every step, not saying a word. We entered the lobby and from there it was a blur. Up the elevator like a rocket, then whooshed into a paneled conference room by a secretary. From there the meeting went downhill fast. Right until I clenched my fist and punched Nathan Crew in the nose. If you’d asked me 30 minutes ago, I would probably have given a long ass speech on how violence wasn’t an appropriate answer to anything. But right now it was. Nathan threw his head back, holding his bleeding nose and growling. “Ah. Fuck you, you stupid bitch!” Blood dripped down from his nose, spreading to his blonde beard. It gave me a sense of satisfaction despite the pain throbbing in my right wrist. I scoffed. “Stupid bitch?” This fucker had no sense of shame, and half of Manhattan knew it already. I’d been so desperate to get my project funded that I’d deceived myself into thinking otherwise. “I’d call you an animal, but that would be an insult to actual animals.” Two months ago, I decided to quit my job and pursue my dream of starting my own software development company. That fanciful dream brought me to this awful, exasperating moment. My morning had started perfectly today. I’d practiced my yoga, had my usual morning coffee and prepared for my meeting with Crew Investments. Nathan was the CEO, infamous for being unable to keep his cock in his pants. He’d acted pretty normal when I came in with my team. He’d been attentive to my project proposals and even offered suggestions as he complimented my ideas. And then he asked everyone to excuse us in the conference room. I realized then I should’ve requested to have an extra person stay behind with us but it was only morning, and we were in a conference room. How was I to know this fucker would try to make a move on me? “You’re done for,” he raged, his voice muffled from pressing his nose. “No one will invest in your fucking company now, you bitch. Not while I’m in this city.” Nathan was a multi-millionaire. He owned one of the top-notch investment companies in Manhattan and had a decent amount of influence in the city. In other words, he had the right connections to end my career before it even began, but I wasn’t going to sit around and kiss his ass while he asked what color of undies I was wearing. I refused to be one of his playthings. “Just so you know, I recorded our conversations.” Don’t blame me, I had to take necessary precautions when dealing with a man like Nathan. “All of it. And I’ll make sure to take you down with me if you try to do anything foolish, you piece of trash.” Nathan took his hand away from his nose and slammed it on the long, mahogany conference table. “You did what?” His blue eyes turned crimson with fury. “Do you think you can threaten me with something like that? What are you gonna do? Release it to the public?” He snickered. “What do you think will happen when you do that?” Anger swelled in my guts. This son of a bitch had nerves too big for his own good. I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know.” I allowed my lips to curl in a wicked smirk. “What do you think will happen? Maybe I should send it to the press and see.” Nathan remained silent,