I'm In Love With My Bestfriend's Billionaire Fiance!
Chapter 97: Is That Jace?

Chapter 97: Is That Jace?

(Kira’s POV)

___________

I stood frozen by my car, the metallic heat of the door handle still burning faintly in my palm, my gaze anchored to the vehicle that had just glided past.

The SUV moved like a shadow—quiet, smooth, deliberate. Its engine barely murmured, a predator prowling through the chaos of the Rotary Supermarket parking lot. Tinted windows cloaked the identity of its occupants, reflecting only the distorted blur of restless shoppers and honking traffic. For a second, it seemed to float, untouched by the dusty grit of the lot or the frenetic pace of the world around it.

Then, like smoke, it disappeared—slipping deeper into the crowded lanes of the lot, swallowed by a sea of rusted hoods and cracked windshields.

Still, my eyes lingered.

I knew that kind of vehicle. That polish. That menace wrapped in elegance.

Only billionaires drove cars like that—people who could afford to ignore the rules everyone else lived by. People like Jace.

The thought crawled up my spine and sat heavy in the back of my mind. It made my pulse stumble.

Jace.

But no—no, it couldn’t be him.

He was in Silicon Valley. He hadn’t left the city in weeks, not since the shareholders’ meeting. I’d kept tabs. I had

to, if I was going to get married to him. He wasn’t supposed to be here—not in a place like this. What would a man like Jace be doing in the sweaty, overcrowded chaos of Rotary Supermarket?

This place was a far cry from the glass towers and private lounges he was used to. Here, you didn’t breathe in filtered air or sip mineral water infused with rose petals. Here, you inhaled the exhaust of delivery vans, brushed shoulders with frustrated shoppers, and hoped your car didn’t get keyed.

He didn’t belong here.

And yet, that SUV didn’t belong either.

Something itched under my skin. I shook it off, but the sensation clung like cobwebs.

I turned back toward my car, trying to re-anchor myself in reality. The sharp slap of the sun against my face reminded me where I was, and the heat off the pavement shimmered like waves. I reached for the driver’s door again, trying to dismiss the paranoia clawing at my thoughts.

The SUV could have belonged to anyone.

The owner of the plaza, maybe. Or some spoiled executive from one of the more successful shops inside. There were high-end businesses here—specialty boutiques, a luxury skincare line that probably charged double for a bottle of lotion. Someone from that world might’ve brought a car like that.

I tried to focus on logic.

The plaza was packed—people rushing in and out of stores, carts overflowing, shouting matches erupting near loading bays. Parents dragging screaming kids, couples arguing over shopping lists, someone loudly negotiating with a vendor over the price of fresh vegetables. Money was changing hands nonstop. Business was booming.

Surely the business owners were raking it in. A sleek SUV like that wouldn’t be out of place in a ledger like theirs.

Still... something gnawed at me.

A tension I couldn’t quite name.

I pressed my lips together and cast a quick glance over my shoulder, eyes sweeping the lot. No sign of the SUV now. Just rows of parked cars, some baking in the sun, others already emptied out. No dark figure watching. No second glance. Just heat, noise, and movement.

But the unease remained, stubborn and sharp.

Because deep down, I knew one thing: I had been careful.

No one—no one—was supposed to know I was here.

Not Casey. Not Lena. And certainly not Jace.

Only Kraven knew, and even that had taken some doing. I had gone out of my way to disappear—to fade into the crowd. The hoodie, the joggers, the no-name sneakers—they weren’t just a disguise, they were armor. I’d rehearsed this distance, cut ties, and lied through gritted teeth.

It was already costing me my relationship, my sleep, and maybe—just maybe—my sanity.

So why did I feel like I had just been found?

I blew out a slow breath and forced myself to slide behind the wheel. The car door shut with a solid thunk, muffling the outside world. I let my fingers linger on the steering wheel, grounding myself, eyes still scanning the mirrors, just in case.

Nothing.

Just sun glare, a flickering reflection of a woman with a stroller, and a shopping cart slowly rolling past, unattended.

You’re imagining things, I told myself.

But the chill that had wormed its way down my neck didn’t budge.

I shook my head, almost laughed—almost.

Let it go. Whoever that was, it wasn’t Jace.

He was probably at the office, neck-deep in meetings and algorithms and quarterly projections, planning how to steal Beacon Studios from me. He didn’t even know I had left Silicon Valley, much less driven to Rotary Supermarket to play errand boy for a man I couldn’t stand.

I nodded—slowly, stiffly—as if the gesture might stop the boiling rage creeping up my throat. My jaw tightened, my teeth grinding behind closed lips. The pressure in my chest was unbearable, pressing down like invisible hands. Fury pulsed through my veins, hot and corrosive, but I swallowed it down. Barely.

My hands gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white. The leather creaked beneath my palms, and I imagined it giving way, tearing beneath the strain.

Everything about this was wrong.

I wasn’t supposed to be here—doing this—running errands like a glorified courier for a man who treated people like pawns on his personal chessboard. And yet here I was, parked in a cracked lot, sun blazing overhead, suffocating in a car filled with overpriced groceries that weren’t even mine.

And then—it happened.

Bzzzt.

The vibration in my pocket broke through the haze.

I froze for half a second before sliding a hand into my hoodie and fishing out my phone. I didn’t even need to check who it was. The moment I saw the screen light up with his name, a cold wave of fury washed over me.

Of course, it had to be Maven.

Another message. Another command.

I tapped the screen. A new address blinked back at me—sterile, matter-of-fact, dropped into my lap like a tossed bone.

No explanation. No courtesy. Just coordinates.

Another leash.

"What the fuck is this asshole doing?" I muttered, teeth clenched. "Is he trying to make me his personal shopper now? Is that it? Does he think I have time for this bullshit?"

The anger crested, spilling out of me in waves.

I slammed my fists against the wheel, a loud thud echoing through the car’s cabin. The horn gave a weak yelp in protest. I didn’t care. The sound startled a nearby pedestrian, who shot a quick glance my way before hurrying on, clutching her purse a little tighter.

My shoulders were shaking.

My breath came fast.

"I’m gonna kill you," I hissed under my breath, every syllable dripping with venom.

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