Chapter 2

I stirred, my body warm and my senses still reeling from the night before. The room was dim, bathed in the soft glow of morning light filtering through the drawn curtains. I blinked a few times, slowly pushing myself up on my elbows. The cool, silky sheets were tangled around me, but the space next to me was empty.

I turned my head to the side, expecting to find Drew beside me, but the bed was cold and unsettlingly so. My heart skipped a beat, and I sat up fully, pulling the sheets around me, suddenly acutely aware of the quiet that hung in the air.

I glanced around, half-expecting Drew to come through the door with his usual poised demeanor, but there was nothing. What had happened last night felt like a dream, intense, heated, yet fleeting.

The kiss, the quiet intensity of his hands on my skin, the way he made me feel alive in ways I hadn’t expected. But now, in the stark reality of morning, all that lingered was the haunting chill of his absence.

Confusion flooded me. What had happened? It all felt like a dream, vivid yet distant. I could still feel the heat of his touch, the way his lips had claimed mine, the raw intensity of everything we’d shared.

But now… now there was nothing.

My eyes darted around the room. The bathroom door was closed, but the sound of running water filled the silence. Drew was in there, no doubt preparing for another day of business as if nothing had happened between us.

As if he hadn’t kissed me. As if he hadn’t made me feel like I was the only woman in the world.

The sound of the shower shut off abruptly. I, still half-lying in bed, fidgeted with the edge of the sheets, my mind racing.

Was he going to act like nothing happened? Was he going to treat me like another business transaction? Or had the night meant something to him, too?

The door creaked open, and Drew stepped out, wrapped in a towel, his hair damp. His eyes flickered over me for a split second, before returning to the mirror.

He didn’t say anything. Didn’t even acknowledge my presence.

My pulse quickened. I opened my mouth, ready to ask, but the words felt stuck in my throat. I didn’t know what I wanted to hear from him. I didn’t know if I could handle hearing him call it a mistake, but I needed to know.

Finally, Drew turned toward me, his face impassive. His eyes, usually so controlled, didn’t give anything away.

“Morning,” he said, his voice clipped, like we had just met.

My breath hitched. “Morning,” I echoed, my voice small, unsure.

There was an awkward silence. Drew didn’t seem bothered by it. He just moved to the wardrobe and began selecting a suit.

“You weren’t here when I woke up,” I ventured, forcing my voice to remain steady.

“I thought…” I didn’t finish the sentence. I couldn’t.

Drew’s back was to me, his expression unreadable.

“It was a mistake,” he said flatly. “A lapse in judgment.”

He grabbed a shirt, still not looking at me.

“It shouldn’t have happened.”

My stomach twisted, the words sinking in like lead. I wanted to ask more, but the pit in my chest only deepened as he continued.

His tone remained cold as he spoke.

“For the sake of our work, we need to act like it never happened.”

His words felt like a slap, sharp and sudden. He glanced at me for a moment, his eyes cold, dismissive.

“If that’s a problem, you’re free to leave and we could end the contract now.”

I stared at him, heart pounding, every word cutting deeper than I could have imagined. It was as though the last traces of intimacy between us had been erased in a single breath.

I had imagined this moment differently. Thought maybe there would be a flicker of something, some trace of warmth, or tenderness.

But there was nothing.

My throat tightened, my hands clammy as I fought to swallow the lump in my chest.

“I… I understand,” I said, though it felt like the hardest thing I’d ever had to say.

I pushed myself out of bed, my legs shaky. I didn’t know how I managed to stand, but I did.

Every step I took felt heavier, the weight of his words dragging me down.

I turned my back to him, not trusting myself to speak again. I couldn’t let him see the hurt in my eyes, not when he seemed so unaffected.

“I’ll act like it never happened,” I whispered to myself, but the words tasted bitter in my mouth.

The door to the room swung open as I grabbed my bag. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t.

I hurried down the hallway, the cool air of the hotel hitting me like a slap. The elevator felt like it took forever to reach the lobby. As the doors opened, I stepped in, pressing the button for the ground floor, my heart still racing.

The elevator hummed as it descended, but inside, everything felt still. Cold.

I closed my eyes, leaning back against the wall, my hands trembling by my sides. The weight of the night, of Drew's betrayal, crashed down on me.

I had been foolish, hadn't I? Letting myself believe there could be something more between us.

But now, in the light of day, everything felt like it had been nothing more than a fleeting fantasy.

I tried to tell myself that it was a one-night stand, nothing more. Yet, the bitter taste of rejection stung on my tongue, and the more I replayed the night, the more it was revealed how little he had truly cared.

My fingers curled into fists at my sides, nails biting into my palms as I silently swore to myself.

I would act like nothing happened. I had to.

The contract, the career I had worked so hard for, depended on it.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the day ahead. I would put on a mask, pretend that nothing had happened, and get on with my work.

As the elevator doors opened, I stepped out into the bright morning light, my heart heavy, but my determination burning brighter than ever.