The Midnight Ghost

The mop felt like a lead weight in Valeriana’s hands. Her back ached, and her fingers were raw from the harsh cleaning chemicals, but she didn't stop. She couldn't.

Every swipe of the floor was a few more cents toward Jamie’s medicine.

She looked at the clock on the wall of the executive lobby. 11:45 PM. If she moved fast, she could finish the top floor and get home before Jamie woke up crying for her. She pulled her hoodie lower, hiding her face. She hated being back in this building. Vane Industries felt like a giant, glass cage, a place built on greed and cold hearts.

The elevator dings; Val froze.

Nobody was supposed to be on the sixty-second floor this late. The "big bosses" usually left by seven to go to their fancy parties. She tucked herself into a dark corner behind a large potted plant, holding her breath.

Heavy footsteps echoed on the marble floor. Thud. Thud. Thud. A man walked into the light. He was tall, wearing a suit that probably cost more than Val’s entire life. Even from the back, she knew that frame. She knew the way he carried his shoulders, like he owned the very air he breathed.

Logan Frost.

Her heart did a painful flip in her chest. Two years. It had been two years since that night in the rain, the night that changed everything. He looked older now. Sharper. His face was a mask of cold anger as he stared out the floor-to-ceiling window at the city below.

Valeriana gripped the handle of her mop so hard her knuckles turned white. Just stay still, she told herself. He doesn't know you're here. He hasn't seen you since you ran away.

Logan let out a frustrated growl and slammed his hand against the glass. "I don't care what my grandfather says," he snapped into his phone. "The merger happens on my terms, or it doesn't happen at all."

He sounded just as scary as the stories said. He was no longer the boy who had looked at her with soft eyes for one beautiful night. He was a shark.

Valeriana tried to slide backward toward the service stairs. She just needed to get out. But as she moved, the bucket of soapy water tipped.

Cling!

The metal handle hit the floor with a loud bang.

Logan spun around. His eyes were like ice, scanning the dark room until they landed right on her. Valeriana felt like a deer caught in headlights. She wanted to run, but her legs felt like jelly.

"Who’s there?" Logan’s voice dropped to a dangerous level.

Valeriana didn't answer. She kept her head down, her hair covering her face. She grabbed her bucket and tried to rush past him toward the exit.

"I asked you a question," he said, stepping into her path. He moved fast, blocking the door.

Valeriana stopped inches from his chest. She could smell his expensive cologne, sandalwood, and rain. It made her dizzy with memories she had tried so hard to bury.

"I’m just... the cleaner," she said, her voice shaking. She kept her tone low, hoping he wouldn't recognize her. "I’m sorry for the noise. I’ll go."

Logan didn't move. He tilted his head, staring at her. "The cleaning crew left an hour ago. Why are you still here?"

"I needed the extra hours," she lied, her eyes fixed on his shiny black shoes. "Please, let me through."

Logan reached out. For a second, she thought he was going to touch her face. She flinched, pulling back. His hand paused in the air, his eyes narrowing.

"Wait," he said, his voice changing. A strange, sharp focus replaced the anger. "Lift your head."

"No," she gasped.

"I said, Look at me."

It wasn't a request. It was a command. When she didn't move, he reached forward and grabbed the hood of her sweatshirt, pulling it back.

The bright office lights hit her face. Valeriana looked up, her eyes wide with terror.

Logan’s breath hitched. He stepped back like she had punched him in the gut. The cold mask he wore shattered, revealing a raw, burning shock. He looked at her eyes, then her lips, his own mouth hanging open.

"Val?" he breathed. The way he said her name made her want to sob. "You’re... you’re dead. They told me you disappeared. They told me you were gone."

"I have to go," Valeriana choked out. She pushed past him, her heart hammering against her ribs.

"Stay right there!" Logan grabbed her arm. His grip was firm, not hurting her, but there was no way she could break free. "You don't get to do this. You don't get to vanish for two years and then show up scrubbing my floors! Where have you been?"

"It doesn't matter, Logan! Let me go!"

"It matters to me!" He stepped closer, his shadow towering over her. "You left without a word. Do you have any idea what my family did to find you? Do you know what I went through?"

Valeriana felt a surge of bitterness. What did he go through? He was a billionaire living in a palace. She was living in a one-room apartment, counting pennies to buy milk for her son.

"Your family is the reason I left," she hissed, finally looking him in the eye. "And if you’re smart, you’ll stay away from me."

Logan’s eyes flashed with a dark, possessive fire. "Too late for that. You’re coming with me. We’re going to talk, and you’re going to tell me everything."

Suddenly, Valeriana’s phone buzzed in her pocket. It was a text from Clara, the neighbor watching Jamie.

Jamie’s fever is spiking again. He’s calling for you. Come home now.

Panic, cold and sharp, washed over her. She couldn't be here. If Logan followed her home, he’d see the toddler with the messy black hair and the same blue eyes. He’d see the truth.

"I can't!" Valeriana shoved him with all her might. The surprise of her attack made him stumble back.

She didn't wait. She bolted for the stairs, her heart screaming. She flew down the flights of stairs, her lungs burning. She burst out of the side exit into the cold night air and ran toward the bus stop.

She thought she had escaped. She thought she was safe.

But as she reached her apartment building ten minutes later, a black SUV pulled up to the curb. The door opened, and Logan stepped out, his face set in a grim, terrifying line.

He didn't look at her. He looked at the window of her apartment, where a small, two-year-old boy was standing on a chair, waving his hand.

Logan froze. He looked at the boy, then back at Valeriana.

"Valeriana," Logan said, his voice sounding like a ghost. "Who is that child?"