CHAPTER FIVE

Angelie woke to the sound of birds.

Not her alarm. Not Lucas’s voice.

Birds.

For a moment, she forgot where she was. Forgot everything.

Then the ache set in. A slow, pulsing discomfort across her thighs and back. Like she'd run a marathon or something worse.

Her eyes fluttered open.

She was in her room.

In the Lu estate.

Alone.

Still wearing her robe, half-slipped off one shoulder, the sheets tangled around her legs.

She sat up too fast. Her head spun. Her mouth was dry.

What time was it?

The wine.

Last night.

She remembered the knock. Julia. The tray. The two glasses. The way Julia hadn’t met her eyes.

She remembered one sip. Maybe two.

Then, nothing.

Her breath caught.

She touched her lips, then her chest, then her thighs.

A slow chill crept into her bones.

She didn’t remember coming to bed.

Didn’t remember undressing.

Didn’t remember anything after that first sip of wine.

Her heart raced.

Was it just sleep? Or something else?

Something she didn’t want to name.

She got out of bed slowly and went straight to the bathroom.

Locked the door behind her.

And stood under the hot water for too long.

Trying to shake off something she couldn’t see.

**********

Jeffery woke before the sun.

His head throbbed.

His limbs felt like dead weight.

He sat up in bed, running a hand through his hair, eyes darting to the clock.

4:26 a.m.

He never slept this late.

And he never forgot entire nights.

But this time?

Nothing.

He looked around.

He was in his penthouse suite downtown. Alone. No signs of guests. His phone was face down on the side table.

He picked it up.

No messages.

No calls.

No clues.

The last thing he remembered was pouring himself a drink at the hotel bar. Something had tasted off. Just slightly. Not wrong. Just… sharp.

And now this.

His jaw tightened.

He stood and crossed the room, grabbing the shirt off the floor.

Something on the sleeve.

Lipstick?

He stared at it for a beat too long.

Then tossed it on the bed.

**************

At the Lu estate, Angelie moved slowly through the halls like a ghost, avoiding staff, avoiding Lucas, avoiding mirrors.

Everything felt off.

Her body. Her breath. Her skin.

She hadn’t eaten. Couldn’t.

When she reached the back garden, she nearly turned around. But it was empty.

She sat on the bench by the fountain.

The same one from that awful press photo shoot. The same one Jeffery had stood beside weeks ago.

The air was cold, but her skin was clammy.

She pulled her robe tighter.

Something had happened.

She just didn’t know what.

******

Across the city, Lucas adjusted his cufflinks in front of a full-length mirror.

He was humming.

Jimmy stood a few feet behind him, arms crossed. Watching.

“You hear from her yet?” Lucas asked.

“No,” Jimmy said.

Lucas nodded. “She’ll be quiet. She always is after big moments.”

Jimmy didn’t answer.

Lucas turned. “You worried about your conscience again?”

Jimmy’s jaw tensed. “No.”

“Good,” Lucas said. “Because we’re just getting started.”

*************

At Lu Corp headquarters, Jeffery walked into his office without saying a word to anyone. The receptionist barely had time to stand.

Fred Chen was already waiting inside.

He took one look at Jeffery and frowned.

“You look like hell.”

Jeffery tossed his phone on the desk. “What happened last night?”

Fred blinked. “You tell me. I figured you were with a client.”

“I wasn’t.”

Fred watched him. “You forget?”

Jeffery didn’t reply.

He loosened his tie and sat down slowly.

“I blacked out,” he finally said. “And I don’t black out, Fred. Ever.”

Fred’s brows drew together. “You think someone..?”

“I don’t know.”

But his tone said otherwise.

Fred nodded slowly. “Want me to look into it?”

Jeffery was silent.

Then: “Quietly.”

*********

Somewhere uptown, Anita Wong was finishing her third espresso.

Her stylist stood beside her, rambling about new bookings.

She wasn’t listening.

She was scrolling through a news blog.

“Jeffery Lu returns to SF amid rumors of family tension.”

Her thumb paused on a photo of him at the Lu estate, tight smile, perfect suit.

And beside him?

Her.

That girl.

The one from the press conference. The nobody in ivory.

Angelie Smith.

Anita’s gaze sharpened.

She closed the blog.

And finally spoke.

“Cancel Tokyo. And call the agency. I want a campaign in San Francisco. Anything fashion-forward. High visibility.”

Her stylist blinked. “Uh… okay?”

Anita leaned back in the chair, a sly smile tugging at her lips.

“You chase what’s yours. Everyone knows that.”

***********

By late afternoon, Angelie still hadn’t seen Lucas.

But she found a note on her bed.

“Press dinner tomorrow night. Wear something elegant.”

No greeting.

No warmth.

Just orders.

She sat on the edge of the bed, holding the note like it might burn through her fingers.

Her phone vibrated beside her.

Julia: You okay?

Angelie stared at the screen.

She didn’t respond.

She didn’t know how to answer that.

Instead, she typed one word.

“Did anything happen last night?”

No reply.

Not right away.

Just dots.

Then nothing.

The message vanished.

Angelie set the phone down slowly.

Everything was too quiet.

And somewhere inside her, she knew, this wasn’t over.

Whatever had happened last night…

It was just the beginning.