EpisodTwo:Recklessescape
1125 Words
Celeste POV
I had never done anything reckless in my life before.
I had been raised to be perfect, the well-mannered daughter of a billionaire, the polished heiress who followed the rules. But tonight, as I stumbled into the dimly lit hallway of a five star hotel, my finger entwined with a stranger's, I felt nothing like the woman I was supposed to be.
My heartbeat pounded in my ears. Was it the alcohol? The adrenaline? Or was it the man beside me; his touch, his presence, his dominance pulling me in like gravity.
“Last chance to back out,” he murmured, teasing me.
His voice was deep, velvety, laced with amusement and something darker.
I swallowed hard. I should say no. I should leave.
But when I looked up at him, at those piercing dark eyes that seemed to see right through her, at the smirk that dared me to take the risk, I found myself whispering, “I'm not backing out.”
His smirk widened.
A key card swiped. A door clicked open.
And I steppped inside, sealing my fate.
—---------------------------------
One hour earlier
The bar had been a last minute decision.
I had fled my father's office with no real plan. I just knew I couldn't stay there, not after what my father had asked of me.
Marriage. To a stranger.
The very thought made my stomach churn.
I had spent my whole life watching my father use business as a weapon, sealing deals with handshakes and contracts. But now, I was the contract.
My future wasn't mine anymore, it belonged to some nameless, faceless man who held my family's fate in his hands.
I hated it.
I hated him.
So I walked into the first high-end bar I could fine , determined to drown out reality with a drink.
And that was when I saw him.
A man who like he belonged in a throne rather than a barstool.
Tall. Imposing. Dressed in a dark suit that fit him too perfectly to be off the rack. His presence command the room effortlessly people glanced at him, whispered about him, but none dare to approach.
Except me.
I hadn't meant to. But when our eyes met across the bar, something shifted in the air. It wasn't instant, like a match igniting gasoline.
And before I knew it. He was beside me, smirking as if he already knew I would come undone for him.
“Rough day?” He had asked me.
I should have ignored him. But I didn't.
And now, I was in his hotel room, the door clicking shut behind me.
—-----------------------------------------------
Presently
The moment we were alone, the air changed.
I barely had time to think before he was in front of me, his fingers trailing up my arms, slow and deliberate.
“What are you running from, princess?” He murmured.
My breath caught. I hadn't told him who I was.
My pulse raced, but I refused to let him see me unease. Instead, I lifted my chin, masking my emotion with a smirk of my own. “Who says I'm running?”
He chuckled, a low, dark sound that sent a shiver down my spine.
“You're drinking alone in a bar, looking like the world just crashed around you. If that's not running, I don't know what's it.”
My jaw tightened. He was too perspective.
I needed a distraction. A way to turn the tables.
So I stepped closer, letting my fingers trail up his chest. His muscles tensed beneath his shirt, but his smirk remained.
“What about you?” I whispered “what's your excuses?”
His gaze darkened. “Maybe I like chasing after lost princess.”
The words sent a bolt of heat through me.
I knew u should walk away. This man was too intense, too dangerous. He wasn't just some random stranger, there was about him, something calculated in the way he watched me, as if he already knew the ending to a game I didn't even realize I was playing with fire.
But I was far too gone.
For once in my life, I wanted to be reckless.
So when he cupped my chin, tilting my face up to his, I didn't pull away.
And when he whispered, into my ear “ you have no idea what you've just done,” I ignored the warning laced in his words.
Because In that moment, I Celeste Monroe didn't care about tomorrow.
I only cared about forgetting tonight.
—------------------------------------------------
The Morning After
Sunlight streamed through the curtains, warm and golden against my skin. I stirred, my body aching in ways that made last night feel dangerously real.
For a moment, I allowed myself to bask in the memory of last night.
The heat of his touch. The way he had unravelled me with nothing but a look.
But then reality slammed into me.
I was in a stranger's bed.
My eyes flew open. Panic surged through my veins.
The room was massive, sleek , modern, far too luxurious for an ordinary man.
A penthouse.
I stucked in a sharp breath. What had I done?
My gaze darted to the other side of the bed, empty.
Good.
My heart hammering, I slipped out of the bed careful not to make a sound. My dress was discarded on the floor, a reminder of the choices I could never take back.
I snatched it up, pulling it over my head before grabbing my heels.
I had to get out before………
“I was starting to think you'd sleep all day.”
I froze.
The voice was smooth, amused.
Slowly I turned, feeling timid.
He stood near the windows, a glass of whiskey in his hand. The morning light framed his finger, making him look even more untouchable than he had last night.
Dark eyes watched me, sharp and unreadable.
“Leaving so soon?” He nused.
I swallowed. “I…..I have to go.”
He took a sip of his drink, never looking away. “I'll call a car to come pick you up.”
“Nevermind I have my ride.”
I forced a nod, my finger gripping my purse tightly. I just needed to get through the door. Then I'd never see him again.
I needed to forget this ever happened.
Because last night had been a mistake.
A beautiful, reckless mistake.
But as I reached for the door l handle, he spoke again.
“I'll see you soon, Celeste.”
My stomach dropped.
I turned back to him, my heart slamming against my ribs. “How do you…..”
But he only smirked, taking another sip of whiskey.
My breath caught.
Who the hell was he?
- Writer
