His last addiction

Chapter 5

Royal's POV

I rolled over in bed with a groan as the sunlight shone through my curtains and landed directly on my face. I pulled the pillow over my head to block out the sunlight because I wasn't ready to get up yet.

I reached for my phone on the nightstand and checked the time.

"Oh my God! It's 9 a.m. on a Sunday morning. I have a lot to do today, including cleaning the house, restocking the fridge, meal prepping, sourcing new materials online, and visiting my fashion studio. I might skip cleaning the house, though. It's not dirty, except for a few misplaced things that need to be put back where they belong."

I forced myself out of bed and stretched my aching body. I made my way to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, took a long shower, and put on a pair of brown joggers with a white bodycon top.

I tied my hair into a messy bun before heading to the kitchen. I made myself a cup of tea and leaned against the kitchen cabinet with both hands wrapped around the warm mug.

My mind wandered back to Friday night... and Saturday morning at the stranger's house.

I still couldn't believe I had spent the night in a stranger's home.

What if he had been a killer?

Or worse... a r****t?

"Thank You, Lord, for bringing me back safely," I whispered before taking a sip of my tea.

I paused.

"But how did he know where I lived?"

I frowned.

"I would've said he checked my ID, but it still has my old address. I haven't changed it yet. I'm certain I never told him where I live."

A knock interrupted my thoughts and I placed the mug on the dining table and walked toward the door. Peeping through the peephole, Eli's face came into view.

I smiled.

I twist the lock and opened the door to find her standing outside with three paper bags from our favorite breakfast shop.

"All hail the superwoman!" she announced dramatically.

I rolled my eyes and stepped aside to let her in.

"You could've just texted or called. But thank God you're here with food because I'm starving," I said, locking the door behind us before following her into the kitchen.

"I wasn't going to do that," she replied, placing the breakfast bags on the dining table. "I needed to make sure you're actually okay and not pretending to be fine because you don't want me to worry"

I reached for one of the bags, but Eli quickly snatched all three away before I could touch them.

"So..." she said, giving me the Don't leave out any details look.

"What?" I groaned. "Can you at least let me get some food into my stomach before the interrogation begins?"

"Tell me everything that happened on Friday night, right from the moment I left until I called you."She said as she drop the bags on the table and fold her arms

"There isn't much to tell," I said.

"I'll be the judge of that."

I sighed.

"Well... after you left, I went back to the dance floor. Some asshole tried touching me inappropriately because I was kind of tipsy. I slapped him and tried to fight him, but the man from Luxe stepped in. I don't really remember much after that. I woke up alone in his house, got lost trying to find my way out of the mansion, became friends with his cook, borrowed a few books from his library, and his driver brought me home."

I searched through one of the paper bags, unwrapped a sandwich, and took a large bite.

Eli stared at me in disbelief.

"You mean nothing happened between you two? And who borrows books from someone's house instead of hooking up with them if they're hot?"

I almost choked on my sandwich.

"Did you miss the part where I said I woke up alone?"

"I didn't. I'm just surprised."

"It's your turn," I said with a grin. "Tell me about your night with the bartender you couldn't stop eye fucking."

A blush immediately spread across her cheeks.

She began telling me everything that had happened, and by the time she finished, I was smiling so hard my mouth hurt.

"You should hook up one of these days," she teased. "It's a great stress reliever."

"Thank you, Mum," I replied sarcastically, finishing the last of my tea. "But that's for you, not me."

"I'm just saying... it's been three years. Do you plan on staying like this forever?You should give me a heads up so I can get you an application form for the Holy Sisters."

I burst into laughter.

"Kindly f**k off miss."

We finished breakfast while chatting about work and life. Afterward, Eli kept me company as I straightened up the apartment.

A few minutes later, she said her goodbyes and left.

I changed into fresh clothes, packed my hair into a ponytail, and got ready to head to my studio. After booking an Uber, I picked up my bag.

Another knock came at the door.

"Did Eli forget something?"

I hurried over and unlocked it.

"Eli, did you forg....."

The words caught in my throat.

Standing in front of me was an enormous bouquet of white lilies, completely hiding the face of the person holding them.

"Are you Miss Royal Carter?" the voice asked politely.

"Yes."

"I have a flower delivery for you. Could you show me where to place them? They're quite heavy."

"Oh... sorry."I said and stepped aside for the delivery guy to come in.

"You can put them on the table."

I stared at the bouquet in surprise.

I didn't have anyone who would send me flowers.

"Can I know who sent these? Or at least get their number so I can thank them properly?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I wasn't told."

He handed me a small electronic pad.

"Please sign here."

I signed, and after thanking me, the delivery man left..

I walked closer to the bouquet and noticed a small envelope tucked between the flowers.

Carefully, I pulled out the card and unfolded it.

Have a beautiful day.

I hope the flowers make you smile.

No name.

No initials.

No phone number.

I frowned.

"That's... creepy."

My phone pinged, signaling that my Uber had arrived.

I placed the card beside the flowers, rushed to my bedroom to grab my bag, locked the apartment,I got downstairs and saw a black SUV packed at the other end of the street,it looks clearly out of place because of how sleek and expensive it is.

I ignore it and hop into the already waiting uber.

The moment I stepped into my studio, a sense of calm washed over me.

I smiled to myself.

"I'm not where I want to be yet... but I'll get there."

I settled behind my desk and spread out the unfinished designs I'd been working on the previous week.

Hours slipped by as I sketched new designs, cut fabrics, adjusted patterns, and placed orders for the materials we'd need during the week.

By the time I locked up the studio, the afternoon sun had already begun to soften.

"Should I walk to the mall... or just call a cab?" I murmured, standing outside while weighing my options.

In the end, I decided to walk.

A few minutes into my walk, I noticed a black SUV driving slowly behind me.

It looked familiar.

Then it clicked.

It was the same SUV that had been parked across from my apartment that morning.

I frowned but kept walking.

"Maybe I'm just being paranoid," I whispered to myself.