Chapter2
1876 Words
Netim’s Point of View
"I....How, how did you find out Jad?"
I’d only told Adanna, a few nights ago, what actually happened at Aegis club.
A couple of weeks earlier.
Adanna and I had stepped out. Some guy pulled her onto the dance floor, and I didn’t feel like following, so I stayed by the bar, sipping a sweet martini, I think.
Then this guy came up to me, and he said his name, but the music wasn’t making it easy to hear. He was well-dressed and very good-looking. He said a few words, even flirted a little, and then he left.
But after he walked away, a few minutes I started feeling… a bit off.
My head felt light. My stomach turned. The music suddenly felt very loud. I could barely even keep my balance.
So I reached for the club's restroom.
But that was where I blacked out.
And when I woke up…
I was in bed. Naked.
With some guy, I don't even remember his face.
I knew immediately what must have happened, even if my body felt numb and my brain fogged.
I left. Right then.
Feeling disgusted, Used and
Ashamed.
But I couldn't hide it well. Adanna noticed immediately. I broke down that same night. Told her everything. She didn’t judge me. Said it was a mistake. That I’d been drugged. That it wasn’t my fault. If she had not insisted on going, none of it would’ve happened. She hugged me. She promised to keep it between us.
So how?… How the hell did Jared find out?
Did she tell him?
No.
No, Adanna would never do that to me.
Would she?
"So it’s true," Jared muttered, turning his head away from me before letting out a low breath, almost a scoff.
“Jesus, Net.”
My throat went dry. "Jared, I... I didn’t mean for it to happen."
He shook his head slowly. "Wow. You’re not even going to deny it."
"I...I." I swallowed. My voice was shaking. My hands flew to my hair. "It’s not what you think. I wasn’t—Jared, I was drunk. No, more than drunk, I think someone spiked my drink. You have to believe me. I—I don’t even remember most of it. I didn’t even know it happened until the next morning and—”
"Cut it Net, cut that f*****g s**t Netim."I swallowed hard. My hands are shaking.
“You don’t think you f****d him? But you did, you don't remember anything, you were drugged. You were drunk. f*****g hell, Netim... f*****g hell.” He snapped.
"That’s supposed to make this easier to live with? You think that makes it better?” he asked.
“Jared….I….” I swallowed. “It wasn’t what you think. I was… I was drugged really and I didn’t even know,” I whispered. “I swear to God, Jared—I don't know him, I don't even love him, it's you I love, it's you I want to spend the rest of my life with," I said quickly, “There was no connection, no feeling, no—nothing, I...”
Tears came to my eyes. "It was one night. One stupid night. I wasn’t thinking—"
"How long? How long were you going to keep it from me? He cut in.
“I was going to tell you,” I croaked. “Truly just—God! I didn’t know how. I didn’t know how to tell you. I was scared."
His stare went hail.
“You didn’t want to risk ruining the fantasy huh?”
"No... no Jared of course not...it, it's not what you think."
My chest tightened painfully. While a lump crawled up my throat. I swallowed it down immediately, reaching out to him to hold his hand against mine, but his face was already shutting down, the softness I'd once known in his eyes becoming extremely stormy.
"Perhaps… would you like to take a look at the dessert menu, ma’am?"
A waiter approached. I turned to him.
He smiled politely, completely unaware of the emotional c*****e happening at our table.
"We won’t be needing dessert," Jared said immediately, flatly.
My stomach dropped.
The waiter nodded awkwardly and vanished.
I turned to Jared, my eyes watering.
"Jared… hey" I leaned forward, my voice cracking. "Please believe me."
"Enough Netim. Let's call it a night."
He pushed back his chair and stood up
"And don't worry about the bills," he murmured, "I'll take care of it. Just. Consider it my departing gift."
He paused and then smiled wryly.
"Seven years, and this might be the one really big thing I actually did for you."
My heart dropped to my stomach.
He didn't wait for a response. He turned and departed immediately—leaving me there, totally overwhelmed.
“Jared, wait—please…” I stood too, almost knocking over my own glass. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I didn’t want any of this to happen really.”
People turned to look at us both from far away tables and the others, closer to us, some even leaned toward each other murmuring to themselves. I could feel shame and heat rising to my face.
“Jared!” I said again, "Please! Just talk to me!"
He kept walking, without turning back and I felt my whole world crumble.
God. He was really going to leave me here.
After seven years, in the middle of a restaurant, on my birthday anniversary, under people's pitying stares.
My legs almost gave way.
How did it come to this?
How did I end up losing the one man who had ever seen me beyond Danjuma's Empire, because of one idiotic night I couldn't even get right?
How was that fair?
I could not even defend myself properly—because I did not know what happened after I blacked out.
I hadn't even had the opportunity to remind him or show him how much I loved him. That I did not sleep with that man by choice. I don't even know who he was. That I'd spent every waking moment since despising myself for it.
I turned quickly to grab my purse from the table before turning back to go after him. I cannot breathe through the pain in my chest if he leaves but all that was forgotten when I slammed straight into a waiter.
"Oh!" I cried as her tray fell over.
A glass of red wine tumbled from the silver tray, onto my face and body.
The waitress froze, shocked as the glass dropped through the air before crashing on the floor.
I was left breathless.
Oh, lord.
"I'm so, so, so sorry," I cried, reaching for a napkin and spinning to the side to fetch Jared before he was completely gone, not even registering the mumbled apologies of the waitress.
But just as I moved to dash—
A hand closed around my wrist. I gasp as I am spun, violently around to face the man who had grasped me, likewise hitting my face with his perfectly soaked pressed charcoal black suit.
My heart stopped, my eyes crawling slowly upward—while absorbing his sharp lapels, his smooth jaw, then his mouth which was narrowed in a disapproving, and devastating curve.
My stomach dropped.
Maximos Velasquez.
I took a quiet breath in shock, my fingers flying up to my mouth.
Oh. My. God.
CEO of Velasquez Holdings. The most ruthless, beautiful, tyrannical businessman in New Havenstone. Also a silent dominator of a black market, including underground fighting rings, smuggling networks, and even a chain of exclusive "play clubs."
Danjuma's most powerful client. He secretly even funded her early designs. Yes, you heard me, ‘funded’, my early designs.
I swallowed as his gaze towed over the mess, before moving back to me with more irritation.
And then, flatly—
"Are you f*****g kidding me?"
I swallowed hard. My heart is hammering against my ribs.
The entire restaurant had gone still. Waiters frozen. Diners pretending not to stare but staring anyways
My pulse pounded.
, I should apologize right. Or say something. Anything. Lord…
But before I could even get a word out— I heard flashes.
Then another.
And another.
A scandal at Gilded Fork? That was front-page material.
My pulse spiked.
"Oh my God," I heard someone whisper. "That’s Maximos Velasquez."
I turned slightly—just enough to catch the reflection in the restaurant’s mirrored walls.
At least three people had their phones out, angled subtly toward me and Maximos.
A hot wave of humiliation went through me again.
As if tonight hadn’t already been a disaster—now, the whole damn city was about to witness another.
"Lord help me?" I muttered under my breath.
Meanwhile, Maximos looked unbothered.
Of course he would.
If anyone in this restaurant was going to end up in tomorrow’s headlines, it wouldn’t be him.
It would be me.
I exhaled bitterly, my eyes going back to the massive red stain on his suit. His very expensive, perfectly tailored suit. His entirely ruined suit.
My stomach dropped as I swallowed hard.
"I—I didn’t mean to— l." My throat was so tight I could barely get the words out.
Maximos raised a brow. "Oh, well. Since you didn’t mean to, I guess that means my suit isn’t actually destroyed."
My skin flushed hot, as I rushed out.
"I’ll pay for the dry cleaning, if—you can just pretend none of this happened."
Maximos let out a mocking sigh.
"Dry cleaning."
It wasn’t a question.
It was a joke.
Then—he scoffed, which made me feel like I had just said the dumbest thing on earth.
"Sweetheart, this suit is worth more than whatever the f**k you came in wearing."
Heat crawled up my neck.
I literally wanted to sink into the floor.
I tightened my grip on my purse.
"Fine, I’ll replace it."
Maximos raised a brow.
"And you think I need you to do that huh?"
"Sir, I am so sorry," the waitress finally stammered again, panic all over her face, which actually made me realize why she'd been apologizing all along.
"It was my fault, I—"
Maximos didn’t even spare her a glance. His focus was still locked on me.
My stomach twisted.
I had to do something.
Anything to defuse this? To avoid causing more of a scene than I already was.
People were staring. Phones were out.
And the very last thing I wanted was to turn into some viral headline that was linked to Maximos Velasquez—and by default, to my father.
That would be a disaster. For both of them.
And I still had to find Jared.
I reached into my purse, pulling out a slim black and gold card, and held it out.
"Here. This should cover it."
Maximos glanced at the card.
Then, without even looking at me, he turned to his bodyguard.
"Get her out of my f*****g way."
- Writer
