BOUND BY DAWN: A Billionaire’s Vow

Episode Three

Julian’s POV

I stepped out of the morning meeting feeling more restless than when I had left the suite earlier. The deal discussions had gone smoothly, but my mind wasn’t on business. It kept drifting back to her — the soft, responsive woman I had pulled into my room last night. The drug had burned through my system, but even now, hours later, I could still feel the warmth of her skin, hear the sounds she made, and remember how perfectly she had fit against me.

Before i left I noticed the red mark on the bedsheets, it must have been her first time.

I had left the note and painkillers expecting her to still be there when I returned. I needed to talk to her properly, to take responsibility for what happened. The laced whiskey had clouded my control, but I had still dragged her into that suite. That was on me.

I pushed open the door to the private suite, expecting to see her curled up in bed or at least waiting. The room was empty. The sheets were rumpled, her clothes were gone, and the faint scent of her lingered in the air like a ghost. She had slipped away without waiting. Without calling. Without giving me a chance to make things right.

“Damn it,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. Guilt twisted in my chest, sharper than the fading remnants of the drug. She had been slightly tipsy, vulnerable, and I hadn’t given her much choice once I pulled her inside. I owed her more than a quick note.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Daniel immediately.

“Mr. Voss?” he answered on the first ring.

“Daniel, the girl who was with me last night — she’s gone. I need you to find her. Everything. Full name, address, background, family, where she works or studies. Use whatever resources you need. Discreetly. I want the report on my desk within a few hours.”

“Understood, sir. I’ll get on it right away. Any description to start with?”

I closed my eyes, recalling every detail. “Early twenties. Around 5’5”. Soft brown hair, warm brown eyes, delicate features. She was wearing a simple navy-blue cocktail dress last night. She broke a vase right outside the suite door. Check the hotel security footage from the hallway and the ballroom. She was at the birthday party on the rooftop, I guessed — Start there.”

“On it, Mr. Voss. I’ll cross-reference guest lists and footage.”

“Good. Prioritize this. I need to know who she is.”

I ended the call and sank into the armchair by the window, staring out at the Manhattan skyline. The city looked the same as always, but everything felt different. Last night had started as a business evening ruined by a competitor’s dirty trick. It had ended with me losing control and taking an innocent woman who had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I wasn’t a man who ran from his mistakes. I built an empire by facing problems head-on and fixing them. This was no different. I would find her, make sure she was okay, and do what was right. Marriage had crossed my mind the moment I woke up beside her. It was drastic, but it would protect her reputation and give me the chance to take care of her properly. She deserved better than sneaking home with marks on her neck and facing whatever waited for her there.

My phone buzzed with a message from Daniel: Initial trace started. Found her on footage entering the ballroom with the Bennett family. Working on confirmation.

I leaned back, a strange sense of determination settling over me. I didn’t know her name yet, but I knew one thing clearly — I wasn’t letting her disappear from my life.

Hours later, Daniel arrived at my penthouse office with a thick folder.

“Her name is Amelia Bennett,” he said, placing the report on my desk. “Twenty-two years old. Lives with her father Harold Bennett and his wife Eleanor in Westchester. She attended the party as family. No criminal record, keeps a low profile. Aspires to be an illustrator or interior designer from what I could gather quickly. That’s the basics so far.”

I flipped through the pages, studying the photos Daniel had managed to pull. There she was — the same soft features, the same quiet beauty that had hit me so hard last night. Amelia Bennett.

“Excellent work. Dig deeper if needed, but I have enough to move. Clear my afternoon schedule. I’m going to Westchester.”

Daniel nodded without question. He knew better than to argue when I made up my mind.

As I prepared to leave, my thoughts kept returning to her. The way she had looked up at me in the hallway, slightly tipsy and unsteady. The way she had responded to me in the suite. The way she had curled against my chest afterward. She had slipped away this morning, probably terrified of what her family would say.

I wouldn’t let her face that alone.

I grabbed my keys and headed for the car. Amelia Bennett had no idea what was coming. But she would soon learn that Julian Voss took care of what was his — even if it started with one drug-fueled, unexpected night.