Chapter 2 - Lagos, 10PM
1503 Words
The hotel key card felt heavy in Aria’s palm.
One card. Two bedrooms. Kairo’s rules.
"Across the hall," he’d said. "Don’t leave after 10PM."
It was 9:47PM in Lagos.
Her room was massive. King bed. City view. Mini bar she couldn’t afford to touch.
But she didn’t notice any of it. All she could hear was the silence from his room next door.
Rule 2: You don’t question me.
Rule 3: You don’t touch me.
Rule 4: You don’t speak unless spoken to.
She’d broken Rule 4 already. "Or what?"
His answer was still burning in her ears. "Or I’ll come find you myself."
Aria paced. The black dress his stylist packed was hanging on the door.
Sleeveless. Backless. Nothing like what she owned.
"Too conservative for Lagos," he’d said. Like he had a say in her body.
Her phone buzzed. Unknown number.
`Room service. Mr. Blackwood sent dinner. Open the door.`
She opened it. A tray. No person. Just food, wine, and a note under the plate.
Her handwriting, not his.
`Eat. You barely touched food on the jet. -K`
K.
He signed with one letter. Like they were friends.
Like he wasn’t the man who fired her.
She didn’t eat.
10:00PM hit.
Silence.
Then a knock.
Not room service. Three hard knocks. His knocks.
Aria froze. "It’s 10PM," she said through the door. Rule 4 again.
"You said don’t leave after 10."
The door didn’t move.
"I’m not asking you to leave your room, Ms. Cole," his voice came through, low.
"I’m asking you to open the door."
Her heart was a drum. Rule 2. You don’t question me.
She opened it.
Kairo was there in black sweatpants and a grey t-shirt.
No suit. No CEO mask. Just him. Hair messy. Eyes tired.
And dangerous.
"You’re not supposed to be here," she whispered.
"I’m not," he agreed. He didn’t step in. "But the WiFi in my room is down.
I need to send one email. Can I use yours?"
Lies.
His penthouse had 6 routers.
"That’s not why you’re here."
He smiled. It wasn’t warm. It was sharp. "No. It’s not."
He stepped in anyway. Closed the door behind him.
The sound of the lock clicking made her stomach drop.
"Rule 3," she said. Backing up. "No touching."
"I’m not touching you," he said. He sat on the edge of her bed.
Like he owned it. "Yet."
Aria’s breath caught.
"Why did you call me back, Kairo?" She used his name. Broke another rule.
"90 days. $90,000. That’s too much for an assistant."
He looked up. Dark eyes met hers.
"Because for 90 days I couldn’t stop thinking about that hallway.
Christmas party. You in my arms."
"Because firing you was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done."
"Because I wanted to see if you still looked at me like I didn’t ruin you."
Aria shook her head. "I don’t."
"Liar," he said softly.
The air got thick.
He stood. Slow.
She should have stepped back. Should have said Rule 3 again.
Instead she stayed still.
He stopped 1 foot from her. Close enough to smell his cologne.
Close enough that if she leaned in—
His phone rang. Loud. Violent in the quiet.
Kairo didn’t look away from her. "Answer it," he said.
She did. Her hands shook.
"Ms. Cole?" It was his head of security. "Mr. Blackwood, we have a problem.
Your ex-fiancée is in the hotel lobby. She’s asking for you."
Aria’s blood went cold. Ex-fiancée.
Kairo’s jaw tightened. He finally looked away.
"Keep her downstairs," he said. "I’ll be down in 20."
He hung up. The mask was back. Cold. CEO.
"Stay in this room," he said. "Don’t open the door to anyone.
Especially not her."
"Who is she?" Aria asked before she could stop herself.
Kairo was already at the door. Hand on the handle.
"Trouble," he said. "The kind you can’t afford."
He leftDoor locked behind him.
Aria stood there, heart racing.
The room suddenly felt too big. Too quiet.
89 days left on the contract.
And now there was another woman.
She walked to the window. 23 floors down, the Lagos hotel lobby glittered like gold.
She couldn’t see her from here.
But she knew.
Kairo didn’t hire her for $90,000.
He hired her because he was running from something.
And Aria was about to be caught in the middle of it.
Her phone buzzed on the bedside table.
Unknown number. No name saved.
She opened it.
`You don’t belong with him. Leave now. Before he breaks you too. -V`
V.
For Victoria.
For the ex-fiancée.
Aria’s fingers went cold. How did she get her number?
How did she know Aria was here?
Another buzz.
`Room 2401. Come down if you want the truth. Or stay upstairs like a good girl. Your choice.`
Rule 2: Don’t question me.
Rule 4: Don’t speak unless spoken to.
Rule 5: Don’t leave after 10PM.
She was breaking all of them tonight.
Aria grabbed her room key. The black dress was still on the hanger.
No time. She pulled on jeans and a shirt instead.
No makeup. No armorThe elevator ride to the lobby took 30 seconds.
It felt like 30 years.
The lobby was full. Music. People. Lagos nightlife.
And in the center, near the bar, a woman in red.
Tall. Blonde. Designer dress. The kind of woman who was born in boardrooms.
Victoria.
She saw Aria immediately. Smiled like she’d been waiting.
"So you’re the assistant," Victoria said, voice sweet and sharp.
"He always did have a type. Broke. Desperate. Easy to control."
Aria’s jaw clenched. "I’m here for answers, not insults."
"Good." Victoria slid a folded paper across the bar.
"Because Kairo didn’t tell you the whole truth about that contract."
Aria didn’t touch it. "What truth?"
"90 days," Victoria said. "After that, you sign away all rights.
Anything that happens. Anything you see. Anything you feel.
It belongs to him. Legally."
"That’s not in the contract I signed."
"Page 17," Victoria smiled. "The one you didn’t read because you were crying about your mom’s hospital bills."
Aria went still.
"Ask him about me," Victoria whispered. "Ask him why we broke up 90 days ago.
The same day he fired you."
Aria’s blood ran cold. Same day.
"Victoria," a voice said behind them. Cold. Furious.
Kairo.
He was in a black suit now. No tie. Eyes locked on Aria like she’d betrayed him.
"Step away from her," he said to Victoria.
"Or what?" Victoria didn’t move. "You’ll fire her again?"
Kairo grabbed Aria’s wrist. Not hard. But firm.
"We’re leaving."
"Rule 3," Aria said,"Try pulling back," he said low. Only for her.
"Right now, you’re coming with me."
He dragged her toward the elevator. Victoria’s laugh followed them.
"See you in 89 days, Ms. Cole!"
In the elevator, silence.
Kairo didn’t let go of her wrist until the doors closed.
"Did you read it?" he asked.
"Page 17?"
He nodded. Jaw tight.
"Why didn’t you tell me?"
"Because you would have walked," he said. "And I needed you to stay."
"For 90 days?"
"For whatever it takes," he said.
The elevator dinged. 23rd floor.
He didn’t move.
"Go to your room, Aria," he said. Voice rough.
"Before I break Rule 3 myself."
She stepped out. Heart pounding.
Before the doors closed, she turned.
"What happened between you and her 90 days ago?"
Kairo’s eyes went dark.
"Something I can’t undo."
Doors shut.
Aria stood in the hallway, alone.
The hotel was quiet. Too quiet.
Her room key felt like ice in her palm.
Chapter 1 was a contract.
Chapter 2 was a trap.
And 88 days were left.
She walked to her door. Slid the key in.
Inside, her phone lit up on the bed.
One new message. Unknown number.
`Page 17 is only the beginning. Ask him about the fire. -V`
Fire?
Aria stared at the word until her screen went black.
Kairo was hiding something bigger than Victoria.
Something that started 90 days ago.
The same day he fired her.
The same day he signed.
Aria’s fingers were cold.
She didn’t breathe.
90 days ago.
That was the night Kairo disappeared.
That was the night her whole life burned.
She unlocked the phone.
No missed calls.
No name.
Just that message.
`Page 17 is only the beginning.`
Her hands shook.
Page 17 was the contract.
The one she never signed.
The one Kairo forged in her name.
Her breath caught.
Page 17 meant everything.
And nothing. She pressed her back to the door.
Cold wood.
No escape.
Her phone lit up again.
Unknown number.
`Ask him about the fire.`
Fire.
The word burned.
90 days ago.
The night Kairo vanished.
The night her career ended. The night he signed.
Without her.
88 days left.
The clock was ticking.
Her phone was cold.
No name.
No call.
Just that message.
`Ask him about the fire.`
She looked at the locked door.
Trapped.
No way out. Ticking down,88 days,Left
88 days left Now.[End Of Chapter 2]
- Writer
