One Night After Betrayal

Chapter8

Morning sunlight slipped through the tall windows of Reed Enterprises, casting pale gold lines across the polished floor of Alexander Reed’s office.

Alexander sat behind his massive desk, his fingers tapping slowly against the dark wood.

Across from him stood two members of his security team, both holding tablets.

The room was quiet.

Too quiet.

“Well?” Alexander finally asked.

One of the guards stepped forward and turned the tablet so Alexander could see the screen.

A small blinking red dot appeared on a digital map of Paris.

“We found it, sir.”

Alexander’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“The ring?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

The guard zoomed in on the map.

“A residential area on the west side of the city.”

Alexander leaned back in his chair.

So she hadn’t left Paris after all.

For a brief moment, a strange sense of satisfaction crossed his face.

The mysterious woman who had walked out of his hotel room without even leaving a name hadn’t escaped as completely as she thought.

“She kept the ring,” he murmured.

The guard nodded.

“Yes, sir.”

Alexander stood.

“Prepare the car.”

“Sir?”

“I’m going to meet her.”

At the Charles mansion, Natasha Brown stood in front of her mirror.

The ring sparkled brightly on her finger.

She tilted her hand from side to side, admiring the way the blue stone caught the light.

It was beautiful.

Expensive.

Powerful.

“This must be worth a fortune,” she whispered to herself.

She smiled.

Amelia always had better things.

Better clothes. Better attention from their father.

But now Amelia was gone.

And everything she left behind was fair game.

Natasha grabbed her phone and took several pictures of the ring.

Then she sent one to Evan.

Look what I found.

A moment later, he replied.

Damn. That’s huge. Where did you get it?

Natasha smirked and typed back.

Let’s just say Amelia left a few gifts behind.

Before Evan could reply again, the loud sound of a car pulling up outside caught Natasha’s attention.

She frowned and walked toward the window.

A long black luxury car had stopped at the front gate.

Two men in suits stepped out first.

Then another door opened.

And a tall man stepped out.

Natasha blinked.

Even from a distance, the man’s presence was impossible to ignore.

He was tall.

Broad-shouldered.

Impossibly handsome.

His dark suit looked like it had been tailored specifically to fit his powerful frame.

Natasha’s heart skipped.

“Who is that?” she murmured.

Downstairs, Sylvia had already stepped outside to greet the unexpected visitors.

Alexander Reed approached the gate calmly.

His expression remained cold and unreadable.

Sylvia forced a polite smile.

“Good morning. How may I help you?”

Alexander’s eyes briefly scanned the house before returning to her.

“I’m looking for someone.”

Sylvia straightened slightly.

“And who might that be?”

“The woman wearing my ring.”

Sylvia blinked.

“My apologies?”

Alexander pulled out his phone and showed her a picture of the ring.

The exact one Natasha was wearing upstairs.

Sylvia froze.

That ring.

She had seen it earlier when Natasha came downstairs for breakfast.

Her eyes flickered with sudden interest.

“Oh,” she said slowly.

“You mean my daughter.”

Alexander raised an eyebrow.

“Your daughter?”

“Yes.”

Sylvia smiled sweetly.

“Please come inside.”

Upstairs, Natasha quickly adjusted her hair and checked her reflection again.

Her heart was racing.

She didn’t know who the man downstairs was, but she had a feeling he was very important.

Footsteps approached the hallway.

Sylvia’s voice called out.

“Natasha, dear. Someone is here to see you.”

Natasha took one last look at the ring.

Then she walked out of the bedroom.

When she reached the staircase and saw Alexander standing in the living room, her breath caught.

He was even more striking up close.

His sharp jawline.

His piercing dark eyes.

The quiet authority in the way he stood.

Natasha descended the stairs slowly.

Alexander’s gaze immediately dropped to her hand.

The ring.

There it was.

Exactly where the tracker said it would be.

But something felt… off.

The woman from that night had been curvy, warm, with deep caramel skin that glowed softly under the dim hotel lights.

This woman was slimmer.

Paler.

Her presence didn’t stir the same memory.

But the ring was unmistakable.

Natasha reached the bottom of the stairs and gave him a polite smile.

“Hello.”

Alexander studied her carefully.

“Where did you get that ring?”

Natasha lifted her hand casually.

“Oh, this?”

Her mind worked quickly.

If this man owned the ring, then it must be extremely valuable.

And judging by his expensive suit and the guards behind him…

He was rich.

Very rich.

So she lied.

“You gave it to me.”

The room fell silent.

Alexander’s eyes darkened slightly.

“I did?”

Natasha nodded confidently.

“Last night.”

Alexander watched her for several long seconds.

Something inside him whispered that this wasn’t the same woman.

But the evidence was right in front of him.

The ring.

The house.

The claim.

And if she truly was the woman from that night…

Then he had a responsibility.

Alexander Reed didn’t walk away from his actions.

Even a one-night mistake.

Sylvia spoke softly from the side.

“My daughter didn’t want to say anything, but she was very upset this morning.”

Natasha looked down shyly, pretending embarrassment.

Alexander exhaled slowly.

He didn’t remember every detail from last night.

The bar had been dark.

The emotions had been raw.

But one thing he did remember clearly.

He had taken her to bed.

And if this woman was claiming to be that person…

Then he had to face the consequences.

Alexander stepped closer.

“What’s your name?”

“Natasha,” she answered.

Alexander nodded once.

“Natasha.”

He slipped a business card from his pocket and handed it to her.

She glanced down at it.

Then her eyes widened.

Alexander Reed

CEO – Reed Enterprises

Natasha almost gasped.

Reed Enterprises.

One of the most powerful companies in Europe.

Her heart pounded.

She had just lied to a billionaire.

Alexander spoke calmly.

“You’ll come with me.”

Natasha looked up quickly.

“Excuse me?”

“If what you said is true,” Alexander said, “then we need to discuss what happens next.”

Sylvia quickly intervened.

“My daughter is a respectable young woman.”

Alexander’s voice remained steady.

“Then there shouldn’t be a problem.”

Natasha hesitated.

Her instincts told her she had stepped into something far bigger than she expected.

But another voice whispered something tempting.

Power.

Luxury.

Opportunity.

She lifted her chin slightly.

“Alright.”

Alexander nodded.

“Good.”

As they walked toward the door, Natasha couldn’t stop staring at the name on the card.

Alexander Reed.

She had just claimed to be the woman who spent the night with one of the richest men in France.

And if she played her cards right…

Her entire life might change.

Behind them, Sylvia watched with a satisfied smile.

But far away, in another country, Amelia Charles had no idea that someone had just stolen the most important night of her life.

And the man she shared it with.