Chapter 9: Derrick's POV
I wake up.
She's beside me, still sound asleep.
The morning light filters through the curtains, casting soft shadows across her face.
Her lips are parted. Her lashes dark against her cheeks.
She's so beautiful.
I reach out and stroke her hair. She stirs in her sleep but doesn't wake.
My phone buzzes on the nightstand. Robin.
Robin: Urgent. Call me when you're awake.
I slip out of bed, quietly and walk to the living room. Call him back.
"What is it?"
"Sir." His voice is tense.
"The press found the pictures from the bar.
The night you saved Ms. Ellison."
I freeze. "What?"
"They're running a story. 'Billionaire's Mystery Woman.' They're digging into her past. Her family. Her employment records."
I close my eyes. Rub my face.
"Shut it down," I say.
