The Lie between us

CHAPTER2:Fragments

Lucien's POV

I finally woke up.

For several seconds, I stayed still with my eyes closed, trying to ignore the dull pain in my head. My mouth was dry, my throat felt rough, and there was a bad taste on my tongue.

I breathed slowly through my nose, but it didn’t help.

I rarely drank enough to lose control. I knew how much alcohol I could handle and when to stop. Last night, however, had been different.

I couldn’t remember when I had stopped.

I slowly opened my eyes. The morning light coming through the curtains immediately irritated me, so I reached for the bedside table and pulled them shut before leaning back against the headboard.

What the hell happened last night?

I tried to remember, but nothing came.

I remembered the celebration at the hotel. I remembered the music, the drinks, and Roman being there for part of the evening.

After that, everything became a blur.

I frowned.

I hated not being able to remember. Losing parts of the night was not something that happened to me.

I reached for the telephone beside the bed.

“Water.”

“Of course, Mr. Beaufort. I’ll have it brought up immediately.”

“And coffee.”

“Yes, Mr. Beaufort.”

I ended the call.

A few minutes later, a hotel waitress entered with my water and coffee. She placed them on the table before leaving.

I drank several mouthfuls of water before reaching for the coffee. As I took my first sip, I looked around the room.

Something felt different.

My clothes were scattered across the floor. One shoe was near the sofa, while the other was beside the bed. The sheets were also messy.

Then I looked at the other side of the bed.

There was a clear mark in the sheets.

Someone had slept there.

I stared at it.

Then something came back to me.

A woman.

That was all.

I couldn’t see her clearly in my mind. I could only remember the feeling of someone standing close to me. I remembered dark hair, a soft scent I couldn’t place, and the brief feeling of another person against me.

Then the memory disappeared.

I closed my eyes and tried to remember more.

Nothing came.

I opened my eyes again.

So there had been a woman here.

But who?

And how had she gotten into my room?

I couldn’t remember.

I looked toward the bathroom.

It was empty.

She was gone.

I sat there for a moment, staring at the empty space as if the answer might somehow appear.

The uncertainty irritated me more than the headache.

I wasn’t used to not knowing what had happened in my own hotel.

I reached for my phone and called my personal security.

The call connected almost immediately.

“Sir.”

“The woman who left my suite this morning. Find out who she is.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Quietly.”

“Yes, sir.”

I ended the call.

That was enough.

I didn’t need to ask a long list of questions. My security knew how I worked, and they knew better than to attract unnecessary attention.

I stood and walked toward the door, but something small near the entrance caught my attention.

I bent down and picked up a silver bracelet.

I turned the delicate piece between my fingers and studied it carefully.

Nothing came to me.

I didn’t recognize it, and I had no idea who it belonged to.

I slipped it into my pocket and walked toward the bathroom.

A few moments later, the shower was running.

Cold water hit my skin and ran down my face and shoulders. I stood beneath it for a while, hoping the cold would clear some of the heaviness from my head.

My long dark hair was soaked, and the wet strands fell around my face as I pushed them back.

I closed my eyes.

My headache was slowly getting better, but my mind was still restless.

I could handle my alcohol. I always had.

Yet somehow, I had gone from a celebration I could barely remember to waking up with a woman in my bed.

I frowned as I tried to understand what had happened.

Maybe I had simply drunk more than I realized. Maybe there was another reason.

Whatever the reason was, I intended to find out.

I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower.

By the time I was dressed in a dark suit, my face had returned to its usual calm look. Only the slight tension around my eyes showed that I was still irritated.

I returned to the bedroom and stopped when I saw Roman sitting comfortably in one of the armchairs near the window.

“How did you get in?”

Roman glanced at me.

“It’s the Beaufort Hotel, Lucien.”

My expression darkened.

Roman gave me a small smile.

“Relax. It’s still your family’s hotel.”

I ignored him and walked toward the desk.

Roman watched me for a moment.

“You look terrible.”

“I feel worse.”

Roman’s smile faded.

“I heard you brought a woman upstairs last night.”

I stopped.

“Yes.”

Roman stared at me.

“You?”

I said nothing.

Roman gave a small, surprised laugh.

“You actually did?”

“Apparently.”

“You don’t do that.”

“I know.”

Roman’s eyes narrowed.

“Who was she?”

“I don’t know.”

The amusement disappeared from Roman’s face.

“You don’t know?”

“I don’t remember her name.”

Roman sat up straighter.

“Lucien, what happened last night?”

“I don’t know.”

I didn’t like admitting it, but there was no point pretending otherwise.

Roman studied me carefully.

“You remember anything?”

“Only pieces.”

Roman waited.

I kept my face calm.

“I remember a woman. That’s all.”

Roman was quiet for a moment before slowly nodding.

“And your security?”

“They’re looking for her.”

Roman stood and picked up his jacket.

“If she talks before we know what happened, the family could have a problem.”

“I know.”

Roman walked toward the door but stopped before leaving.

“And Lucien?”

I looked at him.

“You bringing a woman upstairs is still the most shocking part of this whole thing.”

I stared at him.

Roman smiled faintly.

“I’m just saying.”

Then he walked out.

The room became quiet again.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the bracelet.

I turned it slowly between my fingers.

Something about it bothered me, even though I didn’t recognize it.

I placed it on the bedside table.

A moment later, my phone rang.

It was my personal bodyguard.

I answered.

“Sir, we found something.”

My expression tightened.

“What?”

“We checked the lobby footage.”

“And?”

“We found the woman.”

I straightened slightly.

“Go on.”

There was a short pause.

“She left the hotel alone, sir.”

I waited.

“But there was someone else.”

My eyes narrowed.

“Who?”

“We don’t know yet.”

My grip tightened around the phone.

The bodyguard continued.

“Someone was watching her.”

I went still.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, sir.”

Silence filled the room.

My eyes moved to the bracelet on the bedside table.

For the first time that morning, the situation felt different.

It wasn’t clearer.

If anything, it was more confusing.

“Find out who.”

“Yes, sir.”

The call ended.

I remained where I was, my eyes fixed on the bracelet.

I still didn’t know who the woman was, and I still couldn’t remember what had happened after the night began to blur.

But now there was someone else involved.

And I intended to find out why.