Chapter 3
1485 Words
ARIA'S POV
Just then, I heard a loud crash from the front door. My heart raced in horror at the thought that he had set me up for something far worse. My hand tightened around the doorknob, and I was about to open it when a sudden voice froze me in place.
“OH my… my… greetings, my dear cousin. Do you have any idea what’s about to happen to you?” The voice taunted, dripping with cruel amusement.
“You foolish bastard… So this was your plan all along? To drug me?” the trembling man spat furiously, stumbling to the floor.
“Oh please, don’t give me the scrap,” the voice mocked, almost drooling with sadistic pleasure. “Be grateful. I did this because you were too weak to take over the corporate position. In the next fifteen minutes, your muscles will ache painfully, your throat will dry, and your d**k will become extremely hard… well, your body will demand s*x it couldn't have.”
He laughed, a chilling sound that made my blood run cold. “And if you resist… you will die. Painfully. Hahaha, the clock is ticking!”
As if that weren’t enough, he continued.
“By the time you’re gone, the shame will be broadcast. A respected man, caught in disgrace, haunting young girls and older women… all of it will trace back to you. I’ve arranged for witnesses, reports, and enforcers. I’ll actually do you a favor: I will remove all your loyal workers from their positions so they could mourn you forever. Isn’t that delightful? Hahaha!”
He laughed sarcastically and left, shutting the door so hard I jerked in trembling terror.
My hands shook violently. I hadn't even realized when the towel slipped from my fingers and fell silently to the floor. My vision blurred with tears I didn’t realize were forming.
My mind reeled at how cruel people could be. Jake’s betrayal suddenly felt small compared to this level of calculated destruction. I thought I had seen the worst of humanity tonight. But I was wrong.
A low groan pulled me out of my thoughts. I turned slowly and stepped out from behind the bathroom door. The room was still dim and blurry from the red lighting. I stepped forward cautiously, reaching to turn on the main light… then froze at his voice.
“I’m sorry… you had to hear that,” he said softly.
I stood there, barely able to contain the storm inside me. Tears I had been holding finally slipped down my cheeks as the raw sincerity in his voice hit me. Even in this state, he apologized. My fingers trembled as I wiped my cheeks.
“Don’t talk,” I whispered.
Carefully, I helped him to the large bed in the corner of the suite. His body felt unnaturally warm beneath my hands, his breathing heavy. I steadied him, unsure what else to say… and then, an unexpected, shocking touch pressed sharply against me from behind.
I gasped as the realization struck instantly.
His body was reacting exactly as the man had described. My breath caught as heat rushed through me unexpectedly. My body reacted before my mind could protest.
“Don’t worry,” I said, forcing calm into my trembling voice. “There’s no choice left. You only have a few minutes… like he said.”
“Yes… and what do you mean?” he asked hoarsely.
I bit my lip, feeling a storm of emotions churn inside me… betrayal, anger, loneliness, reckless desire. The image of Jake with another woman flashed back through my mind.
Something inside me snapped.
I wanted to drown the pain. To silence it. Even if it meant doing something wild. Something dangerous.
“I will help you,” I whispered.
And that night, I lost myself to a stranger.
I didn’t know his name. I didn’t clearly see his face. The dim lights blurred everything except the heat between us and the desperate urgency that consumed the room.
He endured the first wave of agony, and slowly, the drug’s effect dissolved. Hours passed in a haze of heat and breathless tension.
I had never done anything so reckless in my life before.
And yet… I felt no guilt.
Only relief.
But when morning came, he was gone.
I never saw him again. All that remained was a single letter resting on the couch.
Six Years Later…
“I PROMISE I WILL COME BACK LOOKING FOR YOU. I can’t restore the night you spent with a total stranger. My whole life was entrusted to your hands as a second chance, and I will return for you.”
I stared at the letter.
I stared at every word written in the letter. Six years had passed since that reckless night. Six years of hoping, praying, dreaming of seeing him again, wondering what he truly looked like. I don’t know why I torture myself like this, rereading the letter at my workplace every night, hoping one day he might walk through the door.
For three years I had spent married to Jake, I could never conceive. I visited doctors countless times. Every single one said the same thing: I was perfectly fertile.
There was nothing wrong with me.
And yet I never fully believed them.
Until that night.
Because after that night… I found out I was pregnant.
A miracle.
Having twin miracles, actually.
And at that exact moment, my office door burst open.
“Mommy! Mommy!!”
Tears of joy sprang to my eyes. I wiped them quickly, a warm smile blooming as my two little cuties ran into my arms.
Ashley was first, wrapping her arms tightly around my waist. “You didn’t come home for seven whole days!” she accused, emphasizing each word dramatically.
Before I could respond, my chair shifted. Alen had climbed the chair behind her, adjusting his tiny blazer with all the dignity of a young executive.
“Mommy,” he began calmly, “Grandmother informed us you were occupied with executive responsibilities. However, prolonged absence without physical confirmation is statistically dissatisfying.”
I blinked, trying not to laugh.
My personal assistant, Claire, stood at the doorway feeling guilty.
Ashley rolled her eyes. “Here he goes again. Just say you missed her, Alen.”
“I do not speak recklessly,” he replied, raising a brow. “Precision reflects discipline.”
I laughed, burying my face into Ashley’s curls.
He is only six years old.
And somehow already sounds like he’s negotiating corporate mergers.
God help me.
Alen’s dark hair fell slightly over his forehead as he crossed his arms. And those eyes…
Those deep ocean eyes.
Every time I look into them, something inside me tightens.
Because they don’t come from me.
Ashley was the only copy image of me, brown hair, brown little eyes. But Alen… He looks completely different.
His dark hair. His features were sharper. His gaze was far too mature for his age. And sometimes, when he stares at me quietly, it feels like someone else is looking through him.
“Stop looking at Mommy like that,” Ashley poked him.
“I am observing emotional irregularities,” he said calmly.
I froze.
“What?”
“Mom, your eyes are red.”
Ashley gasped. “Did someone bully you?!”
I wiped quickly. “No one bullied me.”
“Should I sue them?” Alen asked, stepping closer. His small palms rested gently on my cheeks.
“You don’t even know what suing means,” I murmured.
“I do,” he said. “Grandfather explained litigation structures.”
Ashley slapped her forehead. “Arghh, he just reads boring books!”
“Says who? One who watches cartoons all day and acts like a Barbie doll??” Alen scoffed.
I laughed hard this time, my heart fluttering seeing their tiny, angry faces.
“Mommy, when are we going to see our daddy?” Ashley asked. Alen immediately chimed in, “Yes, when will he return from his trip?”
My smile faltered immediately. My fragile hope… six years of letters… of believing…
At such a young age, they already understood the concept of family.
And I… I had built their father out of a promise written on a piece of paper.
I inhaled deeply and masked it all with a small, bright smile. “It’s okay, honey,” I said quickly.
“Mommy, we’ll protect you,” Ashley added, wrapping her arms around me. Alen joined in, a small, reassuring hug.
I couldn’t help but smile genuinely. Thank God for giving me these little miracles.
“Alright, enough,” I said, patting their hair lightly. “Wait here in my office. I’ll be back shortly, and then we’ll prepare to go home.”
They nodded in unison, and then I stood and turned to leave, with Claire following closely behind me.
- Writer
