Looking for this one -night woman

The evening was in full swing in one of the most prestigious hotels in the city. The chandeliers sparkle, projecting bursts of light on the walls decorated with elegant gilding and frescoes. The guests, adorned with their most beautiful attire, mingled in an atmosphere where luxury and excess reigned supreme. Among them was Alexander Reed, CEO of a flourishing company and heir to the most influential family in the city. His imposing look and his natural charisma attracted the eyes, but that evening, something in his behavior betrayed a certain agitation. Alexander, accustomed to keeping control in all circumstances, felt a strange torpor seized him. He wandered in the halls of the hotel, seeking to escape the bustle of the main room. His mind, usually clear and sharp, seemed confused, and his steps, usually assured, became hesitant. He stopped for a moment near a window, observing the lights of the city which sparkle in the distance, as in an attempt to find a semblance of calm. It was then that he saw it. A young woman alone was standing near a staircase, seeming to look for something or someone. She wore a simple but elegant dress, and her gaze, although lost, gave off a certain sweetness. Alexander felt an inexplicable impulse pushing him towards her. He approached, his steps resonating on polished marble. The young woman, who was called Sophia Carter, did not immediately notice her presence. She was absorbed by her own thoughts, trying to understand why she felt so strange that evening. Invited by her half-sister, she did not feel in her place in this universe of pomp and superficiality. When she looked up and met Alexander's gaze, she was surprised by the intensity of her expression. Alexander, without saying a word, reached out to him. Sophia, disconcerted, hesitated for a moment, but something in her gaze pushed her to follow him. They crossed the corridors of the hotel, their steps resonating in silence. Alexander opened the door to a room and invited him to enter. The atmosphere of the piece, sifted and intimate, contrasts with the bustle of the evening. The first rays of the sun filtered through the curtains of the room, bathing the room with a soft and golden light. Sophia opened her eyes, and what she saw speechless. She was lying in a bed that was not hers, her clothes scattered on the ground. Her heart got carried away as she was trying to gather her memories. She remembered a man, her voice, her gaze ... but not her face. By straightening up, she saw an object placed on the pillow next to her. It was half a pendant in jade, of rare beauty. She took him in her trembling hands, looking at him with a fascination mixed with confusion. Engraved on the jade, a delicate motif seemed to tell a story that she did not yet understand. Sophia (whispering for herself): "Who was this man?" Why did he leave me? »» She rushed harsh, picking up her things and leaving the room without looking back. In the halls of the hotel, she met some employees who looked at her with curiosity, but she looked down, too shameful to face their eyes. For his part, Alexander woke up a few hours later, with a heavy head and the fuzzy memories. He remembered a woman, her sweetness, his gaze ... but not his name. By touching his neck, he realized that his pendant in Jade was no longer there. There he remembered that he had left him to this woman before leaving the hotel room when his assistant came to get him in the middle of the night. A sad smile took shape on his lips as he whispered: Alexander: “I will find you. No matter how long it takes, I will keep my promise. »» Alexander Reed was sitting on the edge of the bed, the elbows placed on his lap, his gaze lost in the void. The room, imbued with a smell of discreet perfume and flakes of light filtering through the curtains, seemed strangely empty. The pendant in Jade, left behind, suddenly became a central room of this night which seemed half erased by his memory. Who was she? Why couldn't he remember his face? The weight of this unused promise was already weighed on his shoulders. His personal assistant, Richard, entered the room with a worried air. He had been responsible for making sure that Alexander is a discreet hotel after noticing his disturbed behavior during the evening. Richard: “Mr. Reed, it's time to leave. You have important meetings this afternoon, and we must avoid any attention. Everything is fine ? »» Alexander looked up at Richard, but his answer was just a brief nod. He got up, adjusted his slightly crumpled costume, and went to the door without a word. The heaviness of his thoughts made each step an ordeal. Meanwhile, Sophia left the hotel through secondary entrance, her pendant hidden in her bag, beating heart and confused mind. She crossed the streets, avoiding looks, desperately looking to put her thoughts in order. The man she had crossed that night seemed familiar to her at the same time, as a fragment of a story that she did not yet know. But one thing was certain: this half of a pendant in Jade brought in her a promise that she did not understand. Arriving at home, Sophia put the pendant on the small table in the living room. She was standing in front of him, as hypnotized, observing the engraved patterns which seemed to tell a silent story. She dropped on the sofa, her arms crossed, trying to understand. Sophia (thinking in a low voice): "Who are you?" Why do I have the impression that this night has changed something, without my knowing what exactly? »» In the days that followed, Alexander tried to focus on his professional responsibilities. Its offices, located in one of the most modern skyscrapers in the city, were always animated by the conversations and the comings and goings of the employees. However, even among the dozens of figures, contracts and presentations that he had to examine, his mind often was equated towards fragmented memories of this night. A particularly important meeting was waiting for him that day: the announcement of a new strategic partnership that could propel his business in an even more promising direction. But while he was standing in front of the large conference table, surrounded by investors and members of the board of directors, his thoughts derived again. Alexander (thinking): "Why can't she get out of my mind? The grain of beauty ... The pendant ... Who is? I have to find her and take my responsibilities to her as I promised her ” Richard, his assistant, noticed his disorder and tried to bring him back to reality by discreetly placing a hand on his arm. Richard (whispering): “Mr. Reed, the signing of the contract approaches. Is everything going well? »» Alexander nodded, but internally, he knew he was not in his normal state. Tonight had left a deep imprint that he could not ignore. For her part, Sophia was also trying to resume the course of her life, but each time she put her eyes on the pendant in Jade, a strange feeling of unfinished. Her half-sister, who had been behind her invitation to this evening, seemed to ignore the questions that haunted her. Sophia (confronting her half-sister): "I don't understand why you invited me to this party. You know very well that I hate this kind of environment. What exactly are you hoping for? »» His half-sister, an almost condescending smile on the lips, shrugged. Half sister: "Oh, relax. You needed to get out of your comfort zone a little. I didn't think it would disrupt you as much. »» Sophia knew there was more behind these words that she did not want to admit. But for the moment, she did not have the strength to dig further. She took her bag and left their apartment, determined to find answers by herself.