Chapter fifteen
1046 Words
The morning light sliced through the thin hotel curtains, landing on Lily’s bare shoulder. She groaned, pulling the sheet over her head as the man beside her shifted, mumbling something under his breath. The smell of expensive cologne and stale whiskey clung to the air — a reminder of everything she wanted to forget.
“Get up,” the man’s rough voice broke the silence. “I’ve got a meeting in an hour.”
Lily sat up slowly, her hair tumbling down her shoulders in messy waves. She reached for her dress on the floor and muttered, “You said you’d pay me five thousand.”
He scoffed, buttoning his shirt. “For what? You barely lasted an hour.”
Her fingers froze mid-zip. “Excuse me?”
The man turned to her, smirking as if he enjoyed the power in his words. “You heard me. You should be grateful I’m giving you anything at all.”
Lily’s heart pounded with anger. She stood, gathering her clothes with trembling hands. “You don’t get to cheat me. We had a deal.”
He laughed, tossing a few crumpled notes onto the bed. “Take it or leave it, sweetheart.”
She stared at the money — not even half of what he’d promised. Every inch of her burned with humiliation, but she bit it back. Arguing with men like him never ended well. She snatched the bills, shoving them into her purse.
“You’re pathetic,” she muttered, heading for the door.
The man’s voice followed her, low and mocking. “And you’re cheap. Don’t forget that.”
Her hands clenched. But she didn’t turn back. She walked out, chin high, eyes forward — pretending the sting in her chest wasn’t there.
When she reached the elevator, she caught her reflection in the mirrored doors. Smudged lipstick. Tangled hair. Eyes that looked like they’d forgotten what pride felt like.
She straightened. Pull yourself together, Lily.
By the time she stepped into the hotel lobby, she had fixed her makeup and her expression — cold, untouchable, the way she always pretended to be. But the stares still came. Men in tailored suits glanced up from their phones; women whispered as she passed. She pretended not to notice.
She just wanted to get out.
As she headed for the exit, the glass doors slid open — and in walked Alexa.
The world seemed to tilt for a moment. Alexa was radiant as always, in a cream-colored blazer and dark jeans, phone in hand, expression sharp and confident. The kind of woman who walked into a place and owned it without trying.
Their eyes met.
“Lily?” Alexa’s brows knit together. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Lily froze. “I… I was just—”
“Don’t lie,” Alexa cut in, stepping closer, her heels echoing. “You look like you just crawled out of a man’s bed.”
Lily’s breath hitched. She forced a laugh that didn’t reach her eyes. “Wow, thanks, Alexa. Always so kind.”
“I’m serious,” Alexa pressed, her tone sharp but curious. “Why are you here? Who were you with?”
Before she could answer, a deep, confident voice broke through the tension.
“Alexa.”
They both turned.
Miles Blackwood walked toward them like he owned the place — which, knowing him, he probably did. His suit was black, tailored to perfection; his presence commanded attention without effort. Every eye in the lobby seemed to follow him as he approached.
“Miles,” Alexa greeted, her tone instantly shifting — softening, almost.
He smiled faintly. “Didn’t expect to see you so early. I thought our meeting was at noon.”
“I could say the same,” she said, recovering her composure.
He chuckled, eyes warm as they met hers. “Maybe I was looking forward to seeing you.”
Lily’s breath caught.
She knew that voice. That smile. That face.
It was him.
The man she had stripped for weeks ago at the club — the one who hadn’t even asked her name but had burned himself into her memory anyway.
He was standing right there.
Her pulse pounded in her ears.
But he didn’t even glance at her.
Miles’ attention was fixed solely on Alexa. “I booked us a table upstairs,” he said. “Figured we could discuss the campaign over lunch instead of the office.”
Alexa smiled, a hint of amusement flickering across her face. “Lunch sounds perfect.”
He placed a hand on the small of her back — casual, familiar, confident. And just like that, they began to walk toward the elevators.
Lily stood frozen, unable to move.
The noise of the lobby faded; all she could hear was her heartbeat.
He didn’t recognize her.
Not even a flicker of recognition.
She was invisible to him — just another forgettable face in his world of wealth and power.
But she remembered everything. The way his eyes had burned into hers that night. The way he’d looked at her like he saw straight through her skin. And now, he was smiling at her cousin — the one person Lily couldn’t stand but still envied.
Alexa laughed at something he said, the sound light and unguarded. Miles’s hand brushed her arm as the elevator doors opened.
Lily’s stomach twisted.
Of all the men in the city, it had to be him.
Her fingers clenched around the strap of her purse as she forced herself to breathe.
Her lips parted as she whispered, barely audible, “Miles Blackwood…”
The name tasted bitter.
She turned away, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor as she made her way out of the hotel. The moment the cool air hit her face, she exhaled shakily, the weight of everything pressing down on her chest.
Her cousin was about to step into the orbit of a man who had already seen too much of her — a man who could destroy her with a single memory.
And as she disappeared into the street, one bitter thought echoed in her mind:
If Alexa ever found out the truth, there would be no coming back.
It would destroy everything.
- Writer
