Chapter Four
1292 Words
The golden morning light spilled into the suite, soft and warm but it did nothing to ease the restlessness stirring inside Isabella. She sat curled up in one of the armchairs, legs tucked beneath her, while Diana and Elena lounged across from her, their expressions filled with curiosity and silent judgment.
It had been an hour since Isabella had dropped the bombshell.
An entire hour of dissecting the details, of her choices, of trying to figure out what the hell she was supposed to do now.
Diana sprawled dramatically on the couch, and let out a long sigh. “Alright, so let's break this down one more time. You met Adrian Woods at the casino and barely exchanged words, but there was a spark. Then fate—or, I don't know, the devil—threw you both into the same elevator. You flirted, you let him take you up to his penthouse, and you—”
“I think we've established what happened, Diana” Isabella interrupted, rubbing her temples.
“I don't think you get it,” Diana said stirring her coffee lazily. “ you slept with Adrian Woods. The Adrian Woods. Billionaire. Heir. Married.”
Isabella exhaled, leaning her head against the couch “Again, we've established that.”
Elena ever the calm one, set her cup down. “we've also established that this isn't just some guy. This is Adrian Woods. There are going to be consequences Izzy”
“I know,” Isabella said, staring at the soft lush white carpet on the floor.
She had barely slept after slipping out of Adrian’s penthouse at dawn. The moment she returned to the suite, she had grabbed a bottle of whiskey poured herself a drink, and blurted out the news to her friends. Now an hour later she was mentally exhausted.
“You don't seem shaken enough” Diana noted arching a brow.
“I don't regret it.” The words left Isabella's mouth before she could stop them.
Diana blinked. Elena paused.
A moment of silence.
Then, Diana let out a slow, knowing smirk. “ oh! Oh!! You nasty b***h” she pointed a spoon at Isabella “You enjoyed it”.
Isabella rolled her eyes “Of course I enjoyed it. I'm not dead.”
Elena sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “This isn't about whether or not it was good, Izzy. This is about the fact that Adrian Woods is married. This is about the fact that you were both running from something that night. And now that it's over, what's next?”
That was the question Isabella had been avoiding.
What next?
Nothing. That was what she had told herself, it was a one-night thing— something that should have stayed in the penthouse.
But her mind kept replaying the way Adrian had looked at her. The way he had touched her. And worse—the way he had let her leave as if he knew she was running as if he had expected it.
“Nothing happens next,” Isabella said firmly as if saying it would make it true. “I didn't leave my number. I don't have his. We'll never see each other again.”
Diana, unconvinced said, “You think you'll never see him again?”
“And you think you won't care when you do?” Elena added.
Isabella shook her head. “ it doesn't matter I have enough on my plate. Matthew is still a problem I have to deal with, and—”
“ speaking of that problem,” Diana interjected reaching for Isabella's phone “Did he call?”
Isabella grimaced. The moment she had returned to the suite, she had thrown her phone onto the coffee table, not ready to deal with the flood of missed calls and texts she knew were waiting for her.
“59 missed calls plus texts,” Isabella said Nonchalantly.
Diana Chuckled” he was probably losing his mind since last night “
“ let him lose it,” Isabella said flatly.
Elena crossed her arms “And how do you plan to handle him? You do realize that this is far from over right?”
Of course, she realized.
Matthew wasn't the kind of man to let things slide. He was calculating, and possessive, and despite his infidelity, he wouldn't take kindly to her stepping out of line.
But for the first time in a long time, Isabella didn't care she was done putting up with his bullshit.
She was tired of the pretense and pretending to be the perfect wife. Last night had been her first act of rebellion.
Isabella's jaw tightened “Nothing. I won't do anything, let him wonder”
Diana sighed dramatically. “Fine. If we are done with confessions, how about we enjoy our last day in Vegas? I say we hit the spa, then go shopping. You need a distraction, Izzy, and retail therapy fixes everything.”
Isabella managed a small smile. “That sounds nice.”
“Good, because I already reserved us a spa session,” Elena said, scrolling through her phone.
Diana grinned “See? You sleep with a billionaire and get pampered after. I’d call that a win.”
Isabella rolled her eyes but for the first time since leaving Adrian’s penthouse, she let herself laugh.
————————————————————————
Meanwhile in Adrian’s Penthouse
Adrian Woods was not a man who let things linger.
Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window of his penthouse, he sipped his coffee, staring out at the busy city below.
He wasn't impulsive, he wasn't the type to let emotions cloud his judgment. He had built his life on control, on careful calculation.
So why the hell couldn't he get Isabella Hartman out of his head?
He took another sip of his coffee as he stared down into the busy city, somewhere down there, she was back in her life like their night together had not happened.
And he had let her go.
For the first time in his life, he wasn't the one in control.
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
His phone vibrated three times on the table behind him snapping him from his thoughts. He turned exhaling slowly before checking the screen. It was a message from his father and Serena, his wife.
Dad: We need to talk. Call me when you're back in New York.
Serena: When would you be returning to New York?
His stomach twisted with something close to guilt.
He ignored the messages and tossed the phone onto the bed.
He sighed heavily
It was a one-night stand. Nothing more. Isabella was a temporary mistake in judgment.
He would forget her.
He had to.
There was a knock on the door before it opened. It was Adrian’s P.A “Good morning Mr. Woods,” he said “The jet is ready and we leave in thirty minutes.”
LATER THAT NIGHT—AT THE AIRPORT
The airport was busy and noisy with travelers coming and going but Isabella barely noticed.
Their time in Vegas had come to an end and for once, she was relieved. She needed to get back to reality — to her job, to her marriage, to everything that would make her erase the memory of Adrian Woods.
Elena and Diana chatted beside her as they waited for their flight to board.
She had done exactly what she had come to Vegas to do— escape, forget, lose herself.
Now she must return to her life.
And Adrian Woods would become nothing but a Vegas secret.
But fate had other plans.
- Writer
