Ava's pov
I woke up to a silence that wasn't mine, not the gentle hum of my fan, not the faint stir of my apartment in the early morning.
This silence was too thick, too unfamiliar and expensive. My head was banging,how much did I drink last night? I blinked slowly, trying to orient myself. The ceiling above me was impossibly high, white and pristine, with soft lighting tucked into the edges. My fingers grazed the sheets. They were smooth, cool, expensive. This was definitely not my apartment. Where was I? I looked down at my body and I was bare. Oh my God!!!
Panic sank like a stone into my stomach.
My eyes darted to the side very slowly. A man lay next to me, still asleep. Broad shoulders, dark hair brushing the line of his forehead, chest rising and falling with steady, deep breaths. The faint scent of cologne lingered in the air, mingling with the lingering warmth of skin.
My pulse jumped, this wasn't my room, this wasn't my bed. Fragments of the night before hit me like lightning.
The bar. The music. Too many drinks. Laughter that wasn't Liam's. His hand at my waist. The elevator ride. A hotel lobby I barely remembered.My chest tightened, this cannot be happening.
This—this had been my first time.
And I didn't even remember choosing him.
I froze, body trembling, thoughts racing. My hands shook as I collected the scattered pieces of my dress and shoes, throwing them over my arms like shields. My legs felt weak beneath me, but I forced myself upright.
He stirred slightly in his sleep I held my breath not to wake him up. His eyes didn't open, thank goodness!!
I couldn't stay. I had to leave, immediately. I tiptoed towards the exit, every step toward the door was careful, silent, panic threading through my spine. I finally got to the door my fingers fumbled with the lock, heart hammering in my throat, when it finally opened and I was out.
The hallway outside was brighter than I expected, sterile and empty. I didn't wait for the elevator. I took the stairs, two at a time, until the cool air of the street hit my face like reality itself.
I hailed a cab without thinking. My reflection in the glass caught my eyes — wide, red-rimmed, haunted. My hair stuck to my forehead, my hands trembled, and I could feel the soreness in places I didn't want to name.
What had I done?
Every instinct screamed at me: don't think. Don't remember. Just get home.
I did get home, when I finally slid my key into the lock and collapsed against my apartment door, I didn't even care that it made a loud click. I needed my phone. I needed some tether to the world.
And there it was. Messages.
Missed calls. Two from Liam.
And below them, one glowing with Claire's name.
Claire: Can I ask you something?
I stared at it. My thumb hovered. My chest ached.
I couldn't process everything at once. The night. The man. My first time. Liam. Claire. Everything tangled into a mess of regret, shame, and confusion.
I didn't respond. I just held my phone in my hand, wishing it would disappear.
********************************************
Meanwhile, across the city, Alex Volkov stirred in his sleep. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, catching in the expensive blinds, and he reached instinctively across the bed. Empty. Empty?
He blinked slowly, sitting up, scanning the room. Nothing but the tangled sheets where she had been. No note. No trace of her.
He ran a hand through his hair, jaw tightening, remembering the night in sharp, clear flashes — her laugh, the way her lips had hesitated before her smile, the delicate arch of her brow when she'd looked at him. He remembered every second.
"She ran," he murmured, almost amused, almost frustrated. He stood, muscles tensing, and strode toward the window.
On the nightstand lay nothing but his phone.
He picked it up. Calm and precise. "Find her."
"Yes, sir," came the response.
Alex's eyes lingered on the empty side of the bed.
He didn't know her name. Yet.
But he would.
*******************************************
(Ava)
Back in my apartment, I finally looked at Claire's message again.
Claire: Can I ask you something?
My thumb hovered. My heart raced, my mind replayed the hotel. The stranger, my own hands, my own choices.
I didn't know which disaster to untangle first.
And for the first time, I didn't know who I was anymore.