UNTIL DAWN

Chapter Seventeen

One direction - 

story of my life 

RIP Liam

ACE'S POV

It was hard to process what had just happened.

I was close to emptying the bottle of scotch in front of me, but the image of Debbie, naked with some guy she had just met at the hotel, kept replaying in my mind.

She had insisted on staying with me at the same hotel while I met with clients, and I reluctantly agreed since her schedule was in the same location. I had made it clear that I'd be busy, but she wouldn't take no for an answer so, i let her be.

After wrapping up my last meeting, I decided to hit the gym, thinking I had a few moments to spare before heading back to New York. I froze when I found Debbie with the stranger, caught in an intimate moment.

I didn't reveal my presence; I was unsure how I would react.

After the encounter I couldn't think of anything except getting wasted to forget the fury building within me. I felt the tempting urge to lash out, even though deep down I knew that it wasn't a good idea.

In undergrad, we dated for less than a month, but we remained friends, ending things on good terms. During grad school, her modeling career took off, and she began attending high-profile fashion shows for brands like Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, and YSL.

When I took over at Don Corp, she was already a rising star, and we grew closer over time. A year ago, we began seeing each other again, but it was casual—until shareholders pressured me to settle down.

They believed a young bachelor couldn't be trusted to grow their investments. 

A few days later, she suggested we get engaged. I saw no harm in it because at that time I thought that we knew whatever needed to be known between people who were considering living together and agreed, thinking it was a practical arrangement. 

Technically, we were living together anyway. We both weren't in any serious relationships, and I hadn't considered falling in love with anyone yet at that time. 

We decided to stop seeing other people and even agreed to divorce if things didn't work out in the future.

Now, I regretted every moment of that decision. My family didn't object, although I knew Lexus wasn't a fan of hers—then again, he wasn't a fan of anyone.

On my way home, I kept wondering where it all went wrong. Did I do something to make her think sleeping around was okay? It would have been one thing if it had happened before our engagement.

I called Lexus, feeling the urge to do something reckless if I was to stay alone but he didn't pick up. Frustrated, I headed to Vortex, hoping to find him, but he wasn't there.

Usually, when I was at Vortex with Lexus, I felt both at ease and frustrated—he flirted with everyone who met his gaze.

Lexus had striking gray eyes with hints of blue, making it hard for people to look away when he focused on them.

It was different when I was alone; many found it hard to approach me, and I liked it that way. Since becoming the CEO of Don Corp, it had become difficult to fool around, even if I wanted to. Over time, my desire to spend evenings at clubs or bars diminished.

I started going out again after Vortex opened, a club co-owned by Lexus. So, I was surprised when I realized that I got company who was bold enough to try and get my attention.

I gulped down the last of my scotch, focusing on the burning sensation and ignoring whoever was the intruder. My phone almost slipped out of my hand when I unlocked it to check the time. I was getting drunk.

"Buy me a drink. You might like the offer I have on the table." I heard her try her chances again.

"Excuse me?!" I replied, finally looking at her.

I frowned internally. She looked young—out of place. That was the first thing I was fast to recognize even though she made an effort to mingle. She didn't seem like the typical club girl; her fingers kept fidgeting nervously.

Had she come with her college friends and gotten lost?

"You are alone, aren't you?" she asked, trying to sound bold, but her nervousness was evident. It was somewhat adorable, but I could tell she was serious. With that question, I raised a brow at how straightforward she was being.

She placed the pulse on the table then folded her slender hands under her chin, looking at me with the prettiest hazel eyes. She didn't want to show any weakness, and I kind of liked it; she was interesting. 

Seeing that she was going to be a fun companion I was not expecting after the incident, I grinned.

Waving to the nearest bartender, I ordered her drink, which he quickly brought over. After taking a mouthful of her drink, she seemed to relax a little.

"I am Hazel, your first name?" she said, extending her small hand to shake, which trembled a little when my own big hand almost swallowed hers whole. Her hand was so small and soft.

"Why first name?" I asked, curious about her reasoning.

"There's no need to know other names since it is our last encounter anyway. one for tonight is enough." she replied without hesitation. So, she had a feisty side when somebody pushed her buttons.

"Whoa, so you are already confident I won't say no to your offer?" she nodded as a matter of fact and I grinned for real. This Hazel girl was something else, and I still had the whole night to find out.

"Ace. So, what brought you to a place like this?" I asked the question which had been nagging at me since the beginning.

"Why the sudden question? Am I not allowed to be here?" She looked alarmed but not surprised. I gently took her small hand, the one not holding her glass, noticing it tremble slightly.

"You are shaking." I pointed out the obvious. She reacted by pulling her slender hand away.

"You are making it obvious that you don't belong here, sweetheart." I sat back in the booth chair and fixed my eyes on her face. She fiddled with her pulse, a look of determination in her hazel eyes, then shocked me with the next words.

"Let's sleep together."

"Excuse me!!" My voice might have been louder than intended, drawing questioning looks from nearby patrons, which I ignored.