Kayla’s POV
Months had passed since that night.
We had both been drunk, and the room had been dark.
To him, I was probably just another woman he’d never see again.
But I remembered everything.
His face.
His voice.
The way he looked at me that night.
I could never forget.
Lucien placed his glass on a nearby table and slowly walked toward the bed.
Each step made my heart beat faster.
“You passed out before my driver could even stop the car,” he said calmly.
“You were freezing, soaking wet, and walking around in the middle of a snowstorm without a proper coat.”
His eyes stayed on me.
“Do you have a death wish?”
I swallowed.
“I… I slipped,” I said quietly.
“I’m sorry.”
He didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he kept looking at me.
His eyes slowly moved across my face as if he was trying to remember something.
“You look familiar,” he finally said.
My breathing stopped.
“Have we met before?”
Time seemed to freeze.
This was my chance.
All I had to do was tell him the truth.
Tell him about that night.
Tell him he was the father of the baby growing inside me.
One sentence could change my entire life.
No more struggling to survive.
No more worrying about rent or hospital bills.
But fear was stronger.
The man standing in front of me wasn’t kind.
He was powerful.
Cold.
The type of man who controlled everything around him.
If I told him now, I wouldn’t have any control over my own life anymore.
He could take my baby, He could decide everything for us..I wasn’t ready to risk that.
So I forced myself to smile.
“No,” I said softly.
“I don’t think we’ve ever met.”
He stared at me for another long moment.
Finally, he looked away.
“Fine,” he said.
“Whatever happened out there, be more careful next time.”
He picked up his phone from the nearby table.
“My driver will take you home.”
He didn’t even look at me.
“I have work to do.”
I slowly pushed myself into a sitting position.
My body still felt weak.
“Wait…”
He stopped walking.
“What?”
I opened my mouth… But no words came out.
I wanted to tell him.
I really did.
Instead, I lowered my eyes.
“Nothing.”
He let out a quiet sigh.
“Be out of my room in ten minutes.”
Without another word, he walked out, leaving me alone in the silent bedroom.
For a few seconds, I just sat there, staring at the closed door.
The room suddenly felt too quiet.
I looked around at the huge bedroom.
Everything looked expensive, from the marble floor to the dark wooden furniture.
It was nothing like the tiny apartment Sarah and I shared.
I carefully got out of bed, my legs shaking the moment my feet touched the floor.
My clothes had already dried, but they were wrinkled from yesterday.
Someone had folded them neatly and placed them on a chair beside the bed.
I quickly changed back into them.
Before leaving, I placed a hand on my stomach again.
“We’re okay,” I whispered, more to myself than to the little life growing inside me.
A few minutes later, a middle aged man dressed in a black suit was waiting downstairs.
“Miss,” he said politely, opening the car door for me.
“Mr. Throne asked me to take you home.”
I nodded quietly.
“Thank you.”
The drive was silent.
I leaned my head against the window, watching the snowy streets pass by.
Everything that had happened felt unreal.
After all these months… After wondering if I would ever see him again… Fate had brought us face to face.
And I had lied..Maybe Sarah would think I was stupid.
Maybe everyone else would too.
But deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that telling Lucien the truth right now would only make things worse.
He hadn’t even remembered me.
How was I supposed to believe he would suddenly care about me or this baby?
The car finally stopped outside Sarah’s apartment building.
The driver stepped out first and opened the door for me.
“We’re here, Miss.”
”Thank you,” I said again before climbing out.
The cold wind hit my face the moment I stepped onto the sidewalk.
By the time I reached Sarah’s apartment, I was completely exhausted.
The warmth inside wrapped around me as I shut the door.
I dropped my bag beside the couch and sat down with a tired sigh.
Everything hurt.
My body.
My head.
Even my heart.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone.
The screen stayed black, It was completely dead.
I didn’t even have the energy to look for the charger, I closed my eyes for what felt like only a second.
Less than ten minutes later, the front door burst open.
“Kayla!”
Sarah rushed inside, her face pale with panic.
She hadn’t even taken off her coat, Snowflakes still clung to her messy hair.
The second she saw me, she ran over and grabbed my shoulders.
“Oh my God!” she cried.
“Where have you been?”
She looked like she was about to cry.
“I’ve been calling you since last night!
Your phone was off!
I called hospitals, I checked everywhere!
I was getting ready to report you missing!”
”I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“My phone died.”
”Your phone died?” Sarah repeated in disbelief.
She let go of me and threw her hands into the air.
“That’s all you have to say?”
”You disappeared during a snowstorm after your mother threw you out!
You never came home!
Do you know how scared I was?”
”I know…” I said looking down”No, you don’t!” she snapped.
“Tell me what happened.”
I took a deep breath.
Slowly, I told her everything.
How I ran into the street without looking, The bright headlights, The car stopping just in time, Me Passing out, Waking up inside a luxury penthouse.
Sarah listened without saying a word.
Then I reached the last part.
“The owner of the penthouse…” I said quietly.
“It was Lucien Throne.”
Sarah froze.
Her eyes became so wide.
“What?”
”It was him.” I said.
She blinked several times as if she hadn’t heard me correctly.
“The Lucien Throne?”
I nodded.
“The one from that night.”