Chapter 2

~Sophia

My heart was in pieces, shattered beyond repair, as I stumbled out of Ethan's apartment. Every step felt heavier than the last, and my body moved on autopilot, numb and disconnected from my racing mind. I didn't even realize I was trembling until my hands struggled to fit the key into the ignition of my car.

With a shaky breath, I turned the key, and the engine roared to life. As I drove through the city, the lights and sounds blurred together, creating a dizzying kaleidoscope of colors that matched the chaos swirling inside me. I didn’t know where I was going, but that didn’t matter. All I knew was that I had to get away.

Away from the pain. Away from the betrayal that suffocated me, threatening to pull me under.

The streets stretched on endlessly, and somewhere in the distance, a neon sign flashed in the night—a club. Without thinking, I swerved into the parking lot, tires screeching against the pavement. I had no plan, no intention other than to drown myself in noise and forget, even if only for a few hours.

Inside, the music hit me like a wave, the heavy bass pounding in my chest, drowning out my thoughts. I pushed through the crowd, grabbed a drink, and downed it in one gulp. The alcohol burned, numbing the edge of my grief, if only for a moment.

The dance floor called to me, and I let the music take over. I moved with the rhythm, losing myself in the beat, letting it consume me. For a while, the pain faded, replaced by the thrum of the music coursing through my body.

I closed my eyes, swaying to the sound. But when I opened them, my gaze landed on a man sitting alone at the edge of the dance floor.

Tall, dark-haired, and brooding, his eyes were locked on mine. A cigarette dangled from his lips, his expression unreadable. Something about him sent a chill down my spine—dangerous but magnetic. 

He took a slow drag from his cigarette, never breaking eye contact. His gaze held me captive.

Without a word, he motioned for me to come closer, a flick of his wrist beckoning me. My heart raced as I hesitated, torn between fear and a pull I couldn’t explain. 

Before I could decide, he was there, his body close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him.

"Dance with me," he said, his voice low, gravelly.

I froze, but he didn’t wait for an answer. His hand found my waist, pulling me toward him. "Come on," he whispered.

The world around me disappeared as we moved together, our bodies pressed close. "You dance like you’re running from something," he murmured, his lips near my ear, his breath hot on my skin.

"I’m just...having fun," I replied, my voice unsteady.

His laugh was soft, almost dangerous. "No," he said, his hand sliding lower on my waist. "I think you're trying to forget."

A shiver ran through me, his touch sending sparks along my skin. "What’s your name?" he asked, his lips so close to mine I could feel the warmth of his breath.

"Sophia," I whispered.

He smiled, a dark, predatory smile. "Nathaniel," he said, his name rolling off his tongue like a promise. "Nathaniel James  ."

The name hit me like a shockwave. Nathaniel James  —the billionaire. His name was whispered in boardrooms with a mixture of fear and admiration.

I stumbled back, the weight of his name sinking in, but his grip tightened, pulling me closer again. "Don’t leave," he whispered, his voice soft, hypnotic.

I should have walked away. I should have turned and never looked back. But his touch, his presence, was intoxicating, and I found myself drawn to him, despite every warning in my mind.

"Let’s go somewhere quieter," he murmured, his lips brushing against my ear. The suggestion was laced with promise, the kind of promise that made my heart race and my blood run cold.

Despite every warning blaring in my head, I nodded.

Nathaniel led me through the crowd, his hand never leaving mine. The music faded behind us as we moved deeper into the club, into a private room cloaked in shadows. The air was thick with smoke and the scent of expensive cologne, the atmosphere both intimate and stifling.

He sat down on a leather couch, pulling me onto his lap with a practiced ease. His hands roamed over my body, his touch igniting something inside me. "I want you," he whispered, his voice rough against my ear.

I shivered, the words sending a thrill through me. But as his hands moved lower, as his breath warmed my neck, something shifted inside me—a memory, distant and painful, rose to the surface.

"No," I whispered, the word barely audible.

Nathaniel didn’t stop. His grip tightened, his lips brushing against my skin. "Don’t fight it," he murmured, his voice low and commanding.

Panic flared in my chest, and I pushed against him. "Stop!" I cried, my voice louder now, more forceful.

He pulled back, confusion flickering across his face. "What’s wrong?" he asked, his voice softer now. "Are you okay? You know you can talk to me, what's the problem?"

"I can’t do this," I stammered, scrambling off his lap. My heart pounded in my chest as I grabbed my things, my hands shaking.

Without another word, I fled the room, the weight of the night crashing down on me. The cool night air hit me like a slap as I stumbled out of the club, my breaths coming in ragged gasps.

I collapsed against the wall outside, my body trembling as flashes of my past overwhelmed me. Memories I had tried so hard to bury clawed their way to the surface, refusing to let go.

I closed my eyes, pressing my hands to my temples, willing the images to stop. But they wouldn’t. They crashed over me like waves, drowning me in a sea of pain and regret.

I had thought I could forget. I had thought I could run from my past. But it was always there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the moment to drag me back under.