Chapter 5

Vanessa’s POV

The walls of my bedroom felt smaller than they used to. Maybe it was the suffocating silence that made everything shrink around me. I laid on my bed, staring at the ceiling, my fingers brushing over my stomach. The secret that grew there felt heavier every day.

I hadn’t told my parents. How could I? The shame curled inside me like a parasite, feeding on every ounce of my self-worth. Telling them about the child I hadn’t planned…with Jason Knight… that was a weight I couldn’t bear. 

I’d thought about getting rid of it. More than once. I’d even driven to the clinic. But I could never bring myself to go inside. It wasn’t just fear of the procedure. It was fear of him. Jason. He’d made it clear in his measured, steely way that he wanted the baby.

I didn’t know what Jason was capable of, not really. But I knew enough to be afraid.

I squeezed my eyes shut. God, I need a break.

I needed to feel something other than this crushing sadness. This constant replay of Quinn's betrayal with his ex.

The idea struck me out of nowhere. A wild, reckless impulse I hadn’t felt in years. I grabbed my phone, my fingers trembling. Two names flashed on the screen—names I hadn’t dialed since my marriage. I’d cut myself off from them because Quinn said they were a bad influence. And I believed him.

Stupid

I took a shaky breath and pressed the call button.

An hour later, I was standing outside the club, the neon lights casting dizzying patterns on the pavement. I could hear the music and I realized I hadn’t felt this alive, this close to freedom, in what felt like forever.

“Vanessa!” Karen’s voice pierced through the noise, and a second later, she was hugging me tight. “Girl, where have you been? You dropped off the planet!”

“Yeah, and for what? That asshole?” Jasmine added, her sharp eyes narrowing as she looked me up and down. “We have so much to catch up on.”

Their warmth, their familiarity, almost broke me. I blinked back the tears threatening to spill. “I know,” I whispered. “I missed you guys.”

“Enough talking.” Karen looped her arm through mine, dragging me toward the entrance. “Tonight, we’re making up for lost time.”

Inside the club, all we did was drink. I didn’t count how many shots. The burn was the only thing that mattered. Karen laughed, Jasmine danced without getting up, and I let myself just vibe along.

At some point, I stumbled away from the music, needing a minute to breathe. My head was spinning as I made my way to the restroom.

When I was done, I turned to go back to my friends, but as I made my way through the crowd, I collided with a solid wall of muscle. I stumbled back, but strong hands caught my arms, preventing me from falling.

“Hey, careful,” a deep voice murmured, smooth and commanding.

I blinked up at the man in front of me but I could barely see his face. A laugh bubbled out of me, wild and bitter. I was very drunk at this point.

“Didn’t mean to crash into you, handsome,” I slurred, my fingers curling around his forearm. His skin was really warm.

I leaned in closer, my breath brushing his cheek. “You’re a call guy, right?” The words tumbled out before I could stop them, reckless and absurd. “I need… I need to forget.”

I couldn’t see his expression but he didn’t pull away. He didn’t correct me, didn’t laugh in my face.

“Is that what you want?” His voice was low, almost dangerous.

“Yes.” My fingers dug into his arm, desperate. “Please.”

I didn’t wait for him to answer. I grabbed his hand and tugged him through the crowd, my heart pounding. He followed and I didn’t care who he was. I didn’t care what kind of mistake I was making. All I knew was that, for tonight, I needed to lose myself.

And he was going to help me do it.

Couple of hours later, a dull pounding echoed inside my skull. My eyelids felt heavy, but when I finally pried them open, the blinding light made me wince. The sheets were soft and expensive. Looking around, I knew I was not in my bed.

“Oh no,” I thought in a panic. “Please, let this be a nightmare.”

Slowly, I turned my head and came face to face with Jason!

I shot up, clutching the sheet to my chest. The movement was too fast and I saw my clothes scattered on the floor.

What the hell did I do? I asked myself. How can this happen? Again!

I let out a horrified scream before I could stop it and Jason’s eyes snapped open immediately.

“Vanessa,” he called rather calmly.

“What the hell is this?” I asked, my voice shaking. “Why am I here? Why are you here?”

He leaned back slightly, the corner of his mouth lifting in an infuriating half-smile. “I didn’t force you into anything. You dragged me out of the club, remember?”

His words hit me like a slap. Memories flashed—my drunkenness, his dark eyes, my desperation to forget. The pieces didn’t fit perfectly, but the shame settled in my bones all the same.

I scrambled to grab my clothes, practically hopping into them. My hands were trembling, but Jason stayed silent, watching me with that unreadable expression that made me want to scream.

When I finally yanked my shirt over my head, I turned to face him. “This—this was a mistake.”

He didn’t deny it. He didn’t say anything, just held my gaze with that infuriating calm. I swallowed hard and turned toward the door. But before I could pull it open, someone from outside pushed it open.

The door slammed against the wall, and a rush of bodies flooded into the room. The flash of cameras blinded me as I began to hear questions upon questions.

“Mr. Knight! Who’s the woman?”  

“Is this your mistress?”  

“Is this Vanessa? 

 “Miss? Who are you to Jason Knight?”

I stumbled back in shock as I just stared. Cameras. Microphones. Strangers shouting accusations, snapping pictures of me in my disheveled clothes, my wild hair, my stunned expression. My humiliation was being captured from every angle.

This can’t be happening.

“Get out!” Jason’s voice cut through the chaos like a whip. His face was a mask of cold fury. “I said, “get out!”

The authority in his tone sent a wave of silence through the intruders, and one by one, they backed off. Jason stepped forward, his tall frame a shield between me and the flashing cameras. He glared at them, his jaw tight.

“Leave now, or I’ll make sure you regret it.”

They didn’t need another warning. The swarm retreated, the door swinging shut behind them, leaving an awful silence in their wake.

I couldn’t breathe. My heart pounded against my ribs, my hands clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms.

Jason turned to me, his eyes softening a little. “Vanessa—”

I took a step back, my voice shaking. “What the hell was that? Who were those people?”

He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “I believe it’s a setup. Someone wants to drag my name through the mud.”

“And I’m just collateral damage?” My voice cracked. “My life is ruined now, Jason! Do you get that?”

Before he could answer, my phone buzzed. I snatched it up with trembling hands. The notification on the screen made my stomach drop.

BREAKING NEWS: MYSTERIOUS WOMAN CAUGHT IN BED WITH BILLIONAIRE JASON KNIGHT—A SECRET AFFAIR OR A PAID ESCORT?

The blood drained from my face. My vision blurred as I scrolled through the article, the brutal words slicing into me.

“Sources claim the woman, identified only as Vanessa, has been seen with Knight before. Is she just another plaything for the powerful businessman? Speculations rise as to whether she’s been paid to keep his bed warm…”

I dropped the phone like it burned me.

Tears filled my eyes, hot and shameful. “They’re calling me a whore.”

Jason’s jaw tightened, his eyes flashing with something dangerous. “I’ll handle this.”

I didn’t even know what to say at this point.  I stumbled out of the room and left him standing there with nothing but silence.