Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Shattered Pieces and Goodbye Forever

Bianca's point of view 

Drowning in Heartbreak

The walls of my apartment felt like they were closing in, suffocating me in memories I didn’t want to relive. I sat curled on my bed, knees drawn to my chest, staring blankly at the city skyline through the large window.

Everything felt… empty.

My phone lay beside me, the screen dark. I had checked it too many times, hoping,no, dreading,that Louis would call. But of course, he hadn’t. He never would.

He was probably with her right now, celebrating their engagement, whispering the same sweet lies to Vivienne that he once whispered to me.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. Had I imagined it all?

"You’re the only one who makes me feel alive."

"I want you."

"Trust me."

Lies. Every single word.

I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my palm against my chest as if that would somehow ease the unbearable ache inside me. But the pain was relentless, sharp, and unforgiving.

I had given him everything.

And in return, he had destroyed me.

---

The sharp clicking of heels echoed through my apartment before I even looked up. The scent of expensive perfume filled the air,cloying, suffocating.

My mother, Veronica Carlisle, stood at my doorway, arms crossed, lips curled in amusement.

"Look at you," she sneered. "Heartbroken over a man who was never yours to begin with."

I should have expected this.

I wiped at my damp cheeks, forcing my expression to harden. "What do you want?"

Veronica stepped inside, her presence like poison seeping into the room. "To give you some much-needed perspective, Bianca." She tilted her head, studying me like I was some pathetic creature. "Did you really think a Monte would choose you over Vivienne?"

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. "Leave."

"Face it," she continued, undeterred. "You were nothing more than a… passing indulgence. Louis did what any man of his status would do,he picked the woman who could actually match him. Not the one with a disgraced family name."

My chest tightened, but I refused to let her see me break.

"You think I don’t know that?" I whispered, my voice trembling with rage.

Veronica smiled. "Good. Then do yourself a favor, Bianca. Leave. Because if you stay here, you’ll only be drowning in the scraps of a world that was never meant for you."

She turned and walked out, her words slicing through me like a blade.

Maybe she was right.

I had no reason to stay.

This city, this life,it would only remind me of him.

I wiped away the last of my tears and moved with purpose, dragging out my suitcase and throwing my clothes inside.

I wasn’t going to be the girl who begged for love. I wasn’t going to be the girl who waited for a man who had already chosen someone else.

I was leaving. For good.

As I zipped up my suitcase, my phone buzzed. A message.

Emily: Come to the bachelor party. One last time. You need closure, B.

I stared at the message, my fingers trembling.

Closure.

That’s what I needed, right?

One last look at him. One last chance to convince myself that I no longer loved Louis Monte.

I grabbed my coat.

One last time.

The Monte family spared no expense. The hotel was a luxurious tower of excess,gold chandeliers, flowing champagne, and men in suits throwing money around like it meant nothing.

I stood at the bar, gripping a glass of whiskey, my heart hammering as my gaze searched for him.

And then, I saw him.

Louis.

Dressed in a black suit, sleeves rolled up just enough to expose the strong lines of his forearms. He was laughing, drink in hand, his lips curled into that effortless smirk that used to undo me.

For a moment, I hated him.

And then our eyes met.

The smirk vanished. His expression turned unreadable. But I saw the flicker of something in his gaze,something dark, something dangerous.

I took a long sip of my drink, willing my nerves to settle.

And that’s when everything blurred.

My vision swam, the lights turning into dizzy streaks of gold. My fingers went numb, my legs weak. The floor beneath me seemed to tilt.

Something was wrong.

I stumbled forward, gripping the edge of a table for support. My heartbeat pounded erratically, my breath shallow.

Someone had spiked my drink.

I needed to leave.

But as I turned, my balance faltered, and the only thing keeping me from collapsing was the firm grip that caught my arm.

"Bianca?"

Louis’s voice.

Of all the people in this damn hotel, he was the one who found me.

I tried to speak, but my words slurred. My body felt unbearably warm, a strange mix of dizziness and something else,something worse.

Desire.

The drug was messing with my head, my emotions. I hated him, but God, my body still remembered him.

"Who did this to you?" His voice was tight, dangerous.

I forced a shaky breath. "I… don’t know."

His jaw clenched. "Come with me."

I didn’t know how we got to his hotel suite.

All I knew was the way his hands felt on my skin as he steadied me, the way his scent surrounded me,cologne and whiskey, sin and memories.

"You should lie down," he murmured.

But I didn’t want to lie down. I wanted,God, I wanted—

I grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. "You still want me," I whispered. "Don’t lie to me, Louis."

His hands tightened at my waist. "You don’t know what you’re saying."

I let out a breathless laugh. "Don’t I?"

I pressed against him, feeling his body tense. His fingers dug into my hips, his resolve unraveling as our eyes locked.

And then, he kissed me.

It wasn’t gentle. It was raw, desperate, filled with anger and need. His hands roamed my body, pulling me closer, as if he could erase the pain between us

with nothing but touch.

I kissed him back with the same fury, the same hunger.

Tonight, there were no lies, no betrayals.

Just us.

One last time.