chapter –2

Amelia’s pov

The first thing I felt was a deep, pounding pain in my head. not the normal type of headache—the heavy, sick kind that comes when you regret everything. My mouth was dry. my arms felt like they weighed a ton. my legs too. and the second i opened my eyes, i knew i wasn’t in my bed.

this room wasn’t mine. The bed was too wide. The blanket was half on the floor. The sheets looked like they’d been pulled and twisted in every direction. and right beside me?

no one.

I sat up slowly, my chest sinking. He was gone. the man i’d slept with last night—completely gone. just like that. no note. no number. not even a message.

but he was gone. just like that. like he was never even here at all.

“what did I do?” I whispered.

I pushed my fingers through my messy hair. My head felt heavy.

I closed my eyes, trying hard to think straight.

last night was a blur, flashes and lights in my face.

I had a drink in my hand with loud music.

his arms pulled me close.

his eyes on mine like nothing else in the world mattered.

I fell for that look. I believed it. I let him in. I gave in. again.

and now, all i felt was anger. at myself.

How did I let this happen again? I had made a promise—never again would I be used. never again would i wake up feeling like i didn’t matter. but here I was, naked in some man’s bed, feeling like nothing.

“all of them are the same,” I muttered bitterly. “every single one.”

I got up from the bed. I wrapped the sheet around myself. all my clothes were thrown around the floor. my dress from the night before was sitting in the corner. It looked terrible. I grabbed it and picked it up. The smell was awful - cigarettes and sweat and those nasty drinks. made my stomach feel gross. I walked around looking for my phone. found it sitting on the table. I checked what time it was. made me feel even more sick.

“shit. work.”

not just any regular workday. Today was the day the new CEO of Raven Media arrived.

Everyone kept talking about it for days. How we needed to look. how to talk. how to act. and there i was. waking up in some guy's apartment. head pounding. makeup all messed up. only two hours to get ready.i ran to the small bathroom. splashed cold water on my face. I looked at myself in the mirror.

my eyes were puffy. my mascara was gone. my heart? crushed.

I didn't even know his name.

all i had were the memories—how he kissed me, how he made me feel. just for one night. Then he left. no goodbye. no note. nothing.

When I got home there was barely an hour before work. I jumped in the shower. scrubbed really hard. like I could get him off my skin. Then I dried my hair. made it straight. I got dressed.I picked my nicest clothes. a dark green shirt. black tight skirt. put on my tan heels.

They made me look taller than I felt.

My makeup was simple. light. just enough to cover what I didn't want the world to see.

I kept telling myself—walk into that office like nothing happened.

I wouldn't fall apart. I wouldn't let last night destroy me.

raven media was all i had left. This job meant everything. Nathan had already destroyed me—cheating with my stepsister like I was disposable. I was done playing the fool. done being heartbroken.

I stepped into the office with my chin up. The whole floor was buzzing. People looked sharp and stressed, checking everything twice. There was tension in the air. Everyone was trying not to mess up. Even the air felt thick—with nerves and expensive perfume.

“he’s here,” someone whispered. “the new ceo just walked in.”

my heart skipped. I wiped my hands on my skirt, suddenly cold.

After what felt like forever, we were all told to gather in the conference room. The moment had come. We were about to meet the man who would run the company from now on. the one everyone had been whispering about.

mr. Ethan Smith.

I adjusted my collar, took a shaky breath, and followed the rest in. I gave tight smiles, trying to seem normal, and sat near the front. My hands were shaking in my lap.

Then the door opened.

and everything inside me stopped.

no.

it couldn’t be.

but it was.

he walked in—tall, confident, sharp jaw, those deep eyes I couldn't forget. the man i had slept with just last night.

Ethan Smith.

my one-night stand… was the new CEO.

my heart slammed so loud I was sure someone could hear it. I couldn't move. couldn’t speak. I just started.

he didn’t look at me. not even once. He walked to the front, calm as ever, said hello to everyone, and started talking about the company like we hadn’t shared a bed just hours ago. like he hadn’t kissed me all over.

Was I still dreaming?

no. This was real. too damn real.

I tried not to react. maybe… just maybe… he didn’t recognize me. Maybe the lights had been too low. Maybe I was just another face to him. Maybe he had forgotten.

but something inside me said no. He remembered. He knew exactly who I was. Maybe he had known even before we ended up together.

I could not focus on what he said. His voice went away. My ears made noise. My stomach hurts. I nodded when other people did. I laughed but did not hear any jokes. I wrote stuff on my paper. just to look busy. so i would not break down.after he finished talking he came down. started shaking hands with people. Everyone tried to look extra interested. some giggled. Some flirted. He smiled at each one like a man who had total control.

Then he walked toward me.

I stopped breathing.

my hands were damp again. I wiped them on my skirt. My back straightened. I faked a smile. I felt like running, but I stayed still.

This job was my life. if he ruined it, i had nothing.

he held out his hand.

“hi,” he said smoothly. “Nice to meet you. I'm Ethan.”

I looked at his hand for a second. then looked at his eyes.he did not move. did not blink. I just looked calm and nice. like we never met before.was he faking it?i reached for his hand. my fingers shook a little. "amelia," I said. kept my voice normal. "Nice to meet you too."When our hands touched I felt it. heat. panic. shame. I did not know if he felt it too. or if he was just good at hiding things.he looked at me too long. like he was looking for something on my face.maybe he remembered.or maybe he was really good at pretending.i had to keep it together.because everything was hanging on this. my job. My name. my future. all of it.