The drive was quiet, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It was thick with tension… the kind that wrapped around you, pulled at you, and refused to let go.

I kept stealing glances at him, trying to make sense of everything. His hands were steady on the wheel, his jawline sharp, eyes focused on the road…but I could feel him watching me from the corner of his eye too.

“Where are we going?” I couldn't hold back anymore so I finally asked, my voice soft.

“Somewhere safe,” he replied without turning to look at me. “You’ve had enough chaos for one night.”

I wanted to ask more, but I let it go.

Immediately I remember where I've seen him before __ at my wedding. The sarcastic, yet caring stranger.F*ck how I not have remembered.

I wanted to ask him about that day…

But I didn't even have the mind to ask him about it so I brushed it off maybe some other day.

Fifteen minutes later, we pulled into a private compound. The gates opened automatically. The house or should I say mansion, stood like something out of a luxury magazine. Sleek architecture, dark glass, glowing lights, and silence.

He stepped out and came around to open my door.

“Come,” he said.

I followed him inside.

The interior was modern and spotless. Black, grey, and gold tones. Everything screamed class… and money. But there was something else…this wasn’t just a home. It was a fortress. Guards, security cameras, quiet efficiency.

He gestured for me to sit on the wide leather couch, then disappeared for a second. When he returned, he held a glass of water.

“Drink,” he said simply.

I took it. My hands trembled slightly, not from fear … more from being overwhelmed.

He sat across from me, elbows on his knees, his eyes never leaving my face.

“You’re brave,” he said. “Most women would’ve broken down.”

“Maybe I did… just silently,” I replied, surprised at my honesty.

A small smile touched his lips.

“What’s your name?”

I blinked. “You don’t know?”

“I didn’t ask before. I wanted to hear it from you.”

“It's Arianna Huffington”

He nodded slowly.

“Arianna. It suits you.”

Silence settled again, but this time, it was different. Warmer. Almost… electric.

I looked down at my hands, suddenly nervous.

“Why did you help me?”

He leaned back, his gaze sharper now.

“Because I don’t tolerate disrespect. Especially to a woman who didn’t deserve it.”

That answer should’ve been enough. But deep down, I knew there was more. I felt it in the way he looked at me.

“And what now?” I asked, lifting my chin slightly.

His eyes darkened.

“Now… you rest. And tomorrow, we talk.”

“About what?”

He stood, walked over, and gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

“About why I don’t intend to let you walk away so easily.”

My breath caught.

Whatever game I’d stepped into… I wasn’t ready. But it was already too late to back out and there's no going back.