Julius’s POV

I woke up slowly, the dull ache in my head making me wince. My body felt heavy and half-naked under the duvet. For a moment, I didn’t recognize the figure beside me. The dim light of the room made her face shadowed, and my heart jumped in confusion.

I watched the room and wondered how I got there. “Why the hell am I in such a fanciful room? And who’s this lady underneath the duvet?”

I sat up abruptly, panic setting in. My hands trembled as I grabbed my clothes from the chair and shoved them on as quickly as I could.

I stumbled on a bunch of keys on the table and grabbed it right away. “These must be her car keys.” I whispered.

The clinging of the keys woke her right away.

“Julius… you’re awake,” she said softly, eyes wide, a mix of relief and fear on her face.

I didn’t answer. My fingers tightened on the car keys I’d grabbed instinctively. She looked at me, pleading, her lips quivering, trying to explain. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen… we both ended up drunk, it was—”

I cut her off with a harsh laugh that sounded hollow in the quiet room. “Didn’t mean? You planned this, didn’t you?” I stepped closer, my voice was trembling with rage. “First, you took away my brother, and now you want to make me miserable for the rest of my life? Is that it?”

Her hands went up, her voice desperate. “Julius, no! I swear, I didn’t! It was an accident. I didn’t—”

“I don’t care!” I shouted, grief and fury erupting. “Shut the hell up! You swine. How dare you get me drugged and take advantage of my…” I couldn’t complete that. I was blocked, totally. I paused and breathe heavily as she stared back at me. Her eyes reddened.

I could see her lips moving, trying to plead further, but my vision was blurred with anger. The room felt smaller, hotter, and every beat of my heart was an echo of the boy I had lost. My hand twitched toward her, the temptation to act out rising—but I caught myself, shaking my head.

Even now, in the heat of rage, my subconscious betrayed me for a split second. I saw her—the curve of her waist under the duvet, her hair falling like a dark halo, her eyes still pleading, her mouth slightly open, the shape of her body beneath the sheets. Dangerous. Beautiful. I shook the thought away immediately. No. Not now. Not ever.

Elara’s voice cut through my anger again. “Please, Julius, don’t hate me entirely. I never meant to—”

“Don’t come close,” I growled, stepping back. “And don’t think for a second I’ll forgive you.”

“Grandma said I should let it go, but you see these keys? I’m not giving it back to you. I’m not calling the cops, but you won’t have any way to escape or cause more harm.”

She froze, eyes wide. “Julius, please… I—”

I didn’t let her finish. I turned and walked out of the room, keys clutched tightly in my hand.

The morning air outside was cool, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside me. Every step I took felt heavy, weighed down by grief, rage, and the bitter twist of betrayal.

I found myself wandering to the garden behind the my furniture shop. The sun hadn’t fully risen, and the soft light made everything seem unreal. I leaned against a tree, looking down at the keys in my hand. They felt like a chain, both a tool and a reminder of what had happened last night.

I replayed the events in my head—the crash, the hospital, Elara’s desperate attempts to help, and the way she had looked at me last night. Her hands, her voice, even her eyes haunted me. There was something about her, something that I couldn’t fully name, that made her feel… dangerous. Beautifully dangerous. But I knew better than to act on it. Not now. Not ever. She had taken something from me I could never get back.

The garden was quiet except for the faint rustle of leaves. I tried to focus on my anger, my chest still ached, on the empty space my brother had left behind. Every thought of her tempted me to curse, to lash out, to do something irrational—but I restrained myself. She had done enough.

I sighed and looked up. The hotel gates opened, and someone walked in. A familiar figure, tall and confident, wearing a suit that made him look sharper than he actually was. For a moment, I didn’t recognize him, but then I did.

My new co-worker and friend for the past few days.

My breath caught.

I froze, keys still in my hand. He moved closer, smiling slightly, oblivious to the storm brewing inside me. “Hey, Julius. Didn’t expect to see you here so early,” he said casually.

I didn’t answer immediately. My mind spun, connecting dots too fast. This was the same

I felt the keys tighten in my grip. My chest rose and fell rapidly.

“Heard about the sad incident, I’m so sorry bro.” He voiced low. He sat beside me and rubbed my shoulders with his hand. The pain grew as he continued to compel me into saying snowing since I’d been quiet.

“Come on, Julius, talk to me. What happened? You’ll have to calm your nerves and focus on the future. You’ve got yourself more than a friend, I’m a brother.”

I was consoled by his words. Ever since he joined us at this workshop, he’s been a very straightforward and active member, an entrepreneur. I exhaled and turned to him.

“You had to see him, he looked cold. There was no mercy. And from what the doctor said, the driver was on a high speed. Caleb never stood a chance, and he’s too young.”

“I understand, a young teenager of 13, survive such a gruesome accident is rare. But chill-up, I’ve got you brother, you’ll need to relax. He stood. “Well, myself I’ve got a pretty bad day,”

“Hmm, bad? What more happened to you worse than losing someone?”

“Julius, my girlfriend caught me in bed with her mom just a few hours ago, and trust me, I think she’s never going to see me again.”

“What?! You actually… where’d she go after seeing what she saw.”

“I don’t know, she just felt so furious, entered her car and zoomed off.”

I paused. The keys in my hands sounded a big reminder to me. I hoped nothing similar comes out of these. I imagined someone driving after witnessing such an incident. Curiosity though made me ask.

“Kyle?”

“Yes,”

“What car did she drive?”

“It’s a…. A Mercedes Benz E350.”

I felt a thud in my chest as I watched the logo on the car keys. It was a Mercedes.