Inside the dimly lit suite, the man gradually regained consciousness.
He hadn't been able to catch a clear glimpse of the woman's face, he thought.
On the floor, his phone vibrated relentlessly against the carpet, the sound cutting through the silence of the room.
Reaching down to retrieve it, he felt his heavy brows knit together the moment he recognized the caller ID.
"Grandma, is this some kind of joke to you?" he demanded, his voice rough. "You actually arranged someone for me?"
Driven by a desperate obsession for a great-grandchild, his grandmother had resorted to every tactic she could think of to set him up with someone.
From the other end of the line, his grandmother let out a guilty, awkward chuckle. "I haven't the slightest clue what you're talking about, dear. Oh, heavens! The reception is terrible-I can't hear a word you're saying!"
Before he could even begin to argue, the call was abruptly disconnected.
Shaking his head with a bitter, wry laugh, he stepped into the shower to wash away the night; upon emerging, his eyes caught the glint of a bracelet on the floor, which he picked up and began to examine closely.
It was a simple piece, adorned with plain charms that looked like something bought from a common street market.
Narrowing his eyes, he spotted a tiny engraving on the charm. "K&H."
Clearly, this belonged to the woman who had been here.
Settling onto the sofa by the window, he lit a cigarette and watched the smoke curl into the air as he dialed his assistant. "I need the surveillance footage from outside Suite 1107, starting from two hours ago."
True to form, his assistant worked with lightning speed, delivering the requested files within thirty minutes.
With the cigarette still dangling from his lips, he hit play and watched as the woman was led directly into his room, Suite 1107.
By a striking coincidence, this was a woman he had encountered previously.
She was Kaitlin, the woman with the same initial engraved in that bracelet.
A subtle smirk touched his lips as he inhaled deeply from his cigarette, the smoke curling around his sharp features. After his assistant provided a fresh suit, he changed and exited the room with purposeful strides.
Outside, a steady November drizzle chilled the air. Confined to the guest room, Kaitlin felt a hollow sense of despair while listening to the rhythmic pacing in the corridor.
After lying motionless for an eternity, she forced herself up and threw her weakened frame against the door.
"I need to talk to Hugh. Seriously, I'll do whatever he wants, just tell him to let me out of here," she rasped.
The bodyguard stationed outside hesitated before disappearing down the hall. He returned shortly to turn the key. "Mr. Williams is waiting in the study."
Kaitlin forced her leaden limbs to move, slowly making her way toward the study.
She glanced around the interior, noting the decor she had meticulously selected-from the sconces to the greenery. This mansion had been the trophy of her and Hugh's first successful business venture.
She had once envisioned this house as a sanctuary for their future family.
Reality, however, had taken a far more bitter turn.
When Kaitlin reached the study, the door was slightly ajar. Through the narrow gap, she saw a petite woman seated on Hugh's lap-it was Rosalie. Her arms were wrapped around his neck.
Rosalie leaned into him with a coy expression. "Look, Miss Clarke is your ex. I don't want us to upset her. Everyone at the office is gonna think you're ungrateful for forgetting how much she helped you start out."
Idly twirling a soft lock of her hair, Hugh leaned closer to inhale the intoxicating scent of her perfume. "Her compensation at Pioneer Group was more than generous; she ought to have known when to stop. Since she dared to plot against you, letting her live was the greatest act of mercy I could offer."
Gazing at her with adoration, he whispered, "Rosalie, you are the only woman who holds my heart now."
Standing frozen in the hallway, Kaitlin felt her nails bite into her skin as a fresh wave of agony ripped through her already hollowed chest.
Forcing the door wide, she finally crossed the threshold and stepped into the room.
Staring at the face she once loved, Kaitlin saw only a terrifying stranger lurking behind his handsome features.
Releasing a jagged, hollow laugh, she felt the hot tracks of tears spilling down her cheeks.
Decisively, she lunged forward in a blur of fury and tore Rosalie from his arms.
