Chapter 2 The collision

Chapter 2 - The Collision

Hayley's POV

My eyes fluttered open, and the weight of last night's chaos hit me like a punch to the gut. The room was unfamiliar, a hazy recollection of heated breaths, wandering hands, and dark whispers rushed back to me in waves. I was alone now, but the memory of his touch still lingered on my skin, making me shudder. Who was he? And how the hell did I end up here?

I sat up, my heart racing. I needed to leave. This wasn't me - I wasn't the kind of girl who got lost in a stranger's arms. I scrambled for my clothes, trying to piece together how I'd ended up tangled in lust with a man whose name I didn't even know. The same burning question from last night taunted me: Who are you?

There was no time to dwell on it. I was late. Late for work, my mind screamed. As I fumbled through the hotel room, dressing myself in a rush, the humiliation started to creep in. What if I saw him again? Did he even care to know who I was?

"Ugh!" I cursed, throwing on my janitor uniform. This is not how I expected my life to go, cleaning hotel rooms by day, getting lost in anonymous encounters by night. I couldn't let last night define me. I needed to keep my head down and work, pretend like none of it ever happened.

I grabbed my things and rushed out the door, my mind racing as fast as my feet. I darted toward the elevator, silently praying it was empty. But fate had other plans.

The elevator doors slid open, and there he stood. Him. The man from last night. My breath caught in my throat, and I froze. He was dressed in a sharp, black suit, commanding, powerful... dangerously attractive.

For a split second, his eyes locked with mine, those same eyes that had burned into me in the dark. But there was no sign of recognition on his face. Cold. Calculated. Like last night was nothing more than a fleeting moment. His lips curled into a faint smirk, but it was void of warmth.

I snapped out of my daze, trying to rush past him into the elevator. Big mistake!

He stepped forward at the same time, and our bodies collided with force. My shoulder slammed into his chest, and I stumbled back, my heart racing from both the impact and the proximity.

"Watch where you're going!" I snapped, clutching my shoulder as if that would slow my racing pulse.

He narrowed his eyes at me, clearly unamused. "You should be more careful."

"Me?; You ran into me," I shot back, still reeling from the sudden encounter. My emotions were all over the place - anger, embarrassment, desire - and none of them made sense.

He raised an eyebrow, his voice dripping with arrogance. "You're late. Maybe you should focus more on getting to work and less on crashing into people."

I bristled at his tone, heat creeping up my neck. "And maybe you should stop acting like you own the place."

His smirk deepened, and he leaned in slightly, his voice low. "I do own the place."

I froze. What?

His words sank in like ice water. He wasn't just some random guy from last night. He was Anthony Whitmore-the CEO of Whitmore Enterprises, the man who owned half the hotels in the city, including the one I worked at. My heart sank into my stomach.

"I... I didn't realize..." I stammered, feeling the blood drain from my face.

His eyes flickered with amusement, but something darker too. "No, you didn't," he said smoothly, straightening up. "But now you do."

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but the words were caught in my throat. This can't be happening. I'd just slept with my boss. No, not just any boss-the CEO. My stomach twisted into knots, and panic started clawing at me. What the hell have I done?

Anthony's gaze lingered on me, sharp and unreadable. He wasn't going to let me off easy. He stepped closer, and I instinctively backed into the corner of the elevator, my body tensing at his nearness. His presence was overwhelming, intoxicating, just like last night. And despite the situation, despite how wrong it all was, I couldn't stop the electric current that surged between us.

"What's wrong, Hayley?" His voice was like velvet, wrapping around my name in a way that made my knees weak. "You seem... flustered."

I bit my lip, my mind screaming for me to get a grip. "I'm not flustered," I lied, my voice shaky, betraying me.

He chuckled, a deep, low sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "You're a terrible liar."

The tension was unbearable. I wanted to scream, to run, to do anything but stand there and face the undeniable attraction pulling me toward him. I hated it. I hated him for the way he looked at me, like he knew exactly what I was feeling. Like he owned me.

The elevator came to a sudden stop, and the doors slid open with a ding. My chance for escape.

I bolted out, my heart pounding in my chest. But just as I thought I was free, his hand shot out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me back to him. The world seemed to tilt as I was yanked into his space, his breath hot against my ear.

"Last night wasn't a mistake, Hayley," he whispered, his voice laced with a dark promise. "And this... this isn't over."

Before I could respond, he released me, turning on his heel and walking away, leaving me breathless and shaking. His words echoed in my mind like a curse, this isn't over.

I stood there, my pulse roaring in my ears, my skin still tingling from his touch. My mind raced with a thousand questions, but none of them had answers. I didn't understand what was happening, why he seemed so intent on playing this dangerous game with me.

But one thing was clear. This was far from over.

As I stood there trying to collect myself, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I fumbled to pull it out, my hands shaking as I unlocked the screen. A new message from an unknown number.

"Meet me in my office. Tonight. 8 PM. Don't be late."

My blood ran cold. It was Him.