Kidnapped To Vegas (A Spicy BadBoy Romance)

~~~DIANA~~~

The gift box slips from my fingers and shatters into tiny pieces on the tiled floor of the hotel lobby.

Eden freezes immediately. His eyes widen as soon as they land on me. "Shit! Diana!"

The man I just wedded two hours ago is on top of his boss. His bare ass was moving fast while her legs circled around his waist.

He hurries off her, dragging the sheet with him as he goes.

She sits up slowly, pulling the comforter over her chest.

She doesn't even look embarrassed. She looks rather annoyed.

The same woman he brought to his house three months ago and introduced as "just my boss, Bella, from work."

The same woman who smiled politely while I poured her coffee just a week ago.

Now she's moaning under him in a hotel room he booked in the same building where we just had our wedding.

Two hours ago I stood in front of everyone in that ballroom and promised to love him forever.

I smiled so wide my cheeks hurt because I really wanted to be the perfect wife for him.

My knees feel like jelly and I stagger back until my shoulder hit the doorframe.

Eden stumbles toward me, his belt still flying as he zips up his pants. "Diana, wait! It's... it's not what you think!"

I turn and start walking down the hallway, tears already blurring everything, but I keep moving.

He catches up fast and grabs my arm. "Sweetheart, please. Just listen to me for a second."

I spin around to face him, my breath shaking with so much rage.

"It's not what I think, Eden? What the hell do you mean it's not what I think?"

He rubs the bridge of his nose hard, like he's trying to push the shame away. His face is flushed red.

He knows he's been caught, and there's no quick lie that's gonna fix this.

I wipe my eyes roughly with my palms.

"The day I saw her at your house, you told me she was just your boss. So what the hell are you doing with your boss in a room, in the same hotel where you just married me two hours ago?"

He looks away for a second, then forces his eyes back to mine.

"Diana... that's not the room I booked for us, okay?"

My stomach growls and I almost feel like vomiting.

"You booked a different room for you and your boss?"

He breathes out and throws both hands up in the air like he's surrendering.

"I just needed some money, alright? It's not like I cheated for fun."

The hallway goes completely quiet.

My own heartbeat is screaming in my ears.

I stare at him, trying to make sense of what he just said.

"What... what do you mean you needed some money?"

He doesn't answer right away. His dark eyes fill with shame, but he still doesn't look sorry enough to make this hurt any less.

I have to ask again, just to be sure I heard him right. "Are you sleeping with your boss for money?"

He stays silent, grabbing his dark brown hair.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" My voice stutters.

He finally speaks with a sharp voice. "Explain that to me, Diana. What the hell did you want me to do?"

I flinch when he raises his voice at me, my back presses against the wall.

"I'm literally broke to the last penny!" he snaps.

"Who do you think pays your mom's hospital bills every month? Me!"

"Who do you think donates blood for your mom every time she has one of her episodes without ever asking you or her for a dime? That's me, Diana!"

"I pulled you out of the streets where you were selling hot dogs that barely paid for food, let alone your mom's medicine!"

"I got you a job that actually pays you five grand a month. And how the hell do you think we could afford this hotel for a nice wedding? Huh?"

Every single word hits me like a hot arrow straight through my heart, because he's right. He's been right about all of it for five years.

I met Eden when my mom's cancer got so bad we couldn't find a rare blood donor anywhere.

Hospitals kept turning us away. I was working double shifts on the roadside selling hot dogs, coming home with blisters on my hands and barely enough money left to buy her painkillers.

Then Eden showed up at the hospital one day. He donated without asking for anything in return.

He started covering the bills when I couldn't anymore.

He found me a job that finally gave me steady pay. Then he asked me out.

I didn't feel butterflies. I was too tired for anything romantic, but I felt grateful. So grateful that I said yes to everything.

Yes to dates. Yes to moving in.

Yes to sex even when it felt empty and dry.

Fake moans, quick finishes, nothing that ever made my body light up or my heart race.

I told myself it was enough. I told myself love could grow from gratitude.

I told myself I owed him my loyalty, my body, my future.

And I did owe him. I still do.

I swallow back my own words because I can't even yell at him.

Eden lets out a long, exhausted breath, like saying all that finally got the truth off his chest. "I'm so sorry, Diana."

I bite my lips till I feel sharp pain there. Because I want to scream at him.

I emptied my entire savings to buy him this wedding gift.

I ignored every time he snapped at me, every time he blamed my mom's illness for why we were always broke.

I stayed quiet because I was terrified that if I pushed back too hard, he would stop helping her.

If I walk out of this marriage right now, what happens to my mom? How do I find another rare donor when it took months of begging and waiting just to find Eden? She could die waiting.

I finally look up at him. "If you're really broke, Eden, if you couldn't even afford to start a family with me, then why did you propose to me?"

He steps closer, his gaze softening.

"We need to build a family, Diana. My parents they're... they're old. They should have grandchildren at least."

Goosebumps spread across my arms.

"Are you serious? Is that why you married me? Just so you could have kids to show your parents?"

He grabs my cheeks with both hands. "Fuck no. Sweetheart!"

"What you saw in there was not me being in love with another woman." He points back at the door.

"I messed up. And I'm sorry."

I try to pull his hands away but he holds on tighter.

"I'm going to make this work, Diana. Trust me. I love you. And I know you love me too."

"You always care for me more than any other woman I've ever known. I don't take that for granted."

He lets go of my face, pulls his phone out of his pocket, taps quickly, then turns the screen toward me.

"See? I'm never letting her come close again."

The message reads:

Bella, let's not do this again. I'm fucking married.

I stare at it, then a gasp sucks out of me as three dots appear. His boss is typing back.

"Awnnn, but your little wife can't give you 10k dollars for a session, Eden. Sorry I forgot to lock the door but remember why we started this in the first place. You're stepping down in the company!"

The rage boils hot in my veins as soon as I read her message.

I shake my head in utter disappointment. I can't even breathe.

Eden sees the reply. His eyes widen immediately. "Shit, shit, shit!"

He starts typing back frantically, but I've seen enough.

I turn away from him. "I'm done."

He grabs my wrist. "Where are you going?"

I yank my hand free. "That's none of your business!"

He steps in front of me, blocking the hallway.

"Let's go back to the room we booked. It's night already."

"Let go of me, Eden." I push his chest hard. He stumbles back two steps.

He raises both hands like he's surrendering.

"Alright, run off. But just know you're my wife now. I already said I'm sorry. I've made a lot of sacrifices for your family and I'm willing to do more. You can't just leave me because of a single mistake. Think about what's involved, Diana."

My neck burns hot. I want to scream that sleeping with his boss isn't a single mistake. It's a betrayal after five years of me trying to be the perfect grateful girlfriend.

But the words lock in my throat because I'm terrified.

If I walk out for good, he might stop the donations. He might stop the bills. My mom could die waiting for another donor.

"I'll think about it." I say, then I turn and start walking down the hallway.

"I'll be waiting for you!" he yells after me, but I don't answer him.

I keep walking until I reach the elevator.

The doors hit shut and I slide down the wall and sit on the floor, tears turning my vision to gray.

I'm so tired of this mess.

My bank account is empty. I worked months of overtime to buy him that gift. I emptied everything for a man who was busy fucking his boss while I was getting ready in my wedding dress.

The elevator dings as it lands on the ground floor.

I step out. The lobby is still bright and loud with wedding guests laughing and dancing.

I can see Pippa, my bestie, talking with a man who probably doesn't know she's gay.

But I can't face any of them. I head straight for the exit that leads to the quiet back corner of the hotel.

Outside, the night air hits my skin and starts drying up the tears on my face.

I've pulled my main wedding dress leaving just the milk-colored satin gown.

I find a little concrete and sit on it, my toes curl against it as the cold rattles my ribs.

The first ugly thing I see is my toenails. My nail polish is chipped and uneven. I couldn't even afford a proper pedicure before the wedding.

I rest my back on the wall, trying to process what the hell I just saw.

That's when I hear the heavy thuds of footsteps approaching the corner where I am.

I sit up immediately. Then a group of masked men in polished suits rush out from the backyard of the hotel, closing in on me really fast.

"Get her!" One of them commands, and the others start walking toward me.

My heart thunders with fear as my feet drag backward, away from them.

"What... what do you want?" I scream.

Before I can finish yelling, a masked man with long hair falling over his shoulders clamps his hand over my nose.

It's so tight it's impossible to breathe freely without sniffing in what smells like a sharp chemical stench.

I scream, hitting the hand that just grabbed me, but my little fists are no match for the bulk of muscles circling around my waist and mouth.

My heart beats like gunshots as I realize I'm getting kidnapped by a group of unknown men in black.

"Let go of me!" I yell, but my voice gets swallowed by the white cloth held tight against my nose and mouth.

My feet keep kicking, trying to free my body from their grip, but it's all useless.

My body drops freely into the big arms holding me, and my vision blurs out.

But I still see a faint figure.

A broad-shouldered manly figure in a black suit with olive-gray eyes standing a few feet away from them.

His hands are in his pockets, staring at me.

He's not even trying to stop them. He's too relaxed. As if witnessing a kidnapping is something casual to him.

Or maybe... he's the one who gave the orders.

My head feels heavy, like someone stuffed cement inside it while I was sleeping.

I blink slowly as my vision comes to clear focus, and the first thing I see is a tall window that reaches all the way to the ceiling.

White flowy curtains move a little with the air, letting the soft morning light come through.

The sun hurts my eyes, but this place isn't familiar at all.

I shift my body a little as I don't see Eden beside me, but that's when I realise I'm lying on a massive bed.

The sheets are soft white satin that feel cool to my skin, but the bed is so big it could fit ten human beings comfortably.

My body sinks into it like it's trying to swallow me.

Did Eden get us a new room? That's the first thought that comes, and I press my palms to my head, trying to remember what happened last night.

The hotel room he booked had thick gray curtains, not these white ones.

My eyes fly open immediately as I recall the last thing I saw before everything went black last night.

The group of masked men in the hotel backyard.

Then... olive-gray eyes watching me from a few feet away, like he owned the men that took me.

My heart starts racing fast.

I sit up immediately and my eyes catch a beautiful chandelier hanging above me.

It's made of tiny diamonds shaped like a giant hand holding a single bright bulb that lights the whole room softly.

"Where the hell am I?" That's the question that's stuck in my lips.

Then I hear a creaking sound.

A large glass wall I didn't even notice before slides open somewhere on the far side of the room.

Someone steps out, and my mouth falls open with a shocked gasp.

Muscles!

A tall, wet and dripping body of muscles.

A toned chest, ripped abs and a left hand that's covered with a sleeve of tattoos that looks like a chain of diamonds.

A long black towel wraps around his tiny lower waist while he dries his hair with a white one.

My body drags back instantly. I press myself against the headboard.

He finally looks up, and those olive-gray eyes from last night pin me down with a probing gaze.

My heart gallops with fear.

I scramble to get off the bed, but my foot drags on the sheet and I slip. My knee hits the floor hard with a soft crack.

"Arhhh!" The pain racks my knee as I grab it, running as far away as I can.

But he starts coming towards me.

"Stay back!" I scream, holding my arms up like they could actually stop him.

He stops a few feet away, his hands raised a little like he's trying to calm a scared animal.

Then he smirks. A little, amused smile that shows a dimple on the side of his face.

His face looks like it belongs to someone from a bloodline of Greek princes.

Wicked jawline, perfect nose, everything too handsome to make a single fucking sense.

"Who the fuck are you?" I scream.

"What is up with you, Sienna?" he asks, voice deep with the kind of baritone that vibrates in your bones. "Did you just ask who the fuck I am?"

My breath stops. Who the hell is Sienna? And why did he just call me that?

He tosses the white towel onto a chair and starts walking toward me with fast and heavy steps.

I keep shifting back until my leg hits something. I almost slip again, but he reaches out fast and grabs me.

My chest presses against his wet skin. His arms lock around me tight, holding me up.

"Let go of me!" I yell, hitting his bare chest with my palms.

An intoxicating scent of honey and vodka fills my nose as my face gets close to his skin.

"Shhhh," he says softly. Then his thumb presses gently on my lips.

A drop of water from his hair falls and slides all the way down to my cleavage. He watches it go, then smiles slowly.

"So! You think you could run away from me, huh?" His voice stays low and gentle. "Five fucking years, Sienna. You think I wouldn't find you?"

"I'm not Sienna!" I blurt out. "You've got the wrong person. I don't know who you are or what you want from me."

He stares at me for a long second, then bursts out laughing, a deep genuine laugh that shakes his whole chest.

Then he goes quiet again. My body is still pressed tight against his. His fingers start curling slowly into my hair.

"You're still so fucking beautiful as always," he says, eyes moving over my face like he's drinking me in.

"I'm not the woman you're looking for, sir. My name's not Sienna. My name's Diana. Diana Holiday."

"Diana? Sienna?" He tilts his head. "What kind of silly fucking games are you playing with me now?"

The two names do sound a little similar, and that makes things even crazier.

"You've got the wrong..." Before I can finish, he grabs my arm tight. His grip hurts so much.

He pushes me against the wall. My back hits it with a thud that forces a gasp out of me.

"You think you're smart? Huh?" He growls, tone laced with so much anger that confuses me.

He holds my neck gently, pushing my head back against the wall. His olive-gray eyes scan my face, full of rage.

"I made you cum three times in one night," he says roughly, "and how did you repay me? You dumped our newborn on my doorstep and disappeared for four years. Now that I've found you, Sienna, there's no escaping me."

"A... a newborn?" My voice stutters. "What the hell are you talking about?"

He tilts his head again like my question snapped something in his head.

Then he shakes his head slowly, like every word out of my mouth is a silly joke to him.

"You even look more beautiful when you act all clueless, Sienna." His voice softens. "But let's see how long your little act lasts."

He releases my neck. His face changes. Anger melting into soft admiration as he stares at me.

He steps closer, gently takes my arm, brings it to his lips and presses a soft kiss there.

My stomach flips. So hard that butterflies explode everywhere.

No man has ever kissed my hand. Not even Eden whom I dated for five years. My skin feels warm where he just kissed.

"I fucking missed you," he says quietly, and God, his eyes show he really means it.

Whoever this woman is he's searching for, he really misses her so much it hurts him.

"I'm sorry but... there's been a confusion..."

"Mommy!" A little kid's voice yells from behind us, cutting off my words.

We both jolt and look toward the door.

A cute little girl with long brown hair stands there, already dressed for school. And she just called me "mommy".

But what's even more shocking is that she looks a bit like... me. Same eyes, same hair color.

She runs straight to me and hugs me tight. Her height can only afford her to hug my legs.

"Mummy! Daddy said he'd bring you home one day. I knew he would!" She jumps up and down excitedly on her little feet.

Her milk teeth show when she smiles, some of them missing in the front.

My heart squeezes so hard. I feel so sad to disappoint her.

"I'm... I'm not your mommy," I tell her gently, leaning down so I can look at her face.

"Skye, come here," he orders.

She runs to him. Then he lifts her up easily into his arms.

This man doesn't look like someone who has time for kids, but seeing him carry his daughter is... kinda hot.

His big arms hold her like she's the most precious thing in the world.

"Daddy! Is that my mommy?" she asks, twisting a strand of her hair while staring at me.

"Yes, baby," he says, making sure his gaze stays fixed on me so I hear every word clearly.

"Mommy is finally back to us. I finally brought her back, and she's not running away from us again."

I blurt out a laugh because this is so outrageous it almost feels funny.

"Is this some kind of joke?" I ask. "I'm not her mommy, and I'm definitely leaving this place. Now!"

I push my body off the wall, but my breath freezes when my eyes land on a woman standing at the entrance.

She's dressed in expensive glittery clothes that look effortlessly trendy, but she looks like she's in her sixties.

Her gaze sweeps over my body from head to toe like she's sizing up trash.

"You really found her, Cairo?" she asks him, her voice devoid of any warmth.

So that's his name? Cairo?

"Yes, Mom," he says, "told you I'd find her."

But his mom isn't excited. She gives me a disgusted, deadly stare, like she'd put a knife to my throat and hide my dead body if we were alone in this room. It terrifies me.

I need to get out of here.

"Mom, come take Skye," he orders.

She takes her time, still murdering me with her eyes, then lifts Skye into her arms.

Before they leave the room, his large arms drag me back again. My back hits the wall once more.

"What the fuck was that?" he grunts, angry tone back full force.

"Are you denying your own daughter now? Who the fuck gives birth to a girl and denies her at the same breath? What's really gotten into you, Sienna?"

"I'm not Sienna!" I scream.

"I don't know what the fuck is happening here. I told you my name's Diana, and I'm married!" I blurt out. "I just got married yesterday, and I have a husband!"

His face freezes. Like my words just spanked him on the face.

He comes closer. His breath fans me as his broad shoulders enclose me completely.

He stares at me for a few silent seconds with a shocked expression.

"Who the fuck are you married to?" he growls, as if whoever I'm married to is already his enemy.

Cairo keeps his palms pressed against the wall on either side of my head, trapping me completely.

His olive-gray eyes stare straight into mine like he's trying to see inside my soul.

"Diana?" he says, repeating my name like he's tasting it. "That's what you said your real name is, right?"

I nod once, barely breathing. My heart won't stop pounding.

"Now tell me who the fuck you're married to."

I keep staring into his eyes, wondering what he plans to do to Eden.

"What are you gonna do?" I ask quietly. "Kill my husband? Kidnap him too?"

He gives me a small amused smile, the kind that would make any woman melt if she wasn't already terrified.

His thumb starts drawing gentle circles on my cheek.

"I'm gonna spare him... But only if he didn't know you're my woman."

The words "my woman" pull a quick breath out of me. My lungs feel useless.

I give him a soft laugh, just to show him how crazy he sounds.

"Growwwwl!" A stupid, ugly sound comes from my stomach.

We both freeze for seconds.

The wedding cake was the last thing that went in my mouth yesterday, and now my body is reminding me in the worst way possible.

God, why now? He definitely heard it. There's no way he didn't.

He lifts his hands off the wall and steps back a little, giving me space.

"Get in there," he says, pointing toward the bathroom with a tone so deep and commanding I don't even think about arguing.

The bathroom door is open, lights already on.

I walk in slowly. There's a golden toothbrush still in its box on the counter.

I pick it up, brush my teeth fast, splash water on my face, and try to steady my breathing.

By the time I step out, he's already on the phone by his bed.

"Is breakfast ready?" he asks whoever's on the other end. "Okay, come take her to the dining room."

He drops the phone and looks at me.

A knock comes at the door and my eyes fly to the entrance.

A neatly dressed woman with her hair tied in a perfect bun and a black-and-white maid uniform steps in.

"This way, ma'am," she says softly.

I follow her, looking back at Cairo.

He's still watching me, eyes fixed like he's making sure I don't disappear the second he looks away.

The door shuts behind us and we walk down the hallway.

My eyes keep wandering like a lost sheep.

The floors are black tile, so shiny It can serve as a makeup mirror.

The walls are black too, smooth and clean.

Every corner has a statue. Not regular sculptures, but tiny black diamonds connected together to form human shapes.

They sparkle under the lights, and I make sure to stay far away from them. If I accidentally knock one over, I'm sure the price could buy me and my whole family as slaves and still have change left.

We get to the dining room and my feet stop halfway.

A long table is covered with so much food. I can't even look at it all at once.

Fresh oysters on ice with lemon wedges. Bite-sized lobster tails dipped in warm butter, there's so many.

It looks expensive. It smells expensive. My stomach growls louder this time.

A man in a perfectly suited black outfit stands in the corner. He has long hair that touches his shoulders.

I remember that long hair from last night, he was the masked man that wrapped the cloth over my nose.

"Good morning, ma'am," he says politely.

My lips can't form any words. Not when the same man who helped kidnap me is greeting me like I'm his madam.

Before I can think of anything, a hard grip tightens on my arm. Someone drags me so fast I almost fall.

My body hits against a frail figure. She pushes me back like I'm dirty and shouldn't touch her.

"You think you can just find your way back into my son's life after what you did? You wild slut!" she says, face full of disgust.

"I'm... I'm not who you think I am..." I try to explain, but she's not listening.

"Oh! You're a liar too? What kind of heartless woman abandons her own child and the man who gave her everything?" she asks, waiting for me to answer like I actually have one.

"You think I don't know about your dirty little stripping business?"

"Stripping business?" My voice stammers. "Ma'am, that's... that's not..."

"Get out and go back to whatever filthy stripper dump he picked you from!" she grunts, pushing me away again.

"You better leave this place, or I'll make sure every day in this house is a living hell for you. Mark my words."

"Mom!" We both jolt as we hear Cairo's voice.

I look toward the far end of the corridor. He's already dressed up.

Black shirt, black suit, silver watch catching the light faintly.

He walks toward us with heavy steps, face tight with rage.

He gets between us, blocking his mom from touching me again.

That intoxicating scent of his is now more pronounced.

"Mom, if you ever speak to my woman like that, I'll make sure you won't see Skye for a month."

His mom's eyes widen with shock. She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out.

He extends his hand to me. I lift mine slowly and place it in his.

He takes me gently and guides me to the table.

"Sir, the jet's ready," Mr. Long Hair says. "We need to move any minute."

"Business can wait a little, Alec," Cairo says. He pulls off his suit jacket and hands it to Alec. "I gotta feed her myself."

My heart flutters stupidly. Feed me? What the hell?

"Amanda," he says to the maid setting the table, "get your hands off."

The maid looks up, shocked. "Mr. Arsher, I... I can do it. You don't have to worry."

"Get your hands off the table, Amanda," he repeats, his voice tight with command.

She steps back immediately, like wasting one second would cost her job.

He folds his sleeves, washes his hands at a small sink in the corner, then comes back.

Then he starts dishing food onto a plate, his arm muscles flexing.

I stare across the table at his mom. She's still giving me that murderous gaze, like she's already imagining ways to make me disappear.

She's the only person in this house who wants me gone, and honestly, she's right to want it.

I need to escape.

Eden and my mom must be looking for me, and I can't let Mom worry. Her health isn't stable. One bad episode and she could end up back in the hospital.

I glance down at my shorts under the milk-colored satin gown. My phone is still in the pocket of my shorts. It's been there since yesterday when I got dressed for the wedding.

I guess that's why they didn't take it from me. They probably didn't even think to check.

My fingers slip inside the pocket slowly. I pull the phone out while keeping my hands under the table so Cairo doesn't notice.

My heart is thudding so violently because of what I'm about to do.

I open the notes app with shaky thumbs and start typing fast.

*I know you want me gone from here. Can you help me escape?*

I pause for a second. I don't even have a penny on me.

*I need a little money to escape too. Please help*

I hit send in my mind even though it's just a notes app.

If she sees this... maybe she'll help. She wants me out more than anyone.

Cairo starts moving closer with the plate. My heart shuts down with panic.

I drop the phone on the floor under the table as quietly as I can.

Then I kick it gently toward his mother's side with my foot.

Her body flinches when the phone hits near her feet. She looks down, confused.

"You okay?" Cairo asks, noticing my weird little movements.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say quickly, forcing a fake smile.

He settles in front of me, eyes on my face like he's studying every expression.

His mom bends down slowly to look under the table.

She sees the phone and our eyes meet for one second.

God, I really hope she reads it and helps me. I hope she doesn't seize my phone. Or worse, show my text to Cairo.

She straightens up without a word, her face still cold.

Cairo cuts a piece of beef, dips it in the cream, adds a bit of salad, then holds it to my lips.

I open my mouth and take it. The creamy taste melts on my tongue, soft beef so tender it falls apart. I chew slowly, eyes on his face.

He keeps staring at me, then brings his thumb to the corner of my mouth, wiping the leftover cream.

Then he licks it off his thumb without breaking eye contact.

My heart stumbles stupidly. Then starts beating faster and heavier.

"Cairo?" his mom says. "Can I speak with you for a second?"

"Mom, I'm busy," he answers, still staring at my lips like he's obsessed with the way I'm eating.

"Cairo! This is urgent."

He sighs, stands up, and follows her outside.

I can't help it. I grab the fork and start eating fast.

Beef, salad, cream, everything. The hunger is so bad it feels like a hole in my stomach demanding more.

A few minutes later Cairo storms back in.

"Alec, we need to leave," he tells Mr. Long Hair.

Then he comes to my side, leans down slowly, and presses a soft wet kiss on my left cheek.

My stupid heart melts like butter.

He stares deep into my eyes. "I'll be right back. I don't wanna look for you, else you're not gonna like it."

He picks up his coat from Alec, throws it on, and they leave like men with urgent business matters.

I finally breathe out for the first time since I woke up, but it's too early to relax.

"Get over here," his mom demands, still talking to me with that disgusted tone.

I stand up immediately and follow her. We walk down the stairs, through what looks like the backyard, to a small gate.

She throws my phone at me. I catch it fast. How the hell does she think I can afford a new one?

Then she throws a wrapped stack of thousand-dollar notes at me.

"Get away from here and stay far away from my son."

"I don't want to see your face ever again!"

She pushes me out the gate before I can thank her.

The gate shuts behind me and I stare at the clean dollar notes in my hand.

I need to get a flight immediately.

I run out to the street and stop a black cab. I hop in and tell the driver to take me to the airport.

As the cab drives away, I stare back at the mansion.

It's tall, black, and beautifully luxurious, almost like a palace for rich people.

A deep pain aches in my heart.

I don't know who he is or the woman he's looking for.

But now I know what he has for her. The way he looked at me, fed me, protected me. It's all I've ever craved from a man.

But unfortunately, I might never get it.

Because I'm married.

And this will be the last time I'll ever be touched, fed, or defended the way he did for me.

I turn my gaze to the road ahead. I don't want to get emotional over a stranger I don't even know. Or even worse, over a love that's meant for another woman.

~~~AN HOUR LATER~~~

The taxi that picked me from the airport drops me in front of our apartment. The little rented house Eden and I share, renewed every year.

I get out and shut the door.

I breathe deeply to calm my nerves before pressing the doorbell.

My mind keeps replaying yesterday. Eden's bare ass, the rage I felt.

Eden opens the door before I can press the bell a second time. His hair is messy, like he just woke up.

"Diana!" he shouts.

"Jesus Christ! Where the fuck have you been?"

I brush past him and step inside.

"I've been calling you all night! I thought something happened," he says, following behind me.

I drop my phone on the table and stare back at him.

He grabs my arms and I yank them away, remembering everything from yesterday. How he was riding another woman like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Talk to me," he says. "You just disappeared. Where did you go?"

"I got kidnapped, Eden. Some men grabbed me outside the hotel."

He stares at me for a few silent seconds, trying to figure out if I'm lying.

"Kidnapped? What? By who?"

"A guy thought I was someone else... he totally mistook me for her."

"Diana... that's insane." He comes closer and cups my cheeks.

"Are you sure you're not hurt?"

"I'm fine... Just tired. And angry."

"This happened because of everything that went down last night, Eden. If you hadn't been... doing what you were doing, I wouldn't have run off alone."

His hands fall off my cheeks. He looks down. I can see the shame still eating at him.

"I know. I'm... I'm fucking sorry about all that."

"Did you tell Mom I was gone?" I ask.

"No, I didn't. I drove her home safely."

"Good. I didn't want to bother her."

DING! My phone vibrates on the table.

I pick it up fast.

The message reads:

"Oh Diana baby. I told you not to move from that table. I just landed in your city and I'll see you soon."

My heart flips wildly. "How the fuck did he get my number?"

"Diana? What's going on?" Eden asks, noticing the change in my expression.

Before I can answer, he snatches the phone and stares at the text. His face clears out.

"Who the fuck is this?!" His voice rises, somewhere between anger and confusion.

"That's... that's ummm..."

"Diana, who the fuck's calling you 'baby'?" he asks again.

"That's... that's my kidnapper."

Eden stares at me with absolute shock.

"Your kidnapper? What the hell's going on?"