LATE NIGHT WITH A GHOST.

LAVENDER'S (AVEN) POV.

"Mark..."

His name escaped my lips as he kissed me harder, one hand resting against my waist while the other brushed a strand of hair away from my face. Waves of pleasure ran through my whole body as he moves against me.

We were at the backseat of a limo, I remembered that Mark could never afford a limo in a million years. Maybe he wanted tonight to be special.

I unbuttoned his shirt, caressing his chest with my palms. Trailing kisses down his neck. His scent overwhelmed me. My panties already soaked, begging for attention, his attention. Desperately holding onto him, like he'll disappear in the blink of an eye.

He carried me unto his laps and was also trailing kisses down my neck, his hands were glued to my waist as if his life depended on it. Grabbing the hem of my gown as he pulled it up over my head till it was lying on the floor. And with a slightly shaky hands, he unhooked my bra and cupped my breast in his gigantic hands.

"F**k" I moaned slightly, this wasn't the first time Mark and I were having sex but tonight feels different, good different. My p**sy ached badly, I think I might loose my mind right now. My hips moved on their own, grinding on his now erected d**k. He responded with a groan that could terrify animals. I was riding on him like he is the oxygen I need, literally he's my oxygen.

He gave my breasts equal attention, sucking on them till they turned pink. I was in another universe, I've never reached this kind of ecstasy with him before, he's not even inside me yet and I already came countless times.

With desperation, I unbuckled his belt, ready to give him the same attention he was giving me. I pulled out his massive shaft and went down on him.

"F**k" he groaned as he tangled his hands in my hair, guiding me as I took him, like all of him inside my mouth. He threw his head back in pleasure. Moving from the tip down to the base, he was really massive today, unlike usual. I sucked on him, till he came heavily in my mouth. Without warning, he pulled me up, and laid me down on the car seat. My panties came off in a blink of an eye as he caressed my cl*t with his thumb. I rolled my eyes back in pleasure. I've never had this level of pleasure before. It was heaven.

And, immediately, he thrusted inside me. I subconsciously left out a moan. A moan that seems to turn him on because he's moving mercilessly inside me now, that I can't keep up with him. I've had lots of orgasm already, is that even normal?

He kept moving for a long time, till I felt his body shake and his seeds spilling inside me... warm and satisfying. He collapsed on me, breathing heavily.

Wait , we didn't use protection, this was the first time Mark and I had sex without protection. He's always afraid to have a baby unexpectedly. Silly him, he might have forgotten.

The sound of a phone ringing snapped me out of my thoughts. Mark got up and took the phone from inside the pants that were now lying roughly on the floor.

"Where are you Kai..."

The person said from the other end, but I was too tired to listen, I immediately fell asleep.

★★★★★

Sunlight hit my eyes fast, the sudden sting woke me up. I was damn naked inside a limo. There was someone, probably the driver, in the front seat. He was in a deep sleep.

Confusion ran through me. What was I doing in a limo? And why was I naked?

Immediately, memories of last night came rushing back. I smiled, Mark and I had sex here last night. I glanced around for him, but it was clear that he wasn't here.

"He probably had an important appointment." I convinced myself.

In a blink of an eye, I wore my dresses and a half torn panties and slowly got off the limo. It was parked in front of a bar. The memory from last night was slightly blurry. My chest suddenly ached slightly, like something happened that I'm not remembering properly or I simply don't want to remember...

I shrugged. Nothing matters, as long as I'm with the one person I love that makes me happy, there's nothing else that could really matter.

I grabbed my bag and shut the door and walked off.

When I got home, Tessa, my roommate, was making breakfast. I ran to the kitchen with a big smile on my face and hugged her from behind. I just feel extremely excited about nothing...

She was startled and turned to me with a confused look on her face. "You're quite excited today."

I let go of her, dropping my bag on the counter. "Positive. I'm very happy today."

"Why?" Tessa asked, grabbing the knife from the opposite cabinet.

"What else would make me happy?" I said, gleefully. "except Mark. Mark and I made out last night."

Tessa turned to me, the knife slipping from her hands, with a clanking sound. "You what? With who?"

I was a little startled. " Mark and I made out last night."

Tessa laughed nervously. "No .. that's not possible."

I raced a brow. "What do you mean it's not possible? You weren't even there."

She sighed. "We've talked about this, Aven, you need to get over Mark. You need to move on."

Now I was really confused. "Move on? What are you talking about? Mark's my boyfriend."

"Not anymore." She half screamed. That startled me a little. "Have you forgotten that you and Mark broke up days ago, based on the fact that he got someone else pregnant?"

I blinked several times, as if I could unhear what I heard. "What?"

"Have you also forgotten that he stole from you and took his pregnant chick out of the country yesterday."

Huh? What is going on? I could feel how pale I was... the flashbacks of what mark did to me came running back. How he looked satisfied with the looks on my face when I found out that he knocked up his ex.

I was almost in tears... "But...but... I was with him last night."

"No,you were not." Tess said, moving forward and holding my hands. "Mark travelled out of the country yesterday. So it's not possible."

I stared at Tessa, like she had just revealed something dreadful to me. She was totally right. I remember now how Mark had betrayed me. How he stole from me, how he has been stealing from me...But that wasn't the key problem now.

"If I wasn't with Mark yesterday.... Then who was I with?"

AVEN'S POV.

"If I wasn't with Mark... then who exactly was I with?"

The question echoed inside my head over and over again. It wasn't the fact that I'd slept with someone that terrified me. It was the possibility that the person wasn't Mark. That couldn't be possible. It just couldn't. Mark had already left the country yesterday. That was the whole reason I'd ended up at the bar in the first place. I remembered crying. I remembered drinking until everything became a blur. But after that... Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

My legs suddenly gave out, and I sank toward the kitchen floor. Tessa rushed to my side, holding me before I could collapse completely.

I looked at her through tear-filled eyes.

"I'm a mess... A really big mess, Tess."

"No, you're not." She sat beside me on the floor. "It's not your fault. It's Mark's. He's a big jerk."

I sobbed, shaking my head. It was all my fault. If I hadn't been so stupid with him, things wouldn't have ended this way. I'd given Mark everything, even when I barely had anything to give.

Josh, my own brother, had gone hungry. He'd even had to drop out of school, yet I'd continued giving Mark whatever he asked for. How could I have been so blind? Now I have nothing.

"Tess..." I buried my face in her shoulder. "I'm done for."

"Aven, please pull yourself together." Her voice trembled, and when I lifted my head, I noticed the tears in her eyes too. "You're tearing me down, seeing you like this. Please."

I sniffed and looked down at my trembling fingers.

"How am I supposed to pull myself together when I've let everyone down?" My voice broke. "Josh will never forgive me. I've hurt him so much because of Mark."

"He'll forgive you. You're his sister, Aven. You're his family. You're all he has right now."

Tessa helped me to my feet and guided me into the living room. She sat me down on the sofa before settling beside me. I wiped my cheeks, but the tears wouldn't stop. "Then who was I with last night?"

Tessa sighed. "Why does it matter? It was a one-night stand. That's not the worst thing you've done."

"But why would someone take advantage of me like that?" I turned to her. "He might have known I was drunk, yet he still did what he did."

Tessa hesitated. "You have a point, but... what can you do now? I mean, it's not like he gave you his number or something."

I stared at her for a moment. Then something occurred to me. "The bar!"

She frowned. "Huh?"

"There must be someone who saw us last night. Someone who can explain what happened or tell me who I left with." I jumped up, hurried into the kitchen for my bag, and returned to the living room. "I'll be back."

"You must be crazy, Aven!" Tessa called after me. "Do you really th-"

But I was already out the door. I needed answers. And I wasn't going to sit around waiting for them to find me.

★★★★★

I stood outside the bar for a few seconds before finally pushing the door open. It felt different from the place I remembered. Last night, it had been packed with loud music, drunken laughter, and flashing lights. Now, it was almost empty. A few workers wiped tables while soft music played through the speakers.

A bartender noticed me first. "Good morning, cutie. What should I get you?"

I forced a smile. "Hi. Um... is your manager around?"

His smile faltered slightly as he studied my face. "Did something happen?"

"No... well, I just need to ask him something."

He nodded, looking relieved. "Give me a minute then."

He disappeared through a door behind the counter. A few moments later, he returned with a middle-aged man whose hair was beginning to turn gray.

There was something strangely familiar about him, though I couldn't remember where I'd seen him before.

The man smiled politely. "You wanted to see me?"

I nodded, glancing around at the people nearby. "Yes, but... could we talk somewhere private?"

He looked slightly surprised but gestured toward a small balcony overlooking the parking lot. "Sure."

The cool afternoon breeze brushed against my face as we stepped outside.

For a moment, neither of us spoke. Although he kept looking at me with a smile on his face like he knows me but... I wasn't even sure how to begin.

"So," he said gently, "what's on your mind?"

I let out a slow breath. "I was here last night."

He frowned, studying my face. Then recognition lit up his eyes. "Oh... yeah. I remember you now. So that's where I saw you... thought you looked familiar."

"You do?"

He nodded. "You came in pretty late last night. You'd had quite a bit to drink."

Heat rushed to my cheeks. "Yeah..."

"I even told you to slow down. You came here alone and kept drinking. You looked like you were about to drink yourself unconscious."

I looked away, embarrassed. His smile faded when he noticed how nervous I was. "Is everything okay?"

"I... honestly don't know." He waited. "My boyfriend..." I laughed bitterly. "Well, my ex-boyfriend now. He cheated on me yesterday."

"I'm sorry." The Manager's expression softened.

"I got drunk because of him. I thought he'd come to pick me up." I swallowed. "But I found out he'd already left the country before any of that happened."

Confusion spread across his face.

"So now..." My voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't know who I left with. I just woke up in a limousine this morning."

The manager remained quiet for several seconds. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I wish I could tell you. Besides, lots of our VIP customers arrive in those."

"Did you happen to see me leave with anyone?"

He rubbed his chin, thinking. "Honestly? No. It was one of our busiest nights. We had important guests, and I kept running between the floor and the office. I remember seeing you drinking by yourself, but after that, I lost track of everything."

My heart sank. "So there's nothing?"

"I don't... think.." He suddenly snapped his fingers. "Wait."

Hope shot through me. "What?"

"The CCTV."

I stared at him. "You have cameras outside, don't you? Can I please see the footage?"

He hesitated. "I don't usually show customers our security recordings..."

My heart dropped. "But judging from the look on your face," he continued, "I'd be a terrible person if I said no."

Relief washed over me. "Thank you Sir, you don't know how much this means to me."

He nodded toward the hallway. "Come with me."

The manager led me through a narrow hallway and into a small security room. Several monitors were mounted on the wall, each showing a different part of the bar. Beneath them sat a desktop computer connected to the recording system. He pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Let's see..." His fingers moved across the keyboard as different dates and times appeared on the screen. "You said it was last night, right?"

"Yes Sir."

He opened the relevant recording and brought up the outside camera. My palms began to sweat. Please... let there be something. Anything.

At first, nothing seemed unusual. Cars drove past, and people walked in and out of the bar. Some laughed with their friends, while others struggled to walk straight. The manager increased the playback speed. The time displayed in the corner changed rapidly. Then a long black limousine slowly pulled up in front of the entrance.

"Wait!" I blurted. He paused the video.

"That's it!" I pointed at the screen. "That's the exact limousine."

The glossy black paint, the tinted windows, the elegant design... There was no mistaking it.

My stomach tightened as the manager resumed the footage. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then the back door opened. A man stepped out.

I leaned closer to the monitor.

He was tall, with broad shoulders, dressed in a dark suit. Even through the grainy footage, there was something striking about the way he carried himself. He looked calm and composed, as though the world had no power to disturb him.

"Can you pause it?"

The manager stopped the video.

I squinted at the screen, trying to make out his face. Nothing. The streetlights barely reached him, and the poor camera quality made everything above his shoulders blurry.

"Damn it," I whispered.

"Let's see what happens next," the manager said.

He pressed play. The man lifted a phone to his ear, apparently answering a call. He stood beside the limousine for a moment before turning and walking away. I frowned. Where's he going?

We watched as the man moved farther from the car. Then the screen froze.

I blinked. A second later, it went black.

"What?" I turned to the manager. "What happened?"

He frowned and clicked the mouse a few times. "Hmm..." He tried playing the recording again, but nothing happened.

"I think It's gone."

"What do you mean, it's gone?"

He sighed. "The camera malfunctioned that night. It shut off around this time."

I stared at the blank screen in disbelief.

"No. There should be more."

"I'm sorry. The maintenance team fixed it the following morning, but everything recorded during the outage was lost."

Lost?Just like that? The answer I'd desperately been looking for was gone.

I wrapped my arms around myself, fighting the urge to cry again.

"Can you play the footage one more time?"

The manager nodded and restarted the clip. This time, I watched more carefully. The limousine pulled up. The man stepped out, answered his phone, and walked away. Then darkness.

I leaned closer. His face was impossible to identify, but perhaps I'd overlooked something. His clothes. His hands. His shoes. Anything that might help me recognize him.

"Again, please."

The manager replayed the footage.

I barely glanced at the limousine this time. My attention was fixed entirely on the man. He stepped out, raised his phone, and turned slightly toward the camera. I followed every movement, searching for something I could use. Until I saw something.

"Pause!"

The manager immediately stopped the recording. "What is it?"

I stepped closer to the monitor, my heart suddenly racing. "There. Look at his neck."

The manager leaned toward the screen.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Peeking out from beneath the collar of the man's suit was a tattoo. It was partially hidden, and the footage wasn't clear enough to reveal every detail. But I could make out its shape.

A dragon.

A black dragon stretching up the side of his neck.

The walk back to the apartment felt longer than usual. The image of the dragon tattoo refused to leave my mind.

A dragon? What does it even mean? It wasn't much. It wasn't a face. It wasn't a name. It wasn't enough to even tell me who the f**k the man was. But somehow... It was the only thing I had. The CCTV footage had given me hope, only to snatch it away a few seconds later.

I tightened my grip around my bag as I walked. Why did the camera have to stop at that exact moment? Of all days. Why?

By the time I reached the apartment building, my head was pounding.

I unlocked the door and stepped inside. Tessa looked up from the couch the moment she saw me. She had been waiting. "There you are. I was about to call you just now." She quickly stood. "Well?"

I stared at her for a moment before shaking my head. "They also don't know."

Her hopeful expression faded. "What do you mean?"

I tossed my bag onto the sofa and sank beside it. "The manager remembered me drinking at the bar, but he was too busy to notice what happened afterward.

"Although They had footage." I sighed. "But it malfunctioned."

Tessa stared at me. "You're kidding."

"I wish I was. All we saw was a limousine pulling up-the same one I remember. A man got out, but it was too dark to make out his face. Then the camera went dead."

"So, you have nothing?"

I rubbed my temples, frustration twisting in my stomach. "Nothing useful. Just enough to know someone was there, but not enough to tell me who."

Tessa walked over and sat beside me.

She gently nudged my shoulder.

"Aven..." I looked at her. "I know this is bothering you. But maybe..." She hesitated. "...maybe this is the universe telling you to let it go."

I gave a weak smile. "True. Because I have a lot to worry about... mark really out did me... I" I suddenly broke down. "I... I've lost everything..."

"I know." Tess said. Wrapping her hands round me while smiling. Which earned a confused look from me. Is she crazy? Smiling at this critical time?.

"What's so funny?" I really had to ask.

"Well, it's good timing. You know the company I worked in suffered a fire catastrophe last time that made me stopped working for sometime."

I raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you smiling because clearly we're both currently jobless, which for your information is a BIG problem."

The smile still plastered on her face, which was becoming irritating to look at.

"Well, not a BIG problem, like you said. Because the company just called and said that all staffs should move to the other branch in LA... and there's also job vacancies because most staffs already looked for jobs during the fire outbreak..."

You've got to be kidding me. "Really? That's... that's actually good news, Tess."

"Yeah, that's what I've been trying to tell you before mark's dynamic. This means, you'll come with me to LA to take the job."

My smile flattered. To LA? I'm not certain that I can afford plane tickets right now and I don't want to bother Tess with those stuffs.

"Yeah, about that ... I think you should go, I can work here in San Diego... besides, I don't have money for tickets..."

"Don't start that..." she cut me off, "Come on Aven, what are friends for? I have it covered already..."

"Tess, I can't take that from you and besides, I can't leave Josh behind."

She sighed frustratedly. "Josh is a grown-up, he's only a year younger than us. I don't see why you should be worried about him. And besides..." She trailed off, grabbing her handbag that was at the corner, bring something out and wiggling it in the air. It's two plane tickets. Really? She smiled widely.

" No excuses, Ms Lavender." With that she walked back into the kitchen.

I had no idea I was smiling. Tess is really something, trust her to cheer me up. I'm very lucky to have a best friend like her. We've been friends since high school. We're both 25. Same height but I am a little taller. If not, she has black hair and I'm brunette, people would have mistaken us as twins or sisters rather.

I sighed. This trip is all I need to start over. I'm literally swearing off guys for the rest of my life, they're scumbags entitled to ruin the dreams of young girls. Humph, too bad I learned the hard way.

I turned on the television. I'm starving and Tess is not done with breakfast,if I sleep now, I'll definitely wake up by noon.

Switching the channel, something caught my eyes. It was a man in the television,a young man giving a speech. Somehow he was familiar.

He was wearing a crisp white shirt. As he turned his head slightly... I noticed something beneath the collar. A black tattoo. Only part of it was visible. I couldn't tell exactly what it was. But it kinda looked... Like a dragon.

A sharp pain suddenly exploded inside my head. I gasped, clutching both sides of my skull. Images flashed before my eyes.

A limousine. Warm hands. Soft kisses. My own breathless moans. Everything came in broken fragments.

"...Mr. Kai Salvador has a statement for the press regarding-" The reporter's voice echoed through the room.

Mr. Kai...My breathing hitched. The name.

That name. Suddenly another memory burst into my mind. A man's voice over the phone. As I remembered in the limo.

"Mr. Kai, where are you?" "Mr. Kai... where are you?" "Mr. Kai... where are you?" The voices grew louder and louder until they were almost screaming inside my head.

"No!" I cried out, collapsing onto the floor as I clutched my head.

The pain was unbearable. I didn't even notice Tessa rushing back into the living room. The television suddenly went silent. She had switched it off. Almost instantly... The pounding inside my head began to fade.

I looked up at her from the floor, breathing heavily. She stood there with the remote still in her hand, staring at me with wide, frightened eyes. "Are you okay?" She asked.

I sat up... breathing heavily.

"What in the hell happened last night?"