Elara's POV

The rest of the words got stuck inside my throat from his sudden closeness.

The scent of his cologne covered me and I could feel myself getting lost in his gaze.

Those eyes... They were different from the ones I saw a few hours ago.

I stretched out my hand... Attempting to touch his sculpted face, but the bartender suddenly moved away.

My legs shifted and my body effortlessly swayed to the side... I was about to fall.

"Hey..."

But I didn't.

The bartender reacted on time. He moved quickly, grabbing my waist... He caught me midair.

Maybe...

The way his eyes stared at me... It felt nice to look at his blue eyes.

I did it again, I raised my hand to his face. This time he did not move away...

My lisp curved upwards.

“I don’t want to think anymore,” I said, more to myself than to him. "... don't leave me too," I whispered to him.

Then I lifted my head, covering the little space between our faces before he could react. My hands fisted into the fabric at his chest, warm and solid beneath my fingers. I rose on my toes and pressed my lips against his.

The kiss was hard, messy, and desperate.

I poured everything into that kiss... betrayal, humiliation, heartbreak, the fear of being alone forever. For a second, he was stiff beneath my touch, his body refusing to respond.

I thought he wanted me?

Or this... Is this a mistake?

Shouldn't have come here?

Had he backed out already?

It wouldn't be too strange if he backed out. Not everyone would want a stranger to birth their child away.

Another tear fell from my eyes, then I pushed myself away in a moment of sanity.

I pulled away from him, lowering my gaze. "I'm sorry. If you don't..."

I couldn't complete my sentence. I felt something soft slam against my lips. His kiss was faster than mine, and much more experienced.

I responded eagerly... The little sanity I had was disappearing in an instant.

Then his hands caught my waist, again. It was strong and steady, dragging me towards him.

I felt myself lifted effortlessly, my legs instinctively responded wrapping around him. Heat flooded through me, dulling the pain, muting the noise in my head.

I wasn't sure what came over me to agree to this.

All I knew was that tonight, I didn’t want to feel empty anymore... I didn't want to feel unwanted and unloved anymore.

My plan was for a week... But this, this would do.

He carried me toward the bed, and as my back hit the soft mattress, my thoughts scattered completely.

The bartender hovered above me for a few seconds staring down at my messy body.

I panicked...

Was he not going to finish what he started?

But then his lips curved into a small smile and he shook his head. "You little temptress..."

He bent down and kissed my neck. Trialing kisses from my neck downwards.

I closed my eyes.

This felt... Right.

...

The bright rays of light made my eyes itch.

I looked away, but it didn't go.

But the second I opened my eyes, I was hit by a huge headache. I had to close them back immediately.

"Argh..." I groaned, then I tried to bring my hand to hold my head.

...it didn't work. It felt like as though my hand was being held down.

I opened my eyes again, my eyes swept across the room I was in.

It was... Big, and beautiful... it didn’t look like belong in a bar or a cheap hotel room.

I remember that I was at a bar...

For a second, I thought I was still dreaming... until the mattress dipped when I shifted and silk sheets slid against my skin.

Silk?

My eyes snapped open, all the drowsiness disappearing from my eyes.

"Where the fuck am I?" I harshly yelled, turning around.

The headache was still there... It clouded my memories, but I struggled to remember.

What happened yesterday...

I had caught John, my boyfriend, and Polly... Someone I thought was my best friend kissing. And they had no remorse.

Then...

I went to a bar,

I saw Polly's Instagram post...

The bartender...

My heart began to race.

I was so drunk and tired. I actually thought of something stupid that night. The bartender had agreed to it.

He was supposed to have sex with me... Multiple times for the next few days.

"How the fuck did I ask him to do that?" I groaned, squeezing my face in frustration.

I sat up, the sheet slipping down, memories crashing back all at once... his voice, his hands, the way he’d watched me like he already knew how this would end.

And...

I turned to the other side of the bed.

He was still there.

His handsome face stared back at me...

God... He was beautiful.

'Was this the same bartender?'

I didn't get to see his face before but...

No,

I shook my head looking away.

I had already done something stupid, I couldn't nake it worse by looking at his face.

I was too ashamed..

Panic crept up my spine.

I had to leave.

Hell... How could I have...? How could the bartender have even agreed to this?

No...

I couldn't do this.

Maybe it was because I was too drunk yesterday, but... I didn't want to die.

Not yet anyways.

Although I didn't have much to live for, but... John... Maybe he had changed his mind.

I couldn't do this to him.

"I have to leave..."

I swung my legs over the bed just as a knock sounded at the door.

It was sharp and professional.

I froze.

Another knock followed, firmer this time.

“Sir,” a woman’s voice called through the door. “Your schedule has been adjusted. The car is waiting.”

Sir?

My stomach dropped.

I scanned the room in a blur... my dress was neatly folded on the chair, my bag placed on top like someone had taken care not to wrinkle either...

I remember last night, he had carefully removed the dress from my body.

My cheeks became hot in embarrassment...

A flashback suddenly came to my head... How soft his lips was on mine.

Subconsciously, my hands went to touch my lips.

"Sir..." The knock came again bringing me out of my trance.

Hell...

My eyes widened.

This wasn’t casual... Or normal.

Was a bartender called sir?!

Did he have such a pretty room?

The handle suddenly turned,

I didn’t think. I grabbed my clothes and bolted into the bathroom, locking the door just as it opened.

My reflection stared back at me from the mirror... pale, wide-eyed, lips swollen with last night’s mistake.

What have you done? I asked myself, shocked at how I looked.

There were hickeys almost everywhere on my neck!

The voice outside paused. I heard footsteps, then the soft murmur of a conversation I couldn’t make out.

Seconds later, the door closed again.

Silence...

She was gone!

I dressed in record time, hands shaking, heart pounding so hard it hurt.

Then I slipped out of the bathroom. I grabbed the door about bolting out from the room when, I paused.

My eyes went back to the man lying on the bed.

We did have a deal... I couldn't just leave like that...

I returned to the room, grabbed a piece of paper and wrote.

'I changed my mind, once is enough.'

Then packed every bill in my purse and laid it nicely on the table.

It didn't seem like he needed the money, but... I broke the deal first.

"There."

I slipped out through the side door I hadn’t noticed before, the hallway stretching endlessly in both directions.

No one stopped me or chased after me.

The elevator ride down felt like a free fall.

When I finally stepped outside, the city air hit my lungs, sharp and real.

I didn’t look back.

I told myself it was just one night.

Just a mistake.

Just something I could forget.

I didn’t know then that forgetting would be impossible.

Elara's POV

FIVE YEARS LATER

I felt my internal body system change as soon as I stepped down from the plane. My heart rate increased, I could feel my palms getting sweating, and saliva filled my mouth which I gulped down.

I was back again, at this place... This country, I promised myself, I would never return to.

I had no good memories in this country... Maybe, one... Just one. But I thought after I left I would be able to put everything behind me. And for five years I did.

But now I was back again...

Thankfully, it would only be for a short time.

Hopefully, it wouldn't be enough for my past to catch up with me.

"Mummy..." A tiny voice called behind me. All my anxiousness vanished the instant I remember that I wasn't here alone. A smile graced my lips and I turned around.

Smiling back at me were two boys... Twins but not identical. I guess God wanted to be fair, so he gave me one who looked a little like me and the other who probably looked like that man from that night five years ago.

My memory of that night remained a blur... Especially that bartender's face. I could only remember what happened the morning after, how I left the room as soon as I could. How I left the country the week I found out I was pregnant.

That night... I could never regret my drunken mistake.

It got me my wish... Two. The reasons why I still pressed on in life, why I kept living despite how many times I thought of quitting.

My darling angels.

"Mummy... Look at what Leo did." One of the twins, the one who looked like me, said with a small pout, pushing his hand forward for me to take a look.

I chuckled, bending down to look at his arm... There wasn't even a scratch.

That was Jake... The overdramatic attention seeker. He enjoyed playing games and trying to put his brother in trouble.

He always had a cheeky smile on his cute face.

His brother... Leo, the one being accused didn't even bother to look in his brother's direction and just kept looking around.

Leo was two minutes older, but he acted a lot more more mature than Jake... He was smarter, calmer, and much more responsible than any child of his age should ever be.

He never gave me any trouble. Sometimes I felt like he was the parent and not me, especially when it came to his younger twin.

I was certain that he did nothing wrong to his brother, but I gave in to Jake's antics... Just for today... we all needed comforting after this sudden trip.

"Oh my baby..." I cooed in an overdramatic tone. "Does it hurt so much?"

Jake blinked, as though surprised that I believed him then nodded, protruding his small lips.

I smiled, then lifted his hand to my lips and kissed whatever invisible bruise that was there.

"Is that better?" I asked and nodded again, obviously happy with my action. Leo glanced at him and rolled his eyes, before returning to the scenery.

I was about to say something when I felt the phone in my hand vibrating. A frown appeared on my lips as I brought the phone to my eye level to check the caller ID.

Mr. Shan.

An exhausted sigh left my lips.

Just thinking about talking to my boss made me feel tired, but now I actually had to talk to him.

But I forced a smile on the twins. "I have to take this call," I said shaking the phone for them to see. "Remember guys... We're in America, New York... Don't speak Korean okay?" I instructed.

I left this country for Korea five years ago. The twins were born there and could speak the language so fluently. English was a second language to them.

I was only going to be in this country for a few weeks, and during that time, I didn't want to draw attention to myself or my children. It would be best if they could blend in.

Leo smiled, his pearly whites peeking out from his lips. "Don't worry, Mummy, our English is perfect." He assured me by nodding his head.

"Yeah, Mummy, don't worry." His brother seconded.

Yeah...

I shouldn't worry.

I walked a few steps away from them, but not before adding another instruction. "Also, don't run around."

I said stepping away to take my call.

Mr. Shan hadn't stopped calling... A part of me knew he wouldn't.

The man had taken a liking to me ever since I started work at the company three years ago. Despite telling him multiple times that I had children and I wasn't interested, the man didn't budge in his intentions.

I only took his business trip to get away from him... although he persisted I be the one to go, I could only wonder what was in it for him.

At least I was sure, leaving me in peace wasn't it.

"Good morning Mr. Shan," I answered the call with the sweetest voice I could muster to cover the disgust I felt for my old boss.

Before he could answer me, I began briefing him on the business trip.

I hadn't gotten to the hotel yet... Hell, I was still at the airport, but I needed something to say before he could speak.

"So, I would..."

Before I could finish my words, I heard a familiar voice... "Oh, if it isn't Elara Ashford... The wannabe Ashford heir."

It sounded as though the person was behind me.

My back straightened, and my face turned cold.

I didn't expect to run into her so quickly.

I heard a snicker... She was with someone. "Oh, please, why did you still add Ashford as her surname? Didn't you hear that the family disowned her 5 years ago?"

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I turned around. "Mira what is this? You have the guts to show yourself to me after everything you did? Are you that shameless?"

Mira snorted taking a step towards me. "It's you that's shameless you bloody bitch. You became a slut just because Liam found me as a better woman than you can ever be."

My blood ran cold.

I gritted my teeth, anger fueling my bones. "How dare you..."

"How dare I what?" She rudely interrupted, staring down at me. "You think it's a secret that you have bastard sons? Tell me darling... Out of the many men you've slept with, do you even know the father?"

It was fine to insult me.... But my sons were innocent in the matter; I couldn't stand for anyone insulting them.

I glared at the bitch I had once considered my best friend."You..."

Her friend cocked her head to the side as though looking behind me then she crossed her hands over her chest, a small smile on her lips.

Just as I was about to give Mira a piece of my mind, she chuckled.  "...And the boys are gone."

"What?"

The words I wanted to say instantly got swallowed back. I turned around sharply, looking for my boys who were standing just here a few minutes ago.

Where are they?

"Pathetic." The friend scoffed rolling her eyes.

I didn't care about her words...

My heart slammed hard against my ribcage as I searched around the airport with my eyes for my boys.

Where could they have gone?

The airport was too big for me to start searching for them... Where...

Mira stepped forward, forcing me to look at her. "I don't know why you returned Elara, but we would be seeing each other very often. Brace yourself... Whore."

I bared my teeth hard, clenching my fists.

How much I wanted to hit that stupid smirk off her face... But that wasn't my priority at the moment.

All I cared about was... where the fuck were my boys?!

Jayden’s POV

I had grown a subconscious dislike for airports. I always felt like I was leaving something important behind.

It started over seven years ago when I lost the love of my life. I thought I had gotten over it, but five years ago, it started again, and I hadn't been able to shake the feeling off. It began that morning five years ago when I woke up and couldn't see the mysterious lady who had found a way into my bed.

I should have looked for her a bit more than I tried to... I knew that.

But I didn't.

She just crashed into my world, tampered with it...and my celibacy and then disappeared.

But then did I regret it?

No.

It had been seven years since I lost the only woman for me... five years another crashed into my life...

Love wasn't meant for me.

I cleared my throat and then shook my head. Anytime I got to an airport, all these memories always rushed in.

Letting out a sigh, I adjusted my cufflinks as I walked through the private terminal, my assistant trailing behind me with a tablet clutched to his chest. The jet was already prepared. I was leaving this country today.

  Nothing else did.

  “Your flight departs in twenty minutes, Mr. Bryes,” Dion said.

  I nodded without slowing.

  That was when something small slammed into my leg.

  Hard.

  I stopped abruptly.

  A sharp gasp followed, then a soft thud as something... no, rather, someone... hit the floor.

  "Mianhaeyo..." a small voice cried pitifully.

  Was that... Korean?

  I looked down, my brows furrowed.

  A boy sat on the polished floor, tears pooling in his eyes, his small hands pressed to his knee. He couldn’t have been more than five years old.

  He was acting as though I had hit him when he had clearly bumped into me.

  Before I could say anything, another child rushed forward, and he immediately went to hug the first, covering his face with his body.

  "Mummy said you should speak English." He scolded which only made the other kid cry even louder.

  “Don’t cry,” the second boy said urgently, crouching beside him. He patted his back, sounding a bit annoyed. “Mama said crying makes it worse.”

  I watched with amusement.

  They were twins.

  Fraternal... but unmistakably so. Same height. Same eyes. Same dark hair. One had dimples when he frowned.

  I never liked children. I had always considered them a distraction, an unnecessary disturbance.

  Even when I was with Jane, I never considered having children and she respected my decision.

  But watching these twins... I felt something tighten in my chest.

  I didn’t know why I reacted the way I did.

  I rarely did.

  But before my assistant could step in... I took a step forward, and then slowly I buckled my knees and knelt in front of the crying kid.

  The boy who had fallen froze when he saw me up close, his crying hitching into small, shaky breaths. His brother stared at me openly, unafraid.

  “Does it hurt?” I asked. My voice sounded unfamiliar to my own ears. It came out softer than I had intended... I didn't even know I was capable of speaking so calmly.

  The boy absentmindedly nodded, his eyes fixed on me.

  I stretched out my hand, and then hesitated midway... I didn't know how to do this, but I wanted to.

  Slowly I placed my hand on his head and parted it. gently

  He stopped crying.

  Just like that and just stared at me.

  Both boys stared at me now, wide-eyed, studying my face as if trying to figure out something important.

  'Jayden what are you doing?' I snapped back to my senses, then I straightened quickly.

  “Where are your parents?” I asked.

  Both turned to look at themselves for a few seconds before returning their gazes to me, and they shook their head.

  "She was on the phone..." The braver one said before pointing at his brother. "He ran, and then I had to chase him. Now I don't know where she is."

  There was something about his accent... It wasn't just a child speaking sloppily; he spoke as though English wasn't his first language.

  But they looked American.

  “Mr. Bryes,” Dion stepped forward and whispered to my ear. “We really should...”

  “I’m not leaving yet.” The words came out cold but final.

  Then I turned back to the boys, I crouched down to their level and asked. “What are your names?”

  “I’m..." The cute one with dimples who had fallen earlier was about to say, but then his brothers nudged him. Forcing him to keep quiet.

  "Mummy said we shouldn't give our names to strangers."

  My chest tightened again.

  I didn’t know why.

  The way the other one spoke, he seemed to be older, but I was certain that they were twins.

  They were... Cute.

  I didn’t have children. I didn’t want them. I was known for avoiding them entirely.

  And yet…

  They looked familiar.

  Uncomfortably so.

  I nodded at the kid, forcing down the urge to pat his head. "You're right. You shouldn't tell your name to strangers."

  He was a smart kid. Just watching them made me wish I had children of my own.

  Maybe if Jane were still alive, that wish would be possible. I would have changed my mind...

  But she wasn't.

  I forced a small smile to my lips. I was about to say something else when I heard someone yell from behind me.

  "Leo? Jake?!" The voice shook a little... As though fearful.

  The cheeky one's eyes lit up, and his lips pulled into a wide grin. "That's mummy!" He pointed behind me.

  Before I could turn around to look, a figure sped past me, walked to the twins, and crouched in front of them.

  "There you guys are!" It was a feminine voice... but somehow, just like the twins, it felt familiar. "You had me worried." She said pulling away from the guy.

  "Don't worry mummy," the other one... the smart one said with a small smile, "...we were with a kind uncle." Then he looked up at me.

  "Thank you so much for..." The mother stood up, turning around to face me.

  As soon as she did, I felt air leave my lungs in shock.

  Her hair was different, it used to be black but now with was light brown and she had bangs covering her forehead, but her eyes... How could I ever forget the look in those hazel eyes of hers?

  The last time it was with pain and lust, the light in her eyes was gone, as though she had given up on life but still wanted this one thing... But now, now there was life in them.

  It made her even more stunning.

  I needed no extra clarification. That was why she felt so familiar... It was... Her.

  The mysterious lady who ignited a fire inside him... She was back.