I had two hours before my evening lectures at the university. So, I took a cab to Baker's apartment.

Baker Fields was my boyfriend. He interned at a big law firm in the city and shared the apartment with his cousin Milo.

By this time, he was usually at work.

I had his spare key and he had a laptop I could use to type out my internship application.

Soon, I was unlocking his front door and stepping inside.

The familiar smell of the house welcomed me.

I tossed my bag on the couch and walked over to his desk.

The laptop was turned on, only it was in sleep mode.

I paused, tilting my head.

Was he here?

Thinking to surprise him, I tiptoed my way into the bedroom.

The door was slightly open.

I slipped inside, a bit of mischief bubbling inside me in spite of myself.

A soft noise reached my ears from the bathroom before a red bra caught my eyes.

I stopped mid-step.

And listened more.

The noise grew stronger, becoming noises.

Moaning.

Grunting.

And half-laughter.

The first thought that came to my mind was that Milo must have had a girl over and was now having shower sex with her.

Eww.

I turned to leave as quietly as I came.

Then a voice, unmistakably Baker's spoke breathlessly,

“Damn it, baby. You're fire.”

My eyebrows shot up.

I stood there frozen, my ears ringing with words I could never unhear.

I felt a tightness in my chest.

My breath seemed locked.

Not my Baker.

A low, husky laugh mingled with the sound of splashing water sounded cleared what was left of my doubt.

I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth.

Then his partner whispered,

“Say that again,” her voice, dripping with intimacy.

My jaw dropped.

I didn't know when I blurted.

“Pheebs?”

Both Baker and my best friend, Phoebe must have frozen in the bathroom because the shower suddenly stopped running and silence settled heavily in the room.

My chest caved in, as if someone had reached inside and ripped my heart out.

Something I never thought I would have to experience with Baker.

He was the perfect boyfriend, smart with the right kind of ambition.

Totally a husband material.

He was both supportive and understanding.

When I told him I wasn't going to have sex before marriage, he didn't make a big deal out of it.

For all I know, he was saving to buy me an engagement ring.

I thought the world of him because of that.

I already had names for our babies.

A girl can hope, right?

“Nala?” Baker's voice called from the bathroom, snapping

me out of my daze.

I turned so fast, I stumbled over my own foot.

Hurrying back into the living room, I grabbed my bag.

Before I could reach the door, Baker's damp hand grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

“Wait, Nala,” he pleaded. “Let me explain.”

I blinked back the tears stinging my eyes, inhaled deeply and turned.

My eyes swept his entire frame, from top to bottom.

He was wet and half-naked.

A towel hung loosely over his waist.

What was it with men and indecency today?

Irritated, I flicked my eyes back to his face.

“Y-You want to explain why my boyfriend was having shower sex with my best friend?” I asked in a controlled breath.

“Like if I gave you a minute right now, you'd really have an explanation for what you were doing?”

His grip tightened over my wrist.

“It just happened,” he answered. “I swear. And it'll never happen again. You know how much I love you.”

I sucked in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“Let go of my hand, Baker.”

“I knew it,” Phoebe's angry voice sounded from the bedroom as she stepped out.

Wait.

Wasn't I supposed to be the angry one here?

She didn't even spare me a glance.

“I knew you would choose her,” she spat.

“After everything we've shared. You're holding on to someone who wouldn't even let you feel her up. She's a virgin who doesn't even know what to do with her own body. Yet, she got you wrapped around her little finger like a dummy.”

A dry scoff escaped me.

I blinked, my eyes darting from her to him.

My mouth hung slightly open but… I had no words.

“Don't pay attention to her, Nala,” Baker said. “It's you I love. I swear.”

“Let go of my hand,” I repeated calmly, the tremor in my hand betraying the hurt inside me.

“What about us, Nala?” Baker asked, his voice pleading.

“I am going to get a bigger bowl of ice cream,” I answered, tearing his hand off my wrist with my free hand. “And then, I'll delete you forever.”

Hot tears blurred my vision as I stepped out of the apartment, the hot afternoon air hitting me like a slap.

I reached into my pocket for my handkerchief.

It wasn’t there.

I'd left it at Suite 126B.

A sob escaped me.

First, my job.

Then, my boyfriend.

And now, my handkerchief.

Was this day cursed?

“You’re such a coward,” Phoebe's voice rang out.

“Other than a pretty face, what else does she have that I lack?” she yelled. “I can't believe you're dumping me right after you called me fire. You turn into a simp whenever you're around her.”

“You shut your mouth!” was Baker's response.

But it didn't matter what he said anymore. My heart was shattered beyond repair.

~~~~~

JORDAN'S POV

When I finally woke up, there were gaps in my memory like pages torn from a ledger.

I remember being in the elevator with a female housekeeper.

And that was it.

I checked my watch.

It had been about four hours.

Dr. Grant checked my pupils again and nodded.

“You’ll be fine.”

“Where's the lady?” I asked.

He shrugged, gathering his equipment into his briefcase.

“Probably back to work.”

Then he added,

“You know she asked an important question. One you should find an answer to immediately.”

I frowned.

“What question?”

“How was it possible to tamper with your drink right inside your suite?”

“That's not rocket science,” I responded, getting up and buttoning my shirt.

“The housekeeper is who I need to find.”

He nodded.

“Yeah, she deserves a bonus, the way she handled everything. A lot could have gone wrong pretty fast.”

A bonus was the last thing on my mind.

She had seen me helpless and I knew how the human mind worked.

A billionaire caught in a scandalous position is a major attraction for opportunistic people.

Did she take photos?

Make videos?

I needed answers.

Four hours ago, I had a persistent migraine and returned from the office for a little nap.

I began feeling strange after taking my painkillers.

But it only got worse.

My body seemed to reject rest altogether.

Gradually, the ache in my head became a secondary issue.

I wanted more than anything to get in bed with a woman.

My whole senses were hijacked by desire.

That was the moment I knew my drink had been touched.

And there was only one person close to me who would be silly enough to drug me in order to have their way with me.

Lily Summers.

Lily, my girlfriend, was beautiful, classy, and most importantly matched my energy.

And I made sure she was well taken care of.

Recently, however, I could have sworn that something was different about her.

I had become extra sensitive to changes in people close to me after Annalise, my father's wife, got to my personal assistant.

Annalise got her to reveal my travel itinerary during my last business trip to Dubai.

I didn't wait to get back. I fired her without a second thought.

Since I got back, Lily had become clingy, which was unlike her.

She called more often, always asking to meet or come over.

But I couldn’t see her as often as I did before.

Without a P.A., my workload was over the roof.

When I finally created time to see Lily, she seemed anxious and wouldn't stop talking about having the babies she swore she never wanted.

I didn't think too much of it.

Until a few hours ago when I returned to my suite, took my regular painkillers with the water on my bedside table, and then laid down to rest my head for a few minutes.

First, an unsettling feeling of warmth swept all across my body.

Within a few minutes, my palms became sweaty, my heart beat irregularly, and with the bed sheets smelling so much like Lily, all I wanted was her touch.

I felt my manhood throb and harden all by itself like it had gotten a mind of its own.

I went from having a migraine to wanting to have sex within minutes.

When I tried to sit up, the room spun around me.

My vision became blurry.

I blinked and rubbed my eyes to regain clarity. But the walls looked like they were slipping further away from me.

In all that confusion, I remembered Lily had called to say she would be coming over to check on me.

She actually insisted though I told her all I wanted to do was rest.

My mind raced with the craziest thought.

Could Lily be…

I didn't wait to find out.

I rose from the bed, barely seeing what was a few feet from me.

I just had to get out before Lily got to me.

And when I did, I bumped into the housekeeper who brought me here and disappeared before Dr. Grant was done with me.

Now, I wonder if I hadn't jumped out of the frying pan, right into the fire.

My jaw twitched and then tightened.

“Call me if you need to,” Dr. Grant was saying.

“And use your own phone next time, will you?”

I stared blankly at him.

Then it hit me.

My phone.

“I think I dropped it in my suite.”

I exhaled, Irritation rising.

“Why can't I remember anything?”

“It'll all come back to you. Give it time,” he assured me, and shortly after, left.

I got up to leave, too.

A cold shower was exactly what I needed.

That, and my phone.

Then, I'd go after the housekeeper.

~~~~~

By the time I stepped into my suite, Lily was there.

Waiting.

I stopped mid-step, my eyes locking on to hers.

The air was thick with unspoken accusations.

She rose up to meet me, wearing a racy piece which left very little to imagination.

Very Lily.

Her breasts were bare, her nipples peeking out of the fabric. She did the sultry walk that never failed to turn me on.

She never had to work hard to get my attention.

I loved her.

And that was exactly why her betrayal cut deep.

On a regular day, I would already be making love to her.

But there was nothing regular about today, was there?

She had crossed the line.

I had been exposed in the most humiliating and potentially scandalous way to a total stranger.

My anger simmered on the verge of boiling over.

“Darling,” she said. “Where have you been? I've been waiting for you.”

Her sultry voice now scraped my heart.

I said nothing.

I simply held her gaze until she became uncomfortable.

Her eyes left mine, her smile faltering for a split second before she regained composure.

I guess she was still playing games with me.

She closed the distance between us cautiously, placed a palm over my chest and brushed her lips against mine in a quick kiss.

A jolt of revulsion went through my body, her sweet perfume, usually intoxicating, now made my stomach churn.

Yet, I stayed still.

Somehow, I couldn’t look away from her innocent-looking eyes.

And I cursed myself inwardly for being conflicted.

When I couldn't stand her hypocrisy any longer, I asked,

“Why, Lily?”

“Why?” she asked. “I told you I was coming, silly. You know I've missed you, don't you?”

She kissed me the second time, slowly biting my lower lip, making me want to forget everything.

Not a chance.

I drew in a controlled breath.

“I know what you did,” I said, pulling away. “I just want to know why.”

“What on earth are you talking about?” she asked smoothly.

I watched her carefully.

“You want me to say it plainly?”

She turned away slowly, forcing a small laugh.

“You’re scaring me, Jordan. I came here to check on you and now you’re…”

“What did you put in my water?” I cut her off.

The smile vanished.

Only for a second.

But I saw it.

“Put… what in your…?” she asked, frowning.

“Why would you even think that?”

“I told you I had a migraine,” I answered evenly. “And needed to return here to rest.”

Her lips parted slightly.

“So?”

“You insisted on coming over,” I answered. “You never do that. Not when I need rest.”

“That’s because I was worried about you,” she explained, a little too defensively.

I raised an eyebrow, tilting my head slightly.

“Worried enough to drug me?”

“Huh!” she gasped, looking shocked now. “Darling, do you even hear yourself?”

I didn’t answer.

My eyes never left her face.

Silence fell and stretched until it became suffocating.

Her fingers curled slightly at her sides.

“If you think I would do something like that to you,” she said, “Then you need to get checked out. That migraine is messing you up real good.”

A faint smile touched the corner of my mouth at her attempt to gaslight me.

“I think,” I continued slowly like I didn't hear her. “Something was added to my drink… right here.”

I let that sit for a couple of seconds.

“There are only a handful of people who could get that close,” I continued.

Her breath seemed to catch in her throat.

“And one of them,” I added, “is standing right in front of me.”

Her eyes dropped.

Just for a second.

But that was all I needed.

I closed the distance between us and in an even lower voice said,

“Look at me, Lily.”

She didn’t.

“Look. At. Me.”

Slowly, her gaze lifted.

Her eyes were glassy now.

Good.

That meant the cracks were forming.

“I’m going to ask you one more time,” I said. “And I want you to think very carefully before you answer.”

I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to fill the silence with reasoning. 

My gaze stayed locked on her, my eyes narrowing as I struggled to make sense of her words.

But after a moment, I couldn’t help myself.

“You always said you didn't want kids," I said. "So what's with this sudden desire?”

She just sat there. Didn't say a word.

There was nothing but tears.

I shook my head.

“You crossed a line, Lily.”

She let go of my arm and started crying even harder. 

Watching her cry…

It got to me. Her tears made something twist inside my chest.

I turned toward the bathroom, my eyes stinging.

“Just be gone before I come out. And I never want to see you again.”

“No!” she shouted. “Jordan, are you breaking up with me?”

I gave her a look.

“Lily, you drugged me just so you could… have your way with me.” I snapped.

She flinched.

But I was not finished.

“I don't know which is worse. The fact that you may be telling the truth or that there is something else you're not saying.”

I hesitated before adding, 

“If you’re hiding something, Lily, I’ll find out. And you won’t like what comes after.”

Her sobs faded into whimpers.

“I'm sorry, darling,” she said. “Don't talk like this. Don't decide while you're angry. Please?”

“Just go,” I half-whispered. “I can't even look at you right now.”  

Then, I turned and stepped into the bathroom. 

Soon, the sound of running water drowned out everything else in my head.

But only until a memory from earlier flashed. 

It was blurry and fragmented: the housekeeper handing me a bottle of water, her fingers brushing mine. 

I remembered throwing my head back, spilling water down my shirt. 

Her face wouldn’t come into focus, it got lost in the thick fog of my brain. 

I turned off the shower. 

I needed to act fast. 

By the time I stepped out, Lily was gone.

A note she left on the bed read:

“Please forgive me.” 

It was signed with a heart emoji.

My silly heart softened for one second.

Was I too hard on her?

No. 

I crumpled the note, tossed it into the trash and went into my closet. 

This wasn’t the moment for second guesses.

After getting dressed, I grabbed my phone from where it had fallen under the bed. 

There was a text from Nick, my friend.

Nick Stallone and I were together when I had the migraine which made me return earlier than usual to take a short rest.

My finger swiped the text away and clicked his contact.

“Hey, man,” he answered on the first ring. “You feeling better?”

“Not even close,” I answered. 

“Lily did something crazy and now, I'm in a mess.”

“Woah, slow down,” Nick said. “What do you mean ‘mess’?”

“I need to take care of something now,” I told him. 

“I'll see you later and explain everything.”

If there was anyone I could trust with all this, it was Nick.

He was the brother I never had and I trusted him with my life. 

The guy’s a total mystery. 

While I’d freak out at the smallest thing, he’d keep his cool and pick everything apart like it was just another puzzle. 

Most times he drove me nuts. 

“Alright,” he said. 

I hung up. 

A couple of minutes later, I left my suite and went straight to security. 

The chief of security, Mark Chen was already on his way towards me, with two others trailing. 

“Mr. Styles, what can I do for you?” he asked, clearly concerned to see me there. 

“Walk with me to your office,” I said.

“And lose your men.” 

He nodded.

“Of course.” 

And waved the men off.

Then he hurried ahead, leading the way. 

Inside his office, I nodded toward the computer.

“Unlock it.” 

His face froze for a moment, but he did what I asked and typed in his password. 

Once the screen came to life, I gestured at the door. 

“Give me some privacy.” 

He hovered, trying to figure things out from my face, but I stared back until he finally left, shutting the door behind him quietly. 

I sat down and dove in. 

“Twelfth floor,” I muttered, watching the feed as it flickered on. 

I rewound to 3 PM.

Then fast-forwarded through minutes of scanty halls until…

There we were. 

My stomach dropped. 

I watched myself stumble down the hallway, a ridiculous handkerchief on my head. 

The housekeeper beside me was half my size and yet, somehow kept me upright. 

I hated seeing myself like that.

Helpless.

Weak. 

Worse... unaware. 

The cameras never caught her face. It was like she’d mapped out every blind spot in advance, slipping past them on purpose. 

Honestly, I couldn’t decide if I was impressed or worried. Either she was a pro at hiding or she was dangerous. 

I squinted, my lips tightening. 

Then a detail jumped out at me. 

The handkerchief. 

I’d seen it in suite 126B, lying there. 

My breathing picked up. 

I remembered it clearly.

It was embroidered with vines and flowers, all carefully hand-stitched. 

Or not so carefully because it looked like the work of an amateur. 

“Love Nana,” it said on one edge in brown-gold thread. 

My brows came together in a slight frown.

If another housekeeper found it and turned it in...

Maybe they wouldn’t trace it back to me. 

Still, questions would start.

And that was the last thing I needed. 

I had to go fetch it before anyone else did. 

“Damn you, Lily,” I muttered, my fingers clenching the desk. 

But I still didn’t have what I came for. 

I scrubbed through more footage, jumping to the time after Dr. Grant showed up.

Maybe I’d see her face on her way out. 

I watched as she ducked into the elevator, her face hidden as at other times. 

I leaned back, defeated. 

Why was she still being careful, even after I was with my doctor? 

Who or what was she scared of? 

For twenty solid minutes, I tried to track which floor she got off on.

I got nothing. 

Then I remembered…

Dr. Grant had her contact info. 

I let out a long breath. I just needed to call him. 

I refreshed the security feed and left Chen’s office immediately. 

He looked after me, lost, but I didn’t bother to fill him in. I wasn’t any closer to answers myself. 

That ghost of a housekeeper saw me at my worst. And she was gone. 

Loose ends gnawed at me. 

One picture, one video and she could ruin me. 

I wasn’t going to let that happen. I had to find her, before she decided what to do with what she’d seen. 

And Lily…

The more I thought about it, the clearer it felt. 

Lily couldn’t have planned all this just to have a baby. She wasn’t built like that. Someone else was definitely involved. 

And this…

This may be just the start.