enjoyebooks Chapter 10
Chapter 10
KAEL’S POV
The sun barely peeked through the curtains when I woke, the soft light pressing in on me like an unwelcome reminder that the night had ended. My head throbbed with a dull ache, a souvenir from too much champagne—or maybe it was the constant buzz of last night’s conversations. But as the fog in my mind began to lift, one thing became painfully clear: she was gone.
I rolled over, the coldness of the bed next to me cutting through the haze of sleep. Her scent lingered faintly on the pillow, a fleeting reminder of the moments we’d shared, but it was already fading, just like she had. The warmth that had been there, just hours ago, was now replaced with a hollow emptiness. My chest tightened as frustration seeped into my thoughts.
“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, dragging a hand over my face. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, the carpet soft against my bare feet as I took in the room—quiet, still, void of her presence. There was no trace of her anywhere. Not a note, not a word. Just… silence.
I glanced over at the nightstand, my frustration building. Then something caught my eye—a glint of silver, faint but undeniable, sitting innocuously on the wood. I reached for it, my fingers brushing over the cool surface of a diamond ring.
The stone was massive, flawless—a perfect cut. My mind stalled for a moment, the implications of what I was holding slamming into me with a force that took my breath away. This ring… it had to be hers. But why? Why had she left it behind?
My pulse quickened. I turned the ring over in my hand, running my thumb over the intricate etchings of the band. “This must be hers,” I muttered under my breath, my voice tight as a strange mix of disbelief and frustration coursed through me.
Had she left it on purpose? Or had it been a mistake? My mind spun with the possibilities. I could still feel the heat of her laugh, the way her eyes had sparkled with mischief, the sharpness of her words. We’d shared something, I knew that much. Something real, dangerous, fleeting. Something I wasn’t sure I understood.
And now she was gone, leaving only this.
I shoved the ring into my pocket, a knot forming in my stomach as I pulled on my clothes, my mind racing. The questions were swirling—had she done this intentionally? Or had something changed between us, something I hadn’t noticed? Did she see my face?
I left the suite, walking down the hallway with purpose, my thoughts tangled in the strange absence of her. The sound of voices reached my ears, and I paused, listening. Two maids were talking in hushed tones, their voices carrying through the otherwise empty hallway.
“They’re offering a reward for that diamond ring,” one of them said with excitement.
“Really?” The other sounded intrigued. “Do you know who’s offering it?”
“No idea,” the first maid replied, her voice dropping lower. “The manager just said they left a number to call.”
My steps slowed, instinct kicking in. Someone was searching for the ring. Someone who clearly knew more than they were letting on. My blood ran cold. There was only one person who could be calling about the ring—and that person was Celestina.
I approached the maids, my presence cutting through their conversation. “Excuse me,” I said, my voice calm but sharp.
They froze, both of them turning to face me, their eyes wide with surprise. “Y-yes, sir?” one stammered.
“You said someone left a number for the ring?” I asked, my tone steady but with an edge of urgency that made them both nod quickly.
“Yes, sir,” the second maid confirmed. “We don’t know who, but the manager has the number.”
I didn’t waste another second. “Where’s the manager?”
“Just over there, by the concierge desk,” she pointed, and I didn’t hesitate to turn and walk in that direction, my mind already calculating how to get the answers I needed.
The manager stood behind the desk, looking up as I approached. He recognized me immediately, his nervous smile faltering under the weight of my gaze. “Good morning, sir. How can I assist you?”
“I heard you have a contact number for someone looking for a diamond ring,” I said, cutting straight to the point.
The manager hesitated, his eyes flicking nervously between me and the desk. “Yes, sir. May I ask why—”
“Just give me the number,” I interrupted, my voice colder now, sharper than I intended.
The man’s hand shook as he passed me a small slip of paper, and I grabbed it with barely a nod of thanks before turning on my heel and heading outside, my heart pounding harder than it should.
I dialed the number immediately, my fingers almost trembling as I pressed the phone to my ear. The line rang twice before a voice answered, and the world seemed to pause for a moment.
“Hello?” The voice on the other end sent a jolt through me. The tone was unmistakable, but the uncertainty in her voice threw me for a loop.
My breath caught in my throat. “Celestina?”
There was a sharp intake of breath, and I heard her exhale before she spoke. “Kael?!” Her voice cracked just slightly, surprise and something else—something I couldn’t quite place.
I leaned back against the cold stone of the hotel entrance, my pulse quickening. This was it. This was the person I’d been trying to figure out all along. The one I hadn’t been able to forget.
“You're the one looking for the ring?” I asked, my voice lower now, laced with something darker that I couldn’t ignore.
“Yes,” she replied quickly, her voice tight with tension. “How do you know that?”
I let out a slow breath, my mind spinning with possibilities. “Because I have it,” I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
The silence that followed was thick, almost suffocating, as if she were trying to steady herself, to process what I’d just said. The realization hit her and she gasped loudly. “THAT WAS YOU?!”