Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Six

Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Six
Killian’s Pov

That night, I drove aimlessly through the streets with no real destination in mind. My head was heavy, my heart even heavier. The humiliation of standing in that courtroom earlier in the day replayed in my mind over and over like a curse I couldn’t escape. Serena sat beside Adrien, looking calm and protected; it burned through me like fire.

I gripped the steering wheel tight as anger filled my chest again. 

“Five hundred thousand dollars,” I muttered bitterly. “For emotional distress? What about what she did to me?”

The city lights blurred past me. I didn’t even realize where I was headed until I saw the neon glow of a bar sign flashing in the distance. I slowed down, parked, and stepped out of the car. The night air was cool, but inside, the heat of the place hit me immediately; loud music, laughter, and the scent of alcohol mixing with perfume.

I walked straight to the counter.

“Whiskey,” I said to the bartender.

He nodded and poured me a glass. I drank it down in one go and slammed the glass on the counter. 

“Another.” I urged.

The bartender hesitated for a second but filled it again.

After a few rounds, my thoughts were spinning. The world around me became dull and distorted. I didn’t want to think about Serena anymore, but every drink brought her name back to me. The sound of her voice, the way she looked at Adrien; it haunted me.

I laughed bitterly to myself. “She really thinks she is free,” I mumbled, staring at the amber liquid in my glass. “She’s not. Not completely.”

“Rough night?” a soft voice came from beside me.

I turned my head slowly, my vision blurry from the alcohol. A woman was sitting next to me, dressed in black. Her hair fell over her shoulder, and her perfume was sweet, almost dizzying.

I squinted, trying to focus on her face. Something about her voice tugged at my memory, but I couldn’t quite place it.

“Yeah,” I replied with a dry laugh. “You could say that.”

She smiled faintly, her red lips curving in a way that caught my attention. 

“Men like you shouldn’t drink alone. It’s dangerous.”

I chuckled. “I’ve been through worse.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” she said softly, leaning closer. Her perfume was intoxicating, and the dim lights made her skin glow faintly. “So, what’s the problem? Love? Business? Or both?”

I smirked faintly. “You’re smart.”

She giggled, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “Lucky guess. You look like someone who lost something important or someone.”

Her words hit harder than I expected. I didn’t answer right away. I just looked down at my drink, my mind flashing back to Serena’s expression when the judge declared the verdict. She looked calm and relieved.

So, there was actually a day when my pain would mean relief for her.

“Maybe I did,” I finally said. “I probably lost everything.”

“Well,” she said, placing her hand lightly on my arm, “Sometimes, losing everything gives you the chance to start over.”

I looked at her hand, then back at her. 

She smiled. “Come on, one drink with me. I promise I won't bite.”

I laughed weakly. “I think I’ve had enough.”

“Then one more won’t make a difference,” she teased.

And somehow, I agreed. One drink became two, and two became more. Her voice was soothing, and the more she talked, the less I thought about Serena. She listened when I spoke, laughed at my sarcasm, and touched my hand every now and then. It felt good for a night that had started so badly.

At some point, I wasn’t sure how it happened, but we left the bar together. My mind was foggy, and the streetlights were spinning in my eyes. She guided me with a gentle hand, her fingers wrapping around mine.

“Where are we going?” I asked, my voice thick.

“Somewhere quiet,” she whispered.

We ended up at a nearby hotel. The woman handled everything at the front desk like she had done it a thousand times before. I didn’t even ask her name, I was too drunk to care. All I knew was that for the first time in a long while, I wasn’t thinking about revenge or heartbreak. Just the warmth of someone close, the feeling of being wanted, even if it was temporary.

We got to the room and I could tell it was dimly lit. I sat down on the edge of the bed, and she stood in front of me, removing her jacket. Her perfume filled the air again. My mind was hazy, but I couldn’t deny the pull between us.

“Are you sure about this?” I asked, my voice low.

She smiled faintly, stepping closer until her hands rested on my shoulders. “You need to forget for a while, Killian.”

Her saying my name made me pause. “How do you…”

She placed a finger on my lips. “Shh. Don’t think too much tonight.”

I was weak at that moment and everything that happened after was a blur; touches, whispers, heat, and then silence. After the beautiful moment we had, I finally drifted off to sleep.

~

When I woke the next morning, the sunlight slipped through the curtains, faint and cold. My head was pounding, my throat feeling dry.

I groaned, rubbing my temples as I tried to remember the night before. Everything came back in fragments.

Then I heard the shower running.

I turned my head towards the bathroom. The door was half-closed, and steam poured out from inside. I could hear her humming softly. Her voice just sounded so familiar. Now it was all becoming clear to me. My heart skipped a beat.

No. It couldn’t be.

I sat up, blinking a few times to clear my vision. My shirt was half-buttoned, and my jacket laid on the floor. I tried to think straight, but the hangover made it hard.

“Who the hell was she?” I muttered under my breath.

I wanted to remember her face clearly, but all I could recall were her lips and the way she said my name. 

A moment later, the water stopped running.

My pulse quickened as I heard her footsteps approaching. The door creaked open, and I sat there, waiting to finally see who had managed to make me forget my misery for a few hours.

The woman stepped out, wrapped in a towel, her wet hair falling over her shoulders. She looked surprised to see me awake, but then a slow, knowing smile curved her lips.

My eyes widened, disbelief flooding through me as recognition hit like lightning.

“Samantha?” I said under my breath, my voice sounding rough.

She tilted her head slightly, her smile deepening. “Good morning, Killian.”