Chapter 163 The Morning After
Chapter 163 The Morning After
The call screen flashed red, and the connection dropped before the second ring could sound.
Chloe stared at the display, tapping Zarik's contact name again with a trembling thumb.
The screen lit up, buzzed twice with a flat error tone, and cut off into complete silence.
"Why aren't you picking up now?" she whispered, staring at the dark glass in her hand.
Twelve missed calls from Zarik filled her history log, spanning between 9:45 PM and 11:40 PM.
Right below the missed calls sat his text message from Monday dawn, telling her they were done and ordering her never to contact him again.
He had called her phone all evening while she was drinking, yet now that she was calling back, he refused to answer.
She tapped the screen a third time, but the connection dropped instantly.
A soft click sounded near the corner of the room.
The heavy wooden door pushed open, and a young woman in a dark uniform walked inside carrying a glass of water on a tray.
"You're finally awake, miss," the maid said, placing the drink on the side table.
Chloe pulled the silk blanket higher over her chest, keeping her back pressed against the headboard. "Where am I?"
"Please don't be alarmed," the maid answered, keeping her hands folded in front of her apron. "You're inside Master Zarik's private house."
Chloe looked around the wide room, taking in the tall ceiling, the dark wooden beams, and the large glass doors leading out to the stone balcony.
They had dated in secret for six months, but she had never stepped past his front gate. He was the hottest pop artist in the country, and his agency forced him to keep his personal life hidden from reporters.
She knew his songs played on every street corner in the city, so the scale of his estate didn't surprise her.
"How did I get in here?" Chloe asked.
"Master Zarik carried you upstairs around midnight," the maid explained. "He carried you straight into this bedroom."
Chloe lowered her eyes to her chest, touching the soft white fabric covering her shoulders.
"Where are my clothes?" Chloe asked. "Where is my black work dress and my jacket?"
"Your dress was ruined with alcohol," the maid answered. "The young master took it off and put it in the laundry bin."
A sudden memory flashed in Chloe's mind.
She remembered the stairs behind the basement bar. Her head had spun, and she had vomited across her dress and all over his jacket while he carried her up to the street.
That person had been Zarik.
Chloe gripped the edge of the mattress with both hands. "Who did you say took my clothes off?"
The maid looked down at the floor. "Master Zarik did."
"You let him do that?" Chloe asked, her voice rising with sudden panic.
"I tried to step in," the maid said, keeping her voice low and polite. "I brought clean clothes and towels to the door, but he took them from my hands. He told me to wait in the hallway and took care of everything himself."
Chloe sat up straight, her fingers clutching the blanket tight. "Did he leave after that?"
"No," the maid answered. "He washed you in the tub and dressed you in clean loungewear before putting you into bed. When I checked in later, he was sitting in that chair by the window watching over you until morning."
Chloe stopped breathing.
Her chest locked tight as she stared at the woman in total shock.
She and Zarik had spent nights talking in his car and holding hands in empty parking lots, but they had never shared that kind of intimacy before.
A hot wave rushed straight up her neck and into her face.
"He's dead," Chloe muttered under her breath, glaring at the empty doorway. "I'm going to make him pay for this."
The maid raised her head, studying Chloe's expression. "Miss, are you angry?"
"Of course I'm angry!" Chloe snapped.
"You don't sound like you mean it," the maid replied.
Chloe's eyebrows pulled together in frustration. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Your cheeks are bright red," the maid said, pointing a finger toward Chloe's face. "You're blushing right now."
Chloe turned her head toward the window, pressing both palms against her hot skin. "I'm not blushing. The room is hot, and the blanket is too thick."
She lowered her hands and sat back against the pillows, trying to steady her breathing. "Where is he right now? I dialed his number three times, and the line won't connect."
"He isn't in the house," the maid said. "He left for rehearsals two hours ago."
Chloe paused, her hands resting flat on her lap.
Yesterday morning, Sarah had called Zarik directly from the office to save the company launch. Zarik had answered the call, heard the business name, and claimed he was too sick to stand on a stage.
He had lied to Sarah just to make sure he didn't have to see Chloe's face.
Yet this morning, he was already at the arena running sound checks.
"Why would he do that?" Chloe asked, staring at the wooden floorboards.
If he was sick yesterday, he shouldn't be running around an arena today. He had blocked her messages, dragged her out of a bar, and cleaned her up with his own hands.
Then he walked out the front door without waiting for her to wake up.
"Miss?" the maid called out.
Chloe blinked, looking up from the bed. "What is it?"
"You're zoning out," the maid said, stepping closer to the side table. "Is your head hurting from last night?"
"My head is fine," Chloe said, pushing the silk sheet aside.
She swung her legs over the edge of the mattress, her bare feet hitting the cold floor.
She reached for her bag on the nightstand and grabbed her phone. Sarah had told her to take the day off to rest, so she didn't have to report to the office until tomorrow morning.
"Where is his rehearsal taking place?" Chloe asked.
The maid picked up the empty tray from the table. "At the central arena downtown."
Chloe stood up and grabbed her purse. "Find me a pair of shoes and a clean coat. I'm going there right now."