CHAPTER 55
ARIA
My heart pounded like it wanted to escape my chest, as if some invisible force was pulling me toward him. My feet moved before my mind could catch up, carrying me across the lobby.
I was running before I even realised it.
“Hey! You can’t—”
A security guard stepped in, blocking my path, eyes narrowing as he scanned me up and down. Every muscle was taut, alert, trained to notice the slightest irregularity.
“I’m sorry, but could you just tell me who went up in those lifts?” I asked, my voice trembling, desperate.
The guard frowned, shifting slightly, his hand hovering near his radio.
“Look, lady… this is a special VIP area. Those using these lifts are VIP personnel. I need you to step back—this area is restricted.”
“You don’t understand… he was just here… he went into the lift… I—I just need to see him!” My words tumbled out in a rush, my chest tight, my hands shaking uncontrollably.
The security officer opened his mouth again.
“Ma’am, you can’t—”
But I wasn’t listening.
My eyes were glued to the elevator, my heartbeat thundering in my ears, each second stretching into an eternity.
I shook my head violently, not really listening, my hands clawing at the air as if I could grab the words from him.
“You must have seen him… He’s tall… impossibly tall… broad shoulders… dark hair… his eyes—blue, like the ocean… and a suit… black, definitely black!”
My words tumbled out in a rush, my chest heaving, each breath jagged and shallow. My hands shook violently, my knees threatening to buckle beneath me.
“Please… just tell me he was really here…” I gasped, almost collapsing as my eyes darted toward the elevator.
My body trembled uncontrollably, every nerve screaming, every heartbeat deafening in my ears. I clung to the hope that I wasn’t imagining him, that he was truly there… alive… just beyond reach.
“Look, miss… this is a venue. Half the men here are wearing black suits,” the guard snapped, rolling his eyes, his tone sharp with irritation.
“You waving your arms around and whining isn’t going to make him pop out of thin air.”
“I know…” I gasped, my voice breaking, pointing desperately toward the elevator.
“But he—he was just there! You have to understand!
The guard let out an exasperated sigh, throwing his hands up.
“Look, lady, I don’t know who you think you saw, but half the people here could fit your description. Tall, dark hair, suit—welcome to the club. Now step back before you cause a scene.”
“But not all of them are so big and muscular! He was right there, just now!”
The guard let out a sharp, exasperated huff, leaning closer, his brow furrowed.
“Lady… I don’t care how ‘muscular’ or ‘mystery-guy-ish’ he is. You’re not going up there. End of story. Step back before I have to escort you myself.”
“I won’t!” I snapped, my voice raw, nearly a shout.
“Not until I see him—just for a second! I need to know he’s really here!”
He straightened, jaw tight, voice sharper now, cutting through me like a blade.
“Look, I said no. You think yelling changes anything? It doesn’t. Move along, or we’ll have a problem.”
“I can’t!” I gasped, clutching at the air as if trying to hold him there.
“You don’t understand… he was just here… he—he’s alive! I just need to make sure! Please… just a moment… that’s all I’m asking!”
The guard’s eyes narrowed, irritation flashing across his face.
“Lady, this isn’t a game. Step back. Now. Or I’ll have to escort you out.”
My knees trembled, my hands shaking violently.
“No! I can’t leave! He… he’s right there… I saw him!”
My voice broke, raw with panic and hope, my heart hammering like it would burst from my chest.
I forced a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm the wild pounding of my heart. My hands trembled, and a bead of sweat slid down my temple.
“Look, I’m sorry. But I have to see him! Just for a moment! Just to make sure…”
My voice cracked, raw with desperation.
“Please… you don’t understand—he’s… he’s important… I can’t just walk away without knowing. Please, I’m begging you…”
My eyes darted toward the elevator again, pleading silently.
My chest tightened, and I felt the walls closing in, the world narrowing down to one impossible, urgent need: to see him, to know he was really there.
His presence had ignited something in me I couldn’t explain, a longing that refused to be ignored, and no amount of irritation from a stranger would stop me from needing to see him.
The guard’s eyes hardened, arms crossing over his chest.
“No pass, no go. I don’t care who he is or how important you think it is. The VIP area is off-limits without clearance. Step back, now.”
Every word cut through me like ice.
My chest tightened, knees threatening to buckle. But my gaze refused to leave the elevator doors.
He was here.
It was him.
I know it was him.
I could feel it.
He sighed, irritation thick in his tone.
“You’re being ridiculous. You can’t just chase after people in a VIP area.”
But I couldn’t stop.
My legs itched to run, my chest constricted, my whole body straining toward the elevator.
Around me, my colleagues murmured, their voices distant, inconsequential. The air around me thickened, the crowd fading, until there was only him—only the magnetic pull I couldn’t resist. I had to see him… up close… had to know he was real.
“I… I just need a moment,” I whispered, my voice trembling.
“He’s someone… very important. Someone I haven’t seen for a long time… Please. I promise I won’t do anything to jeopardise your job, but… I beg you—just let me confirm what I think I know.” My words choked on sobs, and a tear slid down my cheek.
The guard sighed, looking around as if dealing with the world’s most exasperating problem.
“I hate when women get all… crying like this,” he muttered, irritation softening slightly under the weight of my pleading.
“Makes it impossible to think straight, makes everyone tense. Look, I get it—you’re scared, or… whatever—but you can’t just barge through like this. Rules are rules, no matter how much you beg or scream.”
I stared at him, eyes wide and pleading, a single tear tracing down my cheek. My hands shook violently, fingers clutching at my arms as if I could anchor myself to something real.
My breath came in short, ragged gasps, each one jagged and desperate.
“Please,” I whispered, voice cracking under the weight of my need.
“I just… I just need to see him…”
The guard sighed, muttering under his breath,
“Jesus Christ…” He ran a hand down his face, exasperation written in every line.
“Fine! Fine! Go—” he said finally.
“You can’t use the elevator—but… You can take the stairs. Don’t take too long.”
A rush of relief tore through me.
“Thank you,” I gasped, already moving toward the stairwell, heart pounding, tears still clinging to my lashes.
Every step felt like it was carrying me closer to him—closer to the truth I’d been chasing for so long.
By the time I reached the 10th-floor corridor, I was drenched in sweat, my chest heaving like a drum, my heart threatening to burst through my ribs. I pressed a hand to my forehead, trying to steady my racing thoughts, trying to convince myself that I had to do this calmly.
My heart pounded like a drum in my chest, each beat echoing in my ears. I pressed my hand against the door of the VIP lounge, frozen for a moment, and whispered under my breath,
'Please… let it be him… let him be alive.'
My hands trembled violently, my breath hitching as if the air itself had grown too heavy.
Time seemed to stretch, every second an eternity, and I clung to the desperate hope that he was still there.
With one final, shuddering breath, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.