Alex's Private Room
Nighttime. Dim lights. The only glow came from his laptop screen.
Alex sat stiffly in the shadows, one leg crossed over the other. A glass of whiskey sat untouched on the table beside him, the amber liquid catching the faint light.
On the screen, a single folder blinked.
Ariel_CamFootage_week1.3days.zip
His jaw tightened. The cursor hovered.
Click. Double-click.
For days, his staff had followed strict orders:
"Record her when I'm not there. I want to know everything. If she laughs. If she cries. If she breathes differently, I want to know."
He hadn't checked in lately, not since things with Simon escalated, and certainly not since guilt began clawing at his chest like an unwelcome guest.
But tonight, he needed to see her.
The first video loaded.
Ariel, barefaced and in mismatched workout clothes, stood in the backyard. She was training , throwing punches, blocking, falling, getting back up again. Her stance was off. Her rhythm clumsy. But she didn't stop.
She kept trying.
She laughed at herself each time she failed. Not mockingly, softly, like someone learning how to forgive herself.
Alex leaned forward. His fingers gripped the chair's armrest.
"She's learning to fight…" he whispered.
"She's learning to protect me."
The next clip auto-played.
Ariel was in the kitchen now, flour in her hair, apron tied crookedly. She was trying to make something ridiculous with the maid noodles, maybe. A disaster. But the two of them were laughing like children.
He chuckled, softly, almost painfully.
Another video.
She was under the tree, reading.
The same book he once told her was his favorite.
She looked so at peace. She wasn't performing. She didn't even notice the camera.
His chest ached.
But the next clip… was different.
Same tree. Same clothes. But no book.
Just Ariel.
Still.
Staring.
Her eyes were glassy. Her lips barely moved.
He hit rewind. Played it again.
This time, he leaned in close.
"Alex… where are you? I miss you..."
Everything in him stilled.
A full minute passed. Then
SMASH.
The whiskey glass shattered against the wall.
He stood up, raking both hands down his face. His breath trembled as he paced.
"You idiot," he muttered. "You thought she didn't care… But she's still out there, training, crying, waiting for you. And you're here sulking like a damn coward."
He turned back to the screen.
Replayed the tree scene again. And again.
"I deserve a bullet." he muttered
A knock at the door.
"Sir?"
It was his most trusted guard.
Alex's voice was hoarse. "What?"
"Should we delete the footage? Or send the next one to your phone?"
He paused. Then:
"No. Keep everything. Tell the maid to keep recording."
A beat.
"…and tell the women downstairs to follow you to the mall. Buy everything girls love."
---
Ariel's Room
She lay curled on her side, staring at the ceiling through blurry eyes.
Her phone buzzed.
She didn't move at first.
The name on the screen sent a jolt straight through her chest.
ALEX.
She hesitated.
Her thumb hovered over the screen.
Click.
"…Hello?"
Silence.
Then—
"Hey."
His voice was soft. Too soft for a man like him.
She gasped slightly. "A-Alex? Is it really you?"
"Yeah… I'm sorry. I was a jerk to you."
She blinked in confusion. "Jerk? No, I'm sorry. I pushed you away. I thought Simon kidnapped you, I was so scared. Are you okay now?"
Alex paused. For a second, he was tempted to tell the truth.
But then he smirked.
"You thought I was kidnapped?" He chuckled bitterly. "Weren't you listening, baby?"
He leaned into the lie.
"Yeah. Simon… took me. I had to go into hiding. He was brutal, Ariel. How did you even fall for someone like that?"
He made his voice sound fragile. Broken. Like he was barely hanging on.
Ariel's tone turned cold with anger. "Don't worry. I won't let him hurt you again. When you come back, I'll make sure you train, so you can protect yourself."
Alex blinked. "Train?"
"Yes," she said with quiet conviction.
He laughed gently. "Ariel… why didn't you call me?"
His voice dropped. "It hurt. When Simon bragged that you called him. I thought maybe… maybe you didn't love me anymore."
She didn't answer.
A beat of silence passed.
"Where are you?" she asked. "I'll come pick you up."
Alex froze. No way he could let her see he'd been hiding out at one of the most expensive hotels in the city.
"No. Don't worry. I'll be back tomorrow."
"Promise?"
"I promise, my sweet Ariel. Can we video call? I want to see your face. No one touched mine. No one's seen yours. It's been forever."
Ariel blushed. "No. Wait till tomorrow. You'll see me in real life."
"Mean," he teased. "But I'll survive. I've suffered for a week and three days. What's one more?"
She rolled her eyes and ended the call.
Then, after a pause…
She picked up her phone, took a selfie, and sent it to him.
---
Alex's Hotel Room
He stared at the screen when the notification buzzed.
A photo.
She wore a loose crop top. Her hair was messy. Her lips, a little swollen.
Her body had changed.
Her waist was tighter. Her curves more defined.
But her eyes… those eyes still looked like they belonged to him.
He swallowed hard.
Ran a hand through his hair.
"Fuck…"
He saved the picture.
And stared at it for a long time.