The apartment felt unbearably quiet as dawn crept in through the thin curtains, casting pale light across the scattered remnants of the night before. The faint scent of Ethan's cologne lingered stubbornly in the air, weaving itself into the very fabric of her sheets and clothes. Talia stood in the bathroom, staring at her reflection , eyes wide and searching, lips parted slightly like she was trying to catch her breath even now.
She wanted to tell herself she was fine. That it had been just a moment, a reckless escape from the weight of everything else. But the truth pulsed under her skin like a secret wound, raw and pulsing with every heartbeat.
Her fingers trembled as she touched her collarbone, the place where his hands had lingered longest. That night had been so electric, so full of fire, that it almost scared her. But it had also stirred something inside her ,something she wasn't ready to name.
The cold water from the shower hit her skin like a splash of reality, but it couldn't wash away the thoughts swirling in her mind. She kept replaying every second: his gaze locking with hers, the way his breath had hitched when she'd pulled him closer, the softness behind his rough edges that no one else seemed to see.
She wrapped a towel around herself and sat on the edge of the bed again. Her phone lay silent on the nightstand, still without a message from him. No "Good morning." No "Last night was amazing." Just the cold void of nothing. He didn't even get her number.
Talia's throat tightened. She hated this waiting game. She hated the vulnerability of hoping, of wanting. But maybe she'd always been that way , a heart too big for the cage she kept trying to build around it.
Her mind flicked back to her life before that night , the endless grind of work, the lonely evenings, the quiet that felt more like a weight than peace. Maybe that night had been her rebellion, a brief escape from the walls she'd been living behind for so long.
But it wasn't just the night. It was the space afterward, the silence he left behind, the questions that tangled her thoughts like thorny vines.
She remembered the way his hand had found hers in the dark, the heat that had traveled up her spine when his fingers brushed hers softly. And then the way he had whispered her name , not in the club, but later, in the quiet of his apartment , like it was something precious and fragile.
Had it meant anything to him? Or was it just part of the game?
Talia's chest ached with the weight of uncertainty. She wanted to believe it was more , that beneath the charm and the danger was someone who saw her, really saw her. But she also knew better. She knew how quickly the morning light could turn fire into ash.
She pulled her knees closer, closing her eyes, trying to quiet the storm inside. But every time she tried, memories crashed through , the way he'd smiled, that brief moment when their eyes locked and the world had disappeared.
She was terrified of wanting something she couldn't have. Afraid that this was just a beautiful accident, a moment stolen from a life that would never truly be hers.
Her phone buzzed again. Another message from Ava,her friend, but Talia ignored it, feeling the tight knot of loneliness grow. The thought of telling anyone about last night felt impossible , a secret too heavy and too raw.
Instead, she reached for her journal, the worn leather book that had been her refuge through every storm. Her pen hovered over the blank page, but the words wouldn't come. How do you write about a night that changes everything but leaves you feeling more lost than before?
She swallowed hard and finally began:
"Last night, I was someone else. Someone brave and wild and alive. But today... today I'm just me. And I don't know if that's enough."
Talia closed the journal and let the tears fall, not for the night that was gone, but for the ache that remained.
She didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but she knew one thing for sure: the silence after the night was louder than any words could ever be.
---
The next morning, Talia woke with a splitting headache and a churning stomach. She blamed the tequila at first, cursing herself for not eating before drinking so much. But the nausea didn't pass. It came in waves, unexpected and persistent , in the middle of meetings, on her commute, even as she brushed her teeth.
She told herself it was stress. That maybe the pressure of managing her small freelance design business was finally wearing her down. But deep down, a small voice whispered something else. Something terrifying.
Two weeks later, standing in her bathroom, staring down at the stick in her hand, everything shifted.
Positive.
She sank to the floor, fingers trembling, heart racing.
One night. No names. No goodbye.
And now... two heartbeats inside her.
---
Talia hadn't touched the pregnancy test again. It still lay on the cold tile of her bathroom floor, its pink lines staring back at her like an accusation. Her mind hadn't stopped spinning since the moment they appeared. She'd checked the instructions again, and again, and again, hoping the universe had played a trick. That it was a mistake.
But it wasn't. She was pregnant.
And she had no idea how to feel.
She didn't cry. Not right away. Her body felt numb, her heart thudding as if trying to catch up with the news. It wasn't until she slid to the floor, legs folding underneath her, that the tears began. Quiet, at first. Then uncontrollable.
One night.
One night and she was carrying a stranger's child.
No... children. Two.
Her stomach clenched. Not from nausea, but fear.
She had no job security, no stable income, no partner. And worst of all, she didn't even know the man's full name. Ethan. That's all she had. No last name, no number.
A wild part of her had hoped he'd reach out again, that he'd want more than a night. But that part was quiet now, replaced by something heavier, colder. Reality.
She barely made it through the day.
Her designs went untouched. Deadlines passed without a blink. She barely ate. Her friend, Ava, called twice, but Talia ignored both. She didn't have the strength to pretend everything was fine.
And she couldn't say it out loud.
The truth felt too big to name.
Pregnant.
How? She knew how. But the injustice of it crushed her. She'd been careful. She always had been. But maybe something had failed. Or maybe life had decided to play another joke on her.
She curled into her bed that night, pressing a pillow over her face to muffle her sobs. This wasn't supposed to happen to her. Not like this. Not alone.
When morning came, she didn't recognize herself in the mirror. Pale, hollow-eyed, like someone slowly dissolving. She touched her belly , flat for now, but no longer empty.
That day, she made an appointment.
She needed answers. A confirmation. She needed someone in a white coat to tell her what she already knew , because a part of her still didn't believe it.
The clinic was cold and quiet, and the nurse's soft voice only made Talia feel smaller. She went through the motions. Bloodwork. Questions. The dreaded ultrasound.
And then... the sound. A faint, rapid thudding.
The nurse turned the screen slightly. "You're about six weeks along," she said gently. "But it looks like there are two."
Talia blinked. "Two what?"
"Two babies."
Her mouth went dry. "Twins?"
"Yes."
The nurse smiled warmly. "Surprising, I know. But they both look healthy. Would you like a copy of the scan?"
Talia nodded numbly, barely hearing the rest of the visit.
Twins.
She carried that image home like it was fragile glass. She sat on her couch staring at it for what felt like hours. Two tiny beans on a black screen. Two lives. Two consequences of a moment she thought would disappear with the sunrise.
And then, like a crack in the dam, the questions flooded in.
Could she raise two children alone? Could she give them a life better than hers? Could she even afford to eat properly this week?
She picked up her phone and scrolled aimlessly. Hoping to have his contact info
Her fingers hovered, she thought of what to type,
"I need to tell you something."
"Do you remember me?"
"You're the father of my children."
No. She couldn't just drop this on him. Not like this. What if he laughed? Denied it? Disappeared? What if he tried to take them from her?, and besides, she didn't have his contact info,she barely even knew him!
A new wave of panic washed over her.
She barely knew him. What if he was married? Dangerous? A liar?
Her heart pounded in her ears.
She needed to be strong. She needed time.
And right now, she needed a plan.
Talia stood at the kitchen counter, holding a glass of water with shaking hands. Everything felt surreal. Just two weeks ago, she was carelessly dancing under club lights, wrapped in Ethan's arms, pretending she could forget the loneliness for one night.
Now… now she was carrying twins.
She hadn't told a soul.
Not Ava. Not even her journal.
It didn't feel real until the scan. Now, it felt too real , and too terrifying to voice.
She couldn't afford to be reckless anymore. That meant budgeting, staying calm, avoiding stress, and… avoiding him.
Even if a part of her still longed to see him again.
Her phone buzzed again. Another promotional message.
But she couldn't stop herself from hoping , for even one second , that it was him. Ethan.
The way he held her, the gentleness in his hands… it haunted her.
But he hadn't reached out since that message.
Maybe he forgot her. Maybe he didn't care.
Fine, she thought. That makes it easier.
Still, at night, she'd lie in bed, her hand drifting over her belly, wondering if the babies would have his eyes. His laugh. His calmness.
She shook the thoughts off.
It didn't matter. She'd handle this. She always did.
And then, one lazy Saturday, her life changed again.
Ava burst through her apartment door with two coffees and a magazine rolled under her arm.
"Girl! You're not gonna believe this!"
Talia raised a brow, too tired to keep up. "What is it now?"
Ava slammed the magazine on the table, pointing to the glossy spread. "Recognize anyone?"
Talia's eyes dropped to the image.
And her heart stopped.
There he was.
Ethan.
Only… not just Ethan.
Ethan Wolfe. CEO of Wolfe Group. Billionaire tech giant.
The headline screamed it loud and clear: "Wolfe Unleashed: The Mysterious CEO Who Took Over the Industry Before 30."
Talia blinked at the article, her mouth dry.
It was him.
The man she slept with. The father of her unborn twins. A billionaire.
Everything she thought she knew about that night cracked in half.
She sat down slowly, staring at his photo.
Sharp suit. Confident smirk. Dominant energy.
The same man who kissed her with reckless tenderness… and left without a trace.
He wasn't just some guy.
He was Ethan Wolfe.
And he had no idea what he left behind.