Allyson's POV
The evening felt perfect. After years of grinding through software engineering courses, I had finally graduated at the very top of my class. Even better, I had just accepted my dream position at Jade Innovations, the tech empire belonging to Reagan's father. My entire world was falling into place exactly as I had always imagined.
Standing outside Reagan's apartment building, I clutched a bottle of expensive champagne against my chest. Tonight would be our night. I had rehearsed this moment countless times in my mind during the past few weeks. We would pop the cork, laugh about all the late nights and stress we had endured, and maybe finally discuss the future we had been dancing around for months.
My pulse quickened with anticipation as I climbed the stairs to his floor.
But something was wrong the moment I reached his door.
It stood slightly ajar.
Reagan was obsessive about security. He had drilled into me the importance of double-checking locks every single time I visited. I used to tease him mercilessly about his paranoia, calling him my "security guard boyfriend." So why would he leave his door open now?
"Reagan?" My voice echoed into the quiet apartment as I stepped inside.
No response.
The living space looked immaculate as always, but the atmosphere felt charged, like electricity crackling before a thunderstorm. My heartbeat began hammering against my ribs, though I tried to convince myself I was being ridiculous. Perhaps he had simply rushed out to grab something for our celebration.
The champagne bottle grew slippery in my sweating palms as I moved through the hallway toward his bedroom. Each step of my heels against the polished floor seemed unnaturally loud in the silence.
Then I heard it.
A woman's breathless moans drifted from behind his bedroom door.
My blood turned to ice water in my veins.
This had to be my imagination. There had to be some reasonable explanation. Maybe he was watching a movie. Maybe his laptop was playing something inappropriate by accident. I desperately grasped for any alternative to the horrible possibility forming in my mind.
But then Reagan's voice followed, raw and husky.
"That's it, baby. Just like that."
The world tilted beneath my feet.
My trembling hand pushed against the bedroom door before I could stop myself.
The sight that greeted me shattered something fundamental inside my chest.
Reagan's naked body moved rhythmically above a woman with cascading auburn hair. Her scarlet fingernails raked down his muscled back as she arched beneath him, crying out his name with obvious pleasure. I couldn't make out her features, but every detail of their intimate dance was crystal clear.
The champagne bottle exploded against the hardwood floor.
The crash seemed to freeze time for several heartbeats.
Reagan's head whipped around, his eyes going wide with horror. "Allyson! God, I can explain this."
He lunged off the bed, scrambling for clothing, but I couldn't force myself to look at him anymore.
My lungs had forgotten how to function properly, and my legs felt like they might collapse beneath me.
I couldn't remain in this nightmare for another second.
Without uttering a single word, I spun around and bolted from the apartment.
"Allyson, please wait!" Reagan's panicked shouts followed me, but I was already flying down the stairwell.
Tears streamed down my cheeks as I stumbled through the city streets, my heart pounding so violently it felt like it might burst. I had no destination in mind. I simply needed distance from the images burned into my memory.
When I finally stopped moving, I found myself standing outside Gina's apartment building. My hands shook uncontrollably as I pressed her buzzer.
The door swung open moments later, and Gina's expression immediately shifted to alarm. "Allyson? What happened to you?"
The dam I had been holding back finally burst. I collapsed into her arms, sobbing so hard I could barely breathe.
"Reagan," I managed to choke out between gasps. "I walked in on him with another woman."
Gina's entire body went rigid, her arms crushing me tighter against her. "That piece of garbage! I'm going to kill him."
"They were in his bed," I whispered through my tears. "She was underneath him, and he was..."
"Stop," Gina interrupted gently, guiding me toward her couch. "You don't need to torture yourself with the details."
She held me while I cried, her voice soft but fierce. "Listen to me carefully, Allyson. This has nothing to do with you or anything you did wrong. Reagan is a selfish coward who just threw away the best thing that ever happened to him."
"But I thought we were building something real together," I whispered. "I thought he actually loved me."
"His actions prove he never deserved your love in the first place," Gina said firmly.
"I don't know how to move forward from this," I admitted, my voice breaking again.
Gina pulled back to study my face, her expression determined. "Here's what you're not going to do. You're not going to waste another minute mourning someone who clearly never valued what he had."
Something stirred deep in my chest at her words. I was tired of feeling helpless and broken.
Gina stood up abruptly, pulling me to my feet. "We're going out tonight. No limits, no looking back. Just you and me painting this town red."
"I'm not sure I'm ready for that," I said hesitantly.
"Ready or not, this is exactly what you need," she declared. "I'm taking you to that exclusive billionaire's club I mentioned before. The one where the city's most powerful men go to play."
"That doesn't sound like somewhere I belong," I protested.
"Good," she said with a wicked grin. "Maybe it's time you stopped being the good girl everyone expects you to be."
Before I could object, Gina had transformed me into someone completely different. The black dress she selected hugged every curve of my body, with crimson velvet lacing along the sides that made me look dangerous. Bold makeup accentuated my features, and my hair fell in sultry waves around my shoulders.
The woman staring back at me from the mirror looked fearless, seductive, and ready for anything.
The old Allyson was dead and buried.
And I wasn't sure I ever wanted her back.