The next morning, Iris woke up groggily, covered in blankets. The hangover had left her with a splitting headache and aching body. Her hands stretched outward before landing on the other side of the bed, only to feel nothing but the cold bedsheets beneath the palm of her hand. She immediately opened her eyes and surveyed her surroundings.
Theo had already left.
"Thank goodness," Iris exclaimed silently. If he were still there, she wouldn't know how to face him. Last night was so wild, passionate, and wonderful. Towards the end, she had almost lost consciousness while begging him... The thought made Iris blush again.
"Oh, damn it!" Iris suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing that he had left and she was still stuck in the hotel[l][m]. How was she supposed to leave if the reporters outside were still there? He had simply abandoned her.
Amid Iris's frustration, she noticed a conspicuous note on the table. Picking it up, she then realized that it was left by Theo to appease her complaints and uneasiness, as though he had already guessed how she would react waking up alone in bed.
"Apologies for leaving you alone. I had to lead the reporters away. The driver is waiting for you in the hotel lobby."
Iris looked at the elegant handwriting on the paper and fell into a brief contemplation. 'Well, he took care of the most troublesome part. As for the driver, I don't think it's necessary, Theo.'
Sighing softly, Iris couldn't help but feel a faint sense of loss over the end of this one-night stand with a stranger. Theo was enigmatic, charming, and very thoughtful. He was everything Iris never saw in Lucas.
Just the thought of that cheating bastard had her heart in the depths. With this comparison, it felt even more like a shame that the dreamy night had ended so quickly.
"Perhaps it's regret over the unrepeatable perfect lovemaking," she consoled herself but quickly slapped her own face as a reminder. "Don't be childish, Iris. You need to hurry back and kick out that filthy couple from the home you worked so hard to buy."
With that in mind, Iris quickly freshened up, packed her belongings, and took one last glance at the messy bed before gently closing the door.
As she stepped out of the elevator into the lobby, a well-dressed man approached her and said, "Are you Miss Watson? I am Mr. Kilias[n]'s driver. He instructed me to escort you."
Iris took a closer look and realized it was the same driver from last night. "No need. Please thank your boss for me. Sorry for my abruptness yesterday," she replied, ready to walk away.
The driver caught up quickly, looking hesitant. "Miss Watson, please allow me to accompany you. Otherwise, Mr. Kilias might think I didn't do my job properly."
Iris furrowed her brow, feeling a bit hesitant. Seizing the opportunity, the driver added, "If others see Mr. Kilias's driver arguing with you here, it might spark speculation."
Upon hearing this, Iris noticed some people looking their way and decided not to refuse. She said to the driver, "Where is the car? Please take me home."
The driver's expression brightened. "The car is already waiting at the entrance. Please follow me."
Iris followed the driver to the front gate. It wasn't the flashy Rolls-Royce from last night but a discreet dark-coloured Mercedes.
As the hotel slowly receded into the distance and became an invisible speck, Iris gazed out of the window, lost in thought. The headache returned at the thought of the couple possibly still being in her apartment.
The ring of her phone interrupted her thoughts—it was Anna.
"What's up?" Iris answered the call.
"We've just landed a big project!" Anna's voice came through the phone, filled with excitement. Iris could imagine her jumping up and down with joy. She quickly added, "Right next Thursday, we'll be doing interpretation work for the Theo Kilias' Medical Center!"
Iris felt a jolt in her heart. Theo Kilias Medicinal Center? Wasn't that the sports medicine center where Lucas was interning? There wasn't anything to be excited about.
Iris could only silently pray; she hoped she wouldn't encounter him. It was one thing to have her mood affected by that scumbag off working hours, and a whole other situation if he caused trouble for her while she was on duty.
A qualified ex must act as though they were dead. It would be best if Lucas remained out of her sight and out of her life.
"Ah, but why do you sound so thrilled?" Iris asked.
"It's Theo Kilias we're talking about!" Anna almost screamed, "The football genius from France! This is his hospital, and he'll be attending as an important guest."
"Theo?" They shared the same name. Could it be him? The thought flickered through her mind but was quickly dismissed.
There were so many people named Theo in the world. How could it be such a coincidence? How could there be so many coincidences in the world?
"Alright, I've arrived home, and I have some things to take care of," Iris said to Anna on the other end of the line, hanging up despite the protests.
The car slowly passed the street corner and stopped in front of the apartment building. The driver remained silent throughout the journey. Finally, he spoke, "Miss Watson, we have arrived."
Iris looked up at her apartment, the windows closed. She couldn't tell if anyone was inside. Letting out a sigh, she thanked John and got out of the car, entering the apartment building.
With a heavy heart, Iris stepped out of the elevator and walked straight to the door of her house with a heavy pace.
She took a deep breath and readied herself; they couldn't possibly be so thick-skinned as to stay after what happened, right? Iris didn't want to face them— not now, not ever.
All she wanted was to get back inside and have a quick rest before she had to go off for work.
Just as she took out her key to open the door, it suddenly opened from the inside.