Starley didn't know how to feel after reading that letter. One thing was for sure: if it was a Bellamy family secret, it was also a secret Starley had to keep. She needed to figure out later whether the letter was valid or just a lie.
She would have to show this letter to Raul later. But for now, what Starley wanted was a warm bath. Her whole body ached so much. She placed the mysterious letter on the nightstand next to the bed.
Then Starley looked at Raul's bedroom door, wondering if Raul would come by later. But in the end, Starley locked Raul's door from the inside for safety's sake.
She remembered her phone was dead. She took it out of her pocket and tried to turn it on, but it didn't work. She needed to charge it; she was sure many people worried about her.
She scanned the room, looking for Raul's charger. She remembered Raul always kept a charger near the TV. Sure enough, several of Raul's chargers lay unused. Starley took one of them and plugged it into her phone.
Then Starley headed to the bathroom inside Raul's main bedroom. She undressed and quickly got into the warm water. Fifteen minutes later, Starley was done. She dried herself with a towel and took a clean white bathrobe from the rack in the bathroom.
Afterward, she left the bathroom and went to her phone, which had been charging. She tried to turn it on, and this time, it worked, though the battery was still relatively low.
When her phone powered up, dozens of notifications flooded in. There were missed calls from Lia, Nathan, Selene, her mom, and her dad. They had also sent a lot of messages. Starley opened them. Everyone was asking where she was.
Starley typed, "I'm fine. I'm at Raul's place." Then she copied and pasted the message to everyone who had asked. She didn't feel like typing individual replies. She placed the phone back on the nightstand because it still needed charging.
The warm bath had felt great, but her body still ached. Starley drank the bottle of mineral water provided for her and then sat down on Raul's massive bed—more significant than a king-size.
She looked around the room. She wasn't sure if she would be able to sleep tonight. Usually, when she came into this room, she never actually slept. As soon as she realized what she was thinking, she felt embarrassed.
Starley placed the water bottle on the nightstand and lay on the incredibly comfortable bed. She stared up at the ceiling. If she thought about it, she wondered why she had so quickly agreed to be Raul's bed partner. But soon, a voice in her head whispered: Because you're weak when it comes to handsome men, stupid.
But Starley ignored the voice. Maybe it was because she was a little drunk? In the end, Starley tried to recall the old memories that had made her and Raul end up the way they were now.
.
.
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3 Years Ago
Chicago
That night, at the Blackwell family estate, a grand party was underway. It was a celebration of the anniversary of Blackwell's company. Here, Starley reluctantly entered the Blackwell family home. Her parents were already walking ahead, leading the way while Starley and Nathan lagged. Nathan glanced at his younger sister, who was acting a bit strange.
"Why do you look so unenthusiastic tonight? You usually enjoy parties," Nathan remarked. Yes, usually, Starley did enjoy parties. She liked dressing up for events, but most of all, she enjoyed drinking alcohol while listening to gossip. But not tonight. Tonight, they were attending the Blackwell family's party, which meant there was a chance Starley would run into Raul Blackwell again.
Just a few days ago, Starley had met Raul for the first time at Nathan's penthouse. Starley had thought that Raul would immediately tell Nathan about her stealing something, but Raul didn't say a word.
It had been three days since Starley had stolen her passport from Nathan's safe, and Nathan still hadn't noticed. If Raul hadn't told Nathan by tomorrow, Starley's plan to leave the country alone would have gone smoothly.
That's why Starley wasn't feeling very excited about tonight's party. She didn't want her efforts to be in vain. She had heard that Raul wasn't the type to enjoy parties. He was too busy with his work. But the problem was, tonight was his own family's party. Starley sighed. She had already prepared the words she wanted to say if she ran into Raul.
She hoped her plan for tomorrow wouldn't fall apart. The Blackwell family ushered Starley and her family to their table. There were already many people there; of course, everyone invited was either essential or a close associate of the Blackwell family.
Since Nathan was close friends with Raul and Lucian, their whole family was invited. In reality, not everyone needed to come. Still, for some reason, Starley's parents were particularly eager to get to know the Blackwells better. So, they all came tonight.
Starley had initially refused to attend, citing that the party was too formal for her. But Nathan had suspected she was looking for trouble. So, here she was, reluctantly tagging along.
After finding their table, they all split up to greet their acquaintances. Starley's parents greeted old friends, and Nathan chatted with business partners. Starley? Of course, she went to look for food and drinks. She immediately grabbed an alcoholic beverage that was being served. She had one glass.
But after one glass, she felt like having a second, a third, and a fourth. Starley felt calmer and more relaxed now, but she wasn't drunk yet. By the time her parents and Nathan had disappeared, Starley had finished her fourth drink. She decided to grab a fifth and promised herself it would be the last one for the night.
After the fifth drink, Starley felt the need to get some fresh air. She decided to step outside into the Blackwell estate's garden, away from the noise of the party.
Once in the garden, she looked for a bench and sat down. She glanced around. Well, this spot didn't disappoint. The Blackwell estate's garden was well-maintained, and the beautiful LED garden lights kept the place from being dark and eerie.
Starley sipped her fifth glass of alcohol slowly, enjoying the silence of the beautiful garden. She had a flight at four in the afternoon, heading to Toronto tomorrow. Her family didn't know about this plan; only her friends in Toronto knew.
Starley could get to Toronto without her family finding out if everything went according to plan. Her father, mother, and Nathan traveled for business to different places. So, Starley would return to Chicago before her family came back.
If anyone asked why Starley wanted to go to Toronto, she'd say it was because her friends were on vacation there without her. Starley hadn't gone with them because her father and Nathan hadn't allowed it.
Until now, Starley couldn't understand why her father and brother were so protective of her. After all, the flight from Chicago to Toronto only took about an hour and a half. And Starley wouldn't be alone—she'd be with her friends.
Starley sighed and took another sip of her drink. She was starting to feel a little tipsy. Suddenly, she heard a voice that nearly made her jump out of her seat. But the voice wasn't talking to her.
"Send a team to Los Angeles; he should be in Los Angeles," a man said in a voice that sounded like he was talking on the phone.
"I don't accept failing," the man exclaimed in a creepy tone. But why does that guy's voice sound familiar?
Starley tried to take a slow look at the place where he was. It's a little blurry, maybe 'cause Starley's getting drunk. But when her eyes were focused, her eyes widened in shock. Raul Blackwell! It seemed Raul could feel someone watching him because he turned to face her immediately. And that's when their eyes met, leaving Starley no time to escape.
Raul had seen her. The man didn't blink for a few seconds. Soon after, Raul spoke into his phone again. "I'm at a party, don't call me unless it's urgent." He ended the call abruptly.
Quickly, Starley turned her face away, but it seemed pointless. She could already hear Raul's footsteps approaching. It appeared she was having the worst luck tonight. Finally, when Raul stood before her, Starley had no choice but to lift her gaze. Once again, her eyes met his dark ones.
"I didn't expect our second meeting to come this soon, Miss Bellamy," Raul said in a low tone. Starley held her breath. Oh my god, why is Raul so handsome?
Starley had often seen Raul on the news and knew he was attractive, but seeing him in person like this was a completely different feeling. This wasn't their first meeting, but maybe the alcohol was making Raul look so damn hot tonight.
Today, Raul wore a dark suit with a white shirt, no tie, and an undone top button. His messy hair didn't diminish his handsomeness. His tall, fit body and the muscles visible under his suit made him even sexier. Raul looked so mysterious and dangerous, but honestly, Starley liked it. He was indeed her ideal type.
Maybe Starley's face was already flushed pink from the alcohol. She bit her lip, unsure of what to say. All the words she had prepared earlier were gone, and it was all the damn alcohol's fault. She wasn't drunk, but enough to feel stupid.
Starley looked at Raul again and caught him staring at her lips. That made her stop biting her lip. She swallowed hard.
"Why are you here?" Starley asked. She almost slapped herself for asking such a stupid question. She winced slightly. She saw Raul raise an eyebrow when he heard her question, smiling in a way that suggested her question was fascinating to him.
"Miss Bellamy, are you drunk?" Raul asked. Starley was about to say no, but it seemed pointless, especially since it was so evident that she was still holding her drink.
"Just a little. I'm pretty strong when it comes to alcohol," Starley answered stubbornly. Raul looked amused at how different Starley seemed now compared to the more fierce woman he had met a few days ago.
"There's no one sitting here, right?" Raul asked. Since Starley didn't immediately answer, he sat down beside her. Starley wanted to protest, but she suddenly remembered the words she wanted to say to Raul.
"Ah, yes, by the way, there's something I want to say," Starley exclaimed. Raul looked at her as if waiting for her to speak.
"About our meeting a few days ago, please don't tell Nathan," Starley said.
Raul's perfect eyebrow arched, then he asked, "So what exactly did you steal a few days ago?"
"I just took my passport," Starley replied without thinking. Once the words left her mouth, she couldn't take them back.
Damn alcohol, Starley cursed silently in her mind.
"And why was your passport with Nathan?" Raul looked curious. Starley tried to think of a lie, but her mind couldn't say anything. In the end, Starley tells Raul the truth.
"I wasn't allowed to go anywhere alone," Starley answered.
"Then, why did you steal your passport to go where?" Raul asked.
"Just to Toronto. I'll be back in Chicago before my family returns," Starley said.
"Why does the daughter of the Bellamy family have to do that in secret?" Raul asked.
"I wanted to try something new, something I've never done. And I've never had the freedom to go out and explore," Starley said, frustrated. She then took the last sip of her drink. Raul watched Starley, who now looked annoyed.
"So, what are you doing out here?" Raul asked, seemingly trying to change the subject.
"Just looking for some fresh air?" Starley replied with a question. Was Raul trying to make small talk?
"Don't do something like this again," Raul said.
"Excuse me! Why can't I enjoy my time alone in the park?" Now Raul looked at Starley seriously, his gaze darker than before.
"Looking so beautiful like this, drunk, and sitting alone in the park? Are you trying to lure a predator, cupcake?" Raul asked in a low tone.
Starley swallowed and then asked, "Oh? So, are you afraid of my charm?"
Raul paused momentarily, staring at Starley, before answering, "No, I'm afraid of myself not being able to control myself."
Did that mean Raul was tempted? But Starley decided to change the subject, as their conversation seemed to be heading into confusing territory.
"By the way, why do you call me cupcake?" Starley asked. Raul noticed that Starley was trying to shift the topic, but he let her.
"Cupcake is my favorite dessert," Raul answered. Wait, favorite dessert? Then why was Raul calling her by the name of his favorite dessert? Raul noticed the confused look on Starley's face.
"Because when I first met you, you reminded me of my favorite cupcake," Raul added. Wow, the guy in front of her was good at this. But maybe because Starley was a little drunk, she didn't mind. She looked at Raul with a soft gaze.
"And how is that like your favorite cupcake?" Starley asked, this time trying to go along with the conversation. Raul briefly stared at Starley's lips before meeting her eyes again with his dark gaze.
"Sweet and addictive," Raul answered. Now, Starley's lips felt dry. Without thinking, she licked her lips and heard Raul growl softly.
"Have you ever had a sleeping buddy?" Raul suddenly asked. Starley blinked in surprise at the question.
"What? Why are you asking that?" Starley was confused, as Raul's question felt so random.
"You said earlier that you wanted to try something new. How about that new thing becoming my sleeping buddy?" Raul asked.
"Like friends with benefits?" Starley asked in shock. But Raul didn't look like he was joking.
"Yes, cupcake. What do you think?"
…