Bruno walked into his hotel room angrily, still triggered by the confrontation. He slammed the door shut, the sound echoing through the quiet room.
Slowly, he took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of anger swirling inside him. Stephen's words back there, the laughter from everyone at the party, Beauty's pain—it was all too much.
He wondered how she was feeling at the moment.
After taking off his suit, he strode to the bathroom and went to the sink to remove his makeup and fake nose. After that, he turned the shower on full blast. The warm water poured over him, washing away the rest of the makeup.
He closed his eyes and clenched his fist, his hands still trembling from the boiling rage inside him.
"Tomorrow will be the masked party—the last day of this hellish reunion—and I can't wait for it to be over," Bruno thought as he cleaned himself up.
He had wanted to ask Beauty to be his girlfriend, but at this rate, he better focus on protecting her from those fools.
As the water continued to run over his face, he clenched his fists, replaying Stephen's taunts in his mind. His muscles tensed, the urge to punch something overwhelming, but he forced himself to stay under the spray, letting it soothe his anger.
He had to keep it together.
For Beauty.
After the shower, Bruno wrapped a towel around his waist and stared at his reflection in the mirror. The man staring back at him looked tired, worn down and energy drained.
"I fucking hate social gatherings," Bruno muttered with a curse.
Meanwhile, the hotel worker who checked Bruno in had been informed by Beyoncé to keep an eye on him.
She noticed that Bruno and Beauty had booked separate rooms, unlike the other couples at the reunion who shared a room.
"Something is suspicious about that," she thought, her curiosity piqued. Without hesitation, she went to tell Beyoncé, who was sitting with her friends, gossiping about Bruno and Stephen's earlier fight.
She cleared her throat softly, managing to catch Beyoncé's attention without disrupting the flow of conversation.
Beyoncé's sharp eyes locked onto her. She didn't seem impressed by the polite signal.
"What is it, Judy? Can't you see we are having an important discussion?"
"Ms. Beyoncé, it's about Beauty's man," Judy began in a low voice, leaning in slightly to ensure discretion.
Beyoncé raised a brow.
"Go on..."
"I thought you'd want to know—Beauty and her man, they've booked separate rooms."
"Separate rooms?" she repeated, her tone laced with suspicion. Her friends quieted down, all ears now on the new development.
"Yes, ma'am, unlike the other couples at the reunion. They're the only ones not sharing a room," Judy replied.
A slow, knowing smile spread across Beyoncé's face.
"Oh, really?" she mused, swirling her wine glass. "That's interesting."
She turned to Judy.
"Good work, Judy. You may go now."
Judy gave a quick nod and left as quietly as she had arrived. Beyoncé's friends leaned in closer, their voices dropping to conspiratorial whispers.
Aliya leaned in, raising a brow.
"What's with the face, Bey? What are you plotting?"
Beyoncé tilted her head and smirked at her friend, swirling the wine in her glass thoughtfully before leaning forward, her eyes gleaming.
"You know I'll pay the pretty boy a visit. He needs to be comforted after the fight. Midnight sounds perfect."
"Emm, Beyoncé, I think your man Stephen needs the confortation more. He was bleeding; he didn't leave a single scratch on Beauty's man," Gina added.
Aliya tried not to laugh.
"Just shut up," Beyoncé snapped in annoyance.
---
MIDNIGHT
Bruno was lying on the bed in his hotel room, lost in thought, the soft fabric of his robe brushing against his skin.
He sent another text message to Beauty without expecting a reply. He sighed, running a hand through his damp hair, still feeling the frustration gnawing at him.
Then, a knock came on his door.
He frowned, assuming it was room service, but then he heard a soft voice from the other side of the door.
"Bruno? It's me... Beauty."
His heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected her to come. He jumped out of bed like an excited, lonely puppy.
Opening the door slowly, he saw her standing there, her eyes red from crying. She was wearing a peach bathrobe. He wanted to hug her but had to control his excitement.
She looked up at him, her lip trembling slightly.
"Can I come in, please?"
Bruno didn't speak; he stepped aside and gestured for her to come in. A part of him was grateful she finally decided to talk.
Once she was in, he closed the door gently and tuned to her.
"Beauty..." he began softly and impatiently, but she cut him off with a hand.
"I came to apologize, Bruno," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "For being so harsh earlier."
Bruno swallowed tightly.
"You don't have to apologize, Beauty. I get it. You've been through so much tonight."
She shook her head, her eyes wet.
"No, I shouldn't have taken it out on you. You were only trying to help. Thank you for running after me. For always being there for me."
She paused, her gaze dropping to the floor, her fists fidgeting with her sleeves.
Bruno stepped closer, his heart aching at the sadness in her voice.
"Beauty..." he called her softly.
Beauty looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes.
"I didn't mean to push you away, Bruno. I just didn't think you'd understand how much it hurt... seeing them laugh at me like that."
Bruno reached out and gently cupped her face, his thumb brushing away a tear.
"I do understand, Beauty. And I would never let anyone hurt you like that again. I promise you."
He hugged her tightly.
"Thanks for listening to me."
Beauty sobbed.
"I will always listen."
Bruno whispered and hugged her tighter. He noticed her hair was damp and the shampoo scent filled his nostrils.
Beauty moved and he let her loose from the hug.
"And also... I..."
She stepped away from him, leaving him confused and curious.
"There is something else," she said, her face reddening with a blush.
Why is she stepping away from me while saying that? Bruno asked himself as he stared at her, his heart aching like he was going to have a heart attack.
Beauty had her eyes down the whole time, playing with her robe belt.
"Beauty, what's going on?" Bruno asked.
Just then, the bathrobe she had on fell to the floor.
Bruno's heart stopped beating. His brain blanked.