The First Blow
Elena’s P.O.V:
The morning sun streamed in through the huge windows and woke me up. The first thing I felt was arms around my waist. A smile formed on my face as I remembered last night. I had been wandering the club alone, exchanging a few hellos with people I knew. My friends, who I had come with, had disappeared into the darkness with either strangers they had randomly picked up at the bar or with their boyfriends/girlfriends. I had been left at the bar because I didn't have a boyfriend and had refused to hook up with anyone... that is until I met Knight Blaze.
With black hair and blue eyes, he stood out among the crowd even in a simple grey sweater and worn-out blue jeans. Strong jaw, high cheekbones, piercing eyes, and a body to die for; he had been the centerpiece of the club frequented by celebrities. There was an aura of power around him that made me think he might be someone you wouldn't want to mess with. Yet, he had been nothing but polite all throughout the night.
It had been around ten when I'd met him. He offered to buy me a drink, but I had to decline. I had only had two virgin mojitos by then and one shot of vodka, but I’m a lightweight and I’d rather not go down that path as I’d seen many people in my profession fall from grace. As a model, we are constantly under stress, and many of us turn to alcohol and drugs to cope. But people tend to get addicted too soon, causing them to lose their careers. So, I politely declined Blaze’s offer.
Instead of giving up and moving on to someone else, as there had been plenty of them, he stayed with me, and we talked and talked and talked. We even left the club and had dinner in a small restaurant. He hadn't exactly been dressed for a club outing where everyone was dressed extravagantly, but that hadn't diminished his charm one bit. Even in the restaurant, he had stood out with his personality alone. The best part had been that he actually listened to everything I had told him. This is why he declined the restaurant's special of seafood pasta and ordered a Caesar salad instead.
Then the clock had struck twelve, and everyone in the restaurant had cheered, with couples stealing sweet kisses. I turned to face Blaze, our eyes locking, and our lips met halfway. The sparks had been blinding, and there had been no looking back.
Sighing, I looked over my shoulder at Blaze, the position uncomfortable since he was holding me so close. His eyes were closed, long black lashes casting soft shadows on his cheeks, his breathing even, and his soft black hair fell to his forehead, nearly covering his eyes. My movement must have disturbed him because his brows wrinkled, and he turned over in his sleep, removing his hands from my waist. I was a little disappointed, but I took the opportunity to get out of bed and started looking for my clothes.
It’s strange how I’d told Blaze so much about myself, yet I hardly knew anything about him. I think I’ve heard his name before, but I could be mistaken. All I could remember was him telling me that he was a businessman, which made a lot of sense since he was at the club last night.
Pulling my hair up in a loose bun, I located my bra and panties as well as my leggings and put them on before I went to my closet and pulled out a loose t-shirt. Throwing them on, I was on my way out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen when I noticed something on the small table I kept next to the door that wasn’t there before. I leaned in closer to get a good look and was barely able to suppress a gasp.
There, on the flower vase, amid a bunch of fresh pink roses that I had placed there yesterday morning, was a tiny spy camera, recognizable only by the tiny red light that was impossible to notice from afar. Right next to the vase were Blaze’s wallet and watch. I remembered him putting these there last night before he had taken off his clothes and joined me in bed. I had no idea he’d set up a spy camera while he was doing those things, and on top of that, the camera was directly in line with the bed.
“Found that, did you?”
Startled, I turned around to find Blaze standing a few feet away from me, already dressed in jeans and holding his sweater. I hadn’t even heard him get up! He pulled on his sweater as I stared at him dumbfounded and a bit scared. Sweater donned, he simply gave me a smirk and reached out to gather his wallet, watch, and spy camera from the table and tucked them away safely.
“W-what’s the meaning of this?” I asked, trying to keep my voice strong while my knees shook.
Who was he? What have I done? Why had I thought that bringing a stranger to my house was a safe option? Whatever I’d felt for him the previous night had all gone out the window. Instead, I was starting to panic inside, although I tried to keep a brave front.
“You see,” he said with that same cunning smirk, his handsome features turning rigid and cold. “My real name is Knight Tyson. Knight Blaze Tyson, and I am the owner of Tyson Group of Industries.”
My eyes widened as I realized just who he was. Tyson Inc. was one of the world’s leading brands in the textile industry, and he had funded several fashion shows, including the one I had participated in last month… it was also where I had seen him having an affair backstage with Ava Cox, a married supermodel and a mother of two kids. That scandal had been leaked out into the newspapers along with a compromising picture, and it had appeared on the front page of several major newspapers.
“Wait, you think I leaked that photo?” I asked, everything finally clicking into place. That’s why I had this feeling that I’d seen him before! That I knew him.
“You were the only one who saw us, Elena,” he sneered. “I never forget faces, not one so common. That’s why I needed something in return from you.”
My knees gave way, and I crumbled to the floor. Last night, when we had shared such passion, where he had made me feel special and loved, it had all been a lie. This was all his plan so he could have something to use against me, to blackmail me with. And he had never once let me in on his motives, never asked me if I was truly the one who had leaked those photos!
It’s true that I had caught them having an affair, but I’d never told a soul about it! I hadn’t even had my phone on me, so how could I have taken pictures? In fact, I’d run the other way as soon as I understood what had been going on.
There was so much I wanted to say, so much I wanted to do. I wanted to yell and scream at him for humiliating me like this, for filming a private moment that I had cherished so much! But I couldn’t say a single thing as I sat on the floor, shivering like a fallen leaf in shame and humiliation, my voice stuck inside my throat.
“Don’t look so panicked. I’m not like you that I’d run to the paparazzi with this tape right now,” he spat at me. “I’m keeping this safe with me, but if you try to interfere with my life one more time, I won’t hold back.”
With that, he opened the bedroom door and walked away from me, not even bothering to listen to me. I heard the front door open and shut a few minutes later. I couldn’t hold it in anymore; I broke down crying on the floor, everything finally catching up to me.
Knight Tyson will find out the truth someday because the truth always reveals itself no matter what. But when he does realize his mistake, I will have no forgiveness in my heart to offer him.