THE DAWN

Albert slipped out of the room quietly, leaving Ariana behind in the lavatory. The weight of guilt pressed heavily on his chest. He had taken her innocence and the realization of what he had done gnawed at his conscience. His steps were heavy as he made his way to the guest room, And he tried not to make things more difficult for them. He needed to be alone, to think, to somehow make sense of the night's events.

The guest room was dark and uninviting, but it was a welcome escape. Albert sank onto the bed, his mind racing. He had never intended for things to go this far with Ariana from the first night they met. The night had started innocently enough, a few drinks to unwind, but things had quickly spiraled out of control. Now, he was left to deal with the aftermath, and the uncertainty of what it would mean for both of them despite having another plan for her at work. She was lost in hid thoughts sleep came fitfully, haunted by fragmented dreams and the echo of Ariana's laughter. When he finally drifted into an uneasy slumber, it was only to be rudely awakened by the sound of laughter and mockery outside the door. The maids were gossiping, their whispers carrying through the hallway.

" Can you believe it? The lady who had moved in late yesterday night just threw herself at Albert like that, so easily? " The blonde short lady stated.

" Well, he's a billionaire CEO and every lady that comes in is for his money. What do you expect? "

Albert's head throbbed, a painful reminder of the amount he had drunk the night before. He sat up, running a hand through his hair, trying to clear his thoughts. The maids' gossip grated on his nerves, and he was about to step out and scold them when his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen. It was his right-hand man, Marcus. He hesitated for a moment before answering, the weight of the night pressing down on him.

" Marcus, this better be important having to call me on such a daybreak. " Albert growled into the phone, his voice rough with sleep and irritation.

" Boss, we have got a situation, There's been a breach at the company. Someone's trying to leak sensitive information. " Marcus said, his tone urgent.

Albert's heart sank. This was the last thing he needed right now. He rubbed his temple, trying to focus.

" What kind of information, could that be? "

" Financial records, personal data, everything. We have managed to contain it for now, but we need you here to handle the situation. " Marcus stated in a worried tone.

Albert closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The timing could not be worse. He glanced at the door, knowing Ariana was still inside, dealing with her turmoil.

" Alright, I will be there as soon as I can. Keep everything under control until I get there. " Albert stated with a profound voice

He ended the call and stood up, his mind racing. He changed his clothes to a black suit and he could not leave without checking on Ariana first. He made his way back to his room, his steps heavy with the burden of the night's events and the looming crisis at work.

When he reached the room, he knocked

' Knock knock'

" Come in," Ariana replied with a soft voice.

" Hey, Good morning?" Albert greeted her after he found Ariana sitting on the edge of the bed, looking lost and vulnerable. She glanced up as he entered, her eyes filled with a mix of confusion and pain as she collected her gown together to cover her thighs.

" Albert, I... I don't know what happened last night, I feel so confused. " Ariana began as she stammered, her voice trembling.

Albert took a deep breath, crossing the room to sit beside her. He took her hand, feeling the coldness of her fingers

" Ariana, I'm so sorry. Last night... it should not have happened. I never wanted to hurt you and I .... "

"But...but it di...did happen. And now, I don't know what to do." Ariana stated as tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked away.

Albert's heart ached at the sight of her distress. He wanted to comfort her, to make everything right, but he knew he could not change what had happened.

" Ariana we will discuss this later but right now, I need to go to the office. There's an emergency that needs my attention and given that you are not yet dressed I will leave to rest today.

" Albert stated with a profound voice before he rose about to leave he looked back at him, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and hope.

" You are leaving? " Ariana inquired abruptly

" I have to, But I promise, we will talk when I get back. We will figure out what to do next," he said gently.

" Okay. Just... please don't forget about me." Ariana nodded, wiping away her tears.

Albert went back to the bedside and pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly.

" I won't. I promise. " Albert whispered in her ear causing her skin to have goosebumps.

He released her reluctantly, standing up to leave. As he walked out of the room, he glanced back one last time, his heart heavy with guilt and uncertainty. He made his way down the hallway, the maids falling silent as he passed by. He could feel their eyes on him, judging, whispering.

When he reached the front door, his car was already waiting. He climbed inside the back seat with his mind racing with thoughts of Ariana and the crisis at the company. It was after half an hour when they made their way outside Britain Company. He ascended from the Range Rover at the basement of the company before he made his way to the elevator to his office where Marcus was waiting for him, his expression grim.

" Boss, we have contained the breach for now, but whoever did this knew what they were doing. We need to find them fast. " Marcus stated with a profound voice

" Let's get to work. I want a full report on my desk in an hour. " Albert stated as he sat on his chair.

It was late afternoon when Marcus walked into his office, a concerned look on his face.

"Boss, we found the source of the breach. It was an inside job." Marcus stated

" Who! Spill it out." Albert's heart sank by the sudden news.

" It is Ariana Brandon. " Marcus hesitated

Albert felt like the ground had been pulled out from under him

" What? That can't be right. Are you sure about this? " Albert inquired

Marcus handed him a file.

" We have the evidence. She accessed the files last night, just before you... just before you were with her. " Marcus stated

Albert's mind reeled. He could not believe it. Ariana, the woman he had taken advantage of, had betrayed him. The sense of guilt and betrayal was overwhelming.

He stood up, his fists clenched. "I need to talk to her."

Marcus nodded. " She's still at your place. But boss, be careful. We don't know her motives. "

Albert didn't wait for further explanation. He grabbed his coat and headed for the door, his mind racing. He had to get to the bottom of this, to understand why Ariana had done what she did.