Chapter 4 Gone Missing

• Adam
• The morning sun streamed through the curtains, warming my bare skin.
• I lay sprawled on the bed, the sheets tangled around my waist, a dull ache thrummed in my head.
• Running a hand over my face, I tried to piece together the night before. Then I turned to the other side.
• The space beside me was empty. She was gone. But it wasn’t just her absence that caught my attention—it was the thick wad of cash on the pillow where she had been.
• For a moment, I just stared, fingers running through my hair, jaw clenching as the memories crashed in. My body still burned from her touch, from the way she had looked at me—like I was nothing but a means to an end.
• A low groan left my throat as I pushed myself up, my bare feet meeting the cold floor. My voice was hoarse, breaking the silence. "She really did that…"
• She had been different. Not the usual women who threw themselves at me for money or status. No, she had stormed into my life, taken what she wanted, and left without a second glance—except for the damn cash, as if I was just some hired man.
• My fingers flexed, muscles still tight.
• And then there were her words.
• Make me pregnant.
• I let out a sharp breath. I shouldn’t have cared, but somehow, I did. She had been so desperate, so reckless. And for some reason, that intrigued me.
• She had brought out something in me—a side I hadn’t let loose in years.
• Now she was gone. But that didn’t mean it was over.
• A low chuckle rumbled in my chest which had stains of her lip stick, dark with disbelief. No woman had ever treated me like this. I was Adam Black—women begged for my time, not the other way around.
• Yet she had mistaken me for a gigolo… and vanished before I could correct her.
• My fingers brushed over the bills, still faintly scented with her perfume. A slow smirk tugged at my lips.
• "Interesting," I muttered.
• Grabbing my phone, I scrolled through my recent calls. I didn’t even know her name. Just a woman with wild desperation in her eyes and a mouth that had whispered things still burning in my mind.
• I dialed the hotel reception.
• “This is Adam Black. I need information on a guest.”
• The receptionist hesitated. “Uh… of course, sir. Do you have a name?”
• My fingers drummed against the bedside table. “No. She was at the bar last night. Dark hair. Mid-height. Left early this morning.”
• A pause. “Sir, we don’t keep track of bar guests unless they book a room. I can check—”
• “Do it.”
• I hung up and called the bar instead.
• A groggy voice answered. “Yeah?”
• “Last night. A woman was at the bar. Spent a lot. Drank a lot. Do you know where she went?”
• The bartender chuckled. “the one throwing money around? No idea, sir . She asked for the restroom, and that was the last we saw of her.”
• My jaw tightened. She had slipped away. No name. No trace. Just a wad of cash and the memory of her body against mine.
• I wasn’t sure why it bothered me. Women came and went in my life. But this one? She left on her terms.
• And that wasn’t something I was used to.
• Exhaling sharply, I rubbed my temple before dialing another number.
• The line barely rang before a familiar voice picked up.
• "Boss?"
• "I need you to find someone," I said, my gaze locked on the city skyline, mind still piecing the night together.
• A pause. Then Mark’s dry chuckle. "You? Looking for a woman? That’s new."
• I ignored him. "Brunette. Dark brown eyes. Short—well, kinda short. Flat in the chest and ass—"
• "Wait, what?" Mark sounded downright shocked.
• "You heard me," I said, unfazed. "She came to me last night, left before I woke up. No name. No trace. I don’t care how much it costs just do your damn job and find her."
• Mark let out a low whistle. "Damn. She must’ve done a number on you. You don’t do repeats, Mr. Black. Hell, you barely do women in general. What changed?"
• My jaw ticked. She left. That’s what changed.
• "Just do your job," I muttered before hanging up.
• For the first time in years, I wanted something I couldn’t have. And that didn’t sit well with me.
• Being the heir to the Black Empire came with power, money, and fear. I had it all, but I never cared for the luxury that came with it. I built my reputation—grumpy, cold-hearted, and completely unavailable.
• No woman dared to climb into my bed. Not because they didn’t want to, but because I didn’t let them. I had no patience for clingy lovers or fake affections wrapped in seductive whispers. Women were distractions—gold diggers looking for a piece of my empire.
• I had learned that lesson the hard way.
• Years ago, before the world knew me as the ruthless billionaire, there had been someone. A woman I once thought was different. I let her in, let myself believe she saw me—not the billions attached to my name.
• But in the end, she wanted the Black name more than she wanted me.
• She betrayed me in the worst way—selling my secrets, using my trust to manipulate deals behind my back. I walked in on her laughing with another man, drinking to her success. I played him perfectly, she had said.
• That was the day I changed.
• I hardened. Closed myself off. If the world saw me as an unapproachable, grumpy bastard, so be it. That was better than being played again.
• Women still tried. The media called me the most sought-after bachelor, but I saw through the lies. They didn’t want me—they wanted my empire.
• So I remained untouchable. Off-limits. A man who never let his guard down.
• Until her.
• The crazy woman who mistook me for a damn gigolo and had the audacity to throw cash at me.