Chapter 263: 309, 306
[Penthouse]
Lola was leaning against the headboard, a laptop resting on her lap.
"It’s getting late," she whispered. "He said he’d be back quickly."
But it had already been three hours since he left. Not exactly quick. She didn’t dwell on it, though, shifting her focus back to the laptop.
"Huh?" she blinked. "How did I end up with this file?"
Her brows crinkled. This wasn’t what she had been looking for. The file was old, a collection of evidence about her pregnancy. Until now, none of it had given her clear answers, especially after confronting Hudson, whom all these files pointed to.
Lola was about to close the laptop and do something else, already feeling sleepy while waiting for Atlas to return. But something caught her attention. Her eyes drifted back to the screen, clicking through the photos in the folder.
"Why am I even looking at this?" she murmured, pressing the right arrow to check the next photo.
The screen displayed images of the motel where she had spent the night years ago, along with photos of other locations. All from the period around the time she became pregnant.
"For fresh eyes," she muttered to herself. "Otherwise, I might fall asleep before he comes home."
She paused, staring at the room number: 306—her room that night. Her mood dipped slightly as she stared at it. There weren’t any CCTVs in the hallway of the motel, but there were in other areas of the establishment. However, according to the management, their CCTV wasn’t working for almost two weeks at the time Lola was there.
"Even with fresh eyes, there’s nothing to see."
Lola hummed as she continued scrolling through the photos until a yawn overcame her. Lazily, she slid down the bed, and sleep eventually claimed her.
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"Hah... hah... no... wait..."
Moans echoed in her mind, accompanied by the loud creaking of a bed. Heavy breaths brushed past her ears, and a tightening, addictive sensation wrapped around her. In a haze, she opened her eyes, catching a man’s figure hovering over her.
"Wait, At—" The rest of her words turned into muffled moans as his mouth crashed onto hers.
Her hands were pinned above her, offering herself to him completely.
Did he come back? She wondered. Wouldn’t he wake me up first? Is this really how he’s going to wake me?
In her mind, she knew it was him. Atlas—her man. That insatiable man who would be too shameless to wake her this way. But she didn’t mind. It felt more like a fantasy coming true.
Lola moaned, her hips moving in rhythm with his. When she reached out to his chest and opened her eyes, haze still thick in her mind, she noticed her fingers looked bigger than usual. Even her arms seemed rounder.
She froze, eyes wide, staring at the figure above her.
All she could see was a man moving over her in the darkness, his erection pressing deep between her legs.
"No... no!!!"
*
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*
"NO!"
Lola gasped, sitting up straight. Sweat dripped down her forehead and back; her complexion was pale. She gulped, moistening her dry throat, her heart racing as she clutched her chest.
"It’s just a dream," she whispered, looking around her bedroom. It was the same one she had fallen asleep in. "Just... just a dream."
Her eyes fell on the laptop beside her empty side. Atlas hadn’t returned yet, and it was almost dawn. Lola shook her head and closed it, setting it on the bedside table. An accidental tap lit up her phone.
She immediately noticed a message from his number:
[From: Unknown
I will be late. Don’t wait for me anymore. We’ll continue our talk in the morning.]
He had sent it around the time she fell asleep. A shallow sigh escaped her, and she didn’t reply. Instead, she set the phone aside and lay down.
"That’s just a dream," she told herself, still trying to steady her heartbeat. But no matter how hard she tried, she knew it wasn’t just a dream.
It was a memory from that night.
A memory she wanted to hold on to for answers, yet one she also wanted to forget entirely. It scared her—terrified her.
"I wouldn’t dream of that..." She rolled onto her side, staring at the empty space where Atlas usually lay. "If he were here."
It had been a while since she’d had a dream like this. She wanted to thank Atlas for keeping her nights so busy, exhausting her so completely that she would sleep like a child.
"I guess... between the two of us, I like him more," she murmured, clutching the bedsheet as she closed her eyes. "I hope he comes back."
Letting herself relax, Lola focused on her breathing until she eventually fell asleep again.
Not long after, the door opened slightly.
Atlas stepped into the bedroom quietly. His eyes fell on the bed, and a small smile tugged at his lips when he saw her sleeping, curled almost into his spot.
"I’m home," he whispered, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Sorry."
Her brows crinkled, and she hummed, turning toward him. Even with half-open eyes, her smile lit up her face.
"You’re back?" she mumbled, sleepy yet excited.
"Mhm," he hummed. "I’ll just change."
Lola watched him go, smiling. When he joined her in bed, she quickly slid over and hugged him. Atlas froze. He had barely settled beside her, yet he didn’t mind.
Instead, he wrapped his arms around her, letting her rest against him.
*
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[Short Flashback]
Six years ago...
Atlas held the key to his room that night and eyed the number.
"309," he whispered, heading toward the door.
He stopped in front of it, noting that the number matched the key.
A deep exhale escaped him. This wasn’t the type of place he usually liked, even for a night. But having no other choice, he swallowed his reservations and walked in.
Little did he know, as soon as he shut the door, the last number on it slipped, turning the original 9 into a 6.
Minutes later,a figure appeared in the same hallway, holding a key with the number 306. Not realizing she had already walked past her room, she stopped and glanced at the key. When she turned to her right, she blinked twice, and very slowly, her mouth curved up.
"Oh, my room!" she laughed, reaching for the doorknob without even inserting the key. Since it opened for her, she simply stepped inside.