See You Soon, Chloe

His mouth lingered on her neck. Hot, possessive and wicked.

Her legs trembled as he dragged his fingers down her thighs, spreading them apart with a deliberate slowness that made her moan, a sound she couldn’t keep to herself even if she tried.

His breath was warm against her skin. “How much have you been thinking about me?” He asked, his voice slow and deep.

She arched her back. Whimpered as she bit her lower lip. Her nails digging into sheets she didn’t recognize. His grip on her tightened, grounding her and unraveling her at once.

And just as his tongue slid lower—

Chloe jolted awake.

A gasp ripped from her chest as she shot upright in her bed, her skin dripping with sweat, the sheets twisted around her legs like shackles. Her heart thudded violently in her ears, pulsing against her chest like it wanted to escape.

The darkness of her room did nothing to ground her. She could still feel him. His hands, his mouth, the rough edge of his voice whispering her name.

“See you soon, Chloe.”

The words echoed again, twisting through her memory like a plague. It wasn’t just a memory now. It was a threat. A promise. A tease. She didn’t even know his name, but somehow his presence lingered on her body like a ghost that refused to leave.

Her hand shifted to her chest as she forced a breath through her mouth. The pounding in her head blended with the ache between her thighs. This wasn’t just a dream. It happened. And he’d called her. He knew her name. Somehow, he had her number.

She didn’t even remember giving it.Anxiety clawed at her chest.

She grabbed her phone, her hands trembling. She needed to talk to someone. Needed to get this off her chest before it crushed her.

Chloe sat up in bed, the glow of her phone screen shining a dim light across her face. She hovered her thumb over the call log, staring at the unknown number that had sent her spiraling.

Her heart thudded again. Was she really about to call him back?

Without thinking twice, she pressed the call button.

But before it could ring, a knock came at the door.

Chloe froze instantly.

Then came another knock, firmer this time.

With her pulse hammering, she climbed out of bed and strolled to the door. Her fingers hovered over the lock before she finally yanked it open.

Standing there, arms folded and her eyebrow raised, was Nina. Chloe’s childhood best friend.

She was tall, slim and stylishly dressed in black joggers and an oversized tee. Her dark skin glowed even under the hallway lights, and her hair was pulled into a perfect, high bun that made her look like she had everything together.

Nina scanned her from head to toe. “Girl. What the hell happened to you?”

Chloe opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

Nina stepped inside uninvited. “I knew something was off. You disappear for two days, don’t return my texts, then call me at some ungodly hour whispering like someone’s watching you? So yeah, I got out of bed for this.”

Chloe sighed, rubbing the back of her neck as she closed the door. “I didn’t think you’d actually show up.”

“Well, I did. So spill. Why do you look like you’ve been hit by a train made of regret and cheap liquor?”

Chloe flinched slightly. “It’s… complicated.”

Nina narrowed her eyes. “Complicated like ‘I broke up with Ryan’ complicated or complicated like ‘I may have done something that could ruin my career and soul at the same time’ complicated?”

Chloe dropped onto the couch, for the first time she didn’t know how to feel.

She hesitated, unsure how to address the jumbled emotions inside her. "It's just everything, Ryan, Sienna, work...I feel like I'm losing my mind."

Nina hummed knowingly. "First of all, Sienna is a bitch, and Ryan is an asshole. You deserve so much better than that, babe. Don’t think too much about it."

Chloe's thoughts drifted back to the mysterious voice. She knew she couldn't share that part with Nina, not yet. But her friend knew her too well.

“There’s something else, isn’t there?" Nina asked, squinting her brow.

“No!” Chloe denied.

“Come on Chloe, I know when you’re lying, spill it.” She teased.

Chloe sighed. “I let myself get drunk and slept with a strange man?"

Nina’s eyes shot open. “You what?” She exclaimed, her voice piercing through Chloe's thoughts.

Chloe winced, realizing she'd said too much. "It's a long story," she whispered.

Nina's excitement was intense. "Well, I want to hear all about it. Come on."

“There’s nothing to it.” Chloe shrugged. “I got upset, went on a bender and slept with a stranger.” Chloe paused. “Just like every heartbroken girl in that club.”

Regret tinged her voice, but it was hard to tell if it was real, or something she thought she should feel.

“But was he hot?” Nina asked teasingly.

Chloe couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, he was scary hot.”

“Well if he was that good, maybe it’s not such a bad thing.” Nina winked.

“I don’t even know his name.” Chloe blurted.

“And that masked it even more sexy.” Nina smiled.

Chloe shook her head, “not helping.” She muttered.

Nina's tone turned serious. “Look babe, you’re gonna be fine, I promise. You’re just super stressed, but you have bigger things to focus on.”

“Yeah, I do.” Chloe whispered. “But I can’t get him out of my head.”

“And that’s okay. But you’re meeting Damien Cross soon” her friend continued. If he’s at scary as they say, then that should be your real concern.”

_______

The black SUV rolled quietly to a stop on the street. Behind the tinted glass, Damien sat still, his sunglasses on, unreadable as always.

His jaw was sharp and one hand rested casually on the steering wheel, the other wrapped around his phone.

He looked at the tall building ahead of him. The sleek, high-rise condo that nearly grazed the sky. It was all glass, designer furniture and expensive. Nothing less than what you’d expect from a billionaire’s daughter.

Damien watched her closely.

Chloe paced like a storm trapped in a glass box, restless, barefoot, and wrapped in a short silk nightgown that clung to her hips every time she turned. She was talking to someone. Arguing? Complaining? maybe. Gesturing with one hand, her other hand clutching her phone.

He leaned back, his lips tugging into the faintest smirk. He stared at his phone. The call she thought hadn’t gone through staring at him in the face.

She was unraveling.

He didn’t need to hear her to know it. He could see the frustration in every movement. Her confusion. Her anger. Her panic. All of it. Like a slow spiral she couldn’t control.

And it thrilled him.

Chloe Bennett wasn’t supposed to be this easy to shake.

But she was. And it wasn’t even the beginning of what he had planned.

He took off his glasses, his eyes narrowing as she stopped pacing and sank onto the couch, her head in her hands.

Damien’s voice was low as he muttered to himself.

"Calm down Chloe, we’ve only just started."

______

The steady ring of her alarm jerked Chloe awake. Nina had left early hours of the morning and Chloe hadn’t had much sleep.

She followed her regular routine. Shower. Clothes. Coffee.

She stepped out into the morning air, her pace steps slowed yet steady. She didn’t plan on overthinking today.

She made her way to a small cafe. The city hummed around her but she didn’t care. The scent of freshly brewed coffee wrapped around her as she pushed open the glass door.

She slipped into the short line, her eyes scanning the room as she waited.

Then she heard it, whispers of a hushed het excited conversation.

“I can’t believe it.” A voice said. “Damien Cross is finally stepping out of the shadows.”

Her breath caught. She looked up.

Three people stood ahead — a man and two women, all dressed sharply, their coffee untouched in their hands as they whispered amongst themselves.

“No way,” one girl scoffed. “That man’s practically a ghost. Two years working at Cross Corp and I’ve never seen him.”

“He doesn’t do boardrooms or press,” the other added. “Always sends someone else.”

“Exactly,” the man said. “But if he’s showing up now, it means something.”

Chloe’s pulse quickened.

Damien Cross. Powerful, dangerous, secretive and now, suddenly, stepping into the light?

Why now? And why had her father given her such responsibility?

And why did his name feel like a spark against her skin?

Chloe frowned, her curiosity piqued. Why had Damien Cross remained invisible for so long? The whispers, the warnings, the reputation—none of it came with a face. And now, she was expected to just….face him?

As the line moved forward, she pulled out her phone without thinking. Damien Cross. She typed the name, her thumb hovering before hitting search.

But the results were nothing useful.

No recent photos. No interviews. No social media. Just articles about Cross Corp and brief mentions of a brilliant, ruthless heir who never showed his face.

She dug deeper but still nothing. Only a yellowed old article featuring an older man, likely his father, Chloe thought to herself. But Damien? Nothing but shadows and vague references.

Her thumb hesitated over the search bar again.

What happened to Damien Cross? She typed in. Before she could search it, the barista called her name.

“Miss Bennet!”

Chloe snapped back to the present, she grabbed her coffee and pushed through the door, stepping into the cool city air. But her mind was still tangled in the unknown.

She was going to meet this ghost of a man. Sit across from him. Negotiate. All alone without knowing what to expect.

A chill trailed her spine as the thought buried into her chest.

She crossed the sidewalk, her boots clicking the cement floor. But then a sensation prickled at the back of her neck. Not fear exactly, though something worse.

She slowed her steps, scanning the crowd. Just the regular, people moving like always, scrambling to get to their lives. But something felt wrong and off.

She shook it off. "Relax, Chloe. You're spiraling." She mumbled to herself.

But Chloe didn’t relax, her steps moved faster, like she was trying to escape whatever was in her mind.

She reached for her car door and a shadow moved behind her. She froze, shaking her head as she took in a deep breath.

Then turned toward her car again and saw it, a reflection staring at her from her car window.

She looked back, her heart jumped in her chest. And there he was, staring at her.

Cold. Unmoving. And dangerous.