The Billionaire That Found Me

Chapter 4 – Slipping Away Before Dawn

The first light of dawn crept through the tall windows, brushing the edges of the empty gala hall with pale gold. Ava Hart sat on the edge of an ornate chair, wrapped in a borrowed shawl, her hair tangled and her chest still pounding from the night’s intensity. The echoes of laughter, clinking glasses, and whispered words had faded, replaced by silence—and a rising tide of panic.

What had she done?

Her mind spun. The heat of Ethan’s touch, the depth of his gaze, the taste of his lips—it all lingered like fire on her skin, impossible to forget. Yet as the adrenaline ebbed, a cold wave of reality hit her. She had let herself fall too far, too fast. She had surrendered to a night that should have meant nothing, and now… now she was terrified.

She couldn’t stay. Not here. Not with the memories of him pressed into every corner of the room. She needed air, space, distance. The gala had been a fantasy, a brief escape from the weight of bills, debts, and her mother’s failing health. But reality—the real, unrelenting world—was waiting, and she wasn’t ready to face it with Ethan in it.

Ava rose slowly, moving toward the side exit, careful not to make a sound. Her hands trembled slightly, and she clutched the shawl tighter around her shoulders. The cool morning air hit her face as she stepped outside onto the deserted terrace, and for a moment, she let herself breathe.

Her chest heaved as her thoughts spiraled. She had to leave before he woke, before he said something—before the spell of last night could pull her back in. She couldn’t handle the intensity of his attention, not when everything else in her life was falling apart.

And then she felt it. The weight of what she didn’t yet fully understand.

A wave of nausea swept through her, sudden and sharp. She gripped the terrace railing, blinking rapidly, trying to steady herself. Her mind raced. Could she… could she be…? No. Not now. Not ever. She had barely enough stability to manage her mother’s hospital bills, to navigate the endless demands of life. A pregnancy… she couldn’t even think about it.

Yet the thought wouldn’t leave her. Her chest tightened, her palms slick with sweat, and she stumbled back inside to the small restroom tucked behind the service area. Hands shaking, she locked the door, leaned against the wall, and let the fear hit her full force.

What if she was pregnant?

Ava swallowed hard. She didn’t know what she’d do, how she’d manage. And worst of all… she thought of Ethan. The memory of him—strong, protective, insistent—pressed against her mind. If she was carrying his child… how could she face him? How could she admit that one night had changed everything?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the faint creak of the hallway. Panic spiked again. Ethan. He could come looking for her. He would want answers. And she wasn’t ready to give any. Not yet.

She took a deep, shuddering breath and slid down the wall until she was sitting on the cold tile floor, head in her hands. Her mind went back to last night—his laughter, the heat of his body, the whispered promises in the alcove. She remembered the intensity of his hands on her, the brush of his lips against her ear. She remembered feeling… wanted, seen, alive.

And now that reality had returned, it terrified her.

After what felt like an eternity, Ava forced herself to stand. She couldn’t linger here. Not with the swirling panic, not with the possibility of life-altering consequences waiting for her. She grabbed her coat from a nearby chair, checked herself in the cracked mirror, and made a silent vow: she would leave. Quietly. Before Ethan woke. Before the world shifted even more.

Back in the empty streets, the morning air was crisp and biting. Ava pulled the collar of her coat tighter and walked briskly, her mind spinning. She didn’t know where she was going, only that she had to disappear before her heart betrayed her again. Each step away from the gala felt like both salvation and punishment.

Her thoughts wandered back to Ethan’s voice. “Tonight… we see where this goes.” He hadn’t said just one night. He hadn’t promised to leave. And that terrified her more than anything. She couldn’t let him find her—not when she didn’t know who she was anymore, not when she didn’t know what she wanted.

Hours passed in a blur. Ava finally reached her small apartment, closing the door behind her and leaning against it with a sigh of relief. The familiar scent of home, the dim light filtering through the curtains, grounded her slightly. She was safe. For now.

But the gnawing fear in her stomach didn’t fade. If she was pregnant, the choice she might soon face would be monumental. And if she wasn’t… she had still let herself be swept away by a man who could change her life forever.

She sank onto the edge of her bed, burying her face in the pillows, letting herself cry in silence. The tears weren’t just from fear or uncertainty—they were for the first time in months, a release of tension, of longing, of desperation. She had wanted something more than survival, more than responsibility, more than the endless weight of her mother’s illness. And last night, she had touched it.

But now… she had to escape it. Before it consumed her completely.

The morning light grew stronger, the city outside stirring awake. Ava knew she couldn’t linger here either. She had to return to the real world, to the duties that bound her, to the problems that wouldn’t wait. But the thought of Ethan’s gaze, his hands, the warmth of his presence—it clung to her like a shadow she couldn’t shake.

And deep down, she knew this was only the beginning.

One night had changed everything.

And Ava Hart had no idea just how much her life was about to unravel.