The city never truly slept.

Even after midnight, bright lights covered the streets, music echoed through the air, and people continued chasing happiness without knowing what tomorrow would bring.

Tonight was different.

A luxurious nightclub was packed with people celebrating, dancing, and laughing.

Among the crowd stood a young man named Elio.

He wasn't someone who enjoyed parties. He preferred quiet places, books, and spending time alone. But after graduating from university, his friends refused to let him stay home.

"One night won't kill you," his best friend laughed, pulling him inside.

Elio sighed.

"I'll stay for an hour. Then I'm leaving."

His friends cheered.

"That's what you always say!"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city...

A beautiful young woman named Elina stepped into the same nightclub.

Tonight was her twenty-first birthday.

Her friends had planned everything without telling her.

When she walked inside, everyone shouted,

"Happy Birthday!"

Elina smiled brightly.

"You guys are unbelievable."

One of her friends handed her a glass.

"Tonight you can't refuse."

"I don't usually drink."

"Just one."

She finally accepted.

Hours passed.

The music became louder.

The dance floor became crowded.

One drink became two.

Two became three.

Neither Elio nor Elina realized how much they had consumed.

Their memories slowly became blurry.

The world around them felt distant.

Near midnight, Elio decided to leave.

"I've had enough."

As he walked toward the exit, someone accidentally bumped into him.

A young woman.

She nearly lost her balance.

Elio quickly caught her before she fell.

"I'm... sorry..." she whispered.

"It's alright," Elio replied.

For a brief second, they looked into each other's eyes.

Neither knew the other's name.

Neither realized that this simple meeting would change both of their lives forever.

Outside, rain began to fall.

The streets glittered beneath the city lights.

Everything after that became a blank page.

...

The next morning...

Sunlight slipped through the curtains.

Elio slowly opened his eyes.

His head hurt terribly.

"What happened...?"

He tried to remember the previous night.

Nothing.

Only flashes of loud music and bright lights.

He rubbed his forehead.

"I must've drunk too much."

His phone was full of messages from his friends.

"Still alive?"

"You disappeared."

"We'll never let you drink like that again."

Elio smiled awkwardly.

"I really don't remember anything."

Across the city...

Elina also woke up with a pounding headache.

She looked around her room.

Everything seemed normal.

But something felt strange.

She tried remembering the night before.

Nothing.

Only scattered pieces of music, laughter, and rain.

Her best friend called.

"Happy birthday again! Are you okay?"

"My head hurts..."

"You drank a lot."

"I don't even remember coming home."

Her friend laughed.

"You'll remember eventually."

But Elina never did.

Days became weeks.

Life returned to normal.

Elio focused on finding a job and building his future.

Elina continued her university studies.

Neither of them crossed paths again.

Neither knew that fate had already tied their lives together.

Far away, someone watched silently from inside a black car.

The mysterious person smiled while holding a folder.

Inside the folder were two photographs.

One of Elio.

One of Elina.

"They have no idea..."

The stranger quietly closed the folder.

"The game has only just begun."

To be continued...

Three months had passed since that unforgettable night.

The city was as busy as ever. Cars filled the roads, people rushed to work, and the world continued moving forward as if nothing had happened.

But for Elina, everything had changed.

For the past few weeks, she had been feeling exhausted. Every morning she woke up feeling weak, and even walking to university made her dizzy. The smell of food she once loved now made her feel sick.

Her best friend, Sophia, noticed the changes immediately.

"Elina, you've been acting strange lately," Sophia said with a worried expression.

"I'm fine," Elina forced a smile.

"No, you're not. You look pale, and you've barely eaten anything."

"It's probably because I've been studying too much."

Sophia crossed her arms.

"I don't believe you."

Elina laughed softly, trying to change the subject, but deep inside she was beginning to worry.

Something didn't feel right.

...

After class, Elina suddenly felt dizzy while walking down the hallway.

Her vision blurred.

Before she could fall, Sophia quickly caught her.

"Elina!"

"I'm... okay..."

"No, you're coming with me."

Sophia immediately took her to the nearest hospital.

After several medical tests, Elina sat nervously outside the doctor's office.

Her hands wouldn't stop shaking.

She didn't know why.

Maybe it was just stress.

Maybe she had a vitamin deficiency.

Maybe...

The door opened.

"Miss Elina?"

She slowly stood up and entered the room.

The doctor smiled kindly.

"Please have a seat."

Elina nodded.

The doctor looked at the medical report for a few seconds before speaking.

"Congratulations."

Elina blinked.

"...Congratulations?"

"You are pregnant."

Her heart stopped.

The room became completely silent.

"...What?"

"You are approximately three months pregnant."

The words echoed inside her head.

Impossible.

She couldn't believe it.

"There must be a mistake."

The doctor gently shook his head.

"We repeated the tests several times. The results are correct."

Tears slowly filled Elina's eyes.

She remembered the graduation party.

The loud music.

The flashing lights.

The rain.

A pair of beautiful blue eyes...

After that...

Nothing.

She couldn't remember anything else.

She slowly walked out of the hospital while holding the report tightly against her chest.

Outside, rain began falling from the dark sky.

She stood there without moving.

"Who are you...?"

She whispered.

"Why can't I remember your face?"

A single tear rolled down her cheek.

Meanwhile...

In the center of the city stood the tallest building anyone had ever seen.

Ashford Tower.

The headquarters of Ashford Group.

Luxury cars lined up outside the entrance.

Employees stood respectfully as a black Rolls-Royce stopped in front of the building.

The driver opened the door.

A tall young man stepped out.

He wore a perfectly tailored black suit.

His blue eyes were cold yet captivating.

His name was Elio Ashford.

At only twenty-six years old, he was one of the youngest billionaire CEOs in the country.

Every employee lowered their heads.

"Good morning, President Ashford."

Elio simply nodded before entering the building.

The entire lobby became silent.

Everyone admired him.

Everyone respected him.

And everyone feared disappointing him.

# Chapter 3: Two Different Worlds (Part 1)

The rain continued to pour outside the hospital.

Elina walked slowly through the empty streets, clutching the medical report tightly in her hands. Her mind was filled with endless questions.

"How am I going to tell my parents?"

"What will everyone think of me?"

"And... who is the father?"

She stopped walking and looked up at the dark sky.

"I don't even remember his face..."

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she gently placed a hand on her stomach.

"I'm scared... but you're innocent."

"I promise I'll protect you no matter what."

She wiped away her tears and took a deep breath.

"I have to be strong."

Meanwhile...

Inside Ashford Group Headquarters, the atmosphere was completely different.

A huge business meeting was taking place on the top floor.

The directors were nervous as Elio sat at the head of the table.

He calmly looked through several important documents.

One director stood up nervously.

"President Ashford, our competitors have offered a better deal than us."

The room became silent.

Everyone waited for Elio's response.

Without even looking up, Elio spoke in a calm voice.

"Buy their company."

Everyone froze.

"W-What?"

"If they become our competitors..."

He closed the file.

"...then they won't be competitors anymore."

The directors looked at each other in shock.

Within minutes, everyone began making phone calls.

That was Elio's style.

Fast.

Smart.

Merciless in business.

His assistant smiled proudly.

"As expected of President Ashford."

After the meeting ended, Elio stood near the large glass window overlooking the city.

For some strange reason...

He couldn't stop thinking about that rainy night three months ago.

A blurry memory appeared in his mind.

A beautiful girl...

Long hair...

A gentle voice saying,

"I'm sorry..."

He frowned.

"Why can't I forget her?"

At that exact moment, his phone rang.

His assistant quickly answered.

"Sir, the evening meeting has been cancelled."

Elio nodded.

"Good."

Because once the sun disappeared...

slowly covered the city.

The lights of Ashford Group went dark one by one as the employees returned home.

But Elio's day was far from over.

He entered a hidden elevator inside his office. The elevator descended deep underground before stopping in front of a steel door.

As the door opened, dozens of armed men immediately stood up.

"Boss."

Every one of them bowed respectfully.

Elio walked past them without saying a word.

He entered a large room where a giant map of the city covered the wall.

His right-hand man, Damian, stepped forward.

"Boss, the Black Viper Gang

Another side of Elio would awaken....

Night slowly covered the city.

The lights of Ashford Group went dark one by one as the employees returned home.

But Elio's day was far from over.

He entered a hidden elevator inside his office. The elevator descended deep underground before stopping in front of a steel door.

As the door opened, dozens of armed men immediately stood up.

"Boss."

Every one of them bowed respectfully.

Elio walked past them without saying a word.

He entered a large room where a giant map of the city covered the wall.

His right-hand man, Damian, stepped forward.

"Boss, the Black Viper Gang has been causing trouble in our territory. They've attacked two of our warehouses."

Elio calmly poured himself a glass of water before looking at the map.

"Any casualties?"

"Only minor injuries."

Elio placed the glass on the table.

"I gave them one warning."

Damian nodded.

"Yes, Boss."

"They ignored it."

The room fell silent.

Elio's cold blue eyes showed no fear.

"Arrange a meeting."

"And if they refuse?"

Elio buttoned his black coat.

"Then they'll learn why no one challenges us."

Everyone answered together.

"Yes, Boss!"

...

Meanwhile...

Elina sat alone in her bedroom.

The pregnancy report was still lying on the desk.

She gently touched her stomach.

"I don't know what our future will be..."

"But I promise I'll never abandon you."

She smiled through her tears.

"No matter what happens, I'll become strong for you."

Suddenly, her phone rang.

It was Sophia.

"Elina! Are you okay? I've been worried about you all day."

"I'm okay..."

"You don't sound okay."

After a few moments of silence, Elina whispered,

"Sophia..."

"I'm pregnant."

Sophia was speechless.

"What...?"

"I don't know who the father is."

She explained everything she remembered about the graduation party.

Sophia listened quietly before saying,

"You don't have to face this alone."

"I'll stay by your side."

Elina couldn't stop crying.

"Thank you..."

For the first time that day...

She didn't feel completely alone.

...

At the same moment...

Elio stood on the rooftop of an abandoned warehouse overlooking the city.

The cold wind blew through his hair.

Something inside him felt... empty.

He couldn't explain why.

For months, the image of the mysterious girl from that rainy night had never left his mind.

He didn't know her name.

He didn't know where she lived.

He didn't even know if he would ever see her again.

But somehow...

His heart told him that fate wasn't finished with them yet.

Far away...

A mysterious man watched both Elio and Elina through security photographs spread across a table.

He smiled darkly.

"So..."

"The game is finally beginning."

He closed the file marked with two names.

**ELIO ASHFORD**

**ELINA**

"Neither of you knows the truth..."

"But very soon..."

"You'll both regret that night."

**To Be Continued...**