THE HANGOVER

CHAPTER THREE

Morning had already arrived at the Night mansion. The sunlight was slowly coming through the curtains, making little bright patches on the floor and the bed. The room was quiet, with only the soft sound of the AC running in the background. Outside, birds were chirping somewhere in the garden, and the whole house felt peaceful.

Elara was still fast asleep, turned slightly to one side with her blanket pulled up to her shoulder. After a while, the light touched her face, and her eyes slowly began to open.

She blinked a few times, not fully awake yet. For a moment, she just looked at the ceiling without understanding anything. Then she slowly turned her head and looked around her room. Her eyes moved from the curtains to the bedside table, then to the chair where she had left some clothes the night before. Everything was normal. Everything was familiar. Still, something didn't feel right.

Elara slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her hair was all over her face, and she pushed it back with one hand while trying to remember the night before. She remembered the party. She remembered Ava being with her. She remembered the music, the lights and the drinks. Then her memory suddenly became blank.

She frowned.

"How did I even get home?"

She tried to remember again.

This time, one memory came back clearly.

That old man.

The way he had been talking to her. The way he had followed her when she wanted to get away. The fear she had felt when he took her toward the private room.

And then Romen.

Elara's face became a little serious as she remembered him coming into the room. She remembered his angry voice and the way he had pulled the man away from her. She remembered how scared she had been before Romen came, and how safe she had felt the moment he was there.

That was all.

Nothing else.

Elara sat quietly for a while, trying again and again to remember what happened after that. She even closed her eyes and tried to picture the party, but there was nothing. No matter how hard she tried, her mind gave her nothing more than those few memories.

She finally sighed and leaned back against the headboard.

"Forget it. I'll ask Ava."

She looked down at herself and then suddenly felt a little embarrassed thinking about Romen.

"He did save me, though..."

A small smile appeared on her face.

For a few seconds, she allowed herself to think about it.

Maybe Romen wasn't as bad as she had always believed.

The thought made her smile disappear.

"Okay, that's enough."

She shook her head at herself and got out of bed.

She walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. The warm water fell over her shoulders, and for the first time since waking up, she felt relaxed. She stood there for a while with her eyes closed, letting the water wash away the tiredness from her body. She didn't want to think about the party anymore. She didn't want to think about what she couldn't remember. Right now, she just wanted a normal morning.

After taking a long shower, Elara came back to her room and opened her wardrobe. She looked through her clothes for a few moments before choosing one of her favorite western dresses. It was simple but pretty, the kind of dress she liked wearing when she wanted to look good without trying too hard.

She got dressed, fixed her hair and put on a little perfume. Then she stood in front of the mirror.

For a moment, she smiled at herself.

"Much better."

But the smile didn't last.

Her eyes slowly moved to her own reflection, and once again, she tried to remember last night.

Nothing.

She frowned.

"Why can't I remember?"

Before she could think any further, there was a knock on her bedroom door.

Elara turned around.

"Come in."

The door opened, and her father walked inside.

Arthur Night was the head of the Night family and one of the most respected businessmen in the city. He was a man who usually kept his emotions under control, but with Elara, he had always been different. Since Isabelle's death, he had been the one person Elara could always depend on. She had grown up believing that no matter what happened, her father would always be there for her.

So when she saw him that morning, she smiled naturally.

"Good morning, Dad."

Arthur looked at her. But he didn't smile back.

Elara noticed it immediately.

She walked toward him and hugged him.

"What's wrong?"

Arthur hugged her back, but his arms didn't feel as warm as they usually did. When Elara pulled away, she looked at his face carefully.

"Dad?"

Arthur looked at her for a few seconds.

"I never thought I'd see this day."

Elara's smile disappeared.

"What happened?"

His voice was low.

"I never thought my daughter would come home in the arms of her mother's enemy's son."

Elara froze.

For a moment, she didn't understand what he was talking about.

"Romen?"

Arthur's expression became even more disappointed.

"You brought him into this house."

"Dad, he didn't—"

"Elara."

His voice stopped her.

He took a slow breath before continuing.

"Have you forgotten everything your mother went through?"

Elara looked away.

"No."

"Then how could you come home with him?"

"He saved me."

Arthur looked at her.

"I know."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is who he is."

Elara didn't say anything. Arthur came a little closer.

"He's a Draven."

The name itself was enough to change the feeling in the room.

"Do you remember what that family did to your mother?"

Elara's eyes became wet. She remembered.

She had been too young when Isabelle died, but she had grown up with that pain. She remembered the empty room, the photographs, her father's silence and all the nights she had asked why her mother wasn't coming back.

Arthur's voice became softer.

"Your mother was taken away from you because of that family."

Elara swallowed hard.

"Don't talk about Mom like this."

"I'm not trying to hurt you."

Arthur's eyes were also wet now.

"I'm trying to remind you."

He looked at her as if he was trying to make her understand something she had forgotten.

"You used to ask me why Mom never came home. You used to wait for her. You were just a little girl, Elara."

He paused.

"Do you know how many nights I watched you sleep while you were waiting for her?"

Elara looked down.

A tear slowly rolled down her cheek.

Arthur continued, "Your mother didn't deserve what happened to her. She didn't deserve to be taken away from you. And you told me once that you would never forget."

Elara wiped her cheek.

"I haven't forgotten."

"Then don't forget now."

His voice became firmer.

"That family took your mother from you. You should be taking revenge, not standing in their son's arms."

Elara's heart started beating faster.

Romen's face came into her mind again. For a second, she remembered how he had protected her. But then her mother's face appeared in her memory.

The smile.

The warmth.

The empty room after she was gone. The anger that had been sleeping inside Elara for years slowly came back.

Her hands tightened.

She looked at her father.