Chapter 5 The regret

The next morning, Elio opened his eyes slowly. His head felt heavy, and for a moment, he didn't know where he was. Then it hit him: the hotel room the night before, the wine, and... Maya; he closed his eyes in frustration.

He turned his head slightly and saw her beside him. She was still asleep, her dark hair spread out on the pillow, the sheet barely covering her body. They were both naked. The memories came back in flashes, touch, heat, and confusion.

A knot formed in his stomach. He sat up quietly, careful not to wake her. Grabbing his clothes from the floor, he made his way to the bathroom.

Under the cold shower, Elio closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. The water ran down his back, but it couldn't wash off the regret.

"What the hell did I do?"

He had let his guard down. Again. He knew Maya; she was manipulative, clever, and always trying to get close. And he had played right into her hands.

He ran a hand over his face, angry with himself. This wasn't about anything real; it was a mistake driven by exhaustion, alcohol, and too many thoughts of Isabella. And what was she even doing there last night, he thought.

After a while, he stepped out, dried himself quickly, and put on his clothes.

When he walked back into the room, Maya was already awake. She sat up in bed, the sheet pulled around her, her eyes warm and hopeful.

"Morning," she said softly, smiling. "You were amazing last night..." Elio gave her a dead stare; Elio didn't smile; he didn't even stop walking.

He went to the table, picked up his watch and phone, and checked the time. "I have to leave."

Maya's smile faded. "Elio?"

He turned to her, his face calm but cold. "Last night was a one-time thing, Maya. Don't read meaning into it."

She blinked. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying we had sex. That's all it was," he replied, his voice even. "You were there, I was tired. That's it."

Maya's hands tightened on the sheet. "So you're just going to pretend it meant nothing?"

"It didn't mean anything," he said. "You know how I feel. I've said it before. This changes nothing."

"But Elio"

"I don't want to talk about it," he said, "I made a mistake. It won't happen again."

He turned to leave but the question was bothering him he turned and walked toward her and asked, "What were you even doing there last night"

Maya looks a little shocked but pretends, "Wh... what do you mean?" she stammers.

"I mean, did you stalk me?" he said, looking at her like he was piercing into her soul.

She scoffed, "That was a club, Elio. Not your fucking room."

And with that, he asked for his car key, and he left the room without looking back.

Maya stared at the door, her heart racing, "oh my God, that was close," she breathed heavily.

"But does that mean everything I did was for nothing," she thought. "Like that's it; no, I have to find a way; you can't just go scott-free like that, Elio. Not like this; last night won't be for nothing," She said, determined.

For her, last night had meant hope, maybe with that something would spark between them, maybe he would start seeing her differently, maybe he would start feeling something for her, just maybe, she held onto that hope, but from the look on his eyes for him, it had only meant regret, and that hurt her more.

As Elio got to the parking lot, he got in his car and drove off. He gripped the steering wheel tightly as he drove out of the hotel parking lot. The morning sun was already shining too brightly for his tired eyes. The air felt thick in his chest, and no matter how hard he rolled down the window, it didn't help.

He didn't drive to his penthouse. He needs somewhere he can clear his head; he needs someone to talk to. Instead, he took the longer route to the Wilson family mansion. And thank God, and his mother would be around. Maybe she'd understand, or maybe not.

His jaw clenched as the memory of the night replayed in his mind; the wine, the way his body gave in made him get more frustrated, the way he let it happen, that was the part that he hated most. Even if something like that should happen not with Maya, not her, he knows how feisty and manipulating she is, " that bitch" he said with frustration.

But It wasn't Maya's fault, he kept telling himself that. She was just there. He was trying to convince himself that She had always been there. Feisty, persistent, and manipulating, but none of it mattered. Because the truth was that Isabella, her absence, her silence, her look across the ballroom had left him with questions and no answers.

She was the one who had lived rent-free in his mind; she was the reason he had become vulnerable; she was the reason he felt empty, and it was that emptiness that made space for someone like Maya to slip in.

He slammed the steering harder, frustrated at himself for thinking this way. It wasn't fair, none of it was, but he just wanted to feel better, less stressed, because he knew Maya wouldn't stop there.

As the mansion gates came into view, Elio's chest tightened again; he wasn't ready to face the truth; he wasn't ready to admit that the only person who had ever made him feel anything could still break him without saying a word.

Elio walked into the mansion, his footsteps heavy and unhurried. The front door clicked shut behind him with a dull thud. His face was blank, his eyes distant, and the weight of the night still clung to his shoulders like a storm cloud.

"Good morning, sir," his mother's assistant, Talia, greeted politely from the hallway. She gave a slight bow, holding a tablet in her hands. But Elio didn't respond. He didn't even glance at her. He just kept walking, his mind elsewhere, lost in the chaos of emotions he couldn't shake off.

From the far end of the hallway, Lila Wilson stood near the grand staircase, sipping her morning tea. The moment she saw her son, her smile faltered; she didn't need to ask; Mother's always knows.

"Son?" she called softly.

He paused briefly, eyes meeting hers, and for a second she saw it, the storm behind them. The pain, the regret, the anger, the frustration all linger on his face.

Without waiting for him to speak, Lila set her teacup down and made her way toward him. "What happened?" she asked, voice low with concern.

Elio shook his head and let out a tired breath. "Nothing I can undo."

She led him to the couch, and he sank into it like all the strength had left his body. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands locked together. He looked lost, his thoughts racing somewhere far from the room.

He didn't answer at first. Just stared ahead, like the walls could explain what he couldn't say.

"I messed up," he finally muttered.

She stayed quiet, letting him speak on his own terms.

Lila sat beside him, her eyes studying him carefully, gently placing her hand on his back.

"Elio... talk to me. What happened?"

He took a moment. His voice came low. "I slept with Maya."

Clara's lips parted slightly, not in shock, but in sadness. "Oh, Elio..."

"I didn't mean to. I didn't want to," he said quickly as he needed her to understand. "I was... drunk. No... more than drunk, I think... I think she planned it."

Lila's expression grew serious but calm. "You think she drugged you?"

"I don't know," he said truthfully. "Maybe I'm just looking for someone to blame."

She said nothing, waiting patiently for him to continue.

He finally looked at her, his eyes red. "But I know what I felt, Mum. All I could see last night was Isabella. It wasn't about Maya. It was... was about trying to feel something... anything... close to her again. And now I hate myself for it."

Lila's heart ached for him. She brushed his hair gently off his forehead like she used to when he was younger. "It's okay."

Elio swallowed hard. "It's not Maya's fault, Not really. It's Isabella; She's the one that's been in my head every second, every thought, every night. And because of her... I have become something Maya can just have fun with."

Lila gave him a small, understanding nod. "You're blaming her for the pain you feel."

"Because it hurts," Elio whispered. "It hurts so much, Mum. Loving her, not being able to have her. Seeing her... and knowing I'll never be good enough for her just because of some fa..."

Lila took his hand squeezed it gently, and looked into his eyes. "That doesn't mean you're not enough. It means the world around you is broken, not you."

Elio looked down. "I don't know what to feel again, I don't even know what to feel anymore, Mum. I feel... numb," he said, almost whispering. "Toward Isabella... toward everything. I used to feel the fire when I thought of her, hope, but now? I don't even know."

"You will," Lila said softly. "Because what you feel for her... it's real. And real love doesn't vanish overnight, even if it's tested, even if it breaks you a little."

He sighed, leaning back on the couch, exhausted. "I just want to stop feeling like this."

"I know," she said and rested her head gently on his shoulder. "But feeling means you're still fighting. And fighting means you haven't lost yet."

Elio turned to her, eyes tired. "But what if I'm done? What if I've given everything and I have nothing left for her?

Lila's chest tightened. "Don't say that. Don't give up on something real just because the pain tried to bury it. You haven't stopped feeling. You're just hurt. And people say things when they're hurting."

"But what if I mean it?" he asked quietly.

She stared at him for a long moment. "Then I'll still be here; I'll remind you of who you were before all this pain: the man who loved fiercely, who fought for his own future, who never let family names decide his fate."

Elio looked down at his hands. "I don't know who that man is anymore."

Lila leaned closer and placed a hand over his. "Then let's find him together, Son. You have been fighting this battle alone for years; all this starts because of her; she has been your strength all these years; you can't just give up halfway, hum. Let's find him, please... Elio."

The silence between them was heavy but comforting. Even if Elio didn't have the answers now, his mother's words clung to him like a thread in the dark. And somewhere in him, deep, hidden, a part still hoped, even if it hurts.

They sat there in silence, the warmth of the morning sun slowly spreading through the room, even as the cold heaviness in Elio's heart refused to leave.

Lila frowned, her heart aching. "You've been carrying this alone for too long; let me help now, son."

Elio gave a bitter chuckle. "Everything that happened last night with Maya all started because of Ella. Because she's always in my head, it was like she has made me vulnerable."

He sighed and leaned forward, rubbing his temples. "I don't blame her, not really. But I also do. If she wasn't always so far out of reach... if she did try a little... maybe I wouldn't feel like this; I wouldn't feel weak.

Lila touched his arm gently. "You're not weak, Elio. You're human. You love her, and that's never been the problem. The world around both of you has made it hard. But that doesn't mean the love is any less."