"Well, that's impressive."

I yawned, rubbing my eyes. After last night, I had passed out from pure bliss and exhaustion.

I forced my eyes open, wincing at the harsh light before they adjusted to the view in front of me. Laying in Vince's bedroom once again, the bed next to me was empty like usual.

Raising my gaze, I saw him with his back turned towards me, busy talking on the phone.

"I didn't expect you to have it all before the deadline but I'm satisfied nonetheless." He spoke into the phone. Based on his tone, the call seemed to be an important one.

He was always the first one up, hours before I would even wake. Sleeping in must've been forbidden in his book. He was already dressed and freshly showered, looking through his papers on his desk as he chatted away on his phone.

"Since the transaction takes 7 days, she'll be staying here until it fully goes through." He replied in a calm voice to the other person on the other side of the line.

I propped myself onto my elbow before pulling the bed sheet up more to cover my body, beginning to listen more closely to the conversation.

I usually wouldn't be so intrusive with his work stuff but I had a gut feeling that he was talking to my dad.

"Good morning," I muttered groggily, still not fully awake. He turned abruptly, noticing that I was awake to give me a short glance and a brief nod before continuing with his conversation.

He chuckled into the phone before speaking again. "Keep in mind that you should've returned the money years ago. You should be happy that I didn't charge interest."

So he was talking to my dad. When my dad had called me yesterday, he didn't mention anything about money.

Vince paused for a short while, shaking his head.

"You're unbelievable. To think that you were good friends with my father is humorous." He hid his frustration well by always replying in a calm and undisturbed voice.

My dad was never the easiest to talk to. He always knew which strings to pull and buttons to press to set a person off and plenty of times, he would use that to his advantage.

After everything that had happened, I understood that my dad was the problem here. He was the bad guy. The reason why all of this was happening.

He had used Vince after his parents died and refused to return the money after. And none of this would've been happening if it wasn't for him.

"Have a good day, Mr. Hale." Vince sighed before hanging up. He placed his phone on the table before finally turning around to look at me.

"So?" I asked, wanting him to explain what had just happened. He was silent for a long moment, watching me.

"You're leaving at the end of this week." He announced, his face emotionless.

I blinked, not entirely sure if I had heard him correctly. Then my jaw dropped in both shock and horror. My dad hadn't even bothered to mention anything about this yesterday when he had called.

"But I thought I had more time," I said in disbelief. Vince simply shook his head.

"Your dad called and he's already giving back the money."

Maybe I should've been jumping with joy instead of the reaction I was having now.

"Yay," I mumbled weakly, poorly faking my enthusiasm. My time here had been cut short and I was going home sooner than I'd expected.

He offered me a small smile but it seemed more forced than sincere. He didn't seem to notice my faked enthusiasm. Or maybe he chose not to notice it.

...

After Vince left to take Viola back, I got dressed and went back to my room to shower. Despite how nice and all the sex part was, unfortunately, the smell of it afterward was not.

I closed my eyes, muscles relaxing as the warm water cascaded down my body. The steam enveloped me, calming me as I thought about the next couple of days. The last couple of days I would spend with Vince.

Why was I being so dramatic? I was acting as if the world was ending or he was going to die when it wasn't even all that dreadful. I was simply leaving and that was that.

My legs threatened to buckle, still sore and aching from last night's activities.

Opening my eyes again, I soaped and rinsed myself thoroughly, making sure to clean everywhere.

I almost didn't notice when a tear slid down my cheek and that was when I froze. I couldn't cry. No, I refused to cry. Especially not over someone who wasn't supposed to mean anything. Gathering myself once again and taking a deep breath, I quickly wiped the single tear away and finished my shower.

I had never been as sensitive or overly emotional and I wasn't going to start today.

I grabbed a towel, drying myself off. I changed into the clothes I had set on the counter and came out of the bathroom.

I checked my phone, realizing that Erin had called me. Calling her back, I brought the phone up to my ear, waiting for her to answer. Before even the third ring, she picked up the phone.

"Hey, Erin," I said, a small smile appearing on my lips. It had been a while since Erin called me but she finally did after I got out of the shower.

"Hey, Darcy," She replied. "I meant to call yesterday to wish you a Merry Christmas but I was too drunk."

I smiled, in a good mood already. Erin had that effect on everyone.

"Let me guess, you were out partying?" I said, raising a knowing brow even though I knew she couldn't see me. She laughed and I immediately received my answer.

"You know me so well."

"How's Blake doing?" I asked, sitting down on my bed.

"He misses you but he's been his usual." Erin chuckled.

"Sleeping around with girls?" I offered.

"Yeah."

I sighed. Blake was never one to stick to one girl. He always had problems with commitment but he loved sleeping with different girls every week. The love and care he didn't receive throughout his childhood were to blame.

"You're still living with your dad right?" Erin asked and I pursed my lips.

"Yeah, I am." I lied, keeping up my cover. I felt guilty about lying to her but telling her the truth wasn't an option either. I just had to continue to tell her that I was at my dad's all this time until I actually went back to my dad's.

"How are you? Is everything okay living with your dad?"

She sounded concerned and there was a reason why. She knew about how I had run away because of how controlling my dad was.

"Yeah, everything is fine." My voice had almost cracked. I could tell that she knew that I was lying when the other side of the line went silent for a short moment.

"I have to go," She let out a sigh, one of disappointment. "I'll talk to you later."

"I'll talk to you later." I echoed, my gaze lowering to the floor. That was the thing with Erin. She knew not to pry and that was what I liked about her.

"Take care, Darcy." She muttered, hanging up before the line went dead.

...

A couple of days had passed since the last time my dad had called Vince. I had two more days left but I had spent the last couple of days cleaning up the room I was staying in before I had to go. Surprisingly enough, the days practically flew by in a blur although most of the time I would just sit around and sulk.

I didn't have much to pack up since I had come here with nothing but I wanted to move things back to the way they were before I had come.

My dad hadn't bothered me to tell me personally that I was going to be leaving early but I didn't mind. He was a busy man and he had things to do.

The week was almost over and the longing feeling in my chest seemed to grow worse by the day. The day I was going to leave was coming closer and closer but I wasn't ready.

I had tried avoiding Vince, trying to lose the attachment I had towards him but the plan seemed to fail miserably. Every time I would catch a glance of him before he left, my heart would clench, well aware that I had grown more attached to him than I'd like to admit.

Standing at the window, looking out of it, the sky was orange with pink and purple clouds as the sun began to set. The golden rays shone throughout the city and bounced off of the buildings' windows. Silhouettes of birds flew home across a sky that was now a honey color.

I stepped closer to the window, staying lost in the moment a while longer. I placed a hand on the glass and sighed.

This is your punishment for letting yourself catch feelings, my head mocked me.

I closed my eyes, trying to find a way to erase the ache in my chest and it worked for a moment but it would never stay that way. Sooner or later it would come back every time he entered my mind again. And he would. He always did.

He was like an annoying fly, never leaving me and my thoughts alone.

The truth was plain and clear. I caught feelings he didn't return. Why did he have to be so... perfect?

I knew exactly what was happening all this time but yet I had let myself fall for him. Ever since I had first met him, I had been attracted to him.

Although I would never admit it to his face, I was going to miss his sarcastic remarks and his witty insults, and his attempts to always embarrass me. He had a way of making my heart race every time he said something or touched me or even look at me.

I was letting my hormones get the best of me. Maybe my period was coming soon and that was why I was feeling like this. Or maybe I was just making excuses for feeling the way I felt.

He had his whole life planned out ahead of him, the fucking CEO of a multi-billionaire company while I on the other hand had barely just entered adulthood.

He could have his endless supply of smoking hot women but yet here I was, hoping that he would choose me. That he would miraculously get the guts to tell me that he had feelings for me too. Feelings that didn't exist.

We were too different to ever work, not to mention my dad's disapproval.

What hurt the most was knowing that he only saw me as a young girl with a controlling dad. In his eyes, I couldn't have been more than a girl occupying one of his rooms. A girl that was only temporary in his life.

We had sex a few too many times to be able to keep count but that was it. So why did he open up to me about his past? Why did he buy me all of those presents? Did they mean nothing and was I just overthinking everything?

He had always been good at keeping secrets. What if he did feel something? I knew getting my hopes up was only going to hurt me even more in the long run but I couldn't help it.

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, noticing a tear had escaped my eye. I snorted aloud. God, this was so pathetic. I never liked crying. I hated it.

The New Year was going to be the day after tomorrow, the day I would leave. Maybe that was a good thing. A new year, a new version of myself. A version where I wasn't held back by things like this.

I heard shuffling near my door and that was when I knew Vince was home. I heard a short knock on my door and I quickly wiped my eyes before trying to fix my appearance.

"Come in," I said after clearing my throat.

As expected, Vince walked through the door. My eyes widened and my heart seemed to skip at the sight of him. They were only small reactions but they said so much.

He had just come home from work and looked weary and worn out. Watching me by the window, he loosened his tie, giving him more room to breathe.

Forcing a small smile on my face, I walked towards him and away from the window that I had been looking out of.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, walking up to him. He usually didn't come to me unless there was something important.

"No, everything's fine," Vince reassured me. His eyes trailed across the room, noticing that I had cleaned it and set everything back to how it was but he didn't comment on it.

"Do you need anything?" I questioned, confused why he had come to my room.

"Yes." He responded almost immediately and I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. He gave me a hard look almost as if to read my mind causing me to swallow the nervous lump in my throat.

"Go on a walk with me." He offered. I stopped breathing for a second.

"What?" I said, confused. Vince wanted me to go on a walk with him?

"A walk outside."

"What if I try to run away?" I asked even though I was well aware of the fact that I wouldn't.

"You're leaving in two days and I trust you enough to not do that." He said. Trust. What a strong word.

It became silent and I searched in his eyes for any signs that this was some trick but there weren't any.

I hesitantly nodded. "Yeah, just let me get dressed."

He left the room and I quickly went to find some clothes to wear. Since it was still late December, the weather was still incredibly cold so I had to pick out something warm. I found a pair of jeans and a large winter coat near the back of the closet that I decided to wear.

After getting changed I fixed my hair and then walked out of my room to find him waiting near the front door.

He opened the front door, letting me walk out first and the first thing I noticed that the so-called bodyguards he said would be guarding outside were no wear to be seen. So either he had been bluffing or I gained a bit of his trust.

He walked out behind me and we began to walk down the hall. We came to the elevator and silently waited for it to come up to our floor. After a moment or two, the doors slid open and we walked into our lift. The classical music began to play and began to move down.

For a moment, everything almost felt... normal. Like none of this ever happened and all of this was just some crazy dream I had last night.

As the elevator came to a stop, the doors slid open and I followed Vince out of the elevator and through the hotel lobby. I remembered the familiar interior designs and the furniture but this time, it was much emptier considering it was nearing night time. There was a lady at the counter and a few other people busy either checking in or checking out of the hotel.

I struggled to catch up with Vince's long strides as we made our way out through the front entrance.

We were greeted by a gust of icy air and I shivered, not expecting the temperature to be so cold. It was snowing a bit but nothing too extreme. Vince stopped for a moment, waiting for me. Damn him. He didn't even seem the least bit phased by the weather.

I sucked in a shaky breath of the icy cold air before forcing my shaky legs to walk again. I had grown too used to staying in with the heater for the past almost two months.

We started to slowly walk around the back of the hotel then down an alleyway to a more private area which was almost completely secluded. No words were exchanged as we strolled down the sidewalk next to each other.

The sky had fallen dark completely by now and the dim street lights were the only light that was provided. There were only a few cars and even fewer people but none of them were near us.

We walked for some time, further than I had expected he would let me go. He seemed familiar with the area as if he walked here tons of times.

It was silent until I finally decided to say something.

"You've walked here before, haven't you?" I asked, breaking the silence. My question was more as a statement than an actual question.

"I have." He confirmed, dully.

Another silence.

"What's your favorite color?"

I slightly turned my head to look at Vince, dazed by his question. My mind went blank for a second, forgetting what my favorite color was before I finally came back to my senses.

"Grey."

"Grey? That's not a very feminine color." He remarked. I gave him a sideways look.

Even though grey seemed like a depressing and sad color, it was also a calm, neutral one. It wasn't the most popular or preferred color but I liked it.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, wondering if there was some kind of double meaning behind his words.

"Nothing." He replied, the humor in his voice evident.

"What about you?" I then voiced. He didn't respond for a second, almost as if he was thinking about what his favorite color was.

"I don't have a favorite color." He replied, glancing at the ground.

I raised a brow. "Really? No color at all?"

He pursed his lips. "I guess I like black..."

I chuckled silently to myself. "You're not secretly emo, are you?"

"What's wrong with being emo?"

"Nothing, just curious," I said, a small smile tugging at my lips.

It was quiet for a moment as we enjoyed the fresh air. Although it was cold, the walk was relaxing and seemed to ease my muscles.

We strolled down the avenue, my mind focused on the gentle footsteps that seemed to echo throughout the almost desolate street. It was rare to have such empty spots in New York even at night.

"I also like lavender," I suddenly added on. He gave a short nod, slowing down his steps and so did I.

We made it to a bench by the sidewalk and so we both took a seat, sitting down on the bench. Crossing my arms to provide more warmth to my body, I relaxed into my seat, leaning back. We sat a couple of inches apart, watching the occasional people walk by.

"Don't you have better things to do than to go on a walk with me?" I asked, blowing out a breath of air. I noticed the puff of air I had let out was visible since it was so cold.

"I can manage to make time," Vince responded calmly.

I couldn't help but feel a bit flattered. He had taken time out of his busy schedule and took me on a walk. It wasn't that big of a deal but it was coming from him; the only person I knew that worked even more than my dad did. Maybe it was because I was leaving in two days and he decided it was a good idea to give me the time of day.

"Tell me, Darcy." He started to say. Shoving my hands deep inside the pockets of my large coat, I turn my head towards him. "What plans do you have for your future?"

I was surprised by this question. He never asked me about my life because I was usually the one who asked about his.

Searching for an appropriate answer, I soon realized that there wasn't one. Truth be told, I had no idea what I wanted to be or what plans I had in life. Since the beginning, my goal was to leave my dad's and I hadn't even managed to achieve that.

Thinking back to it all, I realized what a failure I had become. I liked working at the coffee shop I had once worked at before I was kidnapped by Vince but I was hardly even able to support myself with it.

"I don't know," I admitted, hanging my head low. Digging my teeth into my bottom lip I could feel the hatred for myself grow deeper and deeper. I came from money. I didn't even have to worry about paying for college and while most people would use that to their advantage, I had taken it for granted.

You really are a spoiled bitch, huh?

"I didn't know what I wanted to be at your age either," Vince said, chuckling lowly. I lifted my head, astounded by what he had just said.

The filthy rich CEO didn't know what he wanted to be?

Understandably, he was given the company by his father but Vince was the type to have every little thing planned out perfectly. But then again...

"I had a variety of careers I wanted to pursue at the time but I couldn't just pick one." He sighed, leaning back into the bench.

"But then your dad passed away and the company was handed to you." I finished, slowly. He nodded wordlessly and almost sadly.

I pressed my lips together, thinking about it all.

I truly pitied the man next to me. Even though he was filthy rich, he was miserable. But he could quit if he wanted to. He could retire right now and still have more than enough money to last him for the rest of his life and his future generations. He could travel the whole damn world and have someone else take care of the company instead so why didn't he?

Maybe he felt too tied down to the company to stop now. After all, the company once belonged to his dad.

All the work he buried himself into was by choice. It was something he used to occupy his mind. He could hire anyone to do his work but instead, he chose not to.

I slowly moved my hand into his, intertwined our fingers. He didn't object or even look down as I gave his hand a tight squeeze.

He had been through so much and yet he managed to keep it all to himself, continuing being the collected, unemotional man he was.

But despite all the walls he built around him, I could still see the broken man beneath it all.