My wedding was just three weeks away. I had already booked the hotel where the ceremony and reception would take place. My friends were staying at the hotel with me, and so was my fiancé, Luca, along with his friends.
We were all excited. The girls were helping me with the final wedding plans—checking my wedding dress, picking the color theme, and laughing over every little detail. It was a beautiful moment.
That afternoon, as I walked toward the reception area, I bumped into a handsome man heading upstairs—toward the floor where Luca's room was. I didn't think much of it and assumed he was one of Luca's friends.
Later, I went to the poolside for some fresh air. As I sat quietly, the same handsome man returned and walked over to me.
"Hi, I'm Gabriel. Nice to meet you here," he said with a charming smile.
He waited for me to respond. I gave a small nod, unsure of what to say.
"Can I know your name, beautiful?" he asked politely.
"My name's Aria. Nice to meet you too," I finally replied.
We began talking. It was casual, friendly, and light. We laughed and shared stories. It felt natural. Just as we were getting comfortable, my phone started ringing. It was Luca.
"Hi baby," I said, answering the call and standing up to walk away from Gabriel.
"Hi Aria. I miss you already. It's been three days since I've seen you—even though we're in the same hotel."
"I miss you too. Can we meet up tonight?" I asked hopefully.
"No, my love. I want to save the excitement for our wedding day. I'll see your beautiful face then. Don't worry, I'm just with the boys. I'll talk to you later. Bye."
"Bye," I replied, feeling a little disappointed.
That evening, I called the reception to bring me a glass of wine, but after waiting for a while with no response, I decided to go get it myself. As I walked down the hallway, I ran into Gabriel again.
"Hey, we meet again," he said with a grin.
"Yes," I replied with a small smile.
"Where are you heading alone this evening?" he asked.
"For a drink," I answered.
"Nice. Mind if I join you?"
"Sure, you can."
We went to the hotel bar together, ordered a bottle of wine, and found a cozy table. We drank, talked, and laughed. It was fun and warm—something I hadn't expected.
Afterward, Gabriel walked me to his room. instead of my room, he knew what he was doing because I was a heavy drank.
When we got to his door, something shifted.