Just after Ivy Lennox and Mira White slipped out of the presidential suite—barefoot, breathless, and marked with evidence of a night they barely remembered—they passed through the hotel's grand hallway like two guilty whispers in the wind.
Heads turned.
Staff froze mid-step.
The presidential suite… belonged to none other than the legendary Hale brothers. So what were these two disheveled young women—clothes wrinkled, necks littered with hickeys—doing walking out of their suite at sunrise?
Many questions floated through the minds of the staff. But none dared to ask.
Because even in their haggard state, Ivy and Mira carried an air of dangerous privilege—wild, wealthy, and completely untouchable.
In a panic, the girls stumbled outside, ignoring the luxury cars parked in the valet line—including their own million-dollar supercar still left at the pub.
"Taxi! Taxi, please!" Mira shouted, frantically waving.
"Take us far away from this place, sir!" Ivy added breathlessly as the cab rolled up.
The taxi driver blinked at the chaos of silk dresses, tousled hair, and smeared mascara—but wisely said nothing. He drove.
---
Presidential Suite – Morning Light
Golden sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, warming the tangled sheets of the two grand suites.
Luca Hale stirred first.
His eyes fluttered open, adjusting slowly to the light. For a fleeting second, there was peace—until he turned and reached out.
Cold sheets.
No Ivy.
No warmth.
Just the faintest trace of her perfume on the pillow beside him.
His jaw tightened.
He sat up slowly, the sheets slipping down his torso to reveal angry red scratches across his chest. He scanned the room—torn fabric from Ivy's dress on the floor, but her heels… gone. She was gone.
"She ran," he muttered, a smirk tugging at his lips. His voice low, velvety.
"She thinks she can escape me after last night? After saying she'd be mine? Mine alone?"
His fingers ran through his dark tousled hair as he reached for his phone. A message had already arrived.
---
From: Elian
Subject: The Bunnies Ran
Message: Yours ran. So did mine. We've been robbed. Emotionally.
---
Luca chuckled as he typed his reply:
Response:
They think they're clever. But rabbits running from wolves… only makes the chase more thrilling.
---
Across the Hall — Elian's Suite
Elian Hale stood on his balcony, dressed immaculately as always, a steaming espresso in hand. His sharp profile was etched against the rising sun, and his expression was unreadable.
But something was off.
The bed behind him was empty.
So were his arms.
Mira White—his chaos, his unexpected spark—had vanished without a trace.
He took a long sip, then spoke without turning.
"Find her."
His assistant hesitated. "Sir?"
"I said find her. Mira White. Where is she now?"
"She left before sunrise, sir… she—"
"She's mine." Elian's voice dropped like ice into glass. "I let her go once. I won't make that mistake again."
His assistant fled the room, shaken.
Elian crushed his cigarette into the ashtray, a faint smirk on his lips.
"I gave you my name last night, Mira," he murmured. "Now I'll take yours."
---
Later That Morning — Hale Brothers' Breakfast
The two brothers sat across from each other at the long dining table, crisp suits in place, the air of composure restored. If not for the fading bite marks and bruises, one wouldn't have believed the beasts they became just hours ago.
"You got her best friend," Luca said smoothly, dabbing the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "Didn't expect that from you."
Elian stirred his coffee. "Her eyes… they reminded me of someone."
Luca's gaze sharpened. "Don't let your issues ruin my bond with Ivy. Mira is her weakness. Hurt Mira, and Ivy breaks too."
The weight behind the warning was not lost on Elian. For a moment, a flicker of something—pain, perhaps—crossed his face. But it vanished as quickly as it came.
"Don't worry," Elian said with his usual cold poise. "Mira's my bunny too now."
Luca stood, adjusting his cufflinks. His tone slipped into that of the cruel, calculating CEO the world feared.
"Make sure they don't run again."
As he walked away, the air around him changed. Ruthless. Brilliant. Untouchable.
Elian remained seated, lost briefly in a shadow of memory, until his assistant returned.
"Sir. Miss Mira and Miss Ivy have safely returned to their shared villa. Should I continue surveillance?"
"Yes," Elian answered. "Track everything. If any man so much as looks at them… warn him. If he persists—silence him."
The assistant bowed and left.
Elian's fingers tapped once on the edge of his glass.
"They're our bunnies now," he whispered. "Runaway bunnies, maybe… but only until we catch them again."
---
Shared Villa – Outskirts of the City
Far away from the glass towers and ruthless men, Mira and Ivy collapsed on their couch in matching oversized hoodies.
"Achoo!" Mira sneezed three times in a row.
Ivy sniffled. "Who's talking about us this early…"
They looked at each other.
Then groaned in unison.
"We're screwed," Mira muttered.
Ivy buried her face in the cushions. "Completely."