Hot Driver - S01 E22

Story 1 week ago

Hot Driver - S01 E22

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 22

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{Ivy Fashion Empire – Noon}

Duane sat at his usual spot in the lobby, phone in hand, when Beauty approached, two cups balanced carefully in her hands.

“For you,” she said, offering one to him with a bright smile. “Chocolate. I remembered you mentioned liking it during the movie last night.”

Duane accepted it, genuinely surprised. “How’d you remember that?”

“I pay attention,” Beauty said, cheeks warming slightly. “Also, it was kind of a thank-you. For yesterday. I really enjoyed it.”

“I did too,” Duane admitted, taking a sip. “This is good, actually.”

Beauty beamed, lingering a moment longer than strictly necessary before finally heading back toward her desk, practically floating the whole way.

{Ivory’s Office – Afternoon}

The day had dragged on relentlessly — back-to-back meetings, a marketing call that ran long, a design review that left her more exhausted than satisfied.

Ivory sipped her coffee slowly, grimacing slightly at the taste.
This isn’t good, she thought, setting the cup down. Not like his.

She caught herself immediately, irritated by the comparison, and pushed the thought away before it could go any further.

Her phone buzzed on the desk. A WhatsApp notification.

She glanced at it absently, then frowned.

I LOVE YOU.

No name attached. No context. Just three words from a number she didn’t recognize.

Where is this even from? she wondered, staring at the screen. Some prank. Some mistake.

She shrugged it off, setting the phone face-down.

It’s not like I want anybody to love me anyway.

Seconds later, it buzzed again. A different number this time. Two photos attached, sent without a single word of explanation.

Curiosity got the better of her. She opened them.

The first image showed Duane and Beauty at the cinema, hands intertwined, both of them smiling.

The second showed their lips pressed together, unmistakable, undeniable.

Something in Ivory’s chest cracked violently, sharp and sudden, a feeling she refused to name rising up her throat before she could stop it.

Her vision blurred at the edges, rage and something far more confusing tangling together until she couldn’t separate one from the other.

She threw the phone across the room. It shattered against the wall, screen splintering into a dozen pieces, clattering to the floor in fragments.

“DUANE!!!” she thundered, voice tearing through the office loud enough to shake the walls.

TBC…