Morning arrived softly, as if London itself was trying not to startle her.
May woke to pale light spilling through the sheer curtains, painting the room in muted gold. For a few seconds, she stayed perfectly still, listening. The hotel hummed with a distant, civilized quiet. No shouting. No slammed doors. No voices dictating her future.
She exhaled slowly.
Room 999 felt different in the morning. Less intimidating. Almost kind. The bed no longer seemed too big for her body, and the walls did not feel like they were closing in. She swung her legs over the side of the mattress and stood, padding barefoot toward the window.
The city stretched beneath her, wide and alive. Cars flowed like water. People moved with purpose. Everyone looked like they belonged somewhere.
She wondered where she belonged.
A soft knock broke her thoughts.
Her shoulders tensed out of habit before she reminded herself where she was. She crossed the room and opened the door a crack.
William stood there, hair slightly rumpled, jacket draped over his arm. He looked relieved when he saw her.
"Good morning," he said gently. "I hope I did not wake you."
"No," she replied. "I was already up."
He smiled. "I thought maybe we could start over today."
She stepped aside to let him in. "Start over how?"
"With breakfast," he said. "And a proper tour. Yesterday was… chaotic."
"That is one word for it," she said, a small smile tugging at her lips.
They walked together down to the dining area, and May felt that same sense of awe return. The restaurant was bathed in light, white tablecloths crisp and untouched, silverware gleaming like it had never known fingerprints. She followed William to a table near the windows.
As they sat, a waiter appeared almost instantly.
"What would you like, Miss?" he asked.
May hesitated, scanning the menu. Everything sounded unfamiliar. William noticed.
"You can order anything," he said quietly. "Really."
She chose something simple. Toast. Eggs. Tea. It felt safer that way.
Conversation came easily after that, lighter than the night before. William told her about the hotel, about how his father had built it from the ground up, about growing up in hallways like these. May listened, fascinated, absorbing a world so far removed from her own that it felt fictional.
"And Kai?" she asked before she could stop herself.
William's expression shifted, just slightly. "What about him?"
"He seems… important," she said carefully.
"He is," William replied. "To the hotel. To my father." He paused. "And to me."
She nodded, sensing there was more he was not saying.
After breakfast, he insisted on showing her the city. They walked instead of taking a car. The streets felt alive beneath her feet, every corner offering something new. She forgot to be afraid for a while. Forgot to watch every face for danger. Forgot to hold herself small.
William noticed.
"You look happier," he said as they crossed a bridge.
She considered it. "I think I am just breathing," she said.
They stopped by a street musician, then a bookshop. At one point, William bought her a scarf when he noticed her rubbing her arms against the cold. She protested, of course.
"You do not have to," she said.
"I want to," he replied simply.
That word again. Want.
It unsettled her more than she expected.
They returned to the hotel in the early afternoon. As they stepped into the lobby, May felt it before she saw him. The air shifted. Tightened.
Kai stood near the reception desk, impeccably dressed, posture relaxed in a way that felt calculated. His gaze lifted the moment they entered, landing on her like he had been waiting.
Her steps slowed.
William stiffened beside her. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
Kai smiled faintly. "I could ask you the same."
His eyes never left May.
She swallowed, suddenly hyper aware of herself. Of the scarf around her neck. Of the way she had laughed not five minutes ago.
"Did you enjoy your morning?" Kai asked her directly.
"Yes," she said, unsure why she felt the need to defend herself. "Thank you."
"For what?" he asked.
She frowned. "For… everything. The room. The arrangements."
He tilted his head. "You do not owe me gratitude."
William stepped forward. "She also does not owe you anything else."
Kai's smile did not falter, but something sharp flickered in his eyes. "I was not speaking to you."
The tension between them was thick, almost visible. May shifted uncomfortably.
"I am tired," she said, breaking the silence. "I think I will go upstairs."
"Of course," Kai said immediately. "Mr. Jin will escort you."
William opened his mouth to object, but May shook her head slightly. She did not want another argument. Not over her.
The elevator ride was quiet. Mr. Jin stood like a statue beside her, his presence oddly reassuring. When they reached her floor, he bowed his head slightly and stepped away.
Inside her room, May leaned against the door, heart racing.
Why did it feel like she had stepped into something much bigger than herself?
Later that evening, a note was slipped under her door. She picked it up cautiously.
Dinner. 8 PM. Private room.
Kai.
Her stomach tightened.
She knocked on William's door across the hall before she could overthink it.
He answered almost immediately. "What is wrong?"
She held up the note. "He invited me."
William read it, jaw tightening. "You do not have to go."
"I know," she said. "But if I keep avoiding him, it will only get worse."
He studied her, concern etched across his face. "You are not a problem to be solved, May."
"I am not naive either," she replied softly. "I can handle one dinner."
After a long pause, he nodded. "Then I will be nearby."
***
At eight sharp, May entered the private dining room. Kai stood as she arrived, pulling out a chair for her.
"You look less like you are running today," he said.
Her fingers tightened around the edge of the table. "I am not."
"Good," he replied calmly. "Because people who run usually leave things unfinished."
She met his gaze. "What do you want from me?"
The question hung between them.
Kai leaned back slightly, studying her as if she were a puzzle. "I want to understand why a seventeen year old girl arrives in London alone, flinches at raised voices, and pretends she has nowhere else to be."
Her breath caught.
"You have been watching me," she said.
"Yes," he admitted. "Because you matter more than you realize."
She stood abruptly, chair scraping against the floor. "You do not get to decide that."
Kai did not move. "Neither did the people who decided your future for you."
Her blood went cold.
"How do you know that?" she whispered.
He rose slowly, closing the distance just enough to make her pulse spike.
"Because I recognize survival," he said quietly. "And because lines blur when truth gets involved."
May stepped back, heart pounding.
"I will not be controlled again," she said.
Kai's expression softened, just a fraction. "Then don't be."
She left the room shaking, the weight of his words pressing heavily against her chest.
Back in Room 999, she locked the door and slid down against it, breath uneven.
Something had shifted.
And for the first time since she ran, May understood that escape was only the beginning.