It didn't take long for the manager to return.
"Anything?" Tara asked without looking up from her breakfast.
The manager looked extremely nervous.
"A–ah… Miss Logan," he stammered, "we checked the CCTV footage, but we found nothing. And according to the registration logs, the room is not registered under anyone's name."
Tara was still eating when she heard this, but the moment his words sank in, she stopped.
Slowly, she lifted her head and looked at the manager.
Her gaze was ice cold.
"What exactly is that supposed to mean, Manager Kan?" she asked calmly, staring directly into his eyes.
"I mean every word I said, Miss Logan," he replied nervously. "We even rechecked the footage using our three backup systems to make sure there wasn't a mistake. But the result was the same."
"Oh? Is that so?" Tara said quietly.
The manager began trembling under her gaze. Before he realized it, his legs gave out and he dropped to his knees.
"Miss Logan, we really tried our best! But it's like the person you're talking about was never there. And the log clearly states that no one was assigned to this room."
Tara leaned back slightly.
"Then explain something to me," she said calmly. "How did I get access to a room that was never registered? And why is an unregistered room even being used in the first place? Is this how you run the hotel while I'm busy with other matters?"
Her voice was calm, but anyone who knew Tara understood something very important—
The calmer she sounded, the angrier she actually was.
"Miss Tara, I sincerely apologize," the manager said quickly. "I will give you a proper explanation—"
"Don't bother," Tara interrupted coldly.
"Since nothing was found, just clean up the mess in this room and make sure something like this never happens again. And where are the contraceptives I asked for?"
Before the manager could respond, Vanessa spoke.
"I'll go get them for you."
Tara looked at her carefully for a moment but said nothing. She simply nodded.
Vanessa quickly left the room.
Tara then turned her gaze back to the manager.
"Make sure nobody finds out what happened today," she said calmly. "And especially not that I asked for those pills. Have I made myself clear?"
"I give you my word, Miss Logan," the manager said nervously. "Not a single word will be heard."
"It had better stay that way," Tara replied, her cold eyes locking onto his. "Or else…"
She didn't finish her sentence.
But the unspoken threat hung heavily in the air.
"You may leave now."
The manager nodded quickly before leaving the room in fear.
—
Meanwhile, Vanessa was waiting in the hotel lobby for the staff member who had gone to buy the contraceptives.
After a few minutes, the staff member returned with a small bag.
"Thanks," Vanessa said quickly as she took it. "These are the correct pills, right? No mistakes?"
"Yes, ma'am," the staff member replied.
"Good."
She handed over the money she had promised and then returned to the room.
"Tara, here are the pills," she said. "But… are you sure you want to do this?"
Tara looked up.
"I mean," Vanessa continued carefully, "maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing if you had a child. If it happens, maybe it's meant to be."
"Listen, Nessa," Tara said flatly. "I'm not in the mood for any 'best friend advice.' Give me the pills so I can take them and be done with this."
"But it's wrong," Vanessa said suddenly. "You'd be killing an innocent life."
"Excuse me?" Tara said slowly, staring at her.
"I mean… Tara, why don't you just keep the baby?" Vanessa continued nervously. "Maybe it's fate that things turned out this way."
"Nessa," Tara said calmly, "are you giving me the pills or not?"
Vanessa knew better than to push Tara further.
She handed over the bottle.
"How many should I take?" Tara asked.
"I… I don't know," Vanessa admitted. "I've never taken them before."
Tara didn't respond.
She opened the bottle, took two pills, and swallowed them with water. Then she placed the bottle beside the drawer.
"You're not throwing them away?" Vanessa asked.
"No," Tara replied. "I'll take more tonight to increase my chances of not getting pregnant."
She paused.
"I'll be going back home this evening, so you can leave as well. I want to be alone."
"But I'm your best friend," Vanessa protested. "I should stay with you. Especially after everything you're going through—it's not good to be alone."
Tara looked at her calmly.
"I'm not asking you, Nessa," she said. "I'm telling you. Leave. I want to be alone so I can think things through."
Vanessa had no choice but to obey.
Tara turned away from her and looked out through the large glass window.
Unfortunately, she missed the resentful, hateful, and vicious expression that appeared on Vanessa's face before she quietly left the room.
—
Tara spent the entire day in the hotel room thinking about her life and how she couldn't even pinpoint when everything started going wrong.
By evening, she took another contraceptive pill.
"I hope taking these pills twice today will decrease my chances of getting pregnant," she murmured to herself.
She considered throwing the bottle away.
But then a bold thought crossed her mind.
"I'll keep them," she decided. "Just in case I need them again… though I hope it never comes to that."
After hiding the bottle somewhere she would remember, Tara lay down on the bed.
"I thought I would go home today," she whispered to herself tiredly. "But I'll leave tomorrow morning instead. Let me enjoy this last bit of peace and quiet… before facing whatever is waiting for me tomorrow."
Within minutes, exhaustion overtook her, and she slowly drifted into sleep.