Night had fallen, and the city lights of S City flickered to life in dazzling fashion.

In the presidential suite of a downtown hotel, however, everything was cloaked in darkness and silence.

On the messy king-sized bed lay a man and a woman, both disheveled and fast asleep.

The air still clung to the kind of intense, lingering scent that only followed a wild night—thick with heat and ambiguity.

Suddenly, the woman stirred, jolting upright like she’d touched a live wire.

Elena Moore scrambled off the bed, panic flooding her face as her eyes snapped to the man beside her.

The room was dim—she couldn’t make out much of his face. But even in the dark, his presence was impossible to ignore. He had that kind of aura—commanding, powerful.

Her eyes widened as she slapped a hand over her mouth, swallowing the scream that nearly burst out.

Who was this guy?

Why was she in bed with him?

She’d only gone to that masquerade party after being invited. One glass of fruit wine, just one sip, and everything after that had turned into a blur.

In the haze, she’d caught his masculine scent, felt him pull her under in a storm of aggressive heat and breathless dominance…

The flashes of what happened made her face drain of color.

Shaking, Elena groped around in the dark for her clothes, yanked them on carelessly, and stumbled toward the door.

Downstairs, the masquerade was still in full swing—music booming, people dancing like nothing else mattered.

But she didn’t care about any of that now. She forced on a fox mask and rushed through the crowd, not stopping until the night swallowed her whole.

All she wanted was to get as far away from that room as possible.

Once she’d disappeared into the night, two figures—one man, one woman—stepped from the shadows just outside the door.

The girl looked exactly like Elena, down to every last detail.

"Miss, it’s time," said the man beside her, his voice low and formal—definitely the butler type.

"Got it," the girl replied. She took one last look in the direction Elena had run, then curved her lips into a strange little smile and turned to enter the party…

Back on the streets, Elena kept running without thinking, only stopping when her legs finally gave out.

She stood there, breath heaving, eyes a little unfocused.

Everything that had happened tonight felt unreal—like she’d wandered into someone else’s nightmare.

"It’s just a dream. Just a damn dream!" she muttered, giving herself a few hard slaps to the face as if that would reset her world.

As for the marks on her body? She’d just pretend she got bit by a dog or something ridiculous.

Elena had a gut feeling that man wasn’t just anybody. And she? She was just some nobody who accidentally crashed a fancy party.

Two completely different worlds. There was no way their lives would cross again.

With that thought, she forced herself to calm down, steadying the chaos in her chest.Lost in thought, Elena Moore looked up just in time to catch a breaking gossip story flashing across the giant screen on a building ahead: “...Ethan Moore, heir to the Royal Group, a man cloaked in mystery, shook the entire city after taking over the company and sealing S City’s biggest acquisition. Sources say, his destined partner has finally surfaced—it’s said she’s the daughter of a powerful conglomerate...”

The moment the news flashed, Elena caught sight of a photo showing just the side profile of a man.

Sharp features, lips pressed into a line, deep-set eyes staring straight ahead with such intensity they almost pulled you in. Even from just a photo, his aura screamed elite.

Elena blinked, quickly looking away like she couldn’t care less.

Some people are born under a lucky star.

And her? Just one of the countless nobodies in the crowd.

——

Six months later.

Mise Private Club, parking lot.

"Get her!" A shout rang out behind her, the sound of footsteps closing in fast.

Elena clutched her huge baby bump, but her speed and agility didn’t betray her current condition one bit.

She scanned her surroundings while running, and zeroed in on a sleek black luxury car ahead.

The owner had just slipped into the driver’s seat, and the chauffeur was about to shut the door.

Taking a chance, Elena bolted.

Dodging past the stunned driver in a flash, she dove into the car without hesitation. “Hey, help a girl out! Drive! Quick!”

She barely had time to settle in before blurting those words out. But when her eyes landed on the driver’s face, her urgency froze in her throat.

Wearing a black shirt, the man looked stone-cold on the surface, but the commanding, almost regal air around him made it crazy obvious he wasn’t someone to mess with.

Elena blinked, suddenly aware this guy meant serious business. She subtly scooted to the side and softened up her voice, “Sir, I-I’m about to give birth soon. Could you maybe drop me off at the hospital real quick?”

Ethan's sharp eyes flicked over to her, giving her a quick once-over. Under his gaze, Elena felt a chill creep up her neck.

Then, his lips moved. “No.” Quiet, yet firm as steel.

“Huh?” Elena’s eyes widened, staring at him speechless.

That totally unexpected answer left her momentarily stunned.

Frowning hard, she nervously glanced out the window—just in time to see the black-suited security guys right outside the car, peering in suspiciously.

Elena instinctively shrank back, then her eyes suddenly lit up with an idea. She twisted around and launched herself straight at him!

But before she could get anywhere, Ethan reacted. Fast.

His hand shot out, pinning her waist in place with sharp precision, holding her firmly before she made contact.

“Try moving again and see what happens.” His grip was like iron, freezing her on the spot. His icy stare burned straight through her.But the next second, all he saw was a flicker of cunning in the girl's eyes—then everything went black. With the whoosh of air and her unique sweet scent filling his senses, she suddenly threw herself on him. A moment later, her soft, warm lips pressed tightly against his.

He froze on the spot. His hand instinctively shot out, trying to push her away.

But Elena Moore wasn’t about to give him a chance. Clinging onto him like an octopus, she pressed tighter. Just to be safe, she even opened her mouth and bit down on his lip.

His lips were thin, cold, yet surprisingly soft.

The subtle scent of vanilla clung to his breath, warm air brushing her face as he exhaled. Shocked by the ambush, the man’s eyes flew open, locking his sharp gaze with hers.

They were super close—Elena could make out every detail in his stunned expression. His eyes were deep and intense, like they could suck her in, making her heart skip a beat. For a moment, she even had the wild urge to run her tongue along his lips.

Their explosive encounter left the driver in front completely speechless.

The atmosphere inside the car turned tense and strange, while the suspicious bodyguards outside had already taken off in another direction.

Catching a glimpse of the guards leaving, Elena finally relaxed a little. She let go of his lip with a soft pop.

She was just about to get up when a strong force shoved her back down. The world blurred for a second, and the man suddenly loomed over her.

His eyes fixated on her like a storm about to break, fingers clamped down hard on her wrists, completely locking her in place. He slowly leaned closer, his face unreadable but heavy with tension.

The air felt charged with danger.

Elena’s heart gave a nervous flutter. His face was ridiculously handsome but so cold it made her skin prickle. She forced a dry smile and blurted, "I swear, I’m clean! Totally disease-free!"

His face darkened even more. The grip on her wrists tightened to the point of almost painful.

“Say that again.”

Her heart did another double flip.

Okay, time to run! she thought.

Her eyes darted nervously. Avoiding his gaze, she took a deep breath, then shamelessly tilted her face toward him. "How about… you kiss me back?"

His eyes shot a look of utmost disgust, and he jerked back like she had the plague. Releasing her wrist with clear revulsion, he growled, “Get out.”

"Roger that!" A grin lit up her face. Elena didn’t hesitate—she pushed the door open, all ready to make a run for it.

But just as her foot stepped out, a cold voice rang out from behind.

"Stop."

Her raised foot froze mid-air. Elena nearly rolled her eyes.

Seriously? It was just a kiss… okay, plus a little nibble. Why was he acting like she’d assaulted him? Was this really about to turn into a never-ending drama now?