In the crushing heat of July, even the night wind in Fengcheng felt hot and irritating.

Serena Ashford leaned against the car door and looked at the man in the neat suit in front of her. Her voice was flat, almost too calm.

"Marcus Caldwell, we’re done. Don’t come looking for me again."

Marcus glanced at her, clearly not taking it seriously. "Stop throwing a tantrum, Serena. Our wedding is the day after tomorrow. I’ll come pick you up on time."

A mocking look flashed through Serena’s eyes. "You did something that shameless, and you still think you can marry me?"

Marcus tugged at his tie, impatience showing on his face now. His voice dropped. "What man never makes a mistake? Serena, I’m promising you right now—after we get married, I’ll treat you well. Isn’t that enough?"

Serena stared at his fake, tender act, and the scene from that afternoon slammed back into her mind—him in the office, tangled up with her stepsister, shameless and disgusting. Her stomach turned so hard she almost threw up on the spot.

Her tone turned even colder. "I will never marry you."

"You don’t get to refuse."

Marcus looked at her with a smile, calm and confident, like he had already won.

He stepped closer and even tried to reach out and touch her face.

"Serena, be good. Don’t make me angry."

"Don’t touch me with your filthy hands!" Serena smacked his hand away, yanked open the car door, and snapped, "Marcus Caldwell, if you can cheat before the wedding, I can go find another man too. If you’re not afraid of becoming a total joke after marriage, then go ahead and marry me. Try it."

After throwing down those words, Serena got in the car and drove off.

Inside the bar, colored lights flashed and spun, dizzy and wild.

Serena had drunk enough that her head was buzzing. She staggered toward the restroom in unsteady steps.

Quite a few men tried to flirt with her along the way, and every single one got the same icy response from her.

"Get lost."

She splashed cold water onto her face and forced herself to sober up a little, but her head was still spinning badly.

The second she walked out of the restroom, the deafening heavy metal music crashed into her ears again.

Serena shook her dizzy head and swayed toward the exit, but after only a few steps, she walked straight into someone’s chest.

"So hard!" Serena Ashford rubbed her forehead. Under the lights, her skin looked almost too pale, and the slight pinch between her brows made her seem wronged beyond belief.

Still kneading the spot she’d bumped, she lifted her head and ran straight into a cold, sharp face.

One look, and Serena’s eyes widened a little.

Damn. He was gorgeous.

The man was easily close to six-foot-three, built lean and clean, every line of him balanced just right. His presence wasn’t loud, but it pressed in anyway.

It was just that those light-colored eyes carried a kind of chill, the sort that kept people at arm’s length.

The lights were dim, blurred, and a little dreamy. Serena stared at his flawless features, completely zoned out for a second, then somehow blurted out, "Handsome, wanna go out with me?"

She hooked an arm around his shoulder, but her heels betrayed her at the worst moment. She stumbled and practically fell against him.

Ethan Mercer lowered his gaze to meet hers. In those cool eyes, something flickered.

Serena, fueled by liquid courage, held his stare. Her fingers trailed boldly across his chest, slow and shameless, her eyes soft and teasing, a smile curling at her lips. "Seriously, you’re exactly my type. I can pay, too."

One hand in his pocket, Ethan stood there with a sharp, restrained pressure around him, looking down at her with lazy amusement. "I’m expensive."

Serena curved her lips, half-smiling. "No matter how expensive, I can afford it."

Money?

That was the one thing she never lacked.

But a man this perfectly aligned with her taste? First time in her life.

If she let this one slip by, wouldn’t that be such a waste?

Her voice was low, lazy, soaked in alcohol, soft in a way that was honestly way too flirty.

Ethan’s gaze stayed on her for a long moment.

Then the lights suddenly dipped darker. Loud cheers exploded from the dance floor like somebody was celebrating a birthday. Serena’s face became harder to make out, but somehow that only made her look even more dangerously alluring.

It felt like time slowed down.

Something dark moved through Ethan’s eyes as he said, unhurried, "You’re drunk."

He wanted to push her away, but the woman suddenly lifted a hand, hooked it around his neck, rose on tiptoe, and brushed a kiss against his earlobe.

They were way too close. Ethan Mercer caught the faint scent of perfume on her, light as mist, yet dangerously addictive, the kind that got under your skin before you even realized it.

Their eyes met, and something heated cracked open in the air without a sound.

Serena Ashford licked her lips, leaned in even closer, and kept fanning the flames. "Your body already gave you away, and you’re still acting all calm. Don’t tell me you just can’t do it?"

Ethan lowered his gaze to her lush red lips, his brows drawing together slightly.

This woman really had some nerve.

"Drunk girl, do you even know what you’re doing?"

Serena’s red lips curled, her voice carrying a lazy little laugh, casual and reckless. "Of course I do. I want to sleep with you."

"Sleep with me?"

Ethan’s eyes darkened a shade. He suddenly lifted a hand, caught her slim waist, and raised her lightly.

Serena clearly hadn’t seen that coming. The distance between them vanished again, and her lips barely grazed his chin.

Ethan took in the flash of surprise in her eyes, the smile in his own growing deeper. "If you mess with me, there’s a price for that."

Serena refused to back down and shot back stubbornly, "So what, do you dare or not? Why are you still talking in circles? You’re seriously dragging this out."

The alcohol was hitting harder now, and Serena’s headache only got worse.

"Fine. You’ve got guts."

The second the words fell, Ethan suddenly scooped Serena up by the waist, slung her over his shoulder, and strode out.

Yunding Hotel.

Serena was tossed onto the bed. Her black, silky hair spilled messily over the snow-white sheets, making her skin look even paler, almost glowing.

Ethan stood by the bed, lifted a hand, and tugged at his tie. His voice was low and slow. "Get some proper rest."

He had no intention of taking advantage of someone drunk. He turned to leave, but before he could take another step, someone grabbed his wrist from behind. Before he could even react, he was yanked down onto the bed.

Her soft, sweet-smelling body pressed right down on him.

The next second, those soft lips covered his.

There was no backing out now. The arrow was already on the string.

Ethan Mercer’s eyes darkened. He lifted a hand, cupped Serena Ashford’s head, and deepened the kiss without hesitation.

The air between them got hotter by the second. Ethan’s hand slid to her waist, and just as he was about to go further, Serena suddenly shoved him back with what little strength she had.

"Wait... no condom..." Serena’s voice was low and hoarse, crazy seductive.

Ethan flipped over and pinned her beneath him, his breathing rough, his tone urgent. "Can’t wait."

The moment he said it, Serena felt a sudden chill on her skin.

Early the next morning.

Serena woke up with a splitting hangover, her head pounding so hard it felt like it might crack open. She stared ahead blankly, still half out of it.

Where was this?

This definitely wasn’t her place...

Fragments of last night at the bar flashed through her mind. Serena sobered up in an instant, eyes going wide as she turned to look at the man sleeping beside her in disbelief.

Wait...

That face... wasn’t this Ethan Mercer, the president of Tinsolis Group?

Just how wasted had she been last night? She’d actually slept with him thinking he was some bar escort, and she’d even said she would pay him.

Oh wow. This was absolutely not a man she could afford to mess with. Better run before he wakes up.

Ignoring the soreness all over her body, Serena bent down, picked up the scattered clothes from the floor, and hurriedly got dressed.

Before leaving, she couldn’t help turning back to look at Ethan one more time.

She’d already slept with him. If she didn’t make use of it a little, wouldn’t that be kind of a loss?

With that thought, Serena pulled out her phone, leaned down, and snapped a selfie with the half-naked man on the bed, his upper body still bare.

The second she left the hotel, Serena sent the photo straight to Marcus Caldwell.

"Your first wedding gift. A nice green hat. You like it?"