Chapter 2

The hotel suite was silent except for her uneven breathing.

Ariana’s fingers clutched weakly onto Alessandro’s shirt as another wave of heat rushed through her body. Her mind was foggy, her thoughts scattered, but one thing remained clear—

She felt safe in his arms.

Alessandro stared down at her conflicted expression, his jaw tense.

He should leave.

He knew that.

But every time he tried to step away, she held onto him tighter, like she was terrified he would disappear.

“Please…” she whispered shakily, her eyes glassy from the drug in her system. “Don’t leave me…”

Something dangerous shifted inside him.

He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, his fingers lingering against her skin longer than they should have.

“You have no idea what you’re doing to me,” he muttered.

Ariana barely heard him.

The room spun softly around her as he lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the bed.

Their kiss started slowly.

Carefully.

But the tension between them quickly became impossible to ignore.

His hands held her like she was something fragile, while Ariana clung to him desperately, seeking comfort from the storm inside her body.

The city lights glowed outside the windows as the night slowly consumed them both.

......................

Morning came too fast.

Ariana’s eyes slowly opened as sunlight slipped through the curtains.

Her head pounded painfully.

For several seconds, she couldn’t understand where she was.

Then she realized—

She was naked.

And alone.

Her breathing stopped.

The massive hotel room was empty except for scattered clothes and wrinkled sheets that revealed exactly what had happened the night before.

“No…” she whispered in horror.

Fragments of blurry memories flashed through her mind.

Strong arms.

Dark eyes.

A deep voice against her ear.

But she couldn’t remember his face clearly.

Panic consumed her instantly.

She quickly gathered her clothes with trembling hands before rushing out of the hotel.

Meanwhile, miles away, Alessandro sat inside the backseat of his car, his expression cold as he listened to an emergency business call.

But despite the conversation happening around him, his thoughts kept returning to her.

The girl from last night.

He still remembered the way she looked at him.

Lost. Broken. Innocent.

For the first time in years, a woman had stayed in his mind after sunrise.

He glanced down at the expensive necklace left behind on the bed before slipping it into his pocket.

“We’ll find her,” he murmured quietly to himself.

......................

The moment Ariana stepped inside her house, she knew something was wrong.

Her father stood in the living room with fury burning in his eyes.

Vanessa stood beside him pretending to cry while Ariana’s stepmother comforted her dramatically.

“Ariana!” her father roared. “How shameless can you be?!”

Ariana froze.

“Dad…?”

Vanessa suddenly threw several printed photos onto the floor.

Pictures of Ariana clinging to Alessandro at the party.

Pictures carefully taken to look scandalous.

Tears instantly filled Ariana’s eyes.

“No— it’s not what you think—”

“Enough!” her father shouted. “You embarrassed this family for money?! Sleeping around with strangers?!”

“I didn’t—”

SLAP!

The force of the slap nearly knocked her down.

Ariana stared at her father in complete shock, her cheek burning painfully.

“You disgust me,” he spat.

And in that moment—

Her heart shattered completely.

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