‘God, he’s freaking handsome!’

Isabella was practically drooling, staring shamelessly at the stranger that entered the second-rate diner where she worked four days a week, and where she also spent the rest of her free time.

On this occasion, she was there for lunch, but it was practically her home and she knew that he didn’t belong there, a five-star Michelin restaurant seemed more like the type that would satisfy him.

Naturally, he piqued her interest. He had soul-sucking eyes, that mind-blowing color of storming ocean on a cloudy day. The kind of day one would spend at home in bed, making love.

Dark and messy hair, outrageous sensual plump lips and a very manly jawline that could compel one to stare at him, with no control of oneself whatsoever. Strong, heavily built body so obvious underneath his Armani suit, which was no doubt custom made.

He glanced at his limited-edition Rolex with reproving eyes, inwardly cursing at the one who was probably late for the meeting.

‘Who would dare to do that?’ Isabella smirked to herself.

‘I wonder, is it a man or a woman, the person he expects?’ She was inwardly debating.

She could not see through him, though it was a secret pleasure of hers to read into people’s minds. And she tended to get things right.

‘Well, most of the time. I had my share of deceiving for my age!’

Her body was shivering, but she was quick to shake the dire memories out of her mind and direct her attention to the stranger, trying to read into him.

The way she saw it, there were two types of intelligence in this world. Native and achieved through learning. Hers was undeniably native, although she tended to read quite a lot too.

Lust.

For the first time since she broke up with her cheating boyfriend, that tried to get her into prostitution, she felt lust stirring inside her for the unfitting stranger that probably reached that shabby location by a mere accident.

Isabella’s ex-boyfriend, Asher, tried to convince her to sell her virginity for a million dollars to a gross old man, promising her that with that money, they will have a big wedding, buy a house and live a happy life.

She was eighteen years old and naïve at that time. She almost accepted, but God seemed to have favored her and one night, when she returned from her evening classes earlier, she caught him with another woman.

A whore.

It seemed that his job was to recruit young girls into prostitution and the fact that professor Geller cancelled his class saved her life, her existence.

So yeah, she stopped trusting men. She usually avoided looking around, and what a pity, as it seems that she was at a loss.

‘Looking doesn’t cost a thing!’ She crossed her legs tight to undermine the rampant desire from down there. Each and every pore of her body had awakened.

‘Interesting. Life has been painfully boring lately. And the fact that I haven't used my dildo for a while doesn’t help.’

Isabella was no nun. Still a virgin in matters of men, but she knew how to pleasure herself.

She continued studying him while sipping the last drops of her coffee. And truth be told, she was not the only one doing so. The four ladies sitting at the table from her right side did nothing but whisper and giggle at each other since he stepped foot into the room.

They eyed him down from head to toe, and one might say he had everybody under some sort of spell, even the men there felt a sort of intimidation.

‘He is awfully breathtaking, this absurdly hot man.’ She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, instinctively.

‘Dream one, Isabella! It goes without saying that he would never pay attention to someone who frequents this slummy place. Moreover, someone who works here!’

She scanned her surroundings again, any of the women there would throw themselves at his feet, if he only casted a signal of availability.

But they better not get their hopes high. That kind of man never took a second glance at someone whose looks didn’t match the glamorous ones from top magazines. There was no one in there to fit in this description, Isabella was sure of that.

She felt sorry for herself, as she finished eating her food and drinking her coffee, she would have to leave the place, there was no reason to linger around any longer. It was already pitiful that she ate there on her day off as well, but she had the employee discount and it saved her some money.

‘I’ve enjoyed this the same way I would enjoy a good show, but sitting here and drooling over the handsome stranger would certainly not pay the due rent. I need to go to my second part-time job.’

She requested the bill and while she waited for the waiter to deliver it to her table, she checked her makeup and put her jacket on.

She paid what she owed plus tip. She knew by experience that the waiters there survive from tips, and they had a rule to tip each other a small amount when they eat there.

Heading towards the exit, she watched confused as the man made his way in her direction with fluid grace. Her breath got stuck in her throat, she felt the urge to swallow her saliva.

His gaze took her in almost hungrily, his eyes traveling up and down her body, she almost felt the need to check and make sure she had clothes on. By now, Isabella was pretty sure she was blushing.

The four women from the right-side table, along with the other ones from nearby were exchanging glances full of questions and exclamations.

‘I am part of the show now! Damn, if I would have known sooner, I would have collected money by selling tickets!’

“Are you Isabella Duarte?” He inquired, his penetrating tone vibrating with masculinity.

“Yes.” She struggled to find her voice to answer, it came out unfamiliar to her ears anyway. “And you are?”

“Edmund Stark.” He added. “Do you know who I am?”

Yeah, she knew his damned name very well. She had hoped that she would never meet a member of the Stark family.

Performance was over, and though it was fun while it lasted, she now resented every cell of her body that felt aroused by his presence.

She nodded. She was not even planning to waste words on him.

“You need to come with me!” He demanded.

As if she would go anywhere with him. “That will never happen!” She declared loud and clear, glaring at him.

“It’s rather urgent!” He enforced, grabbing her elbow, invading her personal space.

His rather familiar touch happened to strike her like a lightning sensation, not that she would know how that truly felt. Her heart skipped some beats, waves of heat flooded her entire body at that simple touch.

She removed his hand from her elbow, staring at him with disgust.

“I’ve made a reservation for a hotel room at…”

How preposterous of him. “I am sure you did, but I couldn’t care less!” She interrupted him, she had no interest whatsoever in finding out where he was hosted.

Edmund was shocked. He wanted to lie to himself that the source of his displeasure was caused by her audacious behavior, one that nobody dared to display in his presence, but it was another reason entirely.

He had seen her in pictures, yet they didn’t do her any justice, Isabella was far more beautiful in person. As much as he fucking hated to admit even to himself, she was the most gorgeous woman he had seen in his entire life, and that said a lot.

Hazel colored eyes of almond shape, thick light chocolate hair which she wore in long curls. Flawlessly sculpted nose along with red plump lips were adorning her face.

Her smooth sun kissed skin was the perfect match for her lasciviously curved and well-defined body, that was begging to be explored. His running imagination had an instant effect on his body, his cock growing hard in his pants.

Despite the fact that she was poles apart from his usual type, at least he will have some sort of pleasure while taking his revenge.

‘Her family ruined all that the Stark family built through generations, suffering and despair were our friends over the years, until we prevailed against all the hardships and made a fucking name for ourselves. A name that brings instant terror upon those who hear it. The Stark name.’

The Duarte family could not come and take it all away, he was keen in making sure that would not happen.

If he would not loathe her kind so much, maybe things would have taken a different turn between the two of them, except that he hated them and she had to be the one paying the price.

While glaring at her with a level of resentment after introducing herself, he still had to deliver her some terrible news. “Your sister was involved in a car crash.”

“W-what?” As if coming in contact with an invisible wall, she suddenly stopped, she was on her way out.

“Come with me, we should talk in a private place!” He showed her the way to his car, she was trembling from head to toe, whereas the other customers were watching everything with fervent interest.