At the Hilton Garden Hotel in New York, there came

Aria, with her clothes untidy, stumbling down the corridor, suppressing the pains within her. Fear and anxiety churned in her heart as she continuously glanced over her shoulder, fearful of being caught by "the most feared and ruthless.

At the turn in the hallway, she crashed violently into the frim grip of cold arms, a strong masculine scent hitting her nose. Her cheeks flushed a deep color of red against the man, drawing heat from him. Her eyes were dazed, her voice teasing, “Sir, could I borrow something from you?”

Sebastian's profound gaze turned dark, sensing the alarming temperature from the woman, he could somewhat guess what was happening.

Aria, hanging onto him like a puppy, rubbed against him. Sebastian took in a deep breath, his voice icy, “Woman, do you know what you're doing?”

Aria, whilst still maintaining a strand of sanity, seemed nearly broken by the effects of the drug coursing through her body. Her teary eyes looked at him, “Sir, please help me. I will repay you.”

Sebastian scoffed, “How will you repay?”

Aria was restless due to the intense heat in her body; she couldn't help but almost burst into tears, “I will sleep with you this time and you can have me the next time, is that okay?”

Aria said still in his arms was biting her lower lip, the force turning her lips a tempting scarlet. Under the dim light, her eyes were clear yet seductively captivating. Her soft hand was around his neck. Heat of passion from within her, flowed out uncontrollably.

Sebastian’s eyes darkened, he lifted her chin, his voice having a hint of huskiness and sensuality, “I hope you won't regret this!“

Aria answered vaguely.

Then, Sebastian lifted her up in his arms and headed towards the presidential suite.

Aria, coiling around Sebastian like a serpent, pressed her scorching and soft lips onto him.

Sebastian chuckled lowly, he accepted her kiss and slowly began to devour her.

Aria was kissed to the point of intense passion, until suddenly she started feeling a sharp pain below her abdomen. The pain made her cry out, her tears began pouring profusely.

"Your first time?" Sebastian's lust-filled voice became somewhat gentler.

In a daze, Aria nodded her head.

In that moment, the effect of the drug faded and she realized how frightening this man was.

She pleaded to him, to let go , but he wouldn't stop and had her way with her. She cried until she was out of breath, "It won't hurt that bad" he lied: "Almost there..." He said moaning out of pleasure

Naively, Aria believed him. Not until dawn did Sebastian finally spare her. By then, she was too exhausted to open her eyes.

..........

Sunlight pierced through the curtains. Aria tried to move her body, aching all over, as she woke up on the unfamiliar and messy bed, remembering all that had happened the night before.

From the bathroom came the sound of running water. Fighting the pain in her legs, she picked up her clothes from the floor, dressed, and quietly sneaked away.

Meanwhile, Sebastian clad in nothing but a bath towel, his muscles flexed and droplets of water rolling down his firm chest, looked around. Apart from the messy bedding, there was no sign of Aria.

Had she run away?

His facial expression turned cold. With a stride, he reached for his phone on the coffee table and dialed a number.

"Lucien, I want you to locate someone."

"Yes, sir!"

The flashbacks of Aria's expressions from the previous night appeared before his eyes. For some reason, he thinks she is quite familiar, almost as though he had seen her somewhere before.

...

Aria hopped into a taxi, immersed in the memory of what happened had happened last night which made her drunk.

Last night, her elder sister brought her to a hotel to celebrate the excellent news of her proposal. Being excited, she indulged herself in alcohol, which led to a sudden flush of heat overwhelming her. Being a grown-up, she knew what was happening. In her dazed state, she saw her sister sneer at her, followed by her handoff to two men...

Aria clenched her fists tightly, her fingertips turning white.

When Aria got home, the first thing she did was to rush into Amber's room. With tear-rimmed eyes, she confronted her, "Why? Why would you do this to me!"

Amber, who was applying her makeup, didn't pause at Aria's arrival. When confronted with Aria's question, she looked puzzled, " Aria, what are you talking about?"

"What act are you putting on! If it wasn't for you taking me to the hotel yesterday..." Aria stopped abruptly, not saying anything more.

Amber finished her makeup, stood in front of Aria, smiling lightly, "I didn't force you to go yesterday." She paused briefly, then continued, "Although you didn't go along with my plan. However..."

She started to chuckle coldly then picked a sealed envelope from the dresser and gently handed it over to Aria, "Open it up, I bet you'll be surprised."

Aria felt an ominous vibe, her eyebrows twitching. She opened the envelope, finding several photos tucked inside. The pictures captured scenes of her and Sebastian from last night's encounter in the corridor. Sebastian's back was toward the camera, but her face was clearly visible. The dirty little fling and one night stand, between her and Sebastian and the sight of him carrying her into a room implied the series of events that could have happened between two individuals being alone in a room. Even the act of one person being drugged up.

Amber smirked in jocund satisfaction, "Tell me, what do you think James would do if I showed him these photos? Would your marriage still go on?"

Her every word was a bitter sting piercing through Aria's heart, her fingertips becoming white with pain.

Aria tore the photos into shreds with all her might, as if by doing so, the past events would seem as if they never occurred.

Amber chortled, "Tear it up, there's plenty where that came from."

Aria's eyes turned crimson, "What the hell do you want?!"

"Break your engagement with James. You don't want James to see these photos, do you? Aria, you are already tainted, why not simply let go and give him to me."

James was the man Aria had loved for three years. During those three years, Aria dreamt of becoming his wife, living a life together. However, because of Amber's scheme, their upcoming marriage is in trouble.

Aria hated herself for going to the hotel yesterday. If she had not gone, all of this would never have happened!

"Aria, I'll give you one day to think about it. Otherwise...I'll expose all these photos. What do you think James's reaction will be when he finds out you've been rolling in the sheets with another man?"

Having said that, she walked out very smugly.

Aria sat weakly on the ground, biting her lower lip to hold back her sobs.

Was she really going to break off her engagement with James?

Aria couldn't do it, she really couldn’t!

...

Grey's Corporation

CEO's office

With respectful obeisance, Lucien said, "Boss, I've found out who that woman is."

Upon hearing this, Sebastian Grey put down his work, his thin lips curved into a faint smile, "Speak."

“It's Miss Aria from the Johnson's family.” Lucien said.

That crazy girl from the Johnson's family?

After several years of not seeing each other, he has matured greatly to the point where he wasn't recognizable anymore.

"Did you find out anything about last night's incident?"

"It's been figured out. The two individuals who were with Miss Aria last night, rented a room because they were instructed to do so."

Sebastian squinted his eyes, his expression instantly becoming gloomy.

Seeing his boss's face, Lucien looked as though he wanted to say something but stopped mid-way.

Sebastian glanced at him: "Is there anything else?"

"Boss, in three days, it's the wedding day of Miss Aria and your nephew, James. Here's the invitation."