CHAPTER ONE

Anita ran as fast as her trembling legs could carry her.

Behind her, the group of thugs continued their relentless pursuit, their footsteps pounding against the ground as they chased her with obviously bad intentions.

She was already exhausted and barely able to breathe.

When will this stop?

More importantly, how will it end?

Anita's heart pounded painfully against her chest. She was still a virgin. Would tonight end with her losing her virginity—or worse, her life?

No!

She couldn't bear to part with either of them. They were both important to her, and—

“Ah!”

Anita screamed as she accidentally collided with a large rock.

She stumbled forward, losing her balance. Her eyes squeezed shut as she braced herself for the painful fall.

But the fall never came.

Instead, strong arms caught her neatly before she could hit the ground.

For a few seconds, Anita remained frozen.

Then she slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she noticed was the man holding her.

He was glaring murderously at the thugs who were rapidly approaching them.

He looked to be in his middle age, yet there was something strangely attractive about him. His hair was unusually dark, and his features were sharp and striking for a man his age.

But it wasn't his appearance that frightened Anita.

It was the aura surrounding him.

The air itself seemed to bow in his presence.

He exuded a dark magnetism and an overwhelming sense of power that Anita couldn't understand.

She stared at him for a moment, stunned.

Then reality returned.

She frantically tried to free herself from his arms.

“Let me go, please!” she cried, completely scared out of her wits.

There was something strange about this man.

Something powerful.

Something overwhelming.

Something that screamed danger.

And all Anita wanted now was to escape from him as quickly as possible.

“Let me go!”

“Keep still, kid.”

His voice was deep and strangely unearthly.

“I won't hurt you.”

Anita stiffened.

Why did that sound like a command?

And why did she somehow feel compelled to obey him?

He had just said he wouldn't hurt her, but should she really believe him?

“Who are—”

She broke off when the thugs finally caught up with them.

Anita immediately turned toward them, then looked back at the mysterious man with an accusing expression.

“Let me go! Don't even think about handing me over to those men. They are no good!”

The man ignored her completely.

His attention remained fixed on the approaching figures.

“Hey!” the blond-haired thug shouted. “That's our target. Hand her over, Mr. Man!”

“Yeah,” another thug added threateningly. “Stay out of it unless you want to get hurt.”

“For the last time, hand her over.”

The final command came from the man who appeared to be their leader. His eyes narrowed menacingly.

“This order came from above. You definitely don't want to get involved.”

Anita stiffened.

A cold shiver ran down her spine.

Without realizing it, her fingers tightened around the hand of the very man she had desperately tried to escape from moments earlier.

For some reason, standing beside him felt safer than standing anywhere else.

Yet the mysterious man remained completely calm.

He seemed almost oblivious to the thugs' threats.

Then, without looking at Anita, he spoke.

“Close your eyes, pumpkin.”

Anita blinked.

“You wouldn't want to watch this.”

Those were the last words she heard.

Everything suddenly went dark.

---

Anita slowly opened her eyes.

For several seconds, she stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling above her.

Where was she?

She tried to sit up.

Panic immediately seized her when she realized she couldn't move properly. It felt as though an invisible force was holding her back.

“Damn it!”

She struggled harder, frustration creeping into her voice.

Nothing.

Her heart began racing again.

Where had those men taken her?

Was she still in danger?

Before she could find an answer, the door suddenly opened.

Anita froze.

A man stepped into the room.

Her eyes widened when she recognized him.

It was the mysterious man from earlier.

He slowly approached her, his movements calm and deliberate.

There was something deeply inhuman about the way he carried himself.

Something that made the hairs on Anita's skin rise.

She instinctively shrank backward until her body was pressed against the covers.

Fear filled her eyes as she stared at him.

The man stopped a few feet away.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then his dark eyes settled on her.

Anita swallowed hard.

She suddenly had a terrible feeling that escaping from the thugs had only been the beginning of her troubles.

“Who are you, and why am I here?” Anita asked cautiously.

The man frowned, studying her with a skeptical expression.

“You don't remember?”

“Remember what?” Anita asked, confusion evident in her voice.

“Huh?”

The man's expression hardened slightly.

“Hey! Don't even try to give me that crap. I don't know you.”

He stared at her for a moment before shaking his head.

“Try to remember. In the meantime, join us for breakfast in the dining room.”

“But I can't—” Anita started.

“You can freshen up and join us afterward.”

With that, the middle-aged man quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.

Anita remained seated on the bed, completely confused.

Why did this man, who radiated such an intimidating and almost evil aura, seem to have no bad intentions toward her?

If he had kidnapped her, why was he treating her so calmly?

And why was he asking her to join them for breakfast as though she were a guest?

Breakfast?

Anita glanced toward the door.

“Well, food is food. Let me see what they have for me.”

She paused.

“Hmm... curiosity kills the cat. Let's just pray I won't be the cat this time.”

With a nervous sigh, Anita got off the bed and entered the bathroom.

The moment she stepped inside, her eyes widened.

The bathroom was enormous and beautifully furnished. Everything looked expensive, from the sparkling tiles to the elegant bathtub and neatly arranged toiletries.

Anita slowly looked around.

“These guys didn't spare a penny making this place look like heaven.”

She frowned thoughtfully.

They must be extremely rich.

After taking her bath, Anita wrapped a towel securely around her body and stepped out of the bathroom.

Her wet hair cascaded down her back, droplets of water glistening against her skin.

She had barely taken a few steps when—

“Ah!”

Anita yelped in fright.

Someone was standing inside the room.

She immediately stared at the unexpected intruder.

“How dare you—”

She marched toward him, anger quickly replacing her surprise.

She intended to give the pervert a piece of her mind, but before she could reach him, her towel suddenly loosened.

“Wait—!”

Her foot slipped at the same moment.

Anita lost her balance and almost fell.

The man reacted instantly.

His hand shot forward, catching her and steadying her before she could hit the floor.

“Watch your movement, woman.”

His deep, attractive voice echoed through the room.

Anita stiffened.

For a couple of seconds, she remained completely frozen.

Then the realization of her exposed state finally registered.

Her eyes widened in horror.

“Oh my God!”

An overwhelming wave of embarrassment washed over her.

Anita immediately grabbed the towel and pulled it tightly around herself before letting out an embarrassed shriek.

She rushed straight back into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

Silence filled the room.

The man stood there, stunned.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the closed bathroom door, seemingly trying to process what had just happened.

Finally, he shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.

“What a woman...”

He took a deep breath before turning around and quietly leaving the room.

Inside the bathroom, Anita leaned against the door, her heart pounding furiously.

She covered her face with both hands.

“This is officially the most embarrassing day of my life.”

But somewhere in the back of her mind, one question refused to disappear.

Who exactly were these people?

And more importantly...

Why had they brought her here?