Maverick Whitfield stepped out of the ride‑share, lifted his head, and stared at the glowing sign of Haoyue Hotel.

Yeah… this was the place.

He raised his right hand to check the time. The watch on his wrist looked classy enough at a glance—though he knew very well it was a cheap knockoff he’d bought online just for tonight. His left arm was practically swallowed by a huge bouquet of roses.

The past few weeks had been rough on him. He’d worked his tail off at the Linjiang Town government for over two years, took on every task that came his way, and when the town secretary got promoted, he’d been promised that vacant deputy‑section spot. But in the end, the seat went to someone else.

Just then, the girl he’d been chatting with online for half a year suddenly suggested meeting to “talk about dreams” tonight.

What normal guy would refuse something like that?

His phone buzzed.

“Baby, are you here yet?”

The message came from “Lonely Every Night,” his online chatting partner of six‑plus months. They’d gotten pretty close—close enough to swap all kinds of mushy, borderline spicy nonsense every night.

“I’m in Room 366. Left the door unlocked. I’m gonna take a shower first.”

“On my way. Got a big surprise for you.”

“Can’t wait.”

Her voice message landed right after—soft, sweet, and dangerously sultry. It slithered straight into his bones, making his imagination run wild.

Online girl. Hotel room. Shower running.

The excitement was completely maxed out.

He couldn’t help grinning. She’d sent him pictures before—long legs, fair skin… though photos were always a gamble. Anything could happen in real life.

Whatever. Screw it. If something’s off, he could always bolt.

Taking a long breath, Maverick strode through the hotel’s revolving door and headed straight to the third floor.

The hallway was quiet. He followed the room numbers until he reached 366.

There—faint water sounds came from inside.

His heartbeat kicked into overdrive. He set his hand on the door handle.

First push—nothing.

Second push—he put his back into it.

The door eased open.

Behind the closed bathroom door, through the frosted glass, he could make out a blurred silhouette.

Someone was definitely in the shower.

Maverick Whitfield was practically chanting in his head, Just wait, you’re gonna love this.

Keeping his steps feather‑light, he slipped into the room, convinced he was about to deliver the perfect surprise.

The big bed in the middle of the room was a mess, blankets tossed around like someone had just rolled out of them. In his mind, this place was moments away from turning into a battlefield of passion.

His gaze locked straight on the bathroom door. Just thinking about what was behind it had his body reacting faster than his brain. He yanked off his clothes in a flash, scared she might come out too early and catch him in the act. He shoved everything—including his shoes—under the bed, then dived into the blanket like a soldier taking cover.

Inside the bathroom, water drummed steadily from the showerhead, sliding over the curves of a woman’s body.

Denise Evans pressed a button, and the water stopped. She grabbed a bathrobe and threw it over herself, then snatched a towel and started rubbing her hair dry, movements brisk but tired.

Her sudden transfer to Linjiang Town as the new Party Secretary still felt unreal. As one of the youngest grassroots leaders around, expectations on her shoulders were sky‑high.

But Linjiang wasn’t a simple place. Before arriving, she had people look into it. The warning she got was the same from everyone: Be careful. With everyone and everything.

She wasn’t the type to cower.

If you’re clean, you don’t fear your shadow. She was determined to make something of this position.

Denise pushed the bathroom door open, completely unaware that someone—worse yet, a man—had slipped into her room.

Under the blanket, Maverick froze like a statue, peeking out through a tiny gap.

A long, pale leg stepped into view. Heat shot up his spine in an instant. Just seeing that leg, he thought, Jackpot.

The universe must really be favoring him tonight.

All she had to do was come closer. The moment she reached the bed, he planned to spring out, roses in hand, and launch straight into action.

Denise tilted her head as she dried her hair, still thinking about her first day in Linjiang Town.

People liked to assume she’d climbed the ladder through family connections. Maybe part of that was true—but most of her rise came from her stubborn drive to prove herself.

She stepped toward the bed.

The blanket shifted.

Maverick shot out like a jack‑in‑the‑box, roses raised high. “Surprise!” he shouted, grinning ear to ear.

The sudden movement hit Denise like a shockwave. Her heart lurched painfully, breath jamming in her chest. A wave of darkness washed over her, and before she could even gasp, she collapsed straight down.

Denise Evans lay collapsed on the floor, her bathrobe torn open at the front. Through that ripped seam, a flash of pale skin spilled out just enough to make anyone’s heartbeat jump.

Was this some kind of setup?

Maverick Whitfield had never seen something like this in real life before. The moment his eyes caught that bit of bare skin peeking out beneath the robe, his pulse went completely off the rails.

“Hey… Lonely-at-Night… wake up.”

He scrambled off the bed, panic rushing straight to his head. One look at the motionless woman on the ground, and every instinct from his medical training told him something was seriously wrong.

She wasn’t faking. She had actually passed out.

Maverick crouched beside her, pried her jaw open, and checked inside her mouth. If anything blocked her airway, she could be dead in minutes.

Nothing.

He took a deep breath, grabbed the front of her robe, and yanked it apart. Her fair skin was suddenly exposed before him, but he didn’t have the luxury of looking. Lives didn’t wait.

He swung a leg over her and straddled her waist, planting his palms on her chest and pressing down rhythmically.

Her soft chest moved with every compression, and it was absolute torture trying to stay focused. He had to force his brain to stay on track.

After several rounds of CPR, her body finally twitched.

“Come on, wake up. It’s me, your online buddy, Da Qiang. We were supposed to meet.”

Maverick wiped the sweat off his forehead. Damn his luck—just trying to hook up, and somehow he almost killed someone. Right then, his phone buzzed.

He picked up. “Hello?”

“Da Qiang, why aren’t you here yet? I’ve been waiting forever… mm… hurry up…”

A breathy, seductive voice dripped through the speaker. Maverick froze, staring at the caller ID: Lonely-at-Night.

“Where the hell are you?”

“Room 368!”

“Damn it. You sent me 366. I’ve got a situation here!”

Maverick Whitfield stared at his phone as the call cut off, and a chill rushed straight up his spine. Only then did it hit him—he’d barged into the wrong room. The woman lying on the floor wasn’t the online girl he’d been chatting with for months.

“Damn it…”

If anything happened to her, he’d never explain his way out of it. Panic tightening in his chest, he forced himself to keep doing the chest compressions. Then he bent down, took a steadying breath, and pressed his mouth to hers, blowing in air.

Sweet.

The taste startled him, but before he could think more about it, he leaned in again—and Denise Evans’s eyes snapped open.

“I’m sorry—I’m really sorry, I went to the wrong room.”

Maverick blurted out the words in a rush. If this got twisted the wrong way, he was finished. Completely finished.

Denise had actually heard most of it while drifting in and out, but her body felt drained. She’d been exhausted for days, planning to catch one quiet night of rest before heading to Linjiang Town to take office.

“Help me up.”

“Okay, okay.”

Maverick hurried closer, eyes darting everywhere but her. The bathrobe had fallen wide open, and he didn’t dare so much as glance.

Realizing this, Denise quickly grabbed the robe and pulled it tight around herself. Her mind was clear now; no matter what had just happened, this was not the moment to provoke him.

“My bag… the medicine’s inside. Bring it.”

He found the bag and handed her the pills. After taking them, some color slowly returned to her face. Only then did she really look at the man standing awkwardly in her room.

“You can go now. And remember—nothing happened here tonight. Not a word. Or you’ll deal with the consequences.”

Her tone was calm, but it hit like ice water. Maverick swallowed hard, knowing she meant every syllable.