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Section 1
### Chapter 1: Chapter-01
That was how many I had taken.
Maybe four was too many, but at that moment, I didn't care.
Judging by the way the world was spinning around me, I was definitely drunk.
I laughed and ruffled my hair before lazily dragging my feet toward the receptionist.
My vision was a little hazy, but I could still make out my way to the front desk.
"Hi... I need a room," I whispered, placing my card on the counter as I stumbled slightly.
The receptionist glanced at me. "Of course. Do you have a reservation?"
"That's okay. May I see your ID, please?"
I fumbled through my bag and handed it to her.
She typed something into the computer before looking back at me.
"How many nights will you be staying?"
"I... I'm not sure. Just one night for now."
She nodded. "Okay. Here's your key card. You're in room 108. The elevators are just down the hall to your right."
"Thank you," I murmured, taking the card.
I walked down the hall, trying to keep myself steady.
When I got to my room, I turned the doorknob and frowned when the door opened easily.
I stared at it for a moment before shaking my head.
I was too drunk to think about it.
I walked inside and headed straight for the bed, collapsing onto it.
I buried my face into the pillow, sobbing as I hit my legs against the mattress.
I had loved Cole for years.
I had held onto every little moment between us, convincing myself that maybe, someday, he would see me the way I saw him.
He only saw me as his friend.
I pressed the pillow against my face, trying to silence my sobs, but they only grew louder.
I wished I could shut my heart off.
I wished I had never told him how I felt.
At least then, I could have kept pretending that I still had a chance.
Then I heard the doorknob turn.
For a second, I just stared at the door, confused.
The door slowly opened, and a man stepped inside.
I slowly lifted my head from the pillow, wiping at my cheeks as I looked at him.
He had a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair dripping wet, and water running down his chest. A tattoo of a woman's face was inked across his skin.
My eyes traveled up to his face.
My heart, which had already been hurting, suddenly started pounding.
Maybe it was the way he looked at me.
Whatever it was, my brain seemed to stop working.
I slowly stood up and walked toward him.
I still didn't understand where the boldness came from, but I kept moving until his back hit the wall.
Then, without thinking, I stood on my toes, closed my eyes, and pressed my lips against his.
It sent sparkling stars spinning through my head while butterflies filled my stomach.
I moved my hands to the back of his head.
His hair was so soft and silky.
For a moment, I forgot everything.
I forgot how badly my heart had been hurting.
All I could think about was him.
He carried me toward the bed, his strong arms holding me close. A rush of fear and desire coursed through my veins.
I moaned softly, my body arching into his touch even as a part of me screamed to stop this, to end this dangerous encounter before it went too far.
But I couldn't bring myself to resist him, not when his touch sent electric shocks of pleasure through me with every caress.
And that night, I let myself forget everything.
I woke up the next morning with a sharp pain shooting through my head.
I groaned and slowly opened my eyes.
The entire room was empty.
"What the hell?" I whispered, holding my head.
I sat upright and looked toward the mirror.
My hair was a mess, and my eyeliner had smudged into a ridiculous line beneath my eye.
I sighed and was about to move when I felt a sharp pain between my legs.
Then, slowly, everything came rushing back.
I had unprotected sex with a stranger.
And he hadn't left a note.
I had always wanted my first time to be special and blissful.
I wanted it to be with the man I loved.
Not some stranger in a hotel whose name I didn't even know.
He was careful and gentle not to hurt me but I still felt pains around my legs. I rubbed my thighs softly and bit my lips.
"What have you done, Kate?" I whispered, dropping my head into my hands.
My mind drifted back to him.
The stranger was handsome.
His touch was something I knew I wouldn't forget anytime soon.
I had never experienced anything like it before.
When he played with my chest.
When he kissed me down there, I couldn't help but beg for more from a stranger I know nothing of.
I closed my eyes for a moment, remembering the night, then quickly opened them.
I had just slept with a man I knew absolutely nothing about.
And yet, I couldn't stop thinking about him.
My phone suddenly buzzed, making me jump.
I quickly searched for it and saw Helena's name on the screen.
"Just where the fuck are you?"
I sighed and rubbed the back of my head.
She complained like she always did.
I pushed the phone a few inches away from my ear because I knew she was about to deafen me.
"Be right on my way," I whispered weakly before ending the call.
I quickly grabbed my things and hurried out of the hotel.
By the time I got to the office, something was clearly wrong.
Some were whispering while others sat in their chairs, barely talking or moving.
What the hell had happened?
I raised my head and saw Helena rubbing her forehead while adjusting her glasses.
I was just about to ask what was going on when someone suddenly yelled.
"Kate to the office. This instant!"
I hurried toward his office, my heels clicking against the floor.
My palms were sweating, and my heart was thudding violently in my chest.
Please, let it not be what I was thinking.
When I reached his office, I stood there with my hands behind my back, my legs shifting nervously as I watched him.
This was my first time being late for work.
And apparently, a lot had happened while I was gone.
"Sit," he said, motioning toward the chair.
I slowly sat down, my body trembling slightly.
"The company has filed for bankruptcy," he said, his voice unusually heavy.
I could feel my heart freeze in my chest.
I stared at him, barely able to process his words.
"What?" I whispered, my breath shaking as I wiped my sweaty palms against my skirt.
He sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"I'm sorry. I know this is a lot to take in."
He hesitated before continuing.
"I'll be stepping down as CEO of this company. That means I'm no longer in a position to run it."
He looked at me with an apologetic expression.
"Kate, I know this is hard, but you know we can barely keep the company running. We can barely pay wages at the end of the month."
I gripped the handle of my bag tightly.
"Due to the bankruptcy, the company and its remaining assets have been placed under new ownership."
I stared at him in disbelief.
"Yes. A private acquisition was completed earlier last week. The new owner has taken over the company, and he will be assuming control of its operations."
"He's a very powerful businessman and the CEO of Whitmore Enterprises. He acquired the company and will be taking over as the new CEO."
The ruthless and most arrogant CEO in the city.
Color drained from my face.
"So... what happens to us?"
"That decision will be made by Mr. Whitmore," he said. "I don't want to give you false information. Until he addresses everyone, none of us knows what the future holds."
His words only made me more anxious.
Everything was happening too fast.
Just a few minutes ago, I had walked into this office expecting another normal workday.
Now I was being told that the company was bankrupt, my boss was stepping down, and a stranger had bought the company.
Before I could ask another question, a knock sounded on the door.
A perfectly fitted black suit covered his tall frame. His expression was cold, with not even a hint of a smile.
His sharp eyes swept across the room before briefly settling on me.
My breath cut in my throat.
My heart began pounding so hard I was certain everyone could hear it.
I felt like the floor had disappeared beneath me.
My legs trembled inside my shoes.
ColeMy mother's scream jolted me awake, but I wasn't in my bedroom anymore.I was nine years old again, standing barefoot on the cold floor of our old house."How could you, Scott? H-How could you?" My mother's trembling voice echoed through the hallway.I crept toward the door and peeped through the keyhole.She was kneeling on the floor, tears streaming down her face, her hands shaking as she stared at my father.He stood before her, rubbing his forehead, his eyes glistening with tears. Yet he refused to look at her.I didn't understand what was happening. All I knew was that something was terribly wrong."Dad?" I whispered.He didn't hear me.Just as he opened his mouth to speak, my mother grabbed his leg, sobbing."Please, Scott. Don't do this to me."My father's expression hardened."Get up," he ordered, his voice sharp enough to make me flinch.But she shook her head, clutching him tighter.Before he could say anything else, a loud crash echoed through the house, jolting me out
KateI pushed the door open and entered.“Si—”The word died in my throat.My eyes widened, and I immediately slapped both hands over my face.“Oh, my God.”Heat rushed to my cheeks. My heart pounded against my ribs as the memories of that night came rushing back.I swallowed hard.Slowly, I spread two fingers apart and peeked through them, trying to get a glimpse of him.He was shirtless.My boss stood there, looking hotter than I had ever seen him. Even hotter than that night when he had stood at the doorframe.My breath caught in my throat.I quickly covered my face again, but a second later, curiosity won.I peeked through my fingers once more.My eyes wandered over him before I could stop them.God.Why did he have to look like that?My fingers tightened against my cheeks as my heart fluttered wildly.And then—I wished I could run my hands through his chest, through each abs and biceps of his chest.The thought made my eyes widen.What was wrong with me?I quickly lowered my han
Zayden“No, sir. We haven’t seen anyone like that come here,” the receptionist said.I nodded and walked out.It had been three weeks since that night, but I still couldn’t understand why I couldn’t get her out of my head.There was something about her that drew me in.I rubbed my forehead and clenched my jaw.What was I even doing here?What was I going to tell her?That I was sorry?That I took something precious from her while she was drunk?I couldn’t vividly remember her face, but I could still remember that night as if it had happened yesterday.My phone buzzed.“Boss, we’ve got him,” Marcus whispered through the phone.“Play with him until I come. But don’t kill him.”“Noted, boss.”I ended the call and headed straight to my penthouse downtown.I walked into the room where Marcus had been holding him.My eyes immediately landed on the man tied to the chair.He was already bleeding from the corner of his mouth, but somehow, he was smiling.It was the kind of smile that made my s
Zayden“Stop right there, young man.”Dad’s cold voice echoed through the living room.I froze halfway up the staircase, my fingers tightening around the railing. My jaw locked as I slowly turned.He sat in his usual chair, his glasses resting low on his nose. The magazine in his hands was open, but he wasn’t reading it anymore.“I got a call from Chairman Peterson,” he said, adjusting his glasses. “You’ve been avoiding meeting with Edwina again?”I dragged a hand over my face before letting it fall to my side.“Dad, if she really wanted a partnership, she would request a meeting at the workplace instead of choosing these—”“Enough.”The word cracked through the room.My teeth pressed together.He slowly removed his glasses and placed them on the table beside him.“You always think you’re smarter than everyone else.”I stared at him without answering.“That arrogance of yours will be the reason you lose everything one day.”My fingers curled into my palms.I refused to give him the sa
KATEI... It was the stranger from that night.Oh, my God.I was so dead.I could see the tattoo on his chest through the few buttons he'd left undone. That was enough to convince me.It was him.Zayden Whitmore?How?I rubbed my forehead and pressed my lips together.I felt like crying.I just hoped he wouldn't recognize me.“Mr. Whitmore,” my boss said, immediately getting to his feet and jerking me out of my thoughts.Zayden gave him a brief nod.“Let's go to the conference hall. I want everyone present.”His voice was deep, calm, and firm.My boss nodded. “Of course.”He turned to me. “Come with us.”I slowly stood up, still struggling to process everything.We followed Zayden out of the office. By the time we reached the conference hall, almost everyone in the company was already there.The room was filled with anxious faces and quiet whispers.Zayden walked to the front and looked around at everyone before speaking.“My name is Zayden Whitmore. I believe you all know me.”His ey
ZaydenThe moment I walked into the dining room, the room went quiet.All eyes fell on me.My father sat at the head of the table. My stepmother was beside him, with Adrian and Ryan on either side.No one smiled when they saw me.Neither did I.My father pointed toward the empty chair."Sit."I did.Shortly after, the food was served, but my father's eyes remained on me, watching silently.The moment the last plate was placed on the table, he broke the awkward silence."Why have you been avoiding Edwina?"I looked at him, my fork paused over my plate."I'm not."My stepmother gave a mocking laugh."Of course you aren't."I ignored her and continued eating in silence."She's called you repeatedly. You don't answer. She came to your office, and you left without even speaking to her.""I was busy, Father.""You always have an excuse," my stepmother interrupted.My father looked at her."Clara."She ignored him and continued."Do you know how humiliating it is to have Edwina's mother call
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### Chapter 2: Chapter-02
The moment I walked into the dining room, the room went quiet.
My father sat at the head of the table. My stepmother was beside him, with Adrian and Ryan on either side.
No one smiled when they saw me.
My father pointed toward the empty chair.
Shortly after, the food was served, but my father's eyes remained on me, watching silently.
The moment the last plate was placed on the table, he broke the awkward silence.
"Why have you been avoiding Edwina?"
I looked at him, my fork paused over my plate.
My stepmother gave a mocking laugh.
I ignored her and continued eating in silence.
"She's called you repeatedly. You don't answer. She came to your office, and you left without even speaking to her."
"You always have an excuse," my stepmother interrupted.
She ignored him and continued.
"Do you know how humiliating it is to have Edwina's mother calling me, asking why her daughter keeps getting rejected by you? She's even threatening to withdraw her shares."
My eyes moved to her, my jaw tightening.
"I didn't ask you to speak to her."
It was as if those words triggered something in her.
"No, you didn't ask me to speak to her. You never ask anyone for anything. You just do whatever you want and expect everyone else to deal with the consequences."
She raised her hand and pointed her index finger at me.
"I am your mother. I make the decisions here."
My eyes bored into hers as my face darkened with anger.
A short, humorless laugh escaped my lips.
"What does the word mother mean to you?"
She scoffed, but before she could finish, my father's hand slammed against the table.
She fell silent, but I could still see her chest rising and falling with anger.
Adrian, leaned back in his chair.
"She's right about one thing."
My father looked at him, but Adrian continued.
"Zayden has always done whatever he wants. I can still clearly remember when Dad let him take over the company. Za—"
"We're not discussing that," my father interrupted with a frown.
Adrian gave a bitter smile.
His voice sharpened, his eyes never leaving my father.
"It's always the same. Whenever Zayden does something, everyone is expected to accept it."
"But when I make one mistake, what do you do? Hate me? Curse me? Compare me to this bastard?"
My hands curled into fists.
I pushed my tongue against the inside of my cheek.
Family dinners were never meant to end well in this house.
My father stared at him but said nothing.
Ryan spilled water onto the table, clearly trying to distract them, but neither my father nor Adrian stopped.
"You're my son, Adrian. And so are all of you."
"Oh, please," Adrian said, rolling his eyes.
Before he could say anything else, my father slammed his hand against the table again.
His voice echoed through the hallway, and everyone went back to eating, this time in complete silence.
After a few minutes, my father finally spoke.
"Now we can talk about the real problem."
He pushed a folder across the table.
I opened it slowly and scanned the pages.
"They signed this afternoon."
"I know," I whispered before closing the folder.
"You know, and you still lost it to Blackwell?"
My father's voice thundered across the room.
"You know what bothers me?"
Then his voice rose again.
"It's not that Blackwell won. It's that you don't seem bothered that they did."
He slammed his hand against the table, the veins on his forehead standing out.
I saw my stepmother tremble.
"Honey... please, your blood pressure—"
He yelled at her before turning back to me.
Then Adrian muttered something under his breath.
"This is exactly what I've been saying. He has never had to worry about consequences."
My father continued, but this time his voice was lower, as if he was trying hard to control his anger.
"The board meets tomorrow. They're going to question Hamilton, and they're going to question you."
My stepmother spoke quietly.
My father's eyes turned toward her.
"Don't you dare interrupt me."
She immediately closed her mouth.
He looked back at me and pushed the folder toward me again.
"If you don't get Hamilton back before the board meeting, I swear you'll have to bear the consequences."
I picked up the folder and rose to my feet.
"Where are you going?" my father asked.
I held the folder at my side.
"You really think you can?"
I looked at him but said nothing.
I simply walked out of the house without looking back.
I walked quickly until I was outside.
Then I stopped and released a deep sigh, letting the cold breeze wash over my face as I closed my eyes and ran my fingers through my hair.
I had asked for a bottle of whiskey.
I wanted to drink myself to sleep, hoping it would ease the pain in my chest.
Today marked ten years since my mother died.
Ten years of unbearable pain.
I finished my drink and headed toward the bathroom, feeling the alcohol already taking over my body.
After a quick bath, I made my way toward my room, hoping to finally get some sleep.
But as I got closer, I heard something.
It sounded like someone was crying.
I ran my fingers through my hair and walked toward the room.
A fragile figure was lying on my bed.
Her bag was on the floor, and she still had her heels on.
She slowly raised her head.
More beautiful than words could describe.
Even with her disheveled hair, there was something about her that caught my attention.
Maybe I was simply tired and wasn't thinking clearly.
We stared at each other longer than we should have.
And what was she doing in my room?
I hadn't asked for anyone.
Before I could say anything, she started moving toward me.
I instinctively moved backward until my back hit the wall.
I should have stopped her.
But I couldn't bring myself to move.
She raised herself onto her toes and pressed her lips against mine.
Her lips tasted like strawberries, soft and warm, with the faint taste of alcohol.
Then she moved her hands to the back of my head.
For a moment, I simply stood there.
I didn't want to take advantage of her drunken state.
But my body moved before my mind could catch up.
My arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer before I carried her toward the bed.
I could see the conflict in her eyes, the part of her that seemed to know this was dangerous.
But neither of us stopped.
I didn't know why I loved the way her body arched into my touch, the way she moaned softly as I caressed her.
When she screamed and moaned I could help but crave for more. When we finally reached climax, she fell asleep on my arm.
I ran my fingers through her hair, almost smiling at how peacefully she slept.
What had brought her here?
I stared at her for a long moment.
I couldn't even think of the right word to describe her.
“I'm sorry, I wasn't in my right mind” I whispered softly.
Then the weight of my actions settled over me like a shroud, the realization that I had taken something precious from a stranger.
And I had crossed a line I couldn't take back.
I looked at her sleeping face.
I knew I would never forget this night.
Not the way she had made me feel.
I carefully got up and walked toward the window, placing the phone against my ear before glancing back at her.
"Calm down and talk to me," I whispered.
I clenched my fist at my side, my jaw tightening as I listened.
I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling like the room had become too small.
My eyes darted toward the door.
I slowly lowered the phone from my ear.
My fingers were trembling.
I yelled and then paused when she suddenly flinched and turned to the other side, pulling the blanket closer to herself like a baby.
Her lips moved as she hummed softly, almost as if she were talking to someone in her dream.
“I’m sorry. I... I love you so much that it hurts to see you leave.”
My eyes remained fixed on her.
Who the hell was she talking about?
I took a slow step toward the bed, staring at her sleeping face.
“Who are you dreaming about?” I whispered to her smiling admiringly.
ColeMy mother's scream jolted me awake, but I wasn't in my bedroom anymore.I was nine years old again, standing barefoot on the cold floor of our old house."How could you, Scott? H-How could you?" My mother's trembling voice echoed through the hallway.I crept toward the door and peeped through the keyhole.She was kneeling on the floor, tears streaming down her face, her hands shaking as she stared at my father.He stood before her, rubbing his forehead, his eyes glistening with tears. Yet he refused to look at her.I didn't understand what was happening. All I knew was that something was terribly wrong."Dad?" I whispered.He didn't hear me.Just as he opened his mouth to speak, my mother grabbed his leg, sobbing."Please, Scott. Don't do this to me."My father's expression hardened."Get up," he ordered, his voice sharp enough to make me flinch.But she shook her head, clutching him tighter.Before he could say anything else, a loud crash echoed through the house, jolting me out
KateI pushed the door open and entered.“Si—”The word died in my throat.My eyes widened, and I immediately slapped both hands over my face.“Oh, my God.”Heat rushed to my cheeks. My heart pounded against my ribs as the memories of that night came rushing back.I swallowed hard.Slowly, I spread two fingers apart and peeked through them, trying to get a glimpse of him.He was shirtless.My boss stood there, looking hotter than I had ever seen him. Even hotter than that night when he had stood at the doorframe.My breath caught in my throat.I quickly covered my face again, but a second later, curiosity won.I peeked through my fingers once more.My eyes wandered over him before I could stop them.God.Why did he have to look like that?My fingers tightened against my cheeks as my heart fluttered wildly.And then—I wished I could run my hands through his chest, through each abs and biceps of his chest.The thought made my eyes widen.What was wrong with me?I quickly lowered my han
Zayden“No, sir. We haven’t seen anyone like that come here,” the receptionist said.I nodded and walked out.It had been three weeks since that night, but I still couldn’t understand why I couldn’t get her out of my head.There was something about her that drew me in.I rubbed my forehead and clenched my jaw.What was I even doing here?What was I going to tell her?That I was sorry?That I took something precious from her while she was drunk?I couldn’t vividly remember her face, but I could still remember that night as if it had happened yesterday.My phone buzzed.“Boss, we’ve got him,” Marcus whispered through the phone.“Play with him until I come. But don’t kill him.”“Noted, boss.”I ended the call and headed straight to my penthouse downtown.I walked into the room where Marcus had been holding him.My eyes immediately landed on the man tied to the chair.He was already bleeding from the corner of his mouth, but somehow, he was smiling.It was the kind of smile that made my s
Zayden“Stop right there, young man.”Dad’s cold voice echoed through the living room.I froze halfway up the staircase, my fingers tightening around the railing. My jaw locked as I slowly turned.He sat in his usual chair, his glasses resting low on his nose. The magazine in his hands was open, but he wasn’t reading it anymore.“I got a call from Chairman Peterson,” he said, adjusting his glasses. “You’ve been avoiding meeting with Edwina again?”I dragged a hand over my face before letting it fall to my side.“Dad, if she really wanted a partnership, she would request a meeting at the workplace instead of choosing these—”“Enough.”The word cracked through the room.My teeth pressed together.He slowly removed his glasses and placed them on the table beside him.“You always think you’re smarter than everyone else.”I stared at him without answering.“That arrogance of yours will be the reason you lose everything one day.”My fingers curled into my palms.I refused to give him the sa
KATEI... It was the stranger from that night.Oh, my God.I was so dead.I could see the tattoo on his chest through the few buttons he'd left undone. That was enough to convince me.It was him.Zayden Whitmore?How?I rubbed my forehead and pressed my lips together.I felt like crying.I just hoped he wouldn't recognize me.“Mr. Whitmore,” my boss said, immediately getting to his feet and jerking me out of my thoughts.Zayden gave him a brief nod.“Let's go to the conference hall. I want everyone present.”His voice was deep, calm, and firm.My boss nodded. “Of course.”He turned to me. “Come with us.”I slowly stood up, still struggling to process everything.We followed Zayden out of the office. By the time we reached the conference hall, almost everyone in the company was already there.The room was filled with anxious faces and quiet whispers.Zayden walked to the front and looked around at everyone before speaking.“My name is Zayden Whitmore. I believe you all know me.”His ey
ZaydenThe moment I walked into the dining room, the room went quiet.All eyes fell on me.My father sat at the head of the table. My stepmother was beside him, with Adrian and Ryan on either side.No one smiled when they saw me.Neither did I.My father pointed toward the empty chair."Sit."I did.Shortly after, the food was served, but my father's eyes remained on me, watching silently.The moment the last plate was placed on the table, he broke the awkward silence."Why have you been avoiding Edwina?"I looked at him, my fork paused over my plate."I'm not."My stepmother gave a mocking laugh."Of course you aren't."I ignored her and continued eating in silence."She's called you repeatedly. You don't answer. She came to your office, and you left without even speaking to her.""I was busy, Father.""You always have an excuse," my stepmother interrupted.My father looked at her."Clara."She ignored him and continued."Do you know how humiliating it is to have Edwina's mother call
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