Chapter 1 An Accident

The first stream of sunlight shot through the glass window and danced across the edges of the luxurious double bed.

A slender figure twisted under the fur blanket as her body sank deeper into the comfortable cushions. As her milky arms reached out of the covers, Sophia Yang's eyes fluttered open.

Once her vision adjusted to the blinding light, her memories started rushing back to her like a raging tsunami. She glanced at her naked body and sat up with a jolt. "Ah!" An uncontrollable scream ripped out from the back of her throat. Upon realizing the noise she was making, Sophia Yang hastily covered her mouth and ducked her head, trying to piece everything together.

She furrowed her eyebrows. Did something terrible happen last night?

At the thought, her eyes widened in horror, and she immediately glanced to the side of her bed.

She raised her head and looked around the empty room. Seeing that nobody else was with her, her shoulders sagged in relief. Just as exhaustion was about to take her once more, her phone rang, knocking her out of her reverie.

Wrapping herself with the quilt, Sophia Yang stumbled out of the bed and staggered towards the sofa to grab her phone. Just as she pressed the button, a ferocious roar sounded from the other end of the line. She stiffened.

"Sophia, I cannot believe you!" her manager snapped. "Where the hell were you last night? You think you can leave before your shift ends just like that? Do you think your family owns this bar? The only reason I've given you a chance was because you're Cathy's friend! Seeing that you're not taking this seriously, then you'd better not come back here tonight."

Sophia Yang fell onto the couch, wincing from the pain that had shot through her waist. Her hand immediately went down to rub the sore area as her other hand gripped her phone even tighter. "No, please." Her voice cracked. "Something came up last night--that's why I left in a hurry. I swear this won't happen again."

In the past, she would have snorted at the thought of begging someone for such a measly salary.

But now, she had no other choice but to swallow her pride. This was the only job that had taken her in. If the manager fired her now, she was back to square one.

"Spare me with your bullshit! We don't need a flake like you in our bar," the manager snapped and hung up.

Hearing the beep, her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach. At this point, Sophia Yang felt as if she was living her worst nightmare, and she wanted nothing more than to wake up. The warm sunlight did nothing to the iciness that had swept over her conscience.

She placed a hand over her chest and took a deep breath, struggling to calm herself. Once her heartbeat had been subdued, she slowly stood up and headed to the bathroom to change into her previous clothes. Just as she did, her hands wandered across her worn pockets only to freeze. 'Where the hell is my wallet?'

Sophia raced out of the bathroom and glanced at her surroundings to see if she had left anything behind. When she was met with only white sheets and decorative pillows, she gritted her teeth. Her wallet was missing! Her ID, credit card, and the salary that she had just received from two days ago--all of them were gone!

"Just my luck," she murmured under her breath as she tugged her hair in frustration. She threw one of the pillows onto the ground out of anger and dragged her tired body out of the bedroom.

Once she left the hotel, she immediately made an appointment with her best friend Cathy Shan at noon. "You have to help me find a job," Sophia Yang pleaded. Not being the type to keep secrets, she found herself accidentally spilling out everything that had happened to her that night.

Cathy Shan almost spilled her water in surprise. She doubled over in excitement as her eyes shone like stars. She looked like a homeless man who had just been given something to eat. "Oh my gosh!" she shrieked. "After twenty long years, you finally got laid!"

Sophia Yang instantly covered her friend's mouth. At the same time, she glanced around the room. Fortunately, there were only a few people in the coffee shop during this time, and nobody heard them.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned to Cathy Shan. Her face was beet red. "If you say something like that again, I'll cut your tongue out!" she warned.

Cathy Shan shrugged, unaffected by her threats. Instead, she gushed, "Aw, don't you look cute when you're all angry like that! But still, don't you think you've been a little bit impulsive in giving yourself away? Who's the guy? What does he look like?" Cathy Shan tapped her chin thoughtfully and knitted her eyebrows together. "In fact, he even stole your wallet. Is he a prostitute? I mean, I've been hearing a lot of gossip about male prostitutes lately."

A prostitute?

Sophia Yang stiffened. She hadn't thought of it like that.

Noticing her silence, Cathy Shan comforted her, "It's really not a big deal. Just take it as... as the first step to becoming a woman!"

"But I..." Sophia trailed off, not wanting to look at her friend. Her bangs swept against her forehead, blocking anyone from seeing the hesitance that flashed in her eyes. Her hands clenched.

"It's just something you have to accept." Cathy reached over and held her clenched fists. "It's just that...I couldn't believe it. You've been married to the man for two years, and he hasn't even touched you. Whether he's abstinent or gay, I'm not so sure." She sighed, shaking her head. "Nevertheless, now that you've decided to divorce him, it's time to let these things go. You're about to enter life as a single woman once more. Imagine the hot guys waiting for us."

Although Sophia knew what Cathy had said made sense, her mind was still blank. As she stared at the table in front of her, she found herself at a loss of what to do next.

Maybe it was really time that she started filing for divorce.

"Enough!" Cathy waved her hand dismissively, wanting to get rid of the morose atmosphere. "Don't pull that long face anymore. Didn't you tell me about losing your job? I have a friend who's a manager at some hotel. They're recruiting right now, and the salary's way higher than the one at the bar. I'll tell her that you can start first thing in the afternoon."

Sophia took a sip of latte and gratefully nodded. "Thank you for this."

"As if we haven't been friends for years." Cathy rolled her eyes, pushing the menu towards her. "It's my treat today, so order whatever you want."

The two of them parted ways after lunch. Not long after, Cathy sent Sophia the address of the hotel.

In N Hotel.

At six o'clock in the afternoon, after changing into her uniform, Sophia rushed into the hotel lobby and began to work.

Although her family ran a small company, she was nowhere near to being spoiled. In fact, she had always been self-reliant. She had never asked for anything from her family, and the habit stuck with her through the years.

Just as she had finished tidying up one of the hotel rooms, two black figures flashed in her eyes. A man and a woman walked side by side down the corridor and entered the room next to the one she was cleaning.

Her body stiffened, and Sophia narrowed her eyes at the man. He looked vaguely familiar.

With a little uncertainty in her heart, she left the broom against the doorframe and subconsciously followed them.

Noticing that the two people had locked the door, Sophia bit her lips and thought for a moment. At this point, she could only stand and wait. If she would disturb them, she might get fired.

Sophia had been waiting anxiously by the door for nearly half an hour. Just as she was about to lose her patience, the door creaked open.

A young woman stepped out of the room, looking around less than twenty-year-old. She had chestnut curly hair that framed her youthful face and a pair of rimless glasses to highlight her large eyes.

The girl turned around and waved at the other guest in the room. She smiled, "You got a deal. See you next time!"

Without another word, she left.

Upon taking in the scene, Sophia's fingers dug into her palm. After a moment's hesitation, she entered the open room.

The light's reddish hue seeped through the huge French window. A tall and handsome figure stood under the afternoon shadow. Although his back was facing her, there was something about his stance that gave off a certain elegance and nobility.

Sophia hesitated. The man was far different from what she had remembered.

Not wanting to act out of impulse, she stepped forward. "Hello, Sir. Do you need room service?" she asked tentatively.

When the man heard the voice, he was stunned. He turned his head, leaving her a clear view of his featured profile. "Room service?" His voice sounded like soft symphony. "What service are you implying?"

"Ah... I mean..." Although only a side of his face was seen, she could make out the sharp outline of his jaw and his thick eyebrows. His eyes flashed with an unspeakable emotion that she found herself unable to react immediately.

"It's you!" she uttered, pointing at him. "I knew it!"

He was the man she had met last night! She could even recognize him.

Kern Ye finally turned around after a few seconds of silence. He fixated his gaze at the woman in front of him, and a playful smile slithered into his thin lips. "Are you here for me then? Don't tell me you've fallen in love with me that quickly."

His slightly ambiguous expression made her flash back to what had happened yesterday. Her face immediately flushed. "Are you joking or something? I don't even know you," she sputtered out. "I'm here to ask for the money you've stolen!"

Kern Ye walked towards the table leisurely and poured himself a glass of red wine. After swirling the liquid, he took a sip. "Could you still say that after sleeping with me?"

"I... I was drunk! Not only have you taken advantage of me, but you also took my wallet!" She clenched her fists.

"Take advantage of you?" Kern Ye raised his voice. His gaze turned cold. "I'm the one who was taken advantage of. Are you even remotely aware what had happened that night? Shouldn't I be the one charging you for money?"

His words made her freeze. She furrowed her eyebrows. "What did I do?"