Chapter 1 As Fate Would Have It

Squinting, Thalia Palmer staggered down the dimly lit corridor of a private club.

The alcohol was beginning to take a hold on her, and her vision became somewhat hazy.

She rubbed her temples in a daze, squinting at the room number on the door in front of her.

"Was it Room 906... or 909?" she muttered to herself.

Before she could figure it out, the door in front of her suddenly swung open from the inside. The next moment, somebody grabbed her by the wrist.

In the blink of an eye, Thalia was dragged out of the hallway and into the private room.

The room, however, was pitch black.

"Ah!" Thalia instinctively let out a scream and tried her best to struggle, but it was futile. The man in front of her had wrapped his strong arms around her waist.

Before she knew it, she was thrown onto the bed.

"Help me, and I'll compensate you."

The man's voice was low and deep, his stature tall and imposing. After making this "offer", he climbed on top of Thalia, pinning her against the bed.

Thalia could feel the scorching heat emanating from the man, and even in her drunken state, she could tell that he had been drugged.

She struggled and pushed, finding it hard to form words. "I... I'll help you-"

She was going to say that she'd help him find a doctor, but the man misinterpreted this as her consent. He abandoned all restraint and sealed Thalia's lips with his.

He kissed her passionately, drowning out her voice, leaving only soft whimpers that echoed in the vast room.

--

The following morning, Thalia rubbed her throbbing temples and slowly peeled her eyes open.

Her entire body ached, and her mind was still hazy from last night.

Thalia was a married woman, but her husband had ignored her existence for two whole years. She had always seen his name on gossip news headlines, and finally, she couldn't take it anymore and asked for a divorce last night.

Initially, she had plans to celebrate her divorce with her best friend, but halfway through their celebration, her friend suddenly had to leave because of a work emergency. So, Thalia ended up drinking alone into the late hours of the night. Later, after going to the restroom, she tried to find her way back to their private room when she was suddenly...

The sound of the man's heavy breathing came to her ears, which snapped her back to reality.

Clutching the blanket to her chest, she sat up in bed and looked at the man who had taken her virginity last night.

The moment she saw the man's face, all the color drained from her face.

The man lying in bed next to her was incredibly handsome. Even in his sleep, there was a hint of darkness and danger about him; he had the kind of presence that inspired awe and fear.

But what truly shocked Thalia wasn't the man's astonishing good looks, but the fact that the man was none other than her husband from whom she had filed for divorce just the night before-Brayan Rogers!

"How can it be him?" Thalia murmured, eyes wide in disbelief.

They were bound by a marriage arranged by their families, but Brayan had never fully accepted this. He had even refused to lay eyes on her in the two years that they were married.

Thalia struggled in this loveless marriage, and in the end, she couldn't take it. As fate would have it, she ended up in bed with her soon-to-be ex-husband the night after requesting a divorce.

Thalia couldn't believe this incredible twist of fate, but she had no time to ponder over it.

She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and realized that Brayan had never seen her face all throughout their marriage. He probably had no clue that the woman he had slept with was none other than his wife.

Careful not to wake Brayan up, Thalia slipped out of bed, quickly got dressed, and hurriedly left.

As she disappeared around the corner at the far end of the hallway, the door of the opposite private room swung open.

Sabina Lloyd, who had just gotten out of someone's bed, emerged from the room, her body covered in hickeys and her hair a disheveled mess.

Sabina was a B-list actress, and in order to secure the lead role in an upcoming television drama, she had spent the night with its director.

She had seen a woman hastily leaving the room across hers just now. Upon seeing the sparkling golden letters "VIP" next to the room number, curiosity got the best of her.

"Whoever can get a VIP room here is either super rich or super powerful. Most people can only dream of getting close to these big shots, so why was that woman so scared just now?"

Sabina was brimming with curiosity. Unable to resist the temptation, she pushed open the room's door, which Thalia had left partially ajar, to sneak a peek inside.

When she saw the still-sleeping man and a small bloodstain on the bed sheet, her eyes lit up excitedly.

"Brayan Rogers? Oh, my God! It's actually him! It's the CEO of the Rogers Group!"

Sabina couldn't believe her luck. Her golden opportunity had finally arrived!

If she could date a man as powerful as Brayan, she could get anything she wanted!

The mere thought overwhelmed her, and she couldn't wait. She quickly stripped all her clothing and climbed into bed next to Brayan.

To make it all the more convincing, Sabina hid her excitement and began to sob softly, as though she was a victim who had just been taken advantage of.

The man in the bed was awakened by the sound of her crying.

He gradually opened his eyes, gazing at Sabina, and within his deep, piercing eyes, a sense of danger loomed.