Chapter 1 Sleeping With The Wrong Man

"No... don't... hmm... ah..." The dark room pressed in around Adelina Shaw as a man pinned her to the mattress, his grip locking her wrists above her head.

A shiver ran through her as his mouth crushed against hers. Breath tangled with breath, the rush of feverish kisses erased every coherent thought from her mind.

They remained wrapped up in each other until the sky outside paled.

When daylight finally crept through the curtains, Adelina forced her heavy eyelids open.

The extravagant hotel suite lay in disarray-clothes scattered across the floor, the faint scent of last night still clinging to the air.

The hiss of water from the bathroom faded. A moment later, the man stepped out, steam curling around him.

He stood tall-easily six feet two-with a bathrobe that clung loosely to his frame, barely concealing the defined lines of his chest. Droplets slid down his skin, catching the soft light and lending him a dangerous, magnetic pull.

His features were sharply carved, every angle stern yet refined; a straight nose, thinly pressed lips, and eyes so dark they seemed bottomless.

That cold, assessing stare cut straight through her.

Unhurried, he crossed the room, retrieved his clothes, and slipped on a crisp shirt, fastening each button with deliberate precision. The cool, restrained air around him stood in stark contrast to the reckless heat of the night before.

Adelina sat motionless, her thoughts scattered, as his calm, level voice broke the silence. "Last night was an accident. Reach out if there's something you need. I'll take responsibility."

A single business card landed on the bedside table with a soft thud. Without a backward glance, he strode out of the room.

The door clicked shut, and only then did clarity slowly seep back into Adelina's fogged mind.

In a trance, she pulled on her clothes, tucked the card into her purse, and pressed her fingertips against her throbbing temples, trying to stitch together the fragments of last night.

The engagement banquet with Lorenzo Ward-her boyfriend of four years-had ended in too many drinks and one wrong turn, landing her in the stranger's bed.

The memory burned like acid in her chest. This had been her first time, and the bitter weight of it nearly made her sick.

Resolute, she decided she needed to come clean to her fiancé, Lorenzo.

She grabbed her phone and dialed his number, but the call rang unanswered.

A frown creased her brow. She'd been off the grid all night, yet Lorenzo hadn't called or texted once-and now he wasn't picking up?

A sharp unease tightened in her chest. Something was wrong. She had to find him.

Just as she was about to leave the hotel, a glint on the bathroom sink caught her eye. A hotel staff badge lay there.

Her breath hitched. Was that man... a hotel staff member?

She bit down on her lip, shoved the thought aside, snatched up the badge, and strode out of the room.

...

Azure Estate.

This was the villa that belonged to Lorenzo and her-their supposed forever home.

The fingerprint lock clicked, and an eerie silence greeted her. Then, at the foot of the stairs, a pair of red heels and scattered clothing shattered any illusion of peace.

Her pulse slammed in her ears as she rushed up the steps.

At the top landing, she saw the master bedroom door standing ajar, and a woman's breathless moans spilled out into the hallway. "Ah! you're driving me crazy! Lorenzo, do you make Adelina feel like this too?"

A low, mocking laugh followed. "Don't even bring up that useless wench. If I'd known she was just some servant's daughter pretending to be rich, I'd never have started it. Those four years with her were pure torture. She wouldn't even let me kiss her."

Through the crack in the half-closed door, Adelina caught sight of two tangled bodies on the bed.

Her stomach dropped when she realized the man was Lorenzo-her fiancé.

Beside him lay Lainey Shaw, unmistakably the Shaw family's real heiress.

Cold seeped into Adelina's bones, hollowing her chest and turning the world around her into a dark, silent void.

"So Adelina's still a virgin, huh? I bet the night we set her up with Nicolas Morgan was quite the adventure for her, don't you think?" Lainey purred between breaths. "In Zaivine, Nicolas's a man of status. Letting Adelina, a servant's child, end up with him was already more than she could ever hope for."

When her laughter subsided, Lorenzo quickened his pace, his voice turning low and thick with desire. "Once she's completely ruined, you'll have every excuse to throw her out of the Shaw family. Lainey, isn't that exactly what you wanted?"

Lainey let out a breathless chuckle, her body arching against him. "Mm-hmm... Lorenzo, go easy..."

The sight of the two people she trusted most tangled together-mocking her, plotting her downfall-shattered something deep inside Adelina. Her mind went blank, as if everything she'd known had been stripped away in an instant. Images of last night's engagement banquet flickered in her head like cruel reminders.

This had all been carefully planned.

Hot tears gathered in her eyes. She'd truly believed that even if the entire world turned its back on her, Lorenzo would still stand by her side.

Years ago, Adelina's mother, a servant in the Shaw family, had switched her newborn daughter with the real heiress, Lainey, in a twisted act of revenge. After the deed was done, the woman disappeared without a trace.

Only a few months ago, the Shaw family uncovered the truth when a blood type test exposed the lie.