Destined Couple: Want Nobody But You

Soaring against the dark backdrop of the clear night sky, the most luxurious hotel in Ariosa was the gathering spot of the elite. The hotel was typically home to the fanciest society gatherings and parties. That night, on the 35th floor of the hotel, one such elaborate birthday party was in full swing.

The host was none other the birthday boy himself, Charlie Synder, the eldest son of the CEO of Snyder Group. Synder Group was one of the most influential companies in Ariosa and was only inferior to Empire Group and Guzman Group. Charlie was the current general manager of Synder Group and also the heir to the company. He was the ideal man of many women not just because of his wealth, but also because he cut a fine figure of a man-handsome, gentle, and elegant.

With a pleasant smile on his face, Charlie courteously greeted the guests. Every once in a while, however, his attention would stray toward a slender figure in one of the lesser populated corners of the hall. Ashley Guzman, his girlfriend, was an extremely glamorous woman who usually dressed in simple business suits and wore the minimal amount of makeup. To Charlie, this lack of cosmetics made her even more alluring to his eyes compared to other women. The dream lover in the eyes of all women in the company fell hard for the simple, elegant beauty's attributes. That time, Charlie wooed Ashley and finally earned the right to call himself her boyfriend.

However, Ashley didn't seem to be as passionate towards him as he was toward her. The furthest they had ever gone was kissing, and this slow progress made Charlie very distressed. Charlie would usually seek out the company of the most beautiful of women to satisfy his physical needs and then get rid of them with his money. He believed that a man's physical and psychological needs should be satisfied. Tonight, he resolved that Ashley, his girlfriend, should satisfy those needs.

Seated in an inconspicuous corner of the venue, Ashley wore a plain white dress and a light application of makeup on her face, which made her look elegant and incredibly ethereal.

"Ashley, my dear, why are you looking so worn out? It's your boyfriend's birthday party tonight!" A frown marred Yasmin Olson's innocent face, showing her confusion.

Ashley and Yasmin had met each other in the same taekwondo club in university, and they ended up being close friends who spent most of their time together because of their similar personalities. Later, they joined the same company as a natural extension of their friendship since college. Yasmin was a kind person who, at the same time, was frank and spoke no nonsense. She was also gifted in the looks department, but similar to Ashley, she seldom dressed up or wore makeup.

Ashley sighed. "Ugh. It's a bit too loud in here, don't you think?" One of their basic differences was that Ashley was a quiet woman, whereas Yasmin was a party animal. Right after graduation, Ashley's father asked her to join her family's company. However, she knew that by doing so, she wouldn't be able to show her full potential because she would always be seen as the CEO's daughter. Thus, she opted to work for another company. As it turned out, Yasmin asked her if they could apply to a company together, so Ashley started from the bottom rung of the corporate ladder of Synder Group. Now, she was the manager of the company's marketing department, while Yasmin was the head of the planning department.

"What I'm saying is that, you don't know how lucky you are. Everyone knows that your dashing beau Charlie is dying to introduce you to those powerful old men, but you look like you couldn't care less." Yasmin continued to tease her friend.

Ashley said nothing. She knew that sometimes, conversing with Yasmin could be a test of patience, and that silence was the best way to deal with her.

Yasmin looked like she was about to say something else when she saw Charlie approach them, a goblet in his hand. Yasmin whispered to Ashley, "Take care of yourself." Then she sashayed away.

Ashley snapped back into herself in time to see her boyfriend walking toward her with a slight smile. Under the soft lighting, Charlie looked even more refined and elegant than usual.

"Why aren't you mingling, Ashley?" Charlie asked in a soft, low voice as he sat down next to her. He tried to slip an arm around Ashley's waist, but she eluded his touch naturally.

"It's a bit too noisy for me. Go ahead and greet your guests. I'll be okay on my own." Ashley flashed a smile at Charlie. She still felt uncomfortable with his public displays of affection.

"I have done my duty and greeted all of the elders. Now, I'm here to accompany my girlfriend." Charlie hid his annoyance at Ashley's avoidance of his touch. "Are you thirsty, Ashley? Here, I had this drink prepared especially for you. It's just like fruit juice-there's no alcohol in it, so it won't get you drunk." He picked up a glass containing what looked like orange juice and offered it to Ashley.

Touched by the tender look on Charlie's face and his consideration, Ashley accepted the drink and slowly sipped it. "Thank you, Charlie. This is really good."

A strange gleam flashed in Charlie's eyes as Ashley finished up her drink, but it was gone in an instant. "Ashley, if you're tired, you should go ahead and rest." Charlie stroked Ashley's smooth hair and thoughtfully took the empty goblet from her hand. "Here's the key card for the room I've booked for you in this hotel. You can head up first and take a rest. Once the party is over, I'll pick you up and drive you to your apartment."

"Thanks, Charlie. I'm actually pretty tired. I'll go and take a rest first." Ashley excused herself with a smile. In the past few days, the preparations for the grand birthday party had resulted in a significant increase in Ashley's workload. Thus, she had been pulling overtime for days, and her rest had definitely suffered. Now, she was exhausted. Ashley took the key card Charlie was holding out toward her, and left the party venue after saying goodbye to him.

As he looked at Ashley's departing back, a smile formed on Charlie's lips. 'Tonight, you are mine, Ashley.'

Unbeknownst to Ashley, Charlie had added an aphrodisiac to her drink. The aphrodisiac was expected to take effect half an hour after consumption. Charlie had been desiring Ashley for a long time. As a matter of preference, he couldn't stand clingy women. Ashley was perfect in that regard, but he found her coldness and insistence on keeping him at arm's length upsetting. Thus, Charlie had formed tonight's plan.

In the elevator, Ashley called Yasmin to tell her to head back first. They chatted for a while, and then Ashley ended the call. The elevator stopped at the 50th floor. When she stepped out, Ashley saw the lights overhead spin a little. Dizzy, she made her groggy way to Room 606, which matched the number on her key card. Ashley pushed the door open and stumbled in. What she did not realize was that she entered the room without even using her key card.

Sleep began to claim Ashley as soon as her back touched the soft, incredibly comfortable bed. However, she couldn't fall asleep because her body felt uncommonly hot. With a low whine, she began pulling her dress, sighing in contentment as the fabric was lifted from her skin. At that moment, Joseph Marshall exited the bathroom to the sight of a strange woman lying spread-eagled on his bed and pulling her dress.

Contempt filled him as he surveyed this scene. Joseph despised women who used their bodies to curry favors. Granted, the woman's outfit appeared to be on the conservative side, but her actions implied otherwise. 'Looks like Zachary has a death wish.' Joseph approached the luxurious bed with the intention of kicking the unknown woman out of the room. However, as soon as his hand touched her arm, Ashley threw her arms around his neck.

At that moment, Joseph froze. Owing to the shower he had just taken, his skin felt cool to the touch. Ashley's body instinctively arched against him, seeking comfort from the unbearable heat burning under her skin.

Joseph's handsome face darkened. Upon closer inspection, Jason did not find the woman to be repulsive. She had a delicate face with fair, porcelain-fine skin devoid of heavy makeup. His nose did not detect any cloying perfume; instead, a light, pleasant scent teased his senses. Even so, he never liked having intimate contact with women. Thus, Joseph forcibly pulled Ashley's arms from his neck and threw her on the bed.

"You're hateful. Damn bear, why won't you let me hold you?" Ashley muttered in a child-like voice, her eyes still closed. In her mind, she was lying on the bed in her apartment. The bear she was referring to was a stuffed toy as tall as she was; she usually hugged the bear while sleeping. Just now, in her subconscious state, Ashley thought that the man was her bear.

'Bear? Is she crazy?' His brow frowned in irritation. Joseph looked at the woman who was still rolling on his bed. He needed to get rid of this reckless person fast. The heat inside Ashley had become unbearable, and she wished her dress would just disappear so that she could feel some relief. Therefore, she did what she thought.

With a ferocious scowl on his face, Joseph decided to haul the woman out of his room when the sight of her fair, slender legs were suddenly revealed to him.

Ashley's beautiful face and scantily-clad body proved to be his downfall. Joseph could feel his manhood swell up and take notice.

"You asked for this," Joseph said in a firm voice. He decided to teach the woman a lesson. Even if he hated the situation, he found the woman rather attractive, and her odd attempt at seduction succeeded to lure him in. It was time to have a taste.

As Joseph's body covered hers, Ashley was actively seeking something cold against her. As her senses were enveloped by the cool skin and masculine feel of the man above her, she arched her back to burrow closer into the blessed cold.

Finally, their two bodies came together.

The presence of a barrier as he plunged into the woman's body stunned Joseph. The last thing he expected was for the seductress on his bed to be a virgin, and he felt an inexplicable relief at the discovery. However, the thought soon flew out of his head.

At Ashley's groan of pain, he commanded his body to move in slow, gentle motions. After who knew how many times, the heat in Ashley's body was finally sated, but she passed out from exhaustion.

Eventually, Joseph drifted off to sleep, his body pleasantly sore from exertion and he was deeply satisfied.

When Ashley woke up the next day, she felt a dull ache all over her body. The pain was even worse than when she was training for her black belt in Taekwondo. She slowly eased herself up into a sitting position, which caused the blanket to slide down her body. Ashley's skin was covered with marks indicative of a night of passion, and her brows furrowed in confusion. A figure caught her eye, and she turned her head to find a tall and muscled man sleeping soundly with his back facing her. Realization dawned on her. She had just engaged in the trendy phenomena: the one-night stand.

The last thing Ashley wanted was for her family to find out about this, so she carefully got out of bed and collected her clothes strewn all over the floor. Before she left, Ashley paused and silently mourned the loss of her virginity. She made sure to leave a tip for the man still sound asleep in the bed. For a while, she rummaged through her wallet, only to find three hundred dollars inside. She still needed money for a taxi, so she kept fifty for herself and left the rest for the man. Spotting a piece of paper nearby, she wrote a quick note for the man that said, "Damn you, gigolo! I can't believe I slept with you. This is two hundred and fifty dollars for your service."

Ashley quickly sneaked out of the hotel and called a taxi. When she was seated, she began to recall what happened the night before. Her entire body felt like it was boiling last night, and she couldn't handle the heat. She remembered approaching the man to cool herself down. Things seemed to have spiraled out of control from that point on. 'Something doesn't feel right. Why did I feel so hot?' Ashley thought to herself. She tried her best to recall everything that happened last night.

All of a sudden, Ashley remembered the drink that Charlie had given to her. 'It can't be! Why would he do that to me?' Ashley was stunned at the turn of events. Last night, she was being busy discussing a cooperation plan with Yasmin. When they finalized the plan, they left to eat and went to Charlie's birthday party afterwards. Right as they arrived at the party, Ashley spotted Charlie, greeted him, and then found a corner to rest in with Yasmin. She was certain that she only had one drink at the party.

It was obvious what happened last night, but Ashley still couldn't wrap her head around it. Charlie was gentle and elegant. Because of his nature, Yasmin's persuasion, and his relentless pursuit of her, Ashley had finally agreed to date him. They had been together for almost a year now. Although Ashley wasn't head over heels for him, she trusted him. Charlie was the ideal husband in her eyes. She wanted to save herself for him on their wedding night, but she didn't realize how impatient he'd gotten.

Ashley was suddenly overwhelmed by anger and sadness. She couldn't believe what happened to her.

Inside the hotel room, Joseph slowly woke up. When he recalled the night before, a warm feeling bloomed in his chest. He smiled to himself, but when he noticed that the woman had already left, his handsome face turned cold. He shook his head and thought it was better that no woman was bothering him. He schooled his features back into their usual cold expression.

As Joseph was about to get out of bed, he spotted a note next to him. He bent over to pick up the note. The handwriting was beautiful, but he couldn't say the same about the words written. The message grated on his nerves. After that, he spotted money left for him next to the note, which only irritated him further. "Damn it! How dare she treat me like a gigolo? I'll teach her a lesson the next time I see her!" Joseph growled, then crumpled the note and threw it across the room. He promised himself that he would make her pay the price the next time he laid eyes on her.

After freshening up, Joseph whipped out his phone and dialed Zachary Estrada's number. Zachary was pleased to receive a call from Joseph at this time. He was out on a blind date with a woman his family set him up with. She was suggesting where they should go next. The woman was starting to get on his nerves, and Joseph's phone call saved him from her.

"I'm sorry I have to take this call," Zachary interrupted. He stood up and walked away before he answered the call.

"What took you so long to answer?" Joseph complained. "Were you the one who got a woman for me last night, Zachary? Damn it!"

The anger was evident in Joseph's voice, and Zachary smirked as he said, "I didn't do anything last night. Based on what you're telling me, does this mean that you're not a virgin anymore?"

Every time Joseph checked into Zachary's hotel, the latter always made sure to provide a woman to keep him company. Joseph's grandfather thought it would be best for him, and Zachary was also curious to see if Joseph could have sex at all. He was curious to find out why Joseph didn't seem interested in beautiful women. Every time he did that, Joseph would always throw the woman out of his room without mercy, but it never stopped Zachary from trying again. Could it be possible that something finally happened this time around? The thought excited Zachary as much as traveling to a new continent did.

"Shut your mouth, Zachary! Do you want to go on blind dates forever? Or do you want to take over your family business?" Joseph shot back. Zachary didn't arrange the woman for him, so there was no need to tell him anything. Zachary was a blabbermouth, after all.

The phone was silent on the other end, and Zachary got Joseph's unspoken threat. He quickly fawned over him and said, "Joseph, don't do that to me! I have no idea what you're talking about. If it makes you feel better, I can help you find out which woman dared to enter your room last night."