Fail To Resist Your Temptation

The curtains of the French windows were tightly drawn, but the morning light managed to filter in through the thick layer of cloth. Save for those few specks of light, the whole room was immersed in ambiguous darkness.

Ding, ding, ding!

The phone alarm broke the silence in the room.

Shirley Rui had a blackout the previous night. She frowned and opened her eyes. There was a dull ache in her legs. She stretched out her hand to touch it, but her hand grazed something else, or rather, someone else.

She sat up with a jolt!

Shirley Rui realized that she was naked under the quilt. When she turned around, she saw a man lying beside her!

Something snapped inside her.

Fragments of memories from last night flooded her mind.

The revelry at the clubhouse, the raucous music, countless glasses of wine. It was not until she was pissed drunk that she went back to the hotel. What had happened after that? She searched her brain for answers.

How did she end up in the same bed with a strange man?

The man beside her opened his eyes.

He saw the shocked look on Shirley Rui's face and sneered. He pushed off the quilt and stood up without hesitation, completely confident in his skin, not to mention his sculpted body.

Shirley Rui quickly averted her gaze, unwilling to make eye contact with him. She didn't even get a good look at his face. She asked in a trembling voice, "Who, who are you? Why are we here? Last night...... What happened?"

The man chuckled, his deep voice hoarse and sexy from sleep. "What do you think happened?" he asked, raising one eyebrow.

No explanation was required. Shirley Rui understood.

A man and a woman in the same room? Naked? It was easy to put two and two together.

Shirley Rui's face turned pale.

She had slept with another man.

What about Baldwin Xu? She had cheated on the man she was going to marry. How would she face him?

How could she explain to him?

Shirley Rui's mind was in a mess. She had a fiance who she loved and yet she had spent a night with a strange man in a strange city.

She bit her lower lip tightly and squeezed her eyes shut, wanting to erase the memories of previous night's debauchery. She was racked with pain and guilt.

Shirley Rui swiped the screen of her phone and her fingers hovered on the name "Baldwin Xu" for a long time. Her hands were shaking. She did not have the courage to press the call button.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated.

A WeChat message popped up.

She had a picture message from Lana Rui.

Shirley Rui clicked it and the image opened instantly. Her pupils contracted and her jaw dropped.

The picture was blurry as it was taken in a dim room. Even so, she could make out the two people in the photo.

Lana Rui clung to a man's bare chest. Her white shoulders were half exposed. It was an intimate gesture.

The handsome man, against whom she snuggled, was smiling lovingly. Shirley Rui was very familiar with those soulful eyes.

It was none other than Baldwin Xu! Her fiance. The love of her life!

Shirley Rui was clenching the phone so tightly that her fingertips had turned white and her face turned ashen.

There was a voice message along with the picture. Lana Rui's voice came from the other end of the line

"Sis, how was your business trip? When will you come back?

By the way, I have some good news for you. I'm getting married to Baldwin in two days! He said he loves me and couldn't live without me. I'm sorry. Please let me have him, my dear sister. Hope you can make it back in time for our wedding. Bye!"

Lana Rui's sweet voice was filled with petulance and evil charm as if she was just a little girl asking for a toy.

Shirley Rui sank onto the mattress slowly, hugged her knees, and rocked back and forth to absorb the blow she had just received.

She couldn't believe it. Baldwin Xu. His name danced in front of her eyes. The memories related to this name used to be so sweet.

Flashbacks of their love story replayed in her mind like a movie.

Baldwin Xu had pursued Shirley Rui since college. They would meet often after work. He was always polite and courteous, but there was undisguised tenderness in his eyes.

Shirley Rui had always been indifferent towards love and she didn't lower her guard immediately. But Baldwin Xu did not rush her. He was kind, considerate, and patient.

Shirley Rui was neglected as a child in her family. Her young sister, Lana Rui, and her stepmother, Haley Zhou, alienated her in every way, while her biological father, Dan Rui, always took her unruly and wayward sister's side.

Baldwin Xu seamlessly filled the void in Shirley Rui's heart that was created by her family.

Gradually, she got used to Baldwin Xu's gentle company.

She still remembered the night before her business trip so clearly. Baldwin Xu had asked her out for a walk by the river. He had held her hand, and his eyes were aglow with excitement as he proposed to her. He had told her that he wanted to get engaged as soon as she returned.

Shirley Rui recalled turning scarlet and lowering her head. She had shyly blurted, "Okay!" She was overjoyed!

Never in her wildest dreams had she thought it would end like this. His vows were lies. Baldwin Xu couldn't control himself for the few days that Shirley Rui was away on a business trip. He had fallen for Lana Rui's trap and slept with her!

The sound of the running water in the bathroom suddenly brought Shirley Rui back to the present. She remembered that the stranger from last night was still in the room.

The man whose face she didn't dare to look at, had already slept with her.

Shirley Rui had dreamed of a happy life with her fiance, but now he was going to give that same life to her sister instead.

How ironic!

Shirley Rui's eyes stung. She gritted her teeth as she struggled to hold back her tears. She quickly grabbed her clothes, which were scattered on the bed, and put them on hurriedly. Then she ran out of the hotel without looking back.

Three days later, the most luxurious five-star hotel in A City was abuzz with activity.

Luxury cars zipped into the hotel's parking lot one after another. The ballroom smelled heavenly, and guests were milling about, talking in hushed tones. Champagne flowed freely, and the entire banquet hall was decorated with flowers and balloons. The atmosphere was lively.

A grand wedding was about to be held here.

The daughter of the Rui family was going to be wedded to a young, talented man with a little fame in the construction industry. It was a fantastic networking opportunity for the Rui family, who had invited the cream of society in A city. Everyone knew that Dan Rui loved his daughter very much, so he spared no expense to put together an extravagant wedding ceremony for her.

Suddenly, a taxi stopped at the gate of the hotel. The person who stepped out attracted many people's attention.

She wore a simple pearl-white dress, high-heeled shoes, and carried a handbag. Her hair was rolled up into a high bun, revealing her long neck. A platinum chain adorned her creamy collarbones. Her small, pointed chin was slightly raised, revealing a trace of pride. Her eyes were like two drops of honey.

Her beauty was breathtaking.

This head-turning woman was Shirley Rui.

She heard snatches of conversation from the guests but chose not to pay attention to it as it was undoubtedly malicious talk. Her eyes fell on the huge wedding photo placed at the entrance.

A bitter smile tugged at the corners of Shirley Rui's mouth.

It turned out that when Baldwin Xu said he wanted to be with her for all his life, it was just a hollow promise.

Dan Rui, who was standing at the door of the banquet hall, spotted Shirley Rui walking up the stairs. He frowned irritably. "Your sister is getting married today. Why are you so late?" he demanded gruffly.

Shirley Rui couldn't get herself to say the word "Dad". She paused and croaked, "There was a traffic jam on the way here."

Dan Rui snorted angrily. "Why didn't you leave home earlier? You are becoming more and more disrespectful! Come in quickly!" he hissed.

Before Shirley Rui could say anything more, she saw Lana Rui in her bridal attire. She was walking towards them arm in arm with Baldwin Xu.

The groom was dressed in a pristine white suit. He looked gentle and elegant. Lana Rui leaned against him coyly, her delicate face glowing.

She greeted Dan Rui sweetly and then gave a triumphant look to Shirley Rui. With the fake smile still affixed on her face, Lana said cloyingly, "My sister is finally here!"

Dan Rui noticed some new guests strolling towards him and his sullen expression immediately transformed into a pleasant one. He turned to look at Shirley Rui again and felt a fire burning in his heart. 'It would have been better if my disgraceful daughter had not attended this wedding,' he thought to himself angrily.

More guests started pouring in and no one paid attention to Shirley Rui. After all, this was not her big day. When Lana was leaving, she shot a look of pure contempt and mockery at her poor sister.

Shirley Rui choked back her tears.

Dan had showered Lana with the love and kindness that was alien to Shirley.

Ever since Shirley's mother ran away from home, she had become a dispensable resource in the Rui family. She was a joke.

She was very young when her mother left home, so she only had a faint impression of her. Shirley's mind wandered back to the time when her parents began quarreling fiercely. Unable to bear it anymore, her mother left the young Shirley and ran away from home. Perhaps Dan's hatred for Shirley was due to his anger towards her mother.

Soon after Haley Zhou had swooped down and married Dan, she gave Shirley a younger sister.

Lana was the apple of Dan's eye. Shirley was his eldest daughter but he had always been impassive towards her.

Even though Shirley was used to Lana's trickery and her father's apathy, the sight before her still stung.

Whenever Shirley found something she loved, Lana would try to snatch it from her. Her father's love, her family, and now even Baldwin Xu was taken away by her so easily.

Shirley stared at the flowers clustered around the two glittering names: "Baldwin Xu, Lana Rui". Then she lowered her head and shook the glass in her hand. Her eyes gradually turned cold.

By now almost all the guests had arrived. The banquet hall was filled with revelry and clinking of glasses. However, all the camaraderie and warmth were superficial. These events were full of false flattery and hypocritical socializing. Shirley sat in the remotest corner of the hall. No one looked at her and she was happy to be alone.

However, there was one person who refused to leave her alone.

"Hey, sister! I haven't seen you for a long time and you are hiding here."

Lana's shrill voice pierced the air. People immediately stopped talking and looked at them.

Lana looked enchanting. Her fishtail skirt accentuated her sultry figure. Her makeup was bold and eye-catching. She had one hand curled around Baldwin Xu's arm, showing off her gorgeous diamond ring.

Shirley smiled and raised her glass to the couple. "I wish you a happy married life," she toasted, as the words sliced through her like a knife.

Lana smiled, "I knew it. My sister could never be so stingy with her blessings for us!"

She was mocking Shirley for being jealous of her younger sister's marriage. More and more people gathered around them to watch the fun.

"Of course not," Shirley replied with a graceful smile. "My brother-in-law is young and talented, and he loves you deeply. As your elder sister, I'm very happy for you."

Lana lowered her head and touched her diamond ring. "Really? I must have misunderstood you. When I saw you hiding in the corner, I thought you were uncomfortable," she said snidely.

The guests surrounding them began to whisper. "That's right. It's her sister wedding and not only was she late, but she was also hiding in a corner and not speaking to anyone..."

"She must be jealous! Her younger sister is getting married before her, after all. She must be feeling left out."

Shirley frowned slightly. She had no intention of getting into a debate with Lana, but it seemed that Lana wouldn't let her be in peace.

"Sister, why aren't you saying anything?" Lana said innocently, "I'm sorry, sister. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

As Lana spoke, she sauntered over to Shirley. With a sweet smile, she continued, "I apologize to you right here, right now. Please, sis, it's my wedding day. Can you forgive me?"

Shirley took a step back warily, but it was too late.

Suddenly Lana shrieked and fell backward!

Baldwin immediately stepped forward and supported Lana by the waist. Lana collapsed weakly in his arms and looked at Shirley in disbelief.

"Sis, I know you like Baldwin and you admire our relationship, but I'm the one he loves and love can't be forced!"

cried Lana, biting her lower lip as her big eyes filled with crocodile tears. Her body trembled slightly and she looked frail and distressed.

"Sis, I know you are so depressed today. I can understand that you just wanted to give vent to your anger. You can treat me however badly you want today, as long as you promise to stay away from Baldwin in the future." Lana had played her cards right. She played the role of damsel in distress perfectly.

Baldwin comforted his wife softly. Then he looked up at Shirley with disappointment and said, "Shirley, Lana is your younger sister! How can you push her like this?"

Shirley felt her heart lurch. She clenched her fists, digging her fingernails into her palms. People began whispering frenetically.

"So the elder sister likes her own brother-in-law."

"She looks so innocent and poised, but she is so vicious. She is trying to break up her younger sister's relationship."

"Yeah, she is just frustrated because she didn't succeed in seducing her brother-in-law!"

A hint of victory flashed across Lana's eyes, but her voice was meek. "Baldwin, don't blame my sister. She acted on impulse because she is so unhappy. I don't blame her," Lana whimpered.

"I saw the whole thing clearly. Miss Shirley didn't even touch you. Why are you accusing her falsely? On the contrary, Mrs. Lana, You are responsible for all this drama!"

Came a deep, magnetic voice from behind.

Shirley spun around in astonishment.

A handsome face came into view. The man's profile was sharp and his facial features were gorgeous. He exuded a natural aura of nobility. His lips were pressed into a thin line, and even though the corners of his mouth were up, there was a dangerous edge to his expression. The tall man, who was standing outside the crowd, cut a dapper figure in his sleek suit. No emotion could be seen in his deep eyes.

The gossip quickly subsided, as if there was some kind of tacit understanding, and the crowd parted to make way for him.

Dan, who was chatting happily with his guests, also rushed over.

He was overjoyed to see the mystery man.

The man was Albert Yuan, the future heir of the YS Group, the largest financial group in A City. He was also the most eligible bachelor in A City. Not to mention his illustrious family, including Howard Yuan, his uncle who was a state-level official.

When Dan extended the invitation to Albert Yuan, never in his wildest dream did he imagine that this prominent personality would grace his daughter's wedding.

Dan was thrilled that Albert Yuan had come.

If the Rui family could forge a partnership with this man, they would live a life of luxury in the years to come.

"Mr. Albert, welcome! We are so honored by your presence," Dan said, trying to suck up to him. He had a stupid grin plastered on his face as he walked up to Albert Yuan to escort him inside.

Albert Yuan smiled politely, but there was no friendliness in his voice. "Mr. Dan," he greeted coldly. Casting a scornful glance at Lana, Albert Yuan then turned to look at Shirley.

He nodded politely to her and said, "Nice to meet you, Miss Shirley!"

Looking at the stranger in front of her, Shirley wondered whether she had ever met him but couldn't recall, although she felt that he looked familiar.

For some reason, she felt that there was some hidden meaning in his eyes.

When Albert Yuan had made the comment on Lana's drama, everyone had burst into laughter. Lana's face had turned red after her trick being disclosed in public. In her anger, she forgot about her victim act. "It was she who pushed me. How can you say that I framed her?"

Baldwin took a deep breath. It was too late to stop Lana. Albert Yuan sneered, "Since Mrs. Lana doesn't remember, we can check the surveillance video to uncover the truth."

Lana was stunned. She knew that Shirley didn't touch her. If they checked the surveillance video in front of everyone, she would be humiliated!

It suddenly dawned on the guests that it was not Shirley who was jealous of her sister. Instead, it was the other way around. Lana wanted to slander Shirley in public!

Albert Yuan's words made Dan's head spin. Dan couldn't lose his temper in front of this important man. He glared at Lana and said, "What is all this, Lana? Apologize to your sister right now!"

Dan didn't understand why Albert was trying to protect Shirley but it didn't matter, because he couldn't afford to offend the Yuan family.

Lana was used to getting her way always, and Dan never gave her a hard time. So now when her father took Shirley's side, she was astounded. "Dad, did I hear you wrong? You want me to apologize to her? Why should I apologize to a woman who has seduced men everywhere?"

Everyone's curiosity was piqued.

Lana's statement not only insulted Shirley but also offended Albert indirectly.

Albert looked at Dan with a mocking smile and commented, "Mr. Dan, you do teach your daughter well."

Dan was so embarrassed his face became hot.

He glared at Lana sullenly and then he turned to Albert, putting on a flattering smile. "Mr. Albert, I'm sorry. This way, please. Let me offer you a drink..."

"No, thanks!" Albert cut in and said coolly, "Mr. Dan, if you have the time, why don't you teach your younger daughter some manners?"

He glanced around the crowd and his eyes rested on Shirley for a moment. Then he averted his gaze quietly. More and more people began to approach Albert. Although he greeted everyone with a polite smile, there was deep darkness in his eyes.

He didn't need to say anything else to Dan. Just a glance was enough to drive home the point that the Rui family had annoyed him.

Beads of sweat rolled down Dan's back, and his weak explanations died on his lips. He watched helplessly as Albert marched out.

"Dad!" yelled Lana, who didn't dare to utter a word while Albert was there. "Even if I was rude just now, you can't ask me to apologize to her in front of so many people," she spat. Shooting a savage look at Shirley, she asked, "Does she deserve it?"

Looking at his daughter, Dan sighed. "You are so spoiled that you don't even know how to speak properly! Do you know who that man was?" he asked in exasperation.

Then Dan turned to Shirley. "Tell me the truth. What's your relationship with Mr. Albert?" he demanded.

That man was Albert Yuan. Why did he take up for Shirley?

Lana said arrogantly, "When Mr. Albert left, he didn't even say goodbye to her. What does she have to do with him? He just felt sorry for her. Dad, don't be fooled by Shirley!"

When Dan thought about the two of them and Shirley's reaction, he became furious. "It's bad enough that you don't add any value to our family business, now you are making trouble everywhere! If you want to be part of the Rui family, you will go on a blind date tomorrow!"

The party ended soon after that on a bitter note. Shirley walked out of the hotel alone, trying to avoid all the intrusive eyes.

She stood by the road, waiting to find a taxi.

Suddenly, a silver Bentley stopped in front of her.

The window rolled down, and a handsome man's face was revealed. His chin was sharp, like a statue.

"Where are you going? Come on, I'll give you a ride," he said.

Shirley looked around subconsciously to see if he was talking to someone else, but found no one standing around her. Shirley thought for a while and refused, "No, that's okay. I can take a taxi." After a pause, she added, "Thank you."

As if Albert didn't hear Shirley, he offered again, "Get in the car."

His authoritative tone made most people cower and obey.

It was no different for Shirley. She hesitated for a moment but finally conceded. She opened the door and got in.

Albert drove silently, showing no inclination to talk to Shirley. The cramped space in the car and the impassive expression on the man beside her made Shirley a little uncomfortable.

She stalled for a long time before speaking carefully, "Thank you...for today."

She was grateful to him for defending her while everyone stood by and watched the show.

Albert didn't respond. He stopped the car at the red light. "Seat belt," he said shortly.

Shirley looked down and realized that she was so nervous that she had forgotten to fasten her seat belt.

She blushed, feeling silly.

A long silence stretched out in the car. The chilly night wind blew in through the car window, making Shirley feel cold. She sneezed.

Without looking at her, Albert closed the window.

A lump formed in her throat.

Few people had shown her such kindness since she was a child. Her so-called family had never cared about her.

Shirley's eyes slowly turned misty. She lowered her head slightly and bit her lower lip to prevent herself from sobbing. Tears brimmed in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to allow them to fall.

She was used to withholding pain and grief in her heart. After all, no one would feel sorry for her.

However, her body trembled uncontrollably. Albert gave her a sidelong glance and frowned. "Are you okay?"