Chapter 1: Heartbreaking Loss

After a long and exhausting day at the Urban Parlor restaurant, Tamara Sinclair was so excited to see her boyfriend, Henry Beauregard. The weariness just disappeared when she imagined being wrapped in his embrace.

It was the day she had been eagerly anticipating for months – her eighteenth birthday. Henry promised to pick her up and treat her to a candle-lit romantic dinner. Maybe, just maybe, there might have been a chance for another level of their relationship tonight. The intriguing idea caused her heart to skip a beat.

Her phone abruptly rang as she was about to go out, surprising her. When she heard the anxious voice on the other end of the telephone bringing life-altering news, she replied as her pulse was pounding and a strange feeling of fear rushed over her.

It was Aaron Whitlock, Henry's closest buddy. His voice was incredibly emotional.

"Tamara, I've got some terrible news!"

"Hey. What's up?"

"Um, Tamara... no idea how to say it, but... Henry..." His voice cracked with sorrow.

Tamara knitted her brows. "What's going on with him?"

"He was involved in a serious accident."

It was the most heartbreaking news in a moment that would remain in the back of her head for the rest of her life.

"Oh my goodness! Is he... is he alright?" Her voice was barely rising above a whisper as she gripped her phone tightly.

"It's horrible, Tamara. I'm sorry to tell you this, but Henry... he didn't make it."

Her heart delivered a sharp, agonizing shock when Aaron broke the bad news, knocking the breath out of her lungs. She was threatened with falling into an unbridgeable abyss of eternal terror and suffering as waves of shock and disbelief slammed against her flimsy composure.

The next days were heavy with sorrow and heartache. Her heart shattered into a million pieces as she tried to accept the reality that Henry, the love of her life, had gone. It felt like a cruel joke, a twisted plot twist in the story of their love. How could fate be so merciless? She couldn't wrap her mind around it, couldn't fathom a life without his warm presence by her side.

When the funeral day came, Tamara hardly had time to mourn her loss before she found herself at Beauregard's residence for the service.

She ended up in this extremely grave place, with a bunch of people with tear-stained faces and heavy hearts. Grief reverberated through the halls, mixed with the sounds of soft sobs and hushed words of comfort. The atmosphere was gloomy as everyone was feeling down in the dumps and reminiscing about good times with Henry.

Tamara was feeling so miserable and depressed as she stood with all the other mourners. She strained to breathe as the burden of sadness seemed crushing and almost choked her, so she decided to go outside and breathe some fresh air for a bit.

Walking into the Beauregard Estate, she couldn't help but feel both uneasy and enthralled. The foyer was very fancy, with high ceilings, intricate lighting, and shiny marble floors that looked more appealing with the decorative light fixtures. The space was so huge that it made her feel like a tiny speck in a world full of fancy stuff and rich people. The walls were all elaborate with fantastic wood carvings, whispering tales of generations past.

As she was about to step into the enchanting garden, a surprise harsh voice from behind a tall bush exclaimed, "Damn! You're so good!" And then, a woman's soft moans and chuckles followed, making the whole thing feel weird.

It was unexpected, especially with everyone mourning around. But you won't believe it—they started making out right there and then! Seriously, how heartless can they be?

Tamara was taken aback in shock. Her steps just came to a halt and she immediately began to consider her options.

Should she gather her courage and keep on walking, or should she retreat and turn back, avoiding whatever was waiting for her behind the bushes?

She was unsure, but her curiosity got the best of her and made her want to stay to find out where that noise was coming from.

Determined, she peeped out from the thick foliage, and what she saw shocked her.

In a cozy modern gazebo, tucked away among the lush greenery and conveniently located by the sparkling swimming pool, a guy in his prime, somewhere in his mid-30s, was entwined in a passionate embrace with a young, sexy woman. They plopped down on a fancy white couch, all decked out with fluffy cushions.

This woman looked beautiful, wearing a sleek black formal suit and alluring black stockings, which showed off her beautiful legs.

She seemed a bit worried and was pleading with the man.

“Don't do it here. I'm worried. Your brother might show up anytime. I'll be with you tonight. You can do whatever you want later..."

The man didn't seem to care. He caressed her body all over and said something nasty.

"No, I want you right now! You shouldn't be scared of my brother. He won't be your boss for long. I'm going to get rid of him from the company. You can follow me in the future, and I promise you'll have a good life..."

As the man seductively whispered, he lustfully pushed the woman onto the plush couch.

"I'm afraid someone might be coming..."

It wasn't their first rendezvous under the open sky, and they had grown quite accustomed to the thrill it brought.

The man pushed her into a soft, reclined reclined couch and then inserted his proud glory in the middle of her pleasure center. Both moan out of pleasure as they shared an intimate time together. The steamy scene took place right there in that corner of the garden.

Tamara was still standing in the flower garden, nervously twisting her fingers. She couldn't take hearing the moans and sighs any longer. As she was about to turn around, she accidentally bumped into a flower bush and fell face-first with her cheek against the ground.

Seeing the presence of other people, the man stopped their sexual encounter with a gloomy face. The woman was very upset, but she did not dare to show it.

This was probably the most awful straight-up hot scene in history since it ended before it reached the climax.

After she fell down, Tamara let out a muffled gasp of surprise, her heart racing from the unexpected fall. A feeling of embarrassment welled up within her as she realized the unfortunate predicament she had stumbled into.

She quickly pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, brushing dirt off her cheek and dress. Glancing around to make sure no one had witnessed her awkward fall, she took a deep breath and slowly rose to her feet, hoping to put the embarrassing moment behind her and continue on her way.

Just as Tamara was trying to walk away, a menacing figure popped out of the high hedges. His presence was so intense, leaving her frozen in her spot. And what really stunned her was that his boner was still hard and ready for another battle. He didn't even try to zip his pants.

Tamara was absolutely alarmed as she looked away and had a million thoughts in her brain.

“Who the hell are you?” He exclaimed, almost yelling at her. "You are spoiling the fun!”

“I should be asking you the question, sir. Why are you spoiling the solemn mood of the funeral?”

She didn't give a damn to his intense glare but she shot him back with a fierce look, like she was ready to take him down.

The hot chick popped out of the hedges later, looking all disheveled like she just rolled out of bed. Yeah, no surprise there!

"What’s up, darling?" The sexy woman asked with a coquettish tone as she stood absent-mindedly beside the intimidating man.

The way she spoke was totally disgusting. It was such a downer seeing her act like that in the middle of all this funeral. It seemed as if she didn't give a damn of showing respect.

As the woman adjusted her rumpled clothes, she looked like she had a wild night as her hair was all over the place, her lipstick was smeared around her lips, and her mascara was almost gone. And the small red spots on her neck, well, they definitely raised some questions.

Tamara couldn't help but notice that the woman's shirt was drooping down and showing off almost the top part of her extremely enticing boobs like two fully inflated balloons. She had a feeling they might be fake.

The man turned to the woman, furrowing his brows indifferently. "Just an intruder."

His response was blowing her off, like didn't give a damn about her being there or care about anything. He was just a cold-blooded man! She just couldn't believe it, how could someone be so chill in such a serious moment? What a shameless scoundrel that man was.

Being accused as an intruder, irritation surged within her. "What do you mean? I'm not some intruder here! I have every right to be at this funeral!"

The man clicked his tongue in disdain while the woman beside him stared at her with contempt. It was like they were both on the same page, looking down on Tamara and her objections. Their shared response only made her angrier and determined to confront them.

Everything was just a little too much for the sad place they were in. Her voice shook a little because she could no longer hide her contempt.

"Seriously? We're in the middle of a funeral service, but you're getting jiggy here."

"Whatever I do is none of your business!" he snapped, his harsh voice cutting through the air like a sharp blade.

His response was dismissive and laced with hostility, leaving Tamara taken aback by his lack of awareness. It was clear that he didn't care about how serious the situation was or how his actions might affect other people. It only made her more irritated and question his lack of concern.

The sexy woman rolled her eyes in disdain. "Ugh, why are you even bothered? It's just a funeral. Lighten up!" Her dismissive comment only added fuel to Tamara's annoyance, leaving her feeling even more exasperated with her lack of sensitivity.

The man turned his head and told the other woman in a commanding manner, "Faye, go now! I'll deal with her myself."

The hot chick nodded and mischievously kissed him on the lips before walking away. Then he shifted his attention back to Tamara.

Now, in the strangely quiet garden, only Tamara and the man remained. The air was filled with tension, and the silence was overwhelming. It completely terrified her. She began to worry about what kind of insane things may be going on since he seemed strange.

As the man sized her up intently from head to toe, Tamara shifted awkwardly, wondering what he was thinking.

A smug smile was playing on his lips as he spoke with arrogance and disdain. "You don't look like much."

Like a razor, his words sliced through the air.

Tamara used the moment their gazes locked to get a better look at him. He was a man in his early thirties, possessing sharp features that radiated an aura of confidence, or perhaps even arrogance.

She felt a chill come over her as his black gaze met with hers. He seemed much more menacing because of the way he looked—rugged and with a harsh scowl. Uncertain about his thoughts or intentions, it made her feel uneasy.