CHAPTER 1: A Night of Betrayal

The world spun around me as I stumbled out of the hotel room, my vision blurring at the edges. My skin felt on fire, every nerve ending aflame with an unnatural heat. This needed to be corrected. This was different from how my coming-of-age celebration was supposed to go.

I leaned heavily against the wall, trying to steady myself as I walked down the hallway. The plush carpet shifted beneath my feet, challenging each step. My mind raced, piecing together the fragments of the evening through the haze of whatever drug was coursing through my system.

Alex. It had to be Alex.

My stepsister's smug face flashed before my eyes, and a surge of anger gave me clarity. She had done this to me and drugged me at my party on the night that was supposed to mark my entry into adulthood. But why?

I shook my head, instantly regretting the action as nausea threatened to overwhelm me. I couldn't focus on the why right now. I needed to get out of here, to safety.

The elevator seemed miles away, but I forced myself to keep moving—one foot in front of the other, using the wall as a crutch. I could hear footsteps behind me, heavy and determined. Panic surged through me. Had Alex arranged for someone to take advantage of me in this vulnerable state?

I quickened my pace, my heart pounding in my chest. The elevator doors were just ahead, tantalizingly close. But the footsteps were getting louder and nearer. I wasn't going to make it.

In desperation, I veered to the side, stumbling through the first unlocked door I could find. I slammed it shut behind me, leaning against it and praying that my pursuer would pass by.

It took me a moment to realize I wasn't alone in the room. A man stood by the window, his silhouette striking against the city lights beyond. He turned, surprise evident in his posture.

"Water," I croaked, my throat painfully dry. "I need water."

The man didn't move, his voice cold when he spoke. "Get out."

Under normal circumstances, I might have been offended by his tone. I was Natalia Greer, after all. People didn't speak to me that way. But right now, all I could focus on was the burning need coursing through my body.

I staggered towards him, drawn by some primal instinct I couldn't explain. His breath ghosted across my skin as I got closer, like a lifeline in a storm. Without thinking, I climbed onto him, straddling his lap and pinning him to the chair he'd been sitting in.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he growled, his hands gripping my waist as if to push me away.

"Please," I gasped, struggling to form coherent thoughts. "I've been drugged. I don't... I can't..."

Before I could finish, my body acted of its own accord. I pressed my lips to him, desperate for relief from the fire. For a moment, he was rigid beneath me, unyielding. But then something changed. I felt him respond, his lips moving against mine with a passion that matched the intensity burning through my veins.

What happened next was a blur of sensations. Clothes being shed, skin against skin, gasps, and moans filling the air. It was as if we were lost in our world, where nothing existed beyond the two of us and the electricity crackling between our bodies.

When it was over, I collapsed against his chest, a mix of pain and relief washing over me. The drug's effects seemed to be fading, leaving me exhausted and sore. As consciousness slipped away, I felt strong arms wrap around me, holding me close.

I woke with a start, sunlight streaming through the windows and painting the unfamiliar room in a soft glow. For a moment, I was disoriented, struggling to remember where I was. Then it all came crashing back – the party, the drug, the desperate escape, and...

I turned my head slowly, my heart racing as I took in the man sleeping beside me. His face was turned away, but I could see the strong line of his jaw, the muscular arm draped over my waist. Memories of the night before flashed through my mind, flushing my cheeks.

Panic set in as the total weight of what had happened hit me. I had lost my virginity to a stranger in a drug-fueled haze. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. What would people say? What would my father think?

Moving as quietly as I could, I extricated myself from the man's embrace. I gathered my scattered clothes, dressing quickly and trying not to look at the sleeping figure on the bed. Part of me wanted to wake him, to explain or apologize or... something. But a more significant part just wanted to pretend this had never happened.

I slipped out of the room, my legs still a bit unsteady. The hallway was mercifully empty as I made my way to the elevator. It wasn't until I was in a taxi, speeding away from the hotel, that I allowed myself to breathe.

What had I done? How could I have let this happen? The questions swirled in my mind, bringing a fresh wave of shame and regret. I had always been so careful, so determined to save myself for the right moment. And now, all of that had been thrown away in one night.

As the taxi pulled up to the Greer mansion, I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. I could get through this. No one needed to know what had happened. I would just go to my room, shower, and try to forget the whole sordid affair.

But as I approached the front door, I heard something that made my blood cold. Laughter. Not just any laughter, but the distinct sound of Alex's voice, mixed with the deeper tones of Felix Scott – my fiancé.

I froze my hand on the doorknob. What were they doing here? And why did they sound so... happy?

Steeling myself, I pushed the door open, following the sound of their voices to the living room. The scene that greeted me was like a punch to the gut.

Alex was perched on the arm of a chair, leaning close to Felix. They both looked up as I entered, their smiles fading into expressions of surprise and... was that guilt?

"Natalia!" Felix exclaimed, standing up quickly. "Where have you been? We've been worried sick!"

I stared at him, trying to reconcile the concern in his voice with the intimate way he had been sitting with Alex just moments ago. "I... I wasn't feeling well," I managed to say, my voice sounding hollow to my ears.

Alex's eyes narrowed, a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. "Oh, poor thing. Was the party too much for you?"

Something in her tone, a hint of triumph, made my skin crawl. She knew. Somehow, she knew exactly what had happened to me.

"I'm fine," I said stiffly, fighting to keep composure. "I just need to rest."

Felix stepped towards me, reaching out as if to take my hand. "Let me help you to your room."

I flinched away from his touch, the memory of another man's hands on my body still fresh in my mind. "No, I can manage."

As I turned to leave, I caught sight of Alex's reflection in a mirror. The look on her face was one of pure satisfaction as if everything was going according to plan.

At that moment, I realized this was more than just a cruel prank. Alex had orchestrated this entire situation, from drugging me at the party to ensuring Felix would be here when I returned. But why? What could she possibly gain from all of this?

My head spinning with questions and accusations, I fled to the sanctuary of my room. As I sank onto my bed, tears finally breaking free, I knew that nothing would ever be the same again.

My coming-of-age day, meant to be a celebration of new beginnings, had instead become the start of a nightmare I couldn't begin to fathom.