CHAPTER 1

She's alone again, Amora thought to herself as she said goodbye to Camila on the phone and hung up. She heard the door open and then close to announce her father's disappearance from the house again.

She clenched her fist, tears filled her eyes blinding her for a moment as she tried to control that feeling roaming inside of her already.

Why is she treated this way? Why can't he just stay with her for a while? But why would he when he hated to see her so badly?

"You should never have been born!" She could hear him cursing at her mother when she was still alive.

She wheeled around and stormed her way into her father's room.

Moon ray flooded the room through the curtains, she walked to the light switch and turned it on and light flooded the room.

She went to her father's drawer and threw it open, searching recklessly through the files and documents.

She didn't find anything tangible that she wanted. She went to her father's stand, then his bed, and raised his pillow, then she saw what she was looking for.

Dollars in clean currency! She reached for her bag and packed every currency into her bag.

"I will never come back." She mumbled to herself as she hurried away.

It was raining heavily outside but she didn't mind. Heavy droplets of rain on her body made her feel calmer and made her body ache to subside. Her feet were sore, she didn't realize she was barefoot until she was out of the house.

She was shaking and every headlight from every car in the middle of the road got her closing her eyes and moving out of the way as they sped past splashing some water on her.

She didn't stop walking, her body was wet and her clothes were gummed to her skin and she trudged on until she stopped in front of DAHALIA'S HOTEL, the biggest hotel in the area.

She walked in with her clothes dripping wet, "Uhm, can I get a room please?" She asked weakly while the receptionist scrutinized her with her eyes.

She reached for her wet bag and brought out the wet cash and they dripped off water until she kept them on the counter.

With a disgusted look on the receptionist's face, "No, you can't get a room here. This is not the kind of hotel where you just walk in looking like that and expect to get a room."

"Please, I really need a place I can crash my head for tonight." She said in a pleading voice. "Uhm…" she ransacked her bag to see if she could get more money out of it. She dolled out more cash and dropped them.

"I'm sorry young lady but we don't…"

"Is that how you treat your customers, receptionist?" A husky looking man intervened and she turned to take in the figure who spoke and at the same time, came towards her.

Her stomach sank when she took in the man's illuminating presence, tall, huge, and muscular. Wearing a black suit and his cologne feeling her nostrils made her feel calmer and more relaxed.

He was standing behind her making all her insides sway and quiver, she could feel the heat of his skin and the vibration of his body due to the cold. The hair on his arms grazed hers and goose bumps filled her skin immediately.

Her body has never reacted so positively to a man like this before. She turned to look at him to catch him staring at her all this while.

He looked away from her and turned to glare at the receptionist. "Why won't you attend to her?" he asked in a throaty voice.

Then he turned to her again, giving out a manly smile that barely showed off his teeth. He pulled off his coat and threw it around her, "You must be very cold." He said softly as he touched her shoulder and she melted.

No one has ever been soft to her. "Can't you see that she really needs a room here?"

The receptionist bowed to him, "I'm sorry but we were not…"

"And why can she not?" He interrupted harshly before descending his eyes on Amora again, "Isn't she a customer? Because she came in looking like this doesn't mean she can't be offered generous services?"

Was he speaking up on her behalf? …she thought, feeling thrilled.

"Mi dispiace signore." The receptionist apologized and gathered the money that Amora placed on the table earlier.

"Wait!" The man stopped the receptionist and turned to Amora, "Mind joining me in my room? You would be fine with me and I think you will need someone to vent to. I could see that in your eyes." He said his eyes were searching hers.

She softened, she relaxed on him while he booked a room with the receptionist.

"Thank you, sir." She said as he guided her away.

They took the elevator and Amora could feel his gaze on her all this time. She felt nervous, her legs began to get shaky, her stomach was watery, and she could feel him pulling close until he took hold of her jaw causing her to look up at his face.

"You walked in the rain and got yourself so wet." He uttered in a gruff voice which made her insides dance and leap in pleasure.

She tried to swallow but couldn't, the lump was hitched in her throat and wouldn't come up or go down. He came closer and brought his hand to touch her.

She stiffened when his hand touched her face, "You're sad. Why?"

She sobered when he heard his voice, "My father…" she began to cry again. He pulled her close and hugged her, patting her back.

"It's okay. You don't have to cry like this because of him."

"He doesn't love me at all. He never looked up at my face and cared about me. No one cares about me."

"But I'm here. I could care about you like you want."

He said, searching her wet eyes with his, she was still. She loved the warm feeling in the pit of her stomach because of him.

His presence was making her insides rumble and swim in pleasure. And the way he sounded, made her skin burn for his touch.

He lowered his gaze to her lips and she didn't know when she smacked her lips to stop the burn and yearning which had seeped into her mouth. She was trying to catch her breath.

"I can make your pain go away dear."He said as he pulled closer, her legs wobbled a bit and his hands were around her waist to give her a balance.

Just then, the elevator opened.