Chapter 1

"...Slow down, I can't take it anymore..."

Her delicate fingertips dug into the man's broad back, leaving red marks.

Wendy Moore's voice had gone hoarse from crying out before she was finally let go.

The alcohol and the drugs had worn off. Now, exhaustion washed over her.

She quietly pushed away the man's arm draped across her waist and got out of bed on shaky legs to get dressed.

After being drugged last night, she'd stumbled into his room. The lighting was dim then, and he seemed drunk too, breathing heavily, his body burning hot.

It wasn't until after their one-night stand that she got a clear look—she'd just slept with William Ford, the ruthless head of the Ford Group.

He had no use for women. No tolerance for betrayal. And no mercy for those who schemed against him.

She'd heard plenty of rumors—women who got close to him, who tried to seduce him, either disappeared or met terrible ends.

Sure, she was also a victim of being drugged, but what happened had happened. She couldn't explain it away.

Wendy felt that even if she ran, he'd track her down and make her pay.

But she had to try escaping anyway—what if he didn't remember what she looked like?

Besides, she had a fiancé from an arranged marriage. If this got out, the Moore family would be affected, too.

After leaving the hotel, she realized the diamond necklace around her neck was gone.

Good thing it was fake diamonds, otherwise she couldn't afford to replace them.

She got a hotel room, took a shower, changed clothes, and only then went home.

At six in the morning, Wendy's sister Shirley Moore was already up doing yoga in the villa's living room. Seeing her, she looked surprised: "You weren't home last night?"

Wendy nodded guiltily, her eyes darting: "I ran into my college roommate at the reception, we talked really late, so I just crashed at her place."

"By the way." She touched her neck. "Shirley, I lost the necklace. I'm sorry."

"It was cheap, don't worry about it." Shirley smiled with her eyes crinkling. "You still have to go to the expo today, better get ready. I revised your proposal again last night and left it on your desk. Remember to look at it."

Wendy breathed a sigh of relief, thanked her, and turned to go upstairs.

When she turned eighteen, her family discovered she wasn't their biological child. Shortly after, Shirley was brought back into the family.

But she was lucky—her parents didn't play favorites. While compensating Shirley, they didn't shortchange her either. The two sisters always received equal treatment.

The sisters got along well, too. Shirley had a sharp business mind and would help her with work, even lending her necklaces for receptions.

"Wendy."

As Wendy went upstairs, Shirley suddenly called out to her.

Her tone seemed meaningful: "If one day we both fell for the same guy, would you compete with me for him?"

"What?" Wendy hadn't expected that question. She tilted her head. "What are you thinking? I only go for hot but empty-headed guys. Trust me, that's definitely not your type."

She smiled: "But if that day really came, I definitely wouldn't compete with you! So many things should have been yours to begin with, but ended up in my hands..."

Shirley's eyes darkened. She cut her off: "Being switched at birth wasn't your fault."

Wendy kept smiling until she closed her bedroom door, only then allowing herself to relax.

No matter what, they ultimately had no blood relation—just strangers who'd only known each other for two or three years.

Maintaining a fragile friendship was hard. Breaking it was easy.

She shook her head to stop thinking about it, changed into a long dress, and continued revising the proposal, planning to finish before eight and head to the venue.

The expo was crowded. She was speaking on behalf of a newly established tech company under the Moore Group, scheduled fourth.

The presentation went smoothly. As Wendy walked off stage, she glanced at the audience and suddenly locked eyes with a pair of dark, brooding eyes.

Her back stiffened instantly, and she nearly twisted her ankle.

It was William!

She shifted her gaze away as quickly as possible, trying to look calm, but Wendy could still feel the cold stare fixed on her.

Could he have recognized her?

She returned to her seat almost robotically, and before she could catch her breath, a man with a badge came to invite Wendy to the lounge on William's behalf.

In the lounge.

Today, his dark black suit made him look noble, his features even more striking and sharp under the bright lights.

Unlike last night's burning aggression in the darkness, he now radiated an unapproachable coldness, his eyes deep and unreadable.

Wendy greeted him nervously: "Hello, Mr. Ford."

"The low-power sensor module in your proposal—what's the lowest you can push the cost?"

Wendy froze for a second, seeing the freshly printed document in William's hand. Only then did she realize he'd asked her here purely because he was interested in her project, not because of last night's one-night stand.

Her heart sank, then she began speaking confidently. Because she was well-prepared, she quickly hit her stride—clear logic, steady pace, her eyes unconsciously showing confidence and brightness.

"Not a bad idea." That was William's assessment.

They moved slightly closer. The familiar aftershave scent entered Wendy's nose again. She noticed an extremely faint red mark below his ear and suddenly remembered biting him there last night while holding his face.

Her heart started racing wildly. She forced herself not to step back. She absolutely couldn't let William see her guilt! Even if he really recognized her, she had to deny it to the death!

"I feel like I've seen you somewhere before," he said.

Wendy sucked in a breath, struggling to keep her expression steady: "R-really?"

"Last year's charity gala." William continued, "John Moore's daughter?"

"Yes." Wendy's voice was starting to shake.

So he wasn't hinting at last night's one-night stand.

"I have indeed met Mr. Ford a few times at receptions before. I didn't expect you'd remember me."

William asked again: "Would you be willing to bring your project to the Ford Group for deeper cooperation?"

This was an invitation for her to bring her entire project team to work at the Ford Group, wasn't it?

For the Moore family, this was obviously an excellent offer, but it also meant she'd be working in the same building as William from now on.

If he noticed something off and discovered that the woman who had the one-night stand with him was actually his employee, what would happen?

"You can take your time thinking about it." Seeing her silence, William didn't push. He gestured for his assistant to hand over a business card. "Just respond within a week."

The card had the official phone number for the Ford Group's secretarial team.

"Okay, okay, thank you, Mr. Ford." Wendy reached out to take the card. Her delicate hand contrasted sharply with the black card, and a crescent-shaped red mark on it was particularly obvious.

It was from last night when she kept clawing at William. Unable to take it anymore, he'd grabbed her hand and bitten it as punishment.

Wendy jerked her hand back like she'd been shocked. The card fell to the floor.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry..."

Wendy's voice trembled as she quickly crouched down to pick up the card while tugging at her sleeve.

"I'll definitely get back to you as quickly as possible."

William caught sight of that scratch mark and said calmly, "I hope we can work together well."

When she looked up again, Wendy only saw William's retreating figure.

She practically fled the convention center.

The sun was bright outside, but all she felt was cold sweat soaking her clothes.

Her mind seemed possessed, replaying last night's scenes over and over, impossible to shake off—the burning body temperature in the dim light, his heavy breathing... and today, his calm, scrutinizing gaze.