Chapter One: A Night to Forget

CALISTA

“Stop... please, stop,” I said, my voice shaky, barely above a whisper.

He didn’t stop. Instead his hand drew circle underneath my gown.

“Your age,” he rasped, his deep voice rough with need. His breath fanned over my neck, making me shiver.

I hesitated, my body trembling beneath his. “Eighteen,” I finally said, my words hitching.

“Good,” he murmured, his lips brushing against the edge of my jaw. “You’re already an adult. That means I don't have to hold back." My mind screamed at me to run, but my body wouldn't move. There was something about him, something magnetic and dangerous, that kept me rooted to the spot. "You're beautiful," he murmured, his fingers brushing against my cheek.

I swallowed hard, my pulse racing. His words sent a jolt of something I didn’t recognize through me. My mind screamed for me to push him away, to run, but my body wouldn’t listen. The weight of him pinned me to the soft bed, and I could feel the heat radiating off him.

How did I get here?

The memory of earlier in the evening came rushing back.

Lila.

It was her idea to come to this stupid party, dragging me out of the house with promises of “one last hurrah” before I left for college. She’d insisted I needed this, that it was time to live a little.

“Come on, Calista,” she’d said, her eyes sparkling with as she adjusted the glittery mask on my face. “It’s just a party. No one will even know it’s you. You can finally let loose without all the judgment.”

Judgment. That word stuck with me.

For as long as I could remember, judgment had been the backdrop of my life. My parents, once loving and doting, had turned cold and distant when I was ten. That was when the truth came out—I wasn’t their real daughter. I was the result of a hospital mix-up, a mistake.

From that moment on, I became the outsider in my own family. My adoptive parents barely acknowledged me. My sister ignored me. And the real daughter they lost? She became a ghost who overshadowed my existence.

The only place I’d ever felt safe was with Lila, my best friend. She was my escape, my anchor. So when she begged me to come to this party, I gave in.

I didn’t belong here, though. I knew that the moment we stepped into the grand mansion, the bass from the music rattling the walls. The people were glamorous, confident, carefree. Nothing like me.

I’d wandered off at some point, looking for an escape from the noise. That’s when I found him. Or maybe he found me.

I didn’t know his name. I didn’t know who he was beneath the black mask that covered half his face. But I could feel his presence, overpowering and magnetic. His eyes, dark and intense, seemed to pierce through me, stripping away every layer of defense I had.

His voice brought me back to the present, low and commanding. “Don’t fight it,” he said, his hands sliding over my arms.

I wanted to fight. I wanted to run. But I couldn’t move. Maybe it was the way he looked at me, like was the only person in the world. Or maybe it was the thrill of being wanted, even if it was by a stranger. Either way, I stopped resisting.

His lips found mine, firm and demanding. My protests died in my throat, replaced by a mix of fear and something else—something I didn’t want to admit.

His hands roamed over my body, his touch igniting sensations I’d never felt before. My breath hitched as his fingers brushed against the most intimate part of me.

“Wait—” I managed to say, my voice trembling. “Use protection.”

He stilled for a moment, his dark eyes locking onto mine. “Don’t worry,” he said, his voice softer now but no less intense. “I can’t have an heir.”

I didn’t understand what he meant, but there was no time to ask. His lips were on mine again, and all rational thought slipped away.

The night blurred into a haze of heat and sensation. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. All I could do was feel.

---

The sunlight streaming through the curtains woke me.

For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. The room was unfamiliar, the air heavy with the remnants of last night. Then it all came rushing back.

I turned my head and saw him lying beside me, his chest rising and falling steadily. His face was still covered by the mask, his dark hair messy against the pillow.

I didn’t know his name.

I didn’t know anything about him.

My heart raced as I slowly sat up, trying not to wake him. My dress was crumpled on the floor, and I grabbed it, slipping it on as quietly as I could.

That’s when I noticed it—a tattoo on his forearm. A phoenix, its wings spread wide, the design wrapping around his muscular arm.

I froze, the image burning itself into my memory.

I couldn’t stay.

Without looking back, I bolted out of the room. My heels clicked against the marble floor as I ran down the hallway, my heart pounding in my chest.

I didn’t stop until I was outside, the cool morning air hitting my face like a slap.

It was just a night, I told myself. One night meant to be forgotten.

But deep down, I knew it wouldn’t be that simple.