Chapter One: The Unexpected

Aria felt her limbs grow heavier as a strange fog clouded her mind. She blinked slowly, her vision swimming, and tried to focus on the man who had just entered the dimly lit hotel room. Her supposed boyfriend, Ethan, leaned casually against the doorframe, an unsettling smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. The sight of him sent a chill down her spine, and despite the haze overtaking her thoughts, the primal urge to escape surged through her.

She struggled to move, every fiber of her being fighting against the numbing sensation creeping through her veins. Ethan approached her slowly, his eyes gleaming with dark intent. He had drugged her. It was the only explanation for the dizziness, the way her muscles refused to obey her commands.

"Don't fight it, Aria," Ethan murmured in a low voice, his fingers tracing her cheek in a way that made her skin crawl. "You'll be fine. Just relax."

Panic surged through Aria's chest, She could barely lift her arms, but she clawed at the bedsheets, using every ounce of her strength to push him away.

igniting the last bit of energy she had left. She tried to sit up, her movements sluggish and disoriented.

"Please," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Don't do this."

Ethan chuckled darkly, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear as if he were doing something tender rather than predatory.

"You're making this harder than it has to be," he said, his grip tightening on her arm as he moved closer. "You should be grateful. After tonight, you'll owe me."

That statement snapped something inside Aria. Through the fog of drugs and confusion, a flicker of clarity cut through. No. She wouldn't let him take advantage of her like this.Fear surged within her, pushing through the fog in her mind as she managed to hit him with the bedstand lamp and kick him in the stomach. With all the strength she could muster, Aria jerked her body away from him, her limbs flailing awkwardly as she attempted to stand.

"Let go of me!" she screamed, her voice cracking with fear and desperation.

Ethan's smirk faltered as she fought back, but he quickly recovered, grabbing her wrist with bruising force.

"You think you can get away from me?" he growled. "You're mine, Aria."

Desperation gave her an adrenaline rush, and somehow, despite the drugs, Aria managed to break free from his grasp. Stumbling toward the door, she nearly tripped over her own feet as the room spun wildly around her. She needed to get out. Now. She wasn't thinking about where she would go or who could help her—all she knew was that she had to escape.

Her breath came in ragged gasps as she threw herself out into the hotel corridor, the cool air momentarily clearing her head. She had no idea where she was going; the world around her felt unreal, like she was trapped in some surreal nightmare. But she had to keep moving.One step. Another.

She sprinted down the hallway, her legs wobbling beneath her, her vision blurring further with each step. Just when she thought she couldn't go any farther, her unsteady steps betrayed her, and she stumbled forward. In that desperate moment, she collided with something firm yet gentle.

A pair of Strong arms wrapped around her, steadying her. Aria blinked up, her vision blurring between the real and the surreal.

Gasping for breath, she looked up at the man she had run into. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and impeccably dressed, his dark hair neatly styled and his features sharp and aristocratic. His eyes were the color of storm clouds, and for a fleeting moment, Aria thought she saw a flicker of recognition in them, though her mind was too clouded to grasp why.For a split second, an image of a boy from her childhood flashed before her eyes

"I—I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. "I didn't mean to—"

Before she could finish her sentence, her knees gave way, and she slumped against him, unconscious, the drug finally taking its full toll.

The man stood still, holding her gently in his arms. His brows furrowed as he glanced down at the woman who had just collapsed into him. Something about her was oddly familiar, though he couldn't place why.But her scent...it was hauntingly familiar, stirring something deep within him that he couldn't quite grasp.

"Sir, are you alright?" came the concerned voice of Lucas, his personal assistant, who had been following behind him. wide-eyed and anxious, He had seen his boss's cold demeanor shatter at the mere touch of this stranger, and that was unheard of.

Alexander Sinclair, CEO of Sinclair Enterprises and one of the wealthiest men in the city, glanced over at Lucas, still holding the unconscious woman in his arms.

"I'm fine," Alexander replied, his voice steady but distant, as if he were lost in thought. Lucas wasn't convinced; Alexander had never allowed a woman this close before, much less hugged one in public. But there was something different about this girl—a strange, unexplainable connection that seemed to hold him in place.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted from the entrance. Ethan burst into the lobby, eyes wild as he stormed toward them.

"Aria! Where the hell did you run off to?"

It was the man who had been pursuing her. Alexander's grip on her instinctively tightened as he turned to face the approaching figure. Ethan stormed toward them, his face twisted with rage.

"Let her go," Ethan demanded, his voice low and menacing. "She's my fiancee."

Alexander's eyes narrowed, his expression calm but icy. "I don't think so."

Ethan's gaze shifted from Aria to Alexander, and though he didn't recognize the CEO, he clearly didn't like being defied.

"This isn't your business, buddy," Ethan sneered, stepping closer. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."

Alexander tilted his head slightly, a subtle smile playing at his lips. "Actually, I think it's you who doesn't know who you're dealing with."

As if on cue, a small army of black-clad bodyguards appeared behind Alexander, moving silently and swiftly to flank their boss. Ethan's confidence visibly faltered, but he wasn't ready to back down just yet.

"You don't know what she's done," Ethan said, pointing an accusatory finger at Aria. "She's a manipulative little—"

"Leave," Alexander interrupted, his voice as cold as steel. "Or I'll have you removed."

Ethan glanced nervously at the bodyguards, finally realizing he was outmatched. He scowled but took a step back, issuing one final warning as he retreated down the hallway.

"You'll regret this," he spat. "I'll be back, and when I am, you'll wish you hadn't interfered."

Alexander watched as Ethan disappeared, his anger simmering just below the surface,and his gaze softened slightly as he looked back at the unconscious woman in his arms, wondering how she had gotten herself into this mess—and why he felt such a strong need to protect her.

"Let's go," he said to Lucas. "We need to make sure she's safe."

Lucas followed behind, still in shock at how his boss—known for his intense gynophobia—had reacted so naturally to holding this woman. Something about Aria was different, but Lucas couldn't put his finger on what it was.

As they walked away, Alexander couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he had known Aria from somewhere before. But from where? And why couldn't he remember?For reasons he couldn't yet explain, he wasn't about to let her go. Not now. Not ever.