Chapter 001

I mumbled to myself, "You've got to be kidding me," as I stood outside the Belmore Hotel's magnificent ballroom and gazed through the glass doors. Inside, the setting was a haze of champagne glasses, laughter, and a level of sophistication that made you feel like a phony simply by entering. Nathan and Amelia's night was meant to be theirs. Their celebration of engagement.

I had once been in love with Nathan, and I had been friends with Amelia for years. A love that seemed to belong to someone else now. The love of a fool.

I wasn't planning on coming tonight. Not after everything. However, it had been so informal, almost like an afterthought: "Lola, come to the party. Without you, it won't be the same. I had gazed at it for too long, wondering if my life could return to something approaching normalcy. I ought to have removed that. I ought to have disregarded it. However, I found myself standing on the brink of the world that had ripped me apart.

Since high school, Amelia has been my closest friend. In addition to supporting one another through difficult breakups and even worse life decisions, we shared laughs and tears. And then she snatched him, which surprised me. Nathan. The man I believed I would wed. the person I had faith in. the person I cherished.

My heartbeat accelerated as I pulled the door open. With the high ceilings amplifying every laugh and glass clink, the noise level inside was deafening. But it wasn't the sound of their happiness that greeted me as I entered the room. It was seeing Amelia and Nathan standing in the middle of the ballroom, their hands clasped together as if they were the only two people there, their faces beaming with joy as they posed for photos.

I genuinely thought I would throw up for a second.

My throat caught the words. The injustice of it all made me want to scream and rage. However, I didn't. I was unable to. Rather, I turned to face the bar in the hopes that the booze would somehow make the pain in my chest go away. The pain of the betrayal was already more intense than I had anticipated.

A deep voice cut through my thoughts, "Something tells me you’re not here for the hors d’oeuvres." Startled, I tensed up. A tall, well-dressed guy stood next to me, his dark, penetrating eyes scanning my face, even though I hadn't seen anyone approaching.

"Excuse me?" My voice was sharper than I meant when I asked. He was unfamiliar—certainly not someone I knew in this affluent group.

He seems unfazed. Rather, he flashed a grin that was both self-assured and enigmatic, as if he knew something I didn't. Just "You’ve got the look," he said. "The look of someone who’s not supposed to be here."

Still attempting to comprehend his presence, I blinked. "And you are?"

"Yemi Kings." He reached out to me with a firm yet unforgiving hand. "CEO of Kings Industries." I recognized the name, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. The way he gazed at me as if he were studying me and looking for something hidden beneath the surface, diverted my attention too much.

I unwillingly accepted his hand, and I felt a weird chill when he touched me. "Lola Taylor."

His head cocked slightly. "Lola Taylor," he said again, perhaps relishing the moniker. "I’m guessing you’re not here to celebrate the happy couple."

I cringed at the way he stated it. He was observant and smart in a way that made me feel vulnerable. I turned back to the far side of the room and mumbled, "Not really," dropping my hand. I'm not supposed to be here. When I got the opportunity, I ought to have fled.

He followed my eyes and replied, "You know," "you're free to feel whatever you want. Their life is not yours.

I couldn't understand why his remarks hurt. Too exhausted to fight with a stranger who, to be honest, had no business comprehending my suffering, I muttered, "Maybe you're right."

However, his presence was oddly reassuring. Not the same. It was like a welcome change of pace in a stuffy environment.

As if revealing a secret, he lowered his voice and leaned closer. With his breath warm against my ear, he murmured, "What if I told you that I can make all of this go away, just for one night? Lola, you and I. No judgments, no inquiries. A single evening of... forgetfulness.

It should have seemed like an invasion when he spoke. I should have shied away from them. However, they didn't. Rather, they ignited something within me—a rash inclination, a desire to escape the bonds of treachery that had held me back for so long.

I turned to face him and met his gaze before I could stop myself. "And what exactly do you have in mind?"

Yemi's smile broadened, and there was no mischievous gleam in his eyes. He drew me gently toward the dance floor without saying another word. The steady cadence of the music seemed to reverberate around us, echoing my pounding heart.

I could feel the warmth of his body next to mine as we danced together, his firm hand on my back. With unanticipated confidence, he led me through the crowd while maintaining eye contact with me. And everything else seemed to vanish for a second, including Nathan, Amelia, and the grief.

Then he stopped when the music slowed. And there was only silence for a moment. His lips were inches from mine as his eyes softened.

Yemi said in a low, personal voice, "I'll tell you a secret." "Life is too short to spend it worrying about people who don’t deserve your time."

I didn't respond. I was unable to. Although the words stuck in my throat, my body was screaming for me to kiss him and, for a brief minute, forget the chaos of my life.

He then gave me a kiss.

It wasn't a tentative, slow kiss. It was intense and furious, like a fire starting inside of me. His lips meeting mine caused something inside of me to burst open, even if I hadn't anticipated it.

Breathless, my eyes wide, I withdrew. "What the hell was that?"

Yemi remained unflinching. He just grinned, his eyes full of laughter. "Exactly what you needed."

A hand grabbed my shoulder before I could reply, pulling me back into the unprepared reality.

"Nathan?" My heart sank when I turned to see the man I had once loved standing behind me, his expression a mix of bewilderment and rage.

"Leave her alone," Nathan snapped, his voice cold. His glance darted to Yemi, then back to me. "I knew you’d create a scene, Lola. The drama queen, always.

With every nerve in my body urging me to flee this deranged nightmare, I froze.

Yemi moved forward, speaking in a cool but deadly tone. "You are not needed here by her. No more.

For the first time in a long time, I felt something dangerous bubbling inside of me as the tension in the air crackled.

It was merely the beginning of the night.