Chapter 1 It's Me

A beeping sound filled the air. The door lock flashed red, indicating the password was wrong. Yet, the confused Faye Brown didn't notice this at all.

Raising an arm, she pushed the door open.

"Anthon, I'm back …" Faye said as she threw herself onto the big soft bed. She lifted the blanket and crawled under it.

"Who are you?" A large, strong hand suddenly attacked her. It grabbed her by the neck, flipped her over, and pressed her against the bed. "Who sent you?"

The voice of the male was deep and gruff. The hushed quality of it made it sound rather alluring.

Faye wrapped her arms around the man's neck fearlessly. Her eyes were unfocused and filled with longing. It made her appear drunk.

"It's me, your baby girl … I like this surprise," she said as she caressed his face.

Feeling a sudden rush of heat, she could no longer think clearly and smashed her lips against his.

The man instantly stiffened as though he was trying to restrain himself. His eyes were red as he pushed her away roughly. "Are you sure about this?"

Her next action answered his question.

Outside, thunder rumbled while the rain poured. Lightning flashed, lighting up the messy room.

Awakened by the sound of thunder, Faye groaned before abruptly sitting up on the messy bed. She was panting heavily and looked messy.

The thunder outside and the running water helped rouse her mind further.

So, it wasn't a dream, after all. She and Anthon Lynch had …

She blushed at that thought. She could feel butterflies in her stomach. She was unable to determine if she was happy or sad.

Flicking a switch, she turned on the bedside lamp as light footsteps approached her. A pair of male legs appeared in her line of vision as she lifted her gaze slightly. Lifting it more, she saw a white towel and a man's bare chest still with water droplets.

She gulped.

"Who knew Anthon had such a good build?" she mused silently.

Only when she heard a rustling sound coming from beside her did she feel something was wrong.

Stunned, she raised her head only to see that the man had already gotten dressed. He was currently buttoning his shirt with his back to her.

As though he could feel her stunned gaze, the man said in a cool and slightly lazy tone, "I'll take full responsibility for this."

Faye looked at him in confusion.

"Responsibility? What did he mean by that?" she wondered.

"Meet me in front of City Hall tomorrow at 10 am if you have no objections."

The man turned, allowing the light to shine on his face. His features were elegant, with soft lines blurring into hard edges. His skin was fair and looked smoother than a woman's.

His sharp, gleaming eyes stood out the most. They peeked through his messy, damp hair, exuding an enchanting and domineering air.

Her mouth opened slightly, and her mind went blank as she stared in horror at the unfamiliar face. Lightning flashed, and thunder boomed once more.

After leaving his number on the bedside table, the man left coolly.

Faye let out a high-pitched scream as the room door closed.

"Was this a prank?" she wondered in shock, "That man wasn't Anthon? How did this happen? It couldn't be …"

Frantic, she picked up her phone and called Anthon.

"Has your flight been delayed, Faye? Why haven't you arrived yet? I waited all night for you at your house." She heard Anthon's gentle voice.

A tear dripped down onto her phone.

He had to be lying! He was the one who asked her to meet him here, so why was he at her house?

"Is something wrong, Faye? It's already so late. Are you still coming back?"

"No, this can't be real …" she thought.

Ending the call, she hugged the blanket blankly before dissolving into tears.

Some time passed before she sneakily walked out of the room with red eyes. Making sure there wasn't anyone around, she pulled her cap low around her head and left.

However, she slipped and sprawled out on the carpet floor in her haste. She felt a card as she scrambled to her feet. Her face paled after she picked it up and looked at it.

Thunder boomed and lightning flashed as it continued to rain heavily. Faye stumbled along, dragging her luggage behind her.

She stood outside her villa. Her gaze was locked on her room on the second floor as she allowed herself to be drenched by the rain.

She never expected to witness the scene before her, not even in her wildest dreams. She had rushed home after the incident, desperate for Anthon's understanding and comfort.

Two figures on her balcony were passionately intertwined. The light from inside clearly outlined their figures. Their voices pierced through the pouring rain and reached her ears.

"Faye could be back any moment now, Anthon. We should …"

"So what if she's back? She acts self-righteous around me, but she behaves inappropriately with the hotel staff. It disgusts me."

"But the photo, maybe it's … just a misunderstanding—"

"Misunderstanding? The picture was sent to me by a former classmate who works at the hotel. How could it possibly be a misunderstanding?" Anthon scoffed.

A smug look flashed across Tracy Brown's eyes. "Maybe she got caught up in the heat of the moment," she said in a demure tone.

"We were ready to get engaged, Tracy. Now be a good girl, stop bringing up that cheap woman, and focus."

Faye's hand tightened around her phone. The message she had received from Anthon when she landed was displayed on the screen. "Tonight, Pioneer Hotel, room 883333. I'll be waiting for you, baby."

Her lips curled into a sardonic smile. The photo, getting engaged, cheap woman … This was the surprise Anthon gave her upon her return from studying abroad for the past three years? What a big surprise, indeed.

Wiping the water off her face with a scoff, she turned away. Then, without a second thought, she dialed the number she had placed in her pocket.

…

The rain had yet to stop, and the sky was still filled with thunder and lightning.

Meanwhile, in the office of Jeorgia City's top financial group, the CEO had just finished tending to some urgent business matters.

His office was located on the highest floor of the tallest building in the city.

There was a thunderous expression on his face and a dark look in his eyes.

"Clearly, someone tried to keep me preoccupied at the hotel tonight. They took advantage of the opportunity to attack the company's system. Find out who it was. I want to see the results tomorrow!"

A crunching sound filled the air after he finished speaking. The glass in his hand had been smashed into pieces.

"Yes, sir!" Mason Pike's forehead was covered in cold sweat. He hardly dared breathe in the face of the man's rage.

"Get me the surveillance footage from the hotel, as well as …" The man's dark eyes softened imperceptibly before he continued, "all of that woman's information."

Mason immediately nodded and left the office.

The phone on the table suddenly rang.

Glancing at it, the man initially didn't plan on answering it. It was a call from an unknown number, after all.

However, he seemed to recall something and picked up the phone curiously.

The sound of the rain falling could be heard on the other end, followed by a cool, ethereal female voice.

"Tomorrow morning, 10 am, City Hall. Be there or be square." She then hung up without waiting to hear his response.

A smirk appeared on the man's face as he looked at his dark phone screen. He licked his lips, looking as though he still had unfinished business.

"Hmm … Baby girl, was it?"