Chapter 2

Two years Ago.

Taylah Russell wakes up and finds herself in an unfamiliar room. She looks around and sees that the double Italian bed is messy, with her torn clothes scattered on the floor like trash. Bright sunlight streams in through the glass window, accompanied by the gentle morning breeze.

The curtains sway softly in rhythm with the light wind.

She feels pain and soreness all over her body. When she glances down, she notices her skin is covered in love bites, already turning purple. The stinging sensation feels like needles continuously pricking her skin.

A sudden wave of fear washes over her, causing her to tremble. As she tries to recall the events of the previous night, a fragment of memory flashes in her mind. Her eyes widen in anger as the memory surfaces.

The memories of last night start flooding back—the man's heavy breathing, his hard, muscular body. The more she recalls, the more violently she begins to tremble.

The hangover from the night before makes her head feel like it's being struck by a rock. The intense pain in her head drowns out all the sounds around her; her ears can’t seem to pick up anything happening in the room.

The terrible, unforgettable night she had spent was with her one and only brother-in-law.

Oh no! She had slept with her brother-in-law in a drunken haze.

A wave of intense fear crashes over her, her heart pounding uncontrollably. The only sound she can hear is a deafening ringing in her ears.

How could it be him...?

The man she despises, the one she never wanted to see again, had become the person she spent the night with.

Her grip on the quilt tightened in anger as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She would have preferred being with anyone, even a poor man, rather than *him*.

Bang… Bang… Bang…

The loud knocking on the door sent shivers down her spine with each hit. She stared at the door, her words catching in her throat.

"Open the door!" the familiar voice shouted from the other side.

She scoffed, immediately sensing the rat which was the reason for her misery.

She thought her ties with the Edwards family had ended the moment she heard that familiar voice.

Before anyone could enter the room, a dark, towering figure emerged from the changing room. An eerie silence fell over the room. She didn't want to look up but can't resist the urge. Finally, her eyes met his.

Arjan Davier…!

He was incredibly handsome, just like the ancient emperors from the legendary tales. His cold, distant blue eyes gleamed under the room's dim light, making them seem even more mysterious.

He had wavy black hair, thick bristly eyebrows perfectly shaped like a curved bow, a sharp, hawk-like nose, and shoulders as broad as a titan’s.

He moved with the grace of a black panther, his every step smooth and calculated. His handsome face was so perfect, it seemed as if it had been sculpted by a master artist with extreme precision.

Dressed in a charcoal black suit that fit him flawlessly, he exuded power and control. The suit hugged his frame, while the slightly open collar revealed a glimpse of a white silk shirt. Black opal buttons glistened subtly in the light. His cold, thin lips were both alluring and dangerous, curved into a tight, almost predatory arc.

Despite his undeniable attractiveness—the kind of man every girl would dream of—she loathed him. The sight of him only fueled her hatred. Her grip on the quilt tightened even further, and her eyes reddened with anger and disgust.

Boom…

The next moment, the door burst open, and three people rushed into the room.

"Why did you do that to me? I'm really grateful to you..." Dia Edwards feigned sadness, her voice filled with disbelief and sorrow—but Taylah knew it was all a lie.

"Don’t worry, Dia. She's just like her mother." A sly, cunning voice followed. It was her stepmother, and the one pretending to cry was none other than her stepsister—though not really a sister. Dia was the adopted daughter of her stepmother.

"You’ve really disappointed me, Taylah," Ethan Davier said, turning his gaze away from her, unable to meet her eyes.

Ethan Davier, the second son of the Davier family and Arjan Davier’s younger brother, was once Taylah’s childhood sweetheart. They had been in love for more than eight years. But two months ago, everything changed. Ethan began finding fault with her for no apparent reason. She did everything she could to make him happy, to comfort him, but nothing seemed to work. In the end, it was clear—her love had become one-sided.

Now she finally understood why her so-called fiancé had grown so harsh toward her. Dia was the one pulling the strings, the true culprit behind it all.

She recalled that last night, Dia had invited her out for drinks. Taylah had tried her best to avoid it, but in the end, she had taken that fateful drink.

Within a few minutes, she had started to feel dizzy and uncomfortable. She had meant to return to her own hotel room but, in her disoriented state, had mistakenly ended up in her brother-in-law's room instead.

Taylah couldn't imagine what would have happened if she had made it back to her room. What had her stepsister planned to do to ruin her innocence? But instead, Dia’s scheme had backfired—her fiancé, Arjan, was the one who ended up with Taylah.

“Arjan... you really slept with her?” Dia took a step forward, her voice trembling as she questioned Arjan, her eyes brimming with tears. She would do anything for him, consumed by her obsession. But she had never imagined that the trap she set for her sister would ensnare her own fiancé as well.

Thinking back to the events of last night, Arjan frowned, but he couldn't deny the truth.

“Arjan... are you going to marry my sister out of responsibility?” she whimpered, her voice shaky with disbelief.

“It was just an accident. There’s no need to bring it up again,” Arjan said, adjusting his coat.

“Taylah… let’s break up,” Ethan said cruelly, shattering her heart into pieces.

It felt as though sharp thorns were pricking her heart, inch by inch.

The pain in her body paled in comparison to the anguish she felt inside. The hurt in her heart was a hundred, even ten thousand times more intense.

“Want to break up with me?” she scoffed darkly, sitting up and wrapping herself in the bedsheets. An ironic smile crossed her lips as she replied,

“Compared to Arjan, you’re not strong or influential enough. My brother-in-law is much better than you in bed,” she spat, feeling disgusted by her own words. Her eyes darkened as she bit her lower lip, trying to hide the grief on her face.

Clenching the bedsheets tightly, she relied on her words for confidence, knowing she wasn’t good at lying. She wanted to change the atmosphere, so she pulled at Arjan’s attire and pressed her lips against his.

“Taylah Russell... are you crazy?” Dia groaned in anger.

Arjan pushed her away and wiped his lips quickly, his handsome face now cold and filled with disgust.

Taylah fell heavily onto the bed, her body aching. She took a deep breath, wincing in pain, and then began to laugh.

“Yeah... I’m crazy,” she said softly, her voice delicate like flower petals. “If I’m not crazy, how could I have slept with my brother-in-law? I really enjoyed it.”

“Shut the hell up,” he groaned, clearly trying to block out the memories of last night as he tightened his grip around her throat.

She struggled to catch her breath, yet her face bore a charming smile. She wasn’t afraid of him; she looked straight at him without flinching. Her cheeks flushed, and slowly, a tear trickled down her face.

With just a little more force, his hand threatened to crush her delicate neck.

Under his cruel, rough grip, her smile didn’t fade.

Her charming expression unsettled him, reminding him of last night when she had cried and begged him to stop. But his lust had blinded him, leading him to take advantage of her against her will.

Cough... Cough... Cough...

The though of her being helpless under him last night, The sound of her struggling for breath now made his heart race, yet her smile remained alluring.

The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became.