Chapter 01 (R18+)

Kylie

I could taste every drop of alcohol as it flowed down my throat while everyone around me cheered in delight. I didn't know why I was doing this, but one thing was certain—I wanted to escape. I wanted to break free from the pain weighing down my heart. I was tired of sulking in a corner, but I also didn't know how to face all of this. It hurt me to see myself suffering, but it seemed like I had no other choice but to flee from reality.

"Drink more, Kylie!" shouted Vaness, my cousin, with a teasing and mocking tone. She wasn't my real cousin, but she was the closest relative I had in our new family setup. I grabbed another glass and downed it, hoping that every drop of alcohol would wash away the wounds in my soul.

As the night deepened and the drinks piled up, I felt the pain in my heart slowly fading. But despite my efforts to forget everything, the weight of my emotions seemed to grow heavier. I carried every heartache and problem with me as I forced myself to smile. I couldn’t shake off the burden left by Mom, especially since I couldn’t understand why everything had to change after she was gone. We were a wealthy family, but no amount of money could heal the wounds in my heart and soul.

Since Mom's passing, my life had lost its direction. She was gone, but what I couldn’t accept was how quickly Dad replaced her—almost immediately after her death. After Mom's first death anniversary, he remarried Auntie. I couldn't understand why he had to do it, why he had to hurt me like this. Every quiet night when I was alone, I kept asking myself, "Why?" But there seemed to be no answer. Mom’s memories were like wounds that refused to heal.

I wanted to wake Dad up from his delusion, but how? I had no choice but to remain silent. Auntie had him under her control, and even though I knew it was wrong, I didn’t know how to bring him back to the way he was. Sometimes, it felt like he was angrier at me than at the people responsible for Mom’s loss. The once happy and loving family had gradually disappeared, leaving me with nothing but grief and hopelessness.

I avoided all of this by drinking and going to places like this—a bar filled with noise and laughter. With each gulp of alcohol, I felt myself distancing from reality, but in truth, I was only sinking deeper into the abyss of my problems. Yet, the weight on my chest remained, especially since they were forcing me to marry Atlas, even though I didn’t love him. I didn’t know why my life had turned out this way. Why did I have to suffer for decisions I never wanted? I had everything material, but I lacked the freedom to choose my own destiny.

“Kylie, it’s your turn again!” shouted Vaness, snapping me back from my deep thoughts. I frowned at what she said.

“Me? I just finished drinking,” I replied, with a hint of exhaustion in my voice.

“What are you talking about, cousin? Better to drink more. Don’t worry about Uncle, I’ll take care of you this time, okay?” Vaness said, flashing a mischievous smile.

I gave in. I nodded and grabbed another glass, trying to drown the pain with alcohol. But as time passed, the heat in my body grew worse. The room started to spin, and I felt like I was losing myself. Every sound of music that surrounded the bar seemed to penetrate my mind, matching my drunkenness. I felt the heaviness in my eyes, but I couldn’t bring myself to close them. I wanted to scream, I wanted to lash out, but I didn’t know where to find the strength to do so.

"Hey, you should stop, Kylie," said a woman whose face I couldn’t make out. Everything was spinning, and it felt like the heat was intensifying.

"Let her be, Kylie’s happy right now. Why do you have to stop her?" Vaness replied, a hint of irritation in her voice.

I froze when I heard Atlas's name. They said he was on his way to pick me up. Suddenly, I panicked. I didn’t want to go with him. I stood up, even though I was dizzy, and decided to leave. But with every step I took, it felt like the ground beneath me was pulling me down. It felt like I was underwater, struggling to breathe, and every movement was slow as if I had no control over my own body.

“Do you want to rest for a while? You can go to my room, I’ll just tell Atlas you decided to sleep here,” Vaness suggested, her voice full of concern.

“I didn’t get a room here,” I replied, trying to clear my vision.

“Just use my room, room 508. Come on, I’ll take you there,” she said, handing me the key.

“Thanks, Vaness, but I can manage. You can come up later,” I replied, forcing a smile, even though the whole world seemed to be spinning. I wanted to get to the room as soon as possible, to rest and escape from all of this, even if just for a little while.

When I reached that floor, I tried to focus on the numbers to find the door. I saw the numbers 5 and 0, and despite the spinning room, I tried using Vaness’s key. Every step felt heavy, and my body didn’t feel like my own. It was as if some force was compelling me to open that door.

The door opened, and I immediately went inside. I didn’t even mind the strange smell inside—a masculine scent. My eyes were nearly closing from exhaustion and drunkenness. I took off my clothes because of the heat I felt and lay down on the bed, tired and dizzy. All I could think about was falling asleep to escape reality, even for a few hours. But as I lay there, I felt a strange heat in my body, something that made me feel both excited and nervous.

I noticed something hard beside me—it was warm, like a human body. I suddenly sat up in shock, but the person beside me quickly grabbed me and pinned me down, covering my mouth with his hand.

He was naked. I could feel the heat of his body, and the hardness pressing against my stomach. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t. The heat in my body seemed to flare up even more when I felt his breath on my neck. Every breath he took felt like fire igniting my emotions, deepening the confusion and fear I felt.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice low and heavy. In the darkness of the room, I couldn’t make out his face. But his voice—it sounded familiar, a voice that brought me back to a part of my past I wanted to forget.

I couldn’t answer, terrified and confused. But my body—it seemed to have a mind of its own. Every touch of his brought a strange sensation, and I couldn’t explain why. I didn’t know whether to be afraid or to give in. Every move he made seemed to strip away pieces of my sanity, unraveling all the defenses I had built up.

"F*ck," I heard him mutter. He suddenly began to explore my body, and I clung to his muscular, naked arm. His hands were cold, but his body was warm. Every touch of his was like a wave of fire burning away all my inhibitions.

"Please... stop," I whispered, but it was as if he didn’t hear me. Or maybe I didn’t really want him to stop? I was confused, and I didn’t know what was real and what was wrong. With every passing second, my body grew hotter, as if some inexplicable force was pushing me to give in to him.

"Do you want this?" he asked suddenly, his voice full of desire. I couldn’t answer. I was conflicted, but my body seemed to be leading me into sin. His eyes, even in the dark, looked like those of a predator ready to devour its prey. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him, as if something was compelling me to surrender.

Instead of resisting, I leaned in and kissed him. I was going mad, but it seemed like I couldn’t stop myself. Every kiss from him was like poison slowly eroding my sanity, dragging me into a state of madness and desire.

He started to move, and the heat from his body began to spread across my skin. Every touch of his brought a sensation I had never felt before. His fingers were like flames lighting up every part of my body, deepening my confusion and fear.

"Do you really want this?" he asked again, but this time, I knew the answer. Did I really want this? Or was I just drunk and caught up in the heat of the moment? My mind was filled with questions, but there were no answers. My heart was conflicted, but my body was answering for me.

His hands traveled lower, and I felt the warmth of his skin against my own. I didn’t know how this would end, but at that moment, the only thing that mattered was what I was feeling. The heat of his body, the weight of his hands, every move he made—all of it brought a strange sensation I couldn’t explain.

My heart was pounding, and I felt like I was losing myself in my own body. I didn’t know how this would end, but I knew there was no turning back. With every passing second, I was falling deeper into a pit I had no intention of escaping.

He suddenly let go of my mouth, and at that moment, I made my decision. I responded to his kiss as if it was the last time I would feel this kind of desire. But behind all of it, there was still a lingering fear—a fear that I was losing myself, a fear that I was giving in to something that could never be undone. Yet, in that moment, the fear seemed to fuel the fire within me even more.

He moved closer, his body pressing against mine, and I could feel his heart pounding in sync with mine. The heat between us was almost unbearable, and every touch seemed to ignite a new spark of desire. My mind was a whirlwind of confusion and emotion, but my body knew exactly what it wanted. It craved the release, the escape, the oblivion that only he could provide.

I gasped as his lips trailed down my neck, leaving a burning sensation in their wake. His hands roamed over my body with a possessive urgency, as if he was claiming every inch of me for himself. I could feel the tension building between us, the pressure mounting with every passing second.

My breath came in ragged gasps as I arched against him, giving in to the overwhelming need that had taken hold of me. The world outside ceased to exist; there was only him, only this moment, and the intense connection that bound us together.

His voice, low and rough, echoed in my ears as he murmured something I couldn’t quite make out. But the meaning was clear enough—there was no turning back now. We were both caught in the same storm, and there was no escape.

And then, with one final surge of heat and passion, the world shattered around us. The tension that had been building finally broke, and we were both swept away in the torrent of emotions that followed. It was a moment of pure, unfiltered release—a moment where nothing else mattered but the two of us, lost in the depths of our own desire.

As the storm subsided, we lay there in the dark, our bodies still entwined, the aftermath of our shared madness leaving us breathless and spent. The reality of what had just happened began to creep back in, but for now, I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to face the consequences, the questions, the guilt.

All I wanted was to hold on to this fleeting moment of escape, to pretend that, for just a little while longer, everything was okay. That I was okay. And that maybe, just maybe, I had found a way to forget, even if only for a night.