Chapter 03

Kylie

I woke up to a splitting headache, my body aching from the aftermath of last night. The throbbing pain reminded me of how intense things had gotten. We didn’t just do it once; we went at it multiple times. I turned my head to the side, curious to see who I had spent the night with. That’s when I truly appreciated Rage’s face. Even in sleep, he looked striking—his strong, chiseled features, the sharp bridge of his nose, and his mestizo complexion.

It’s ironic how peaceful he looks while sleeping, yet so wild and untamed in bed. I never imagined my first time would be so memorable, and he made sure it was, exceeding all my expectations.

I hadn’t anticipated anything happening between us. After all, we don’t love each other. But the way he pleasured me was something I hadn’t expected. He was incredibly skilled, leaving no doubt in my mind that women probably chased after him for more. It’s easy to see why they would—he’s the kind of man you’d crave again and again.

I swallowed hard, suddenly aware of my own nakedness. I needed to get out of here before he woke up. A part of me wanted to stay and admire him, because there was no denying how handsome he was. But the thought of facing him now, sober and without the haze of alcohol to excuse our actions, was mortifying. How did I even end up here after passing out? The shame was overwhelming. I guess this is what they call a one-night stand—something you just want to forget ever happened.

Despite the soreness in my body, I quickly dressed and left the room.

As I stepped into the hallway, a question nagged at me. How did this man end up in Vaness’s room? Why did he bring me to the wrong room?

I checked the key number, 508—it was correct. But as I looked at the door number on my way out, I was shocked to see the number 500 instead. My heart pounded as I quickly shut the door behind me.

I needed to get out of here. I couldn’t risk running into him. Besides, I was in deep trouble with my dad for not coming home last night. Who knows what Vaness might have told him when she couldn’t find me in my room?

I rushed home, knowing that we had a family meeting scheduled today. I was sure they’d be furious if I wasn’t there.

When I arrived, the maids greeted me with worried looks. “Sir has been waiting for you. He’s not in a good mood,” one of them said.

I took a deep breath and forced a smile. I knew what was coming. Dad would scold me, especially if Auntie Celeste fueled his anger. I was used to it by now; this was how they always treated me.

“Where are they?” I asked.

“They’re in the dining area,” the maid replied, pointing the way.

I walked toward the dining room, feeling the tension in the air. The moment I entered, the room fell silent. Auntie Celeste and Vaness were already there, and Vaness’s eyes were fixed on me, clearly unhappy to see me.

“Why are you only arriving now?” Dad’s voice cut through the silence.

I sighed and tried to smile. “Vaness told me you drank a lot last night. What exactly did you do?”

“We were just having fun, Dad. I didn’t realize I drank too much,” I replied, my tone emotionless. I knew I’d get scolded anyway. Besides, Dad never really listened to my side of the story, especially once Auntie Celeste had her say.

“Why didn’t you come home? Do you know how worried we were about you? Why was Vaness able to make it home, and you weren’t?”

“I don’t know, Dad. I’m not Vaness. Besides, she gave me the key to her room and told me to sleep there,” I explained.

“What?! Don’t lie, Kylie. I didn’t give you anything. In fact, Atlas came to pick you up, but you suddenly disappeared, and I couldn’t find you!” Vaness’s voice was shrill with anger.

I took a deep breath, knowing exactly what she was trying to do. I knew she’d twist the situation to make me look bad. She and Auntie Celeste were the same—pretending to care while plotting to take Dad’s wealth. Vaness wanted Atlas, too, but sadly for her, he wasn’t interested. He wanted me, but I didn’t want him, and I couldn’t understand why he kept pursuing me.

“Chill, Vaness. I haven’t even said anything yet,” I replied calmly.

“Then why are you making it seem like it’s Vaness’s fault you didn’t come home?” Auntie Celeste chimed in, fanning the flames.

“Auntie Celeste, you weren’t there, so you don’t know what happened. Besides, Vaness said she’d meet me in the room, but she never showed up,” I said. I wasn’t sure if she had even gone to that room, because I certainly hadn’t been there.

“Can you stop blaming me, Kylie? Atlas and I were worried about you. We looked for you, but you were nowhere to be found,” Vaness snapped at me.

I smiled at her, my tone dripping with sarcasm. “Yeah, I wasn’t there because I went to Kath’s place. The key you gave me didn’t work, and it didn’t match the room you said you booked, so I stayed with Kath instead,” I lied. I knew she’d try to dig deeper into what really happened, and I couldn’t let that happen. The truth would only make things worse.

“To Kath’s place?” Vaness’s face fell in disappointment.

“Yeah. I wasn’t about to break into a room that wasn’t mine and get charged with trespassing. So, I went to Kath’s. Any more questions? I’m sorry I didn’t come home early, but I’m here now, alive and well,” I said, turning to leave. But before I could take a step, Dad’s voice stopped me.

“Don’t forget about the family meeting. The Valdez family is here for you and Atlas,” he reminded me.

I sighed heavily and looked back at them. “Please, Dad, don’t push me towards Atlas. Why not have Vaness go instead? She’s Auntie Celeste’s niece, after all.”

“But she’s not a Robert,” Dad said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I noticed Auntie Celeste and Vaness exchanging glances, their eyes narrowing at me.

“Well, I don’t want him either, so maybe there’s another way to achieve what you want,” I said, before turning and heading upstairs. I felt filthy after everything that had happened last night. Even though I was drunk, I couldn’t forget what we did.

I leaned against my bedroom door and took a deep breath, wishing I could go back to Rage instead of facing Atlas. The memories of last night still haunted me, like he had awakened something in me that I couldn’t shake off.

Shaking my head, I decided to lie down, hoping to clear my mind. But just as I was about to relax, a knock on my door made me freeze. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Who could it be?

Without asking who it was, I opened the door, and there stood Vaness, anger written all over her face.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my tone wary.

“I know you didn’t go to Kath’s. You were still there, just not in the room I gave you.”

“Well, you said it yourself—in the room you gave me. So why didn’t you mention that to them earlier? What’s your reason? To make them angry at me?” I shot back.

Vaness remained silent, just staring at me.

“I know what you’re up to. You’re just like Auntie Celeste, holding a grudge against me. It must run in the family, this madness of yours,” I said, unable to hold back my frustration.

She took a deep breath, her eyes narrowing. “If I find out what really happened last night and where you really were, let’s see what excuse you’ll come up with.”

She turned on her heel and left, leaving me shaking my head in disbelief. What was she thinking? No matter what she did, she wouldn’t find out about what happened between Rage and me.

With a sigh, I closed the door and leaned against it. The truth was, if I could, I’d go back to Rage in a heartbeat, far more willingly than I’d ever go to Atlas. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t erase the memory of last night. It was as if Rage had left a mark on me that I couldn’t forget.