Chapter 1 Madness

"Urgh..." A soft groan escaped the lips of a young woman as she slowly sat up in bed.

A sharp throbbing in her head made her wince as she scanned the unfamiliar room, her heart racing at the sight of her strange surroundings.

Nothing felt familiar, and the pounding of her heart only grew stronger.

Her eyes quickly darted around until they froze in shock, landing on a man—completely naked—lying beside her. And not just any man. His chiseled body, sculpted with perfect muscles, was enough to make any woman weak at the knees.

Her breath hitched, and she quickly averted her eyes, only to realize her own shocking state.

‘Sh*t!’ she cursed in her mind as she noticed that she, too, was completely naked.

Before she could fully process the situation, the buzzing of her phone on the nightstand caught her attention. She snatched it up and saw countless missed calls and unread messages from her younger sister, Rebecca.

[Evelyn! Where are you?! You need to come home now! Dad is furious!]

All the messages carried the same urgency.

Evelyn jumped out of bed in a panic. She grabbed her party dress from the floor and hastily put it on, her dark eyes flicking nervously to the bed where the dangerously handsome man slept soundly, oblivious to what’s going on in the room.

As she stole another glance at him, flashes of last night’s events rushed back to her mind—the way that muscular body had overwhelmed hers, leaving her breathless.

It all started at the grand banquet hosted by her father, Richard Collins, in celebration of another milestone for his company. As the eldest daughter and heir to the family empire, Evelyn had no choice but to attend and represent the family, greeting guests and maintaining appearances.

But halfway through the event, something felt off.

"You should rest, Sis. You don’t look well at all," Rebecca had said, slipping a hotel room key into Evelyn’s hand. "Here, I booked you a room. Just go rest."

Despite her initial refusal, Evelyn had no choice but to give in.

"Room 1001, Room 1001," she had murmured to herself, trying to stay focused. But sweat had started to trickle down her forehead, her vision blurring as a strange dizziness overtook her. Her heart had been pounding erratically, her breaths growing shallow with every step.

She had barely made it to the room when, instead of hearing the door click open from her keycard, the door had already swung open easily.

"Huh?" she had thought that it’s weird that the door was open, but she was too exhausted to care.

Assuming her sister had forgotten to lock it, she had entered without a second thought.

Inside the room, Evelyn’s body had become even hotter, and her discomfort hadn’t faded. Her breathing had grown more labored, her skin prickling with heat.

Thinking her tight dress was making things worse, she hastily stripped off the gown, leaving only her black lingerie against her pale skin.

Not a second later, she had thrown herself onto the bed, eager for some relief. But the moment her back hit the mattress, strong hands had clamped down on her wrists.

"Ah!" she had gasped in shock, her hands pinned above her head in an instant.

"You little vixen..." The deep voice of the man above her had sent shivers down her spine.

The strong scent of alcohol had surrounded him, making it clear he wasn’t fully in his senses.

"Who sent you?" he had growled, his voice laced with suspicion and dominance.

Evelyn should have felt terrified, but instead, her gaze had been drawn to the man’s deep ocean-blue eyes and the muscles that rippled across his bare chest.

A fire had sparked inside her, a heat she couldn’t control.

Part of her wanted to explain herself, or demanding to know why he is there. But the other part of her has already been consumed by the magnetic pull of his body, the overwhelming desire to be touched.

"Let go!" she had cried, fighting against her dazed state.

But her struggles had caused her body to shift, and she had unintentionally brushed against him, igniting a reaction in the man.

"Ugh..." His low, guttural groan had only fanned the flames inside her. Before she knew what she was doing, Evelyn had yanked him into a kiss.

Stunned, the man had stiffened for a moment, his eyes wide with surprise. But then, as if something had snapped inside him, he had returned the kiss with an intense, almost primal hunger.

They pounced onto each other, lost in the heat of the moment, their bodies locked in a passionate dance of desire.

When their lips had finally parted, the man’s kisses had trailed down her neck, drawing out soft moans from her lips.

"Ahh..."

The fire in Evelyn’s body had only burned hotter.

As if possessed, she had grabbed his hand and guided it over her body, breathlessly whispering, "Touch me..."

His sharp eyes had darkened with lust as he obliged, his hands roaming her body and causing her to moan with every touch.

Responding to her moans, he had pulled her closer, deepening their feverish kiss. One of his strong hands had gripped her waist, while the other had tangled in her hair, holding her in place as their passion escalated.

"More…" Evelyn whispered in her mind, overwhelmed by the flood of emotions and desire coursing through her.

Her eyes had roamed over his ruggedly handsome face, and her fingers had traced the contours of his body—down his strong jaw, across his broad chest, and lower still.

"Help me…" she had whispered, her voice thick with need.

What had followed after was a night of uncontrollable passion, one that Evelyn could barely believe had happened.

Now, as she stood in the aftermath, the weight of reality crashed down on her. She had just given herself to a man she didn’t even know. And worse, she had been the one who initiated it!!

But when she reached for her phone on the nightstand, her eyes caught something—two hotel keycards lying next to it.

"1010 and... 1001?"

A sinking feeling hit her stomach as she grabbed the keycard for Room 1001.

Racing out of the room, she stared at the number engraved above the door.

"1010?" Her body trembled as the truth sank in.

She had entered the wrong room.

"How could I have made such a mistake?!"