Chapter 1: Her Nightmares Began

Lillian's nightmares began with a single reckless night, fueled by alcohol and a one-night stand with a stranger. And guess who the mystery man turned out to be? None other than her boss, Ryan Sinclair!

In a dimly lit pub,

Lillian winced, clutching her drink and knocking it back in one go. "How could he do this to me?" she groaned.

Vivian, her bestie, leaned in, looking worried. "Hey, Lily, ease up. You're hitting the hard stuff too fast," she said, trying to take the glass from Lillian's hand.

Tears streaked down Lillian's face as she spilled her guts. "He cheated on me, Viv. With that... that chick from his office," she spat out. "Caught them in his place, all over each other."

Vivian's face softened. "Oh, Lily, that's rough," she murmured, giving her friend a hug.

Feeling utterly crushed, Lillian just wanted to forget it all, to numb the pain somehow. "I just... I can't deal with this, Viv," she muttered through her tears.

Vivian leaned in, gritting her teeth. "You know what, Lily? Screw that guy. It's payback time. Find someone 10 times hotter than Max and show him what he's missing," she blurted out with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"I'm never falling in love again," Lillian muttered to herself, downing another shot of vodka and wincing as it burned its way down her throat.

She tried to push the pain from her heart, but the image of Max with another woman in bed kept flashing in her mind. "Damn it!" she cursed under her breath.

Six long years it took for Lillian to build their relationship, keeping herself pure for Max, saving everything for their wedding night to make it special. And now, he was out there enjoying himself with other women. How could she have been so blind? All those late-night parties and business trips were just excuses for him to cheat.

"Lily, you should go home." Vivian warned, trying to pull her friend up from her seat.

Lillian shook her head stubbornly. "Viv, I'll be fine. You can head out."

"Lily, seriously, you need to bounce. I can't hang here all night," Vivian insisted, tugging at Lillian's arm.

Lillian waved her off with a determined shake of her head. "Nah, Viv, I got this. You go on ahead."

Vivian hesitated for a moment. "You sure, Lily? I hate leaving you like this."

Lillian managed a weak smile. "Don't worry about me. I'll figure it out."

Vivian sighed, slinging her handbag over her shoulder. "Alright, if you say so. But remember, you're stronger than this jerk. You deserve better."

Lillian nodded, pain flashed in her eyes. "Thanks, Viv. I'll keep that in mind."

With one last glance, Vivian headed for the door, leaving Lillian alone with her thoughts and a half-empty glass.

As Lillian shifted her attention away from Vivian's back, she caught sight of the dimly lit VIP section. A weird sensation prickled at the back of her neck, like someone's eyes were boring into her. But she shrugged it off.

Just as she was about to look elsewhere, she locked eyes with someone, their gaze burning like amber. Suddenly, a hypnotic sensation hit her, and she quickly looked away, feeling a bit unnerved by those intense eyes.

Half an hour later, Lillian finally made the decision to leave. She attempted to rise from her seat but lost her balance, teetering dangerously.

"Whoa, easy there," a deep, masculine voice sounded near her ear, accompanied by a pair of strong arms steadying her.

"Sorry, I was just..." Lillian's voice trailed off as she looked up at the man's face through her blurry vision.

His eyes seemed to shimmer like molten gold beneath those long, dark lashes, and his perfectly arched brows framed them exquisitely.

With high cheekbones and enchanting lips, he looked like a fallen angel to Lillian, amidst the haze of her drunkenness.

Feeling all loopy from the drinks, Lillian couldn't shake this sudden urge and overwhelming desire to press her lips against his, leaning towards him without even realizing it.

"You okay there? You look pretty wasted, Lady," the guy's voice sliced through Lillian's foggy brain, giving her a brief moment of clarity.

But damn! The temptation was real, and Lillian could feel herself getting swept away, desire messing with her head this time.

"Come on, Lillian," she muttered to herself, trying to shake off the haze. "Must be the alcohol messing with my head," she thought.

Shakily, she rose to her feet, her thoughts a jumble. Before she knew it, she blurted out, "You look kinda lonely, handsome. Me too. Wanna hang out together?"

"You seem quite intoxicated, my dear.” The man chuckled, his amusement echoing in Lillian's hazy mind. But it's not too late. Let's have another round."

Sinking back into her seat, Lillian glanced at him, her vision swimming. He slid a glass of vodka toward her, and she downed it in one gulp, the fiery liquid burning down her throat.

"Easy there, Siren," he said with a soft smile, but Lillian felt the room spinning around her.

"I... I was just..." Her words dissolved into a garbled mess before the man's grasp enveloped her, and the world faded to black before her eyes.

Lillian’s POV

"Ugh, shit." I grumbled, my head throbbing like crazy as a beam of sunlight rudely woke me up. Hangover from hell, thanks to last night's booze fest. I squinted, wishing I could just go back to sleep. But reality smacked me in the face.

I glanced up at the ceiling, which was a weird cream color I didn't recognize. Panic set in as I took in the classy hotel room around me. And then it hit me like a freight train – I was butt naked under the crisp white duvet.

"What the hell!" I yanked the duvet over myself, trying to make sense of the situation. Peeking under the covers confirmed my worst fear – yep, still naked.

"Oh my god!" Memories flashed through my mind- Max cheating on me, drowning my sorrows in booze, and then meeting a stranger. It seemed our little chat had led to this hotel room.

And now I had lost my virginity to a complete stranger in a one-night stand. To top it off, the guy was damn good at what he did. I couldn't even move without pain shooting through my body, especially between my legs.

This time, I heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. Someone was in there.

"Aw, crap!" I had to bolt before the guy stepped out from the bathroom.

I scrambled to gather my stuff from the floor, trying to be quiet as I grabbed my dress with shaky hands. My heart was racing like crazy.

As I grabbed my purse and phone, a thought hit me like a ton of bricks.

The guy seemed way too slick – the way he had carried me here and the whole body-aching-like-pleasure deal. He had to be a male escort or a struggling model or something.

Without overthinking it, I grabbed three hundred bucks from my purse and left them with a quick note before making a hasty exit.

Once I slipped out the door without a sound, all I wanted to do was run and never looking back. I was never going to see that stranger again, that's for sure!