The next morning, Zora opened her eyes, faced with the unfamiliar ceiling.
For two seconds she forgot where she was.
She tilted her head to the side only to find the bed empty.
All the memories of what happened the night before flooded back.
She immediately sat up despite the slight aches she felt.
She had given her first time to a complete stranger.
Her hands flew to cover her mouth as she looked around.
She had a one-night stand.
The thought of it made her cheeks go hot.
Her face flushed red.
She looked around again, this time to be sure that she was alone.
It was one thing to sleep with a stranger, but getting entangled with him might lead to a lot of complications.
She got dressed quickly and was about to leave.
However, the bathroom door flew open.
A man walked out, his facial features sharp and well-structured, with broad shoulders and terrifyingly good-looking abs.
His towel was tied around his waist, and water dripped from his hair down to his nose, then dropped.
Zora swallowed hard.
‘At least I gave my first time to a really handsome man.’ she thought.
Zora, lost in her head, her eyes scrutinizing every detail from his chest to his abs.
Since when did she start caring about things like this?
She only came back to her senses when she heard him say,
“Done staring?”
Zora smiled awkwardly.
“I…
um…”
She scratched the back of her head and then looked down at her feet, but before she knew what was happening, her neck was grabbed by the man.
“You’ve got ten seconds to explain.”
“Why did you drug me?”
“Did you think I would let it slide?”
His eyes had no pity.
He could not shake off the feeling that she was paid to sleep with him.
But why would a girl agree to sell her first time to a total stranger?
That question made his blood run hot.
Zora shook her head vigorously.
“You’re…
you’re mistaken.”
Her voice came out slightly hoarse.
Just one second of letting her guard down, and her neck was now in the hand of a man.
“I…”
Zora was about to explain further, but before she could complete her sentence, he threw her to the other end of the room.
Her ribs hit the vanity table and everything on it fell to the ground.
Her face twisted as sweat formed on her back.
He walked slowly toward her, gazed at her, and smirked.
“Be honest with me.
Who paid you to do this?”
Zora looked up at the man she had saved the night before.
Life always plays cruel jokes.
What was she thinking when she gave her first time to him?
She was definitely a fool if she had expected a thank you.
As if Viktor was not enough, now she had almost lost her life for doing a good deed.
“I was not paid to sleep with you!”
She had not intended to yell, but it was something she could not hold in.
He raised an eyebrow.
“Do you think you’re a god and that every girl wants to get on your damn bed?!!”
She glared at him.
“I only helped you into your room.
If anything, I am the victim!”
Tears streamed from her eyes.
She could not tell if it was because of the memory of her fiancé sleeping with her best friend, or because of the pain from her ribs.
“Tell me what I would have done, when trapped under a man ten times stronger than me!”
He was at a loss for words.
He truly had no answer to her question, but it still did not cancel the fact that she was suspicious.
He could remember that before the drug took full effect on him, he had asked her to leave several times but she refused.
When he saw her crying bitterly, he regretted it slightly.
He wiped her tears with his hand.
Zora opened her teary eyes to look at him, and the next second she heard him say,
“Go take a shower.
Someone will get you something to wear.”
Zora scoffed.
“Tsh.”
He could not even apologize.
She stood up, but the pain in her ribs was still there.
A few minutes later the clothes were brought.
Zora bathed and changed into them.
She wanted to leave, but the man commanded her to sit on the bed and wait for him.
Of course she did as she was told.
Who would not, after experiencing hell from him?
Besides, her ribs still hurt.
A minute later, a young man walked into the room.
He was in a black suit.
As he came in and saw Zora, his eyebrows twisted slightly.
He could recognize her anywhere.
She was the same girl who stood in the middle of the road two weeks ago, when their car almost hit her.
How did she end up on his boss’s bed?
Zora sat there quietly, not saying a word.
Another thing that kept playing on his mind was that since he started working for Mr.
Alistair, it was the first time he was seeing him with a woman, which was surprising.
“Kane, the files.”
Kane nodded and handed the blue file to Alistair.
After some time, they were done with what they were doing.
“Sir, the back exit is ready,” said Kane to Alistair.
Alistair nodded.
The three of them left through the back door of the hotel.
Alistair knew that if Zora was caught with him, she might lose her job, and whoever had drugged him the night before must have planned something big.
And of course, he suspected Zora.
Why would a girl decide to give her first time to a complete stranger?
She must have something to benefit.
Meanwhile, Zora had no idea what or who she had gotten herself into.
In the car, Zora finally looked at her phone.
Over fifty messages and twenty missed calls appeared on her phone, some from Aunt Becker, some from Shona, two from Maximilian, and the rest from Viktor.
She first texted her aunt to reassure her that she was safe, then she read Maximilian’s messages that said,
“Have you gotten home?”
“Good night, or morning,” with a laughing emoji.
Zora smiled unconsciously.
Alistair saw it.
His jaw tightened.
He looked away immediately, as if Zora was beneath his attention.
Zora, on the other hand, was still checking her messages.
Shona kept apologizing to her, while Viktor sent messages like,
“I have forgiven you for barging into my room.”
“Do not act like you can leave without me.
Remember what might happen to your aunt.”
“Our wedding is coming up, so let us just put the past behind us.”
Zora’s chest rose and fell.
Her blood boiled at every word in his messages.
The car finally stopped at a bus stop.
Zora thanked him and was about to get off the car, but suddenly something fell on her lap.
When she looked at it, it was two bundles of dollars.
If she was not mistaken, it should be up to five hundred thousand in big bills.
Zora frowned.
She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, she heard him say,
“I am sure that is more than you were paid.”
Zora’s eyebrows furrowed.
“I do not understand.”
Alistair looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
“What do you not understand?
The part that you cheated on your boyfriend for money, or the part you were paid to seduce me?”
Zora’s face turned from purple to black.
She threw the bundles back at him, opened the car door, glared at him, and said,
“I hope we never meet again.”
With that said, she slammed the door and started walking away.
Even with the pain from her ribs she still walked with her shoulders held high.
She still planned on applying an ointment on it.
The car did not move until Zora’s figure disappeared from their view.
“Kane.
Keep your eyes on her until we find who was behind this.”
Kane nodded and the car started and drove off.
When Zora entered the house, the person she saw seated on the couch made her freeze in place.
Her blood reached its boiling point.
Zora closed her eyes.
‘It seems like today all I’ll be getting is annoyance!!’
She had not told her aunt about what had happened between Viktor and Shona, so she could not act rashly.
She took a deep breath and exhaled, then slowly opened her eyes.
When Viktor saw her, he stood up with a smile.
“You are back,” he said as he walked toward her.
His arms spread open to hug her, but Zora moved back, avoiding him completely.
She glanced at her auntie.
“I am dirty.
Let me go and wash up.”
Aunt Becker nodded with a smile.
Viktor licked his lip.
“Okay, go wash up so we can go out.”
Zora glared at him, a thousand insults in her mind, but in the end she said nothing.
She just walked into her room.
Viktor smiled and sat back with Aunt Becker.
Not long after Zora went to bathe, Shona arrived.
Her gaze fell on Viktor who was seated with Auntie Becker.
She clutched her clothes tightly and avoided eye contact instinctively.
Viktor saw her.
The corner of his lips raised slightly.
Aunt Becker smiled.
“Shona come in, why are you standing there?”
“Come, sit here, let me get you something to drink.”
Auntie Becker tapped on the empty space between her and Viktor.
Shona nodded with a stiff smile.
However Shona was not comfortable sitting with Viktor, so she stood up and went to knock on Zora’s door.
She raised her hand to knock but stopped mid air.
‘What if she refuses to open the door?’
She angled her head slightly.
Viktor was silently watching her as if he was ready to see her embarrassed.
Shona sighed and went ahead to knock on the door.
Luckily, Zora opened it.
When the door shut behind her, Shona immediately fell on her knees.
“Zora, I am really sorry.
Sorry, sorry.”
Zora sat on her bed, her legs crossed.
“Apologizing won’t change a thing.
I’m sure you enjoyed being Viktor’s beloved?”
Shona shook her head.
“I…”
Zora cut her off mid sentence.
“I am going to forgive you if you join me and Viktor to go out…”
She paused for a second and continued,
“…and help me look for a way to tell Aunt that Viktor and I broke up.”
Shona’s mouth went dry.
She stood up, wiped her tears, and looked at her best friend.
Zora looked at her and said,
“If you will not do it, it is fine…”
Shona quickly grabbed Zora’s hand.
“I am going to do it.
I will follow you, and I will look for a way to break the news to Aunt without causing any damage.”
Zora nodded.
“Okay.
Let us go.”
They both went out of the room.
Viktor was still seated.
He saw Zora looking around for her aunt, so he said,
“Aunt is in the kitchen.”
Zora nodded but did not say anything to him.
If she did, only God knows what she would have said to him, so she stayed silent.
Viktor frowned slightly, his eyes scanning both Zora and Shona.
What were they up to?
He hated the silent treatment he got from Zora.
A few minutes later, Aunt Becker came out.
“You are all still here?
I thought you would have left.”
Viktor smiled and said, “We were about to leave.
We were waiting to tell you first.”
Aunt Becker smiled.
“Okay, you should get going.
I do not want to be the reason you do not go on your date.”
Immediately she finished her sentence, Zora spoke up.
“Actually, it is the three of us.
Shona and I had plans which we must not neglect.”
Viktor raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
Zora nodded.
“Your date came unannounced.
I cannot let it spoil my plans.”
Aunt Becker looked at them with a frown.
The way they spoke to each other was as if they were quarreling.
She looked at Shona, but Shona avoided eye contact.
Aunt Becker did not want to interfere in their affairs, but she could not let it continue like that.
“Are you three quarreling?”
When the three of them heard Aunt Becker’s question, they turned to her in unison and said,
“No!!”