Mei instantly began to panic.
All she wanted was to leave this place and pretend none of this had ever happened.
She knew this wasn’t the time for tears.
No matter how broken she felt, crying would not help her now.
The only thing on her mind was escaping before anyone found her.
Faint beams of torchlight swept across the hallway, moving slowly from one corner to another as though someone was searching every shadow for whoever was hiding there.
Her breathing gradually became uneven.
She bit down on her lower lip, forcing herself to stay calm as her eyes desperately searched for an exit.
Every passing second felt like an eternity, and the violent pounding of her heart made her fear that someone would hear it echoing through the silence.
After what felt like forever, she finally spotted the main door.
Without wasting another second, Mei carefully reached for the handle and slowly turned it, praying it wouldn’t make a sound.
She slipped outside as quietly as possible before gently closing the door behind her.
Only then did she dare breathe again.
Ignoring the sharp pain spreading through her body, she limped away as quickly as her injured body would allow.
She never looked back.
She only wanted to get as far away from that penthouse as possible, as though leaving it behind would also leave behind everything that had happened inside.
Not long after Mei disappeared, Lucian slowly regained consciousness.
A dull ache pounded relentlessly inside his head, making even the slightest movement unbearable.
His brows furrowed as he rubbed his temples, trying to clear the heavy fog clouding his mind.
Slowly, fragments of the previous night surfaced.
He remembered coming to Leon’s penthouse to finalise a business deal on his brother’s behalf.
He remembered someone bringing over the bottle of wine Leon had been talking about for weeks.
Out of curiosity, he had poured himself a glass.
The wine had tasted unusually smooth, but not long afterwards, an unbearable heat spread through every inch of his body.
His consciousness gradually became hazy until everything dissolved into darkness.
He remembered a woman, he remembered the faint sound of her voice, her moan.
He remembered the gentle fragrance of fresh roses surrounding her.
Beyond that, everything became blank.
No matter how hard he tried to remember her face, it remained hidden behind an impenetrable fog.
It was as though someone had deliberately erased every important detail from his memory.
Instinctively, he reached towards the other side of the bed and It was empty, his brows knitted together.He was certain someone had been lying there only moments ago.
Slowly, he pushed himself into a sitting position, but before he could steady himself, his hand brushed against something sticky.
His movements immediately stopped.
He lowered his gaze.
Blood.
Lucian had always hated the sight of blood.
It irritated him more than anything else, yet this time he barely reacted.
Instead, his expression gradually darkened as silent understanding settled inside him.
Whoever had shared his bed last night had given him her first time.
His headache intensified.
He closed his eyes and desperately searched through the shattered fragments of his memories, but no matter how hard he tried, nothing came back except broken pieces that refused to connect.
Just then, the faint sound of dripping water came from the bathroom.
Lucian immediately turned towards the closed door.
“Who’s there?” he asked, his deep voice rough with exhaustion.
The bathroom door slowly opened.
A slender hand appeared first before a woman cautiously stepped outside.
Her hair was slightly dishevelled, most of her makeup had been washed away, and her dress was torn in several places.
Together with the bloodstained bed, everything before him painted an obvious picture.
“I’m sorry, Young Master…”
Lucian slowly lifted his eyes.
“Who are you” Lucian asked, camille bit her lips in frustration, even after seeing her so many times, he couldn’t recognize her..
“I’m the first young lady of the Zhoa family”.
Camille lowered her head shyly before slowly walking towards him, stopping only a few steps away.
“I’m sorry, Young Master,” she whispered as she nervously twisted her fingers together.
“You… you lost control last night. I tried to stop you, but you were too drunk.”
She bit her lower lip as her eyes gradually reddened.
“You took my first time.”
Lucian looked at her without saying a word.Everything before him suggested she was telling the truth.
The blood on the bed, her torn dress, the frightened expression on her face, every piece of evidence pointed towards the same conclusion.
Yet something felt wrong.
He clearly remembered the fragrance from last night.
It had been light, fresh and soothing, carrying the delicate scent of roses that had somehow calmed the restlessness buried deep inside him.
He even remembered sleeping peacefully afterwards.
It had been years since he had slept so soundly without being disturbed by his recurring episodes.
Camille smelled nothing like that.
Instead, the unmistakable scent of Tom Ford Black Orchid surrounded her.
It was bold, rich and intensely seductive, layered with deep floral and earthy notes that overwhelmed the senses.
It was nothing like the clean, gentle fragrance of fresh roses that lingered in his memory.
As she took another step towards him, Lucian subconsciously stepped back.
The closer she came, the stronger the discomfort inside him became.
He couldn’t explain why.
Every instinct in his body rejected her presence.
He desperately wished she wasn’t the woman from last night, yet all the evidence before him pointed directly at her.
Lucian looked at the woman standing before him, and a deep frown slowly settled on his face.
If she had truly lost her innocence last night, why was she so eager to get close to him now?
The thought alone filled him with inexplicable displeasure.
“Are you alright, Young Master?” Camille asked softly as she reached out, intending to support him.
“Get out.”
His voice was cold enough to freeze the room.
Lucian brushed her hand away before climbing out of bed.
Standing well over six feet tall, his broad shoulders, sharply defined muscles and naturally imposing presence made him tower over her effortlessly.
Camille’s heartbeat quickened despite herself.
Her cheeks flushed as her eyes unconsciously travelled across his bare upper body before a smug smile slowly appeared on her lips.
Soon…
This man would belong to her.
“Please don’t chase me away,” she pleaded, forcing tears into her eyes.
“You… you took my first time.”
Lucian did not even spare her another glance.
Looking at her filled him with nothing but disgust.
For reasons he couldn’t understand, the mere sight of her made his stomach churn.
A wave of nausea rose within him, making him want to leave immediately.
Even breathing the same air as her made him feel deeply uncomfortable.
Without another word, he stroded out of the private suite, his mind still desperately trying to piece together the shattered fragments of the previous night.
The harder he tried to remember…
The more it felt as though someone had stolen an entire night from his life.