Passion often strikes without warning...
Most romantic relationships are driven more by emotion than reason, causing those who fall in love to act in ways that defy logic. Dopamine, that miraculous chemical, can bring the sweetest happiness while also provoking the most secretive desires.
Betty couldn't remember exactly how she had gotten caught up in this emotional game...
Perhaps it had begun during that reluctant family dinner, or maybe it was the day she toured Umbrella Corporation. The moment she felt the first flicker of curiosity about Sean and wanted to dig deeper, everything had already spiraled out of control.
Her mind was filled with images of that tall, unyielding figure striding forward... unstoppable, and unshaken... Blood blossomed like crimson flowers in the air, mixed with splatters of white brain matter. The sound of shattering bones and the agonized screams of mercenaries played like a macabre symphony in her ears, a relentless echo she couldn't escape.
As General Ross's beloved daughter, Betty was no stranger to bloodshed and violence. But this was the first time someone had laid it all bare before her eyes.
Those indifferent eyes brimming with boiling killing intent, that cold and solemn young face gradually overlapped with the gentle and humorous smile she was familiar with... It left her feeling both alienated and inexplicably drawn in.
After a week of isolation at home, the bloody massacre in the warehouse haunted her midnight dreams. Her rational mind screamed at her to stay away from Sean.
By all accounts, he was dangerous. Should she be entangled in an emotional whirlpool with him, escape would be impossible. Yet, deep down, an irrepressible curiosity gnawed at her.
The young man was like a figure shrouded in mist... sometimes near, sometimes far, flickering in and out of clarity. That enigmatic allure was impossible to resist.
Hugging a pillow against the headboard, Betty glanced at the invitation on her nightstand. It was for Stark Industries' charity gala, and Umbrella was among the invitees. Sean would undoubtedly be there.
Beneath her reserved and proper exterior, Betty harbored a rebellious streak... perhaps inherited from her father's adventurous spirit...
In another timeline, she had been drawn to Bruce Banner's Hulk, defying her father's authority to play out a beauty-and-the-beast fairy tale.
Now, faced with someone even more dangerous than the Hulk, Betty was like a moth drawn to flame. The subtle emotions stirring in her heart urged her closer, despite herself.
She looked at the invitation again and began considering what evening gown to wear tomorrow night.
...
The long night passed uneventfully...
When the tall and elegant Betty stepped into the venue in a pearl-colored strapless gown, she instantly became the center of attention, much to the pride of General Ross who escorted her.
The dress hugged her curves perfectly, its fishtail hem accentuating her graceful figure. Her flaxen hair was swept up in an elegant updo, and under the soft lighting, her fair skin seemed to glow.
After disentangling herself from her father's arm, Betty scanned the room...
She quickly spotted her target... a sharply suited Sean shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with a group of powerful figures. By his side was Gwen Stacy, clad in a sleek black backless gown.
The vivacious and ever-youthful Miss Stacy appeared to be Sean's date for the evening, her arm linked with his as she leaned against him intimately.
The sight sent a pang of inexplicable bitterness through Betty. For a moment, she wanted to turn and leave. But a stubborn refusal to back down flared up inside her.
Forcing a smile, she glided toward Sean with practiced grace. As a general's daughter, she wasn't about to slink away like some defeated nobody...
...
Sean had noticed Betty's arrival the moment she entered...
Pretending otherwise, he continued mingling with the crowd, Gwen clinging to his arm in a daze. His polite and humble demeanor won over many, making him seem almost like the evening's gracious host... so much so that one might forget this was, in fact, Stark Industries' charity event.
Soft music flowed through the air like a gentle stream. For the assembled elite, tonight was an opportunity to showcase their noble virtues and compassionate generosity while also flaunting their wealth for reputation's sake.
As for money?
Those bills bearing Franklin's face were perhaps the thing they desired most and valued least. Tonight's expenditures would inevitably yield returns. Businessmen never did anything without profit...
"Hey, Betty. You look stunning tonight. Half the room can't take their eyes off you." Sean greeted her warmly as she approached.
"Oh? And what about you?" Perhaps due to her tangled emotions, Betty abandoned her usual poise, her tone unexpectedly provocative.
Sean chuckled lightly, deftly sidestepping the loaded question. Beside him, Gwen remained silent. The blonde, now one of Umbrella's top executives, was still in a fog, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Like Betty, she had been deeply shaken, but in a different way.
As Sean's college friend, Gwen had never imagined him capable of such cold, brutal violence. He had killed those mercenaries without hesitation. Logically, she should have been terrified. Yet, in that dire situation, she had felt an overwhelming sense of safety.
In other words, she had quickly accepted this darker side of him and found she didn't dislike it at all.
Even so, Gwen still didn't know how to face Sean, this old friend she thought she knew so well, the object of her long-hidden admiration.
When he invited her as his date tonight, she had agreed in a daze. Now, clinging to his arm, she remained silent, her mind a tangled mess of emotions...
...
Sean observed the two women's reactions. They were similar, yet distinct...
On one hand, he lamented how complicated women could be. On the other, he pondered how to resolve the situation. Honestly, this was no easier than a no-holds-barred brawl with the Hulk.
"I'm a little tired, Sean. I'd like to rest somewhere," Gwen murmured, biting her lip. Watching him banter so effortlessly with Betty left her unsettled.
"Actually, I have something important I'd like to discuss with you too. Do you have time, Sean?" Betty set down her champagne glass, her cheeks faintly flushed from the alcohol.
Sean paused, then cleared his throat. With an utterly serious expression, he said, "This hotel has an observation deck on the top floor, though it's usually closed to the public. We can take the elevator up. Why don't we all go and talk?"
Betty's first instinct was refusal. Had any other man made such a bold suggestion, she would've slapped him without hesitation. But seeing Gwen still clinging to Sean's arm, her words came out differently.
"Fine. It is a bit stuffy in here." She lifted her chin slightly, her full chest rising with the movement, every inch the proud general's daughter.
Gwen, of course, wasn't about to leave either. She pressed closer to Sean, as if drawing strength from his solid frame.
And so, the tale of two little rabbits and one big bad wolf continued…
....
When morning light filtered through the sheer curtains into the lavishly decorated suite, four discarded high heels lay scattered across the plush carpet...
A pearl-colored strapless gown draped over the sofa, while a black backless dress lay in a heap nearby.
The scene shifted to the king-sized bed, where a thin sheet barely covered the trio beneath...
One arm rested on Sean's firm chest, its owner nestled lazily against him. On the other side, golden hair spilled across the pillow... Gwen's face, still flushed with pleasure, slept soundly on his arm.
Betty's eyelashes fluttered as consciousness slowly returned. Still half-asleep, she instinctively snuggled deeper into the warm embrace, wanting to linger a little longer.
About ten seconds later, full awareness crashed down on her. The realization that she was naked beneath the sheets (her body faintly aching in places) sent her bolting upright.
"Oh my goodness!" She covered her burning cheeks, unable to believe things had escalated so quickly.
Yet, beyond the embarrassment, she felt no real regret. Emotions were like that... once that spark of attraction ignited, it burned like wildfire, impossible to contain.
'Wait a minute… Something feels off...' In the dappled light seeping through the curtains, Betty spotted the other figure beside Sean.
A quick scan of the room revealed clothes strewn everywhere, the aftermath of last night's chaos.
A shocked scream tore from her throat, jolting Sean and Gwen awake. Another shriek followed as the two women yanked at the thin sheet, each trying to cover themselves while glaring daggers at the man between them.
Facing their furious gazes, Sean offered a sincere smile, "I can explain everything."