The day passed silently, the ticking clock unaware of the storm hiding behind the quiet sunset. Selira woke up with a hopeful heart, her eyes shining with purpose. She thought today would bring a solution money to reclaim her father's house, her only treasure, her sanctuary of memories. With that thought, she started her day with a smile, completely unaware of the darkness waiting ahead.
Elsewhere, Braylon and Ira were in a different kind of mood excited, but not for the same reasons. Their bags were already packed. Braylon had secretly booked train tickets to the city for the next morning. "Once she finds out the truth, she'll turn into a monster," he said, half-laughing as he zipped his bag. "We need to vanish before that."
Ira, lying back on the bed with her arms crossed behind her head, replied, "Good. Let her scream into the emptiness. We'll be gone."
Meanwhile, Zavian was busy finalizing travel plans with his assistant. His friend Darian had arrived, and both were scheduled to leave the city around 11 a.m. in a chopper. By early afternoon, their helicopter landed near the quiet village playground. Without fanfare, they drove to Goodwill Hotel, the only premium accommodation in the area.
At the same hotel, Braylon and Ira had brought Selira, convincing her the financier preferred to meet in a private place. "He's a city man, very professional," Braylon explained with a fake smile. "These types don't like crowds."
Selira dressed modestly in jeans and a pink shirt, but Braylon insisted she change. "He's from the city. You should dress modern. A skirt maybe."
Not fully convinced, she eventually changed into a dark green mini skirt and a sleeveless crop top. Before leaving, she looked at her father's photo and whispered, "Please bless me today, Daddy."
Her mother, left alone at home, stood in front of her late husband's photo. "Please protect our daughter," she whispered with tears in her eyes.
They reached the hotel around 5 p.m. Braylon informed them the financier would meet them at 5:30. To kill time, he excused himself to speak with the receptionist, and Ira went to answer a phone call.
But that call was a setup. "Give her the drug with the juice," Braylon said to Ira over the phone. "She'll feel hot, desperate. After 15-20 minutes, she won't resist. We just have to wait until he's back in his room. Then we bring her in."
Ira agreed coldly. "And the payment?"
"Half a million dollars. And yeah, I'll throw fifty grand to her mom for sympathy makes us look like we care."
By 6 p.m., Braylon returned with three glasses of juice. He handed one each to Ira and Selira, taking the last for himself. "Cheers to new beginnings," he said casually.
Selira sipped with a trusting smile. "Mmm, I was thirsty."
Braylon then left again under the pretense of checking on the financier. A few minutes later, Ira followed.
Alone in the lobby, Selira began feeling odd. Her body flushed with heat, her head spinning. She walked toward the restroom, but as she neared a hallway, she overheard whispers.
"She drank it," Braylon whispered.
"Yeah," Braylon replied. "In ten minutes she'll be on fire. That stuff works fast. She'll crave touch. We just need to take her upstairs to him. Once he's done, we get our 500k. And we're gone."
"What about her mom?"
"I told you, we'll throw her 50k. A farewell gift." He laughed.
Ira snickered. "And she still doesn't know about us."
"Even if she finds out, too late," he said. "After tonight, she won't have the strength to fight."
"Poor girl. She trusted us. Let her taste betrayal."
Selira froze.
The air left her lungs as reality punched her in the chest. Tears welled up as her legs trembled. Her boyfriend and best friend were monsters. Her heart cracked open.
But the heat in her body didn't let her think clearly. Panic took over. I need to get out of here. I need to run. But they were near the entrance. Upstairs... hide... somewhere...
Stumbling up to the second floor, she tried door after door. All were locked except one.
She pushed the door open and slipped inside. The room was quiet, lights dimmed. She stumbled to the water bottle and drank like she was on fire. Her skin tingled, sweat forming. Her legs weak. Her body burned, her emotions wrecked.
Selira's heart pounded like thunder. Her vision blurred, her breath shallow, and her legs trembling with every step. The hallway on the second floor stretched endlessly in front of her, but all she needed was a hiding spot anywhere to escape the firestorm rising inside her.
Her lips quivered. Her body burned hotter with each second. The drug wasn't just working; it was consuming her from within. Her skin tingled, her breath quickened, and she felt dizzy. Not just from fear, but from a kind of unbearable heat that pulsed through her veins, centering deep in her core.
She grabbed the doorknob of the only slightly open room and slipped inside, closing it quietly behind her.
It was dark inside, just a sliver of soft light creeping through the curtains. The cool air from the air conditioner brushed her skin and sent a shiver down her spine. She staggered a few steps, trying to calm the wild rhythm in her chest. Her eyes darted around the room. She spotted a bottle of water on the table and rushed to it, gulping it down like a lost traveler in a desert.
But the heat didn't go. It worsened.
Her body… it wasn't hers anymore. Her face flushed, her knees weakened, her lips dry. She held her stomach and closed her eyes tight, wishing she could rip the burning sensation out of her.
Then… she heard the soft creak of a door.
The washroom door opened.
Out walked a man, still drying his hair with a towel. Only a towel hung around his hips, droplets of water still tracing paths down his chiseled torso. His skin glistened. His presence was quiet but powerful. Calm but mysterious.
Selira didn't see his face clearly. She couldn't.
Her vision was too hazy.
She stepped backward, but stumbled.
The next second, she crashed into him.
His bare chest was firm. Cool. Comforting. Like a wall of ice meeting fire. It stunned her. Her fingers unintentionally clutched his skin. Her breathing staggered. Her lips grazed his neck as she whispered in a voice she barely recognized as her own, "Please… help me… I can't… I can't control…"
The man stiffened.
He didn't know what was happening, but he could feel it her body trembling, her skin scorching, her breath desperate.
Before he could react, she wrapped her arms around his neck in a huggy-buggy way and clung to him. Her body almost melted into his cool one. Her face rested against his neck, soft lips brushing the sensitive spot under his ear.
He gasped.
Her lips were soft. Her scent was confusing floral, but oddly intoxicating.
She didn't stop. Instead, she moved closer, whispering again, "Don't go… stay with me…"
He tried to step back, to say something. But her grip was tight, like she'd drown without him.
Her kiss fell on his collarbone. Then again on his neck.
The man froze.
He could feel her body burning. Her face flushed, eyes barely open. Something wasn't right he could sense it now. Someone had done this to her. This wasn't desire. It was distress wrapped in heat.
Yet even knowing that, something stirred in him.
He slowly pulled her back to look at her.
That's when he saw her clearly.
Her mini skirt had ridden up her thighs smooth, soft, slightly parted from the way she'd staggered. Her crop top had lifted just above her navel, revealing her light pink skin glistening with sweat. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips parted, eyes glazed with a helpless, pleading look.
A strange feeling pricked inside his chest.
This girl… looked like a dream in pain.
His fingers trembled as he reached out and gently touched her forehead. "You're burning up…" he muttered.
She leaned forward, resting her head on his chest, murmuring again, "Please…"
He couldn't push her away. He couldn't understand why but he couldn't let her go either.
Carefully, he lifted her into his arms.
She curled into him like a kitten. Her arms around his neck. Her breath brushing his skin. Her body shivering even while it radiated heat.
He placed her gently on the bed, trying to keep his distance.
But her skirt lifted more as she moved, revealing the soft curve of her upper thighs. Her tank top slid higher, showing the delicate lines of her ribs and the curve just below her chest.
He swallowed hard, looking away.
But then she pulled him down.
Their lips met.
Her kiss was soft. Confused. Innocent.
But it made his world stop.
He kissed her back, slowly… like a silent promise.
Just one kiss. That was all.
And in that one smoochy-woochy kiss, two broken worlds collided without knowing why.
The man's mind screamed to stop.
But his heart whispered…
She's different.