---
ZENITH CITY
– Starlight Hotel
*
"Come closer..."
The voice was low, husky, and dangerously smooth — like velvet brushing against bare skin. Joyce Hayes froze in the doorway, her heart thudding like a drum in her chest.
She hadn't meant to be here. One wrong turn in the hallway, one too many drinks, and now she was standing in a stranger's hotel suite, bathed in dim light and heat.
"Stop..." she whispered, though her voice lacked conviction.
The man stepped closer, his fingers wrapping around her wrist. Warm. Firm. Intentional. He laced their fingers together, and for a moment, it felt like they belonged that way.
Joyce's breath hitched. Her mind was foggy, her body betraying her better judgment.
"Shh... be good," he murmured, his lips brushing her ear.
Her skin tingled. Her thoughts scattered. And then — his mouth on her neck, his grip tightening, her knees going weak.
"Ahh..." she gasped, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. The sensation was sharp, overwhelming, and strangely electric.
Everything blurred.
She stopped thinking. Stopped resisting. The room spun, the heat rose, and she let herself fall into the moment — into him.
Two bodies tangled in the dark.
One night.
No names.
Just fire.
*
Morning light crept through the curtains.
Joyce blinked, her head pounding. The ceiling above her was unfamiliar. So was the bed. And the warmth beside her.
Wait—what?
She turned slowly, heart racing.
And there he was.
The man from last night. Sleeping peacefully, shirtless, with tousled silver hair and lashes that looked like they belonged in a perfume ad. His face was sculpted, unfairly beautiful — like someone had designed him in a lab for maximum heartbreak.
Joyce's stomach flipped.
Xavier Blackwood.
The heir to the Blackwood empire. Billionaire. Untouchable. The man every woman in Zenith City whispered about.
And she had just slept with him.
Her cheeks flamed. She scrambled out of bed, grabbing her clothes with trembling hands. If he woke up and saw her — if he realized what had happened — she'd die of embarrassment.
She didn't even remember how she got here. Just flashes. Heat. His voice. Her body betraying her.
She needed to disappear. Now.
She dressed in record time, snatched her purse, and bolted — leaving behind only a butterfly-shaped hairpin on the nightstand.
*
Outside the hotel, black-suited men moved with precision. Sunglasses. Earpieces. Serious faces. They approached the suite like they were guarding a president.
Inside, Xavier stood by the window, dressed in a plain white T-shirt and grey pants. His silver hair caught the light, glowing like moonlight on water. One hand in his pocket. Brows furrowed. Lost in thought.
He looked like a painting. Or a problem.
A box was handed to him.
He opened it slowly, eyes narrowing.
"Are you kidding me? This is it?"
The man beside him bowed low.
"Yes, sir. Unfortunately, this was all we could find."
Inside the box lay a blue pendant — delicate, old, and familiar.
His mother's.
Rachel Blackwood had vanished five years ago. No body. No clues. Just silence. And now, this pendant — with a butterfly design that matched the birthmark on the woman's neck last night.
The mystery deepened.
"Pull the surveillance footage," Xavier said quietly. "Find the girl with the butterfly birthmark."
"Yes, sir."
"And keep digging. I want everything."
"Understood."
He dismissed them with a nod, then turned back to the hairpin on the table.
She had left it behind.
His fingers curled around it, grip tightening.
Who are you, pretty stranger?
*
Later that week...
"Miss Joyce Hayes..." The nurse handed her a report, face unreadable.
"Congratulations. You're pregnant."
Joyce's world tilted.
Her breath caught. Her knees wobbled.
"H-how could this be?!"
She shook her head, panic rising.
"No. No, this has to be a mistake. Please — do the test again."
The nurse raised an eyebrow.
"Miss, the result is accurate. You're pregnant."
Joyce stared at the paper, heart pounding. Her mind raced back to that night. The hotel. The stranger. The fire.
Xavier Blackwood.
And now... she was carrying his child.
*
---
No... This had to be a mistake.
"Serves you right! Should've thought twice before fooling around before marriage. Kids these days..."
The nurse scoffed, her laugh cold and sharp.
Joyce stumbled out of the nurse's office, heart thudding like a drum against her ribs.
She made a beeline for the pharmacy, grabbed a pregnancy test kit, and rushed home—still hoping it was all just a bad dream.
But reality hit hard.
Two bold red lines stared back at her.
She was pregnant.
Pregnant.
Really pregnant.
Joyce Hayes clutched her skirt tightly, her mind spinning. How could this happen? Was fate playing some cruel joke on her?
Her hand drifted to her lower abdomen, almost instinctively.
There was a tiny life growing inside her.
She bit her lip, the sting grounding her as her heart felt like it had been ripped in two.
Could she really do this?
---
Blackwood Empire
Five Years Later
President's Office
The office was pristine—elegant, spotless, not a single thing out of place.
A sleek computer sat on the desk, glowing softly.
Xavier Blackwood leaned back in his chair, sipping coffee as he stared at the screen.
"Any updates on the girl from five years ago?" Derek asked, strolling in like he owned the place.
Derek was Xavier's ride-or-die. They'd grown up like brothers.
Though, sometimes Xavier wanted to strangle him.
This was one of those times.
"You ever heard of knocking?" Xavier muttered.
Derek rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. You should be used to me barging in by now. Is that any way to greet your best buddy?"
Xavier ignored him and turned back to his screen.
Derek leaned over the desk, peeking at the monitor. "So? Any leads?"
"No."
"Seriously, man? It's been five years. You're still chasing this mystery girl?"
"You're starting to get on my nerves."
Derek gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. "Wait... don't tell me you like her!"
Could that be it?
Was Xavier still searching for her because... he had feelings?
Xavier's jaw tightened. "Should I throw you out?"
---