In a dimly lit room, the morning sun rays escaped through the window blind.
A lady woke up with a pounding headache and pains radiating to her ankle.
She forced her eyes open despite how tired she felt.
Her breath hitched seeing a strange man deeply asleep beside her.
His bare chest rose and fell, she couldn't help but notice the bruises and scars on his chest.
It was his face that caught her, along his jaw and cheek, a big burn scar stretched like a brutal reminder of fire.
What?!
Immediately, she got fully awake, sitting up on the bed and scanning the unfamiliar room.
Where was she?
Her heart pounded in her chest, panicking.
What happened last night?
A realization hit her, she was no longer a virgin.
She quickly yanked the bedsheet to cover her chest.
Her brain was in a fog, she didn't know how she had shared a bed with a stranger.
The last thing she could remember was signing a contract deal with-
"Alfredo!"
The moment she called the name, the stranger's eyes opened.
He gave a small smile, looking at her like they had been friends for ages.
The stranger was handsome, her eyes trailed to his cheap old boot on the floor, and it made her cringe and embarrassed.
"You are awake?" he asked in a comforting way, sitting up casually while rubbing his eyes
Who was he?
A memory of her running from Alfredo's men resurfaces, which was how she strained her ankle.
"You work for Alfredo, right?" she asked defensively
"I work for no one, people work for me" the stranger replied "We had a good time last night, want to continue?"
The lady was disgusted, how dare he talk about continuing? He wasn't even up to her status
Unable to bottle up the fear and the anger, her hand moved to his cheek, landing a hard slap on his face.
"What did you do to me last night!" she roared
The man, Leon Draven, blinked.
He didn't expect the slap or her sudden hostile attitude
"What do you mean?" he asked, his cheek still stinging from the slap
He looked at the lady in front of him, a beautiful blonde with a face as perfect as a model's.
"Alfredo sent you, didn't he! How could you do this to me?" She swung her hand to slap him again, but he caught her hand this time
"You don't remember? I came to deliver pizza last night" Leon said calmly
She forcefully removed her hand from his grip, her eyes darting around the room while trying to remember.
Her facial expression was filled with fear, and her lips quivered, but she tried to act bold.
The smartphone on the desk was a cheap iPhone.
Worst, his clothes on the chair were plain.
How did she sleep with a nobody, a deliveryman struggling to make ends meet?
If news got out, it could ruin her career
Unbelievable! Of all the wealthy men who wanted her in Zyria, it had to be this lowlife?
"Do you know who I am?" Curiosity masked on her face
It wouldn't be a surprise that he did and only wants to take advantage of her status.
A lot of men does it to her
Tara Vorene was one of the top beauties in Zyria, with a rising career as a young CEO.
"No, who are you?" Leon replied, and it came as a low blow for Tara. "You ran to me last night and asked me to sleep with you."
It was barely two days, he got back into Zyria
After five years of fleeing away from his enemies that wants him dead
"That is a lie!" She blurted out, shaking her head.
It was impossible that a lady like her would chase after a man, worst a poor man.
"You did something to me!"
"Watch your words. I didn't touch you without consent. You were the one who kissed me and begged to sleep with you."
Her eyes widened in shock. Just then, the memories flooded back.
Last night, after she had signed the contract of truce with Alfredo, the CEO of a rival company, he offered her a drink.
She had thought they were meeting to settle their difference, but it turned out Alfredo had nasty intentions from the start.
He had spiked her drink, hoping to take advantage of her.
The drug Alfredo had given her was a potent aphrodisiac, which made it impossible for her to control her desires.
One that could end her life if she didn't have sex that hour
A delivery man? Why did it have to be him?
"Oh no! How could this happen?"
"Do you remember now?" Alex smirked, "You were the one begging-."
"Shut up!" Tara's face turned bright red with an angry fury.
Just last night, everything had seemed to make sense while they entangled under the sheets, but now, everything felt so wrong.
"Damn it!" She held her temple with her hand. "You are not to tell anybody about this" she said, warning Leon
"Who is Alfredo? Say a word and I would go after him."
"You?" Tara scoffed, her disbelief mixing with disgust. "You want to go after a man like Alfredo? He has power and wealth. What do you have?"
Leon smirked "I have everything and more that he doesn't"
"Talk is cheap" she continued. She got up from the bed to put on her clothes. "Alfredo is one of the richest men in Zyria"
"Richest? He can't be compared to me" Leon replied
Tara let out a laugh. The man standing before her was a bragger.
"This never happened between us." Her disdain was clear
She took out a bundle of cash from her bag and threw it on the bed.
To her, Leon was another gold digger. "Take it and disappear. I don't want you to ruin my reputation and company"
"You think you can pay me off with money? I could buy your entire company with what I spend on breakfast"
She exhaled, throwing another bundle of cash on the bed. "Here's more"
"Money is useless when you already own the world" Leon replied, getting up from the bed to wear his trousers.
Tara spotted a dragon tattoo inked in black below his ribs.
Her eyes widened, it looked almost identical to the crest she had seen once before on a document her father swore was classified.
Her father had warned her once to stay away from anyone marked with that crest. He never told her why.
But no, it couldn't be. Not on a pizza boy.
Tara blinked and shook her head, forcing a laugh.
"Of course. Another wannabe bad boy with a dragon tattoo. How fake"
Leon only smirked, pulling his shirt over it. "Not everything you see is for you to understand"
"What do you need if not money to buy a new phone to change that crap?" she replied, rolling her eyes
"Tell me, thank you for saving your life" Leon's voice was calm
"Keep dreaming" she glared at him with disgust "A nobody like you-"
Before Tara could fire back, a red dot danced over her chest.
Her breath hitched. "What the—"
Leon's eyes darkened in an instant, turning around to the building across.
Snipper
Without hesitation, he shoved her down onto the floor. Crouching with the bed as cover.
Just then, the sound of a rifle shot a glass behind them.
Crash
Tara screamed, panicking, hands over her ears
"Call 911?"
"Before they arrive, you would be dead" Leon says calmly, like it's nothing
She froze, her heart hammering "What…What do you mean?"
The rifle shot continued, shattering objects in the room
Tara screamed, louder this time. Her heart pounded in fear
Another hot shattered the bedside lamp close to Leon.
Leon didn't flinch. Calmly, he drew his Glock from his trousers.
Tara's eyes widened. What was a pizza deliveryman doing with a gun?
"Stay down," he growled. "If you want to live"