Rhea POV:
When morning rolled around, sunlight stabbed through the curtains and straight into my poor, guilty eyes. I was in bed. Naked. With Mr. Cortez.
Yes I was naked in a bed that wasn't mine, and Mr. Cortez was sleeping like a contented beast beside me. My back felt like it belonged to someone twice my age, my limbs were jelly, and my head hummed with the kind of regret you save for bad decisions and stronger drinks.
My entire body ached like I'd gone a few rounds with a gym instructor from hell, and my limbs felt like overcooked noodles. Last night had happened. Somehow, the man I'd sworn to humiliate had managed to turn every ridiculous daydream I'd ever had about powerful CEOs into… well, reality.
Whatever he drank had left him unlocked and insatiable all night, until exhaustion finally hauled us both under in the wee hours. Stupid? Absolutely. Blame my stubborn, whispering subconscious — this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it had insisted.
Now reality was back, and it wasn't pretty. If he woke up and saw me here, the story in his head would write itself: I'd drugged him. I'd planned this. His ego was big enough to fill this entire hotel suite, and I refused to let it crush me twice.
I had to go before that ego of his could turn any accusation into a scandal, and I wasn't about to be the villain in his version of events. Also: birth control. After the amount of mauling I'd taken, it would be miraculous if I didn't need Plan A, B, and a prayer.
I scrambled out of bed, collecting my clothes, my phone, and what was left of my dignity. My legs wobbled like I'd forgotten how walking worked. A hot bath was the dream, but the last thing I wanted was to risk the luxury bathroom here and have him wake up to find me still around.
No, thank you. My tiny bathroom back home would have to do. Preferably with scalding water and enough soap to wash away every stupid, messy, intoxicating thing about last night.
So I slipped away as quietly as a guilty ghost, vowing that the first stop would be my place and a pharmacy. Fast.
*********
When I got back to my apartment, I found Lucy sprawled out on the couch, her face buried in a pillow. She shot up the moment she heard me, her eyes wide with panic, and then she went into full-on mom mode.
"Where the hell have you been, young lady?" she demanded, sitting up, her voice rising with every word. "Do you know I spent the entire night running between police stations, hospitals, and every shady alley in this town looking for your sorry ass?!"
I couldn't even respond right away. Instead, I said the only thing that could shut her up: "I was with Mr. Cortez."
She froze for a moment, then blinked twice, her jaw nearly hitting the floor. "You—what?!"
"Yeah," I said, trying to sound casual, though inside, I was definitely freaking out. "I was with Mr. Cortez."
She froze for a split second. Then, her face went red with frustration, and her hands flung up dramatically.
"You little devil!" she shrieked. "Making me worried sick all night while you were busy rolling around in the sheets with Mr. Cortez? No wonder it was Amber the reporters caught having a bad stomach at the launch event!" Lucy scooted closer, like she was about to hit me with a major revelation. "She—"
"Wait, what?" I interrupted, a chill running down my spine. "You mean to tell me that the heiress, Amber, had a bad stomach?"
Lucy looked at me like I had two heads. "Yeah, girl. It was all over social media. Amber had the most embarrassing fart attack at the launch party. Her fiancé's brother—Mr. Cortez—was right there too. Big drama."
I blinked, completely thrown. "No way," I said, my head spinning. "I gave that drink to a waiter to dispose of, not to Amber. Good Lord I think Amber must've accidentally drank the stuff I gave to a waiter to dispose of. "
She paused, narrowing her eyes. "But, wait—why were you trying to dispose of it in the first place? I thought you were supposed to give it to Cortez, not sleep with him!"
I plopped down on the couch next to her, my heart still racing. "I—I was going to give it to Mr. Cortez. He was the one who pissed me off, remember?" I told her, running my hands through my hair. "But then I saw Amber. She had spiked his drink. Apparently, she wanted to get him into bed, and she's engaged to his brother. I thought, 'Perfect scandal.' So, I decided to cancel my plans. I was getting out of there when a manager sent me up to check on a room."
Lucy's eyes widened, interested now. "Go on…" she urged, like she was waiting for the juicy bits.
I pulled my phone from my bag, showing her the pictures and videos I had taken of the luxury room. "So, I walk into this insane room, all marble and velvet. It looked like something out of a CEO romance novel, you know? So, of course, I took some pictures and a video. For you, you know. I thought you'd love it."
Lucy's eyes sparkled. "You took a video?" she said, practically leaning over to see. "Oh, girl, show me. I want to see how luxurious this room was."
I handed her the phone, watching as she scrolled through the images and videos I'd taken. She was totally absorbed when I continued.
"Anyway, just as I was about to leave, Mr. Cortez caught me." I dropped my voice, trying to sound like I'd just walked out of a drama scene.
Lucy's eyes widened. "Wait, he caught you? Oh my god, tell me everything!"
Before I could answer, loud moaning were heard coming from my phone. I grabbed it quickly, to see what it was she was watching.
I stared in confusion for a moment. "Uh, why are you watching porn on my phone?" I asked, completely perplexed.
Lucy, who had been half-snickering until now, flashed a cheeky grin. "Damn, Mr. Cortez sure has a fine ass," she said with a teasing laugh.
And then, it hit me. My blood ran cold.
"What the hell?" I whispered, my eyes scanning the screen in disbelief.
Lucy grinned cheekily, her eyes dancing with mischief. "You sure had a hell of a night." She was practically snickering now.
The video that had been playing wasn't just any random clip. It was me and Mr. Cortez— last night— captured in full, unflinching detail.
Lucy snatched the phone away from me and I gasp in horror. "Oh my god!" my face burning red with a mix of embarrassment and sheer panic. "How—how did this get on my phone?!"
I had accidentally filmed it. The whole night. Me and Mr. Cortez. Everything.
I felt like I might pass out right there.
I looked at Lucy in horror. "I—I didn't mean to! It was supposed to be just me taking a video of the room!" I said, my voice almost a whisper. "How did this happen?!"
Lucy was already dying of laughter, holding her stomach like it might explode. "Well, looks like you're famous now, you're the one who made the Cortez video go viral."" she teased. "The world's newest Cortez... exclusive." She grinned, and I snatching the phone back.
"No, Lucy! Please don't spread it!" I begged, clutching my face with both hands. I could feel my dignity evaporating.
She laughed again, but there was a glint of mischief in her eyes. "I wouldn't dream of it. But damn, that man is fine." She winked at me, clearly enjoying my meltdown. "You need to start an OnlyFans. You've got the content. And now, you've got the fame too."
"Shut up, Lucy!" I groaned, practically shoving the phone back in my bag, as if it might self-destruct from the shame. "I need that video erased, like, yesterday!"
"Too late for that, girl," she said, grinning devilishly. "Social media's already got the Amber fart scandal. Give it an hour, and there's no way your little rendezvous with Mr. CEO won't be the next viral sensation."
I stared at her in disbelief. "Don't even joke about that."
"Hey," Lucy smirked, clearly getting a kick out of my discomfort. "At least you'll have a juicy story for when the tabloids come calling."
I groaned and buried my face in my hands. "Can you not make this worse, please?"
But, of course, that only made her laugh harder.