"Liam, I hate it..."
"Don't be like that, this is your sister's and my wedding bed..."
A woman's gentle and teasing voice came from the master bedroom next door.
Skyler suddenly opened her eyes and sat up.
Tomorrow was her wedding with her boyfriend Liam, but she had come down with a high fever while decorating the wedding room and had accidentally fainted.
Was she hallucinating?
How could she hear her sister Olivia's voice?
"If our relationship is discovered by your sister, what should we do..."
Suddenly, that gentle voice rang out again.
Skyler's heart skipped a beat.
It was Olivia!
She hadn't misheard; it was her half-sister Olivia.
How could Olivia be in the room next door with Liam?
With weak steps, Skyler pushed open her door and went toward the master bedroom.
It was her and Liam's wedding room.
She had come here today to decorate the room with new mandarin duck pillowcases and a bright red quilt.
"You know, you're much purer than Skyler, that woman who doesn't know self-respect. What right does she have to question you?"
Suddenly, Liam's familiar, cold voice came.
Skyler had already grabbed the handle of the master bedroom door but suddenly stopped.
Liam... was it really him inside?
"Liam, I didn't know I meant so much to you. It's a pity that you're marrying my sister tomorrow. I really feel sorry for you. Skyler doesn't know how to respect herself. Everyone in Jincheng knows she traded her body for an award a year ago with the professor and judges..."
"Don't worry, the wedding won't happen. Skyler doesn't deserve to marry into our Lee family. I've already talked to your father. I won't marry such a woman. Tomorrow, Skyler will only be the joke of a broken engagement."
A broken engagement? A joke?
Skyler's heart tightened.
Her eyes widened, unable to believe she was hearing such cruel and cold words from her boyfriend.
This was Liam.
Her boyfriend of many years.
He had promised to always believe in her and stand by her.
But now, he actually chose to believe the rumors outside and thought she had sold her body for a jewelry design award—because of this.
In this moment, Skyler's blood rushed, and her grief, anger, and sense of injustice collided in her chest.
She wanted to rush in and question Liam, to demand answers.
But as soon as she took a step, her legs grew weak, and she could barely stand. Her body swayed, and she felt as though she was about to fall.
Skyler felt dizzy; everything was spinning around her. The high fever made it impossible for her to keep going. But she knew she couldn't faint in front of those two people, even if it meant dying.
She struggled to catch her breath and stumbled out of the wedding room. As she stepped into the luxurious elevator, the doors closed, and she suddenly felt all her strength drain from her body. Skyler collapsed on the floor, tears silently streaming down her face, blurring her vision.
She had been falsely accused and expelled from college, and the only person she thought would believe in her was Liam, her boyfriend. But he turned out to be someone she never thought he could be.
"Why did you give me hope if you don't believe in me?" she thought.
*Ding.*
The elevator arrived at the top floor, interrupting her thoughts. Skyler remained on the marble floor, her long hair disheveled, her eyes red and puffy from crying. The only part of her body that was exposed was a slender, fair leg, perfectly proportioned and beautiful.
"Who are you?"
Suddenly, a low, icy voice, devoid of any warmth, came from outside the elevator. Skyler was stunned. She looked up and saw a tall, imposing stranger wearing only a dark bathrobe, staring at her with cold, indifferent eyes. The elevator doors remained open.
The man had a head of messy, jet-black hair that was slightly damp, and his deep, ink-black eyes were cold and profound.
Beneath his slightly open dark bathrobe, lines of muscle were visible—enough to make anyone's blood boil and imagination run wild.
And the man's perfectly sculpted, sharp face had a slightly unnatural flush.
Skyler took a deep breath.
She suddenly realized that this luxurious top-tier apartment in the city center had a one-unit-per-floor layout.
After swiping the card, the elevator went directly to the unit, and the higher the floor, the more prestigious the resident.
Even someone like Liam, with his family background, only had the qualification to purchase a unit on a mid-to-high floor.
So, was this man the top-floor resident?
"I..." She had barely managed to utter a syllable when she noticed the man's thick black eyebrows furrowing slightly.
His narrow, phoenix eyes were filled with a cold sharpness.
"You didn't take a shower before coming here."
It was a statement with a hint of displeasure, not a question.
The next second, before Skyler could respond, the man's slender fingers had already grabbed her chin, his gaze evaluating her as though she were merchandise.
"Uh... it hurts..." Skyler's mouth let out a soft, delicate sound.
As soon as it escaped, she was startled.
She hadn't known she could make such a sound.
But this surprised her even more, and it seemed to please the man.
The grip on her chin relaxed slightly.
He tilted his head, studying her face.
The petite woman had a face no larger than a palm, and due to her fever, it was flushed.
Her face, without any makeup, looked even more like a tempting peach.
"Forget it. Remember for next time—I like clean women."
He spoke quietly, bending down to pick her up.
"Ah..."
Her hands unconsciously clung to the man's bathrobe, and Skyler's entire weight rested in his arms.
Why was he holding her?
"Sir, I'm not—"
Before she could say more, the man pinched her chin and pressed his lips against hers.
"Mmm..."
Without waiting for her to explain, the man carried her into the apartment.
He obviously thought she had come here willingly.
*Bang!*
The door behind them closed heavily.
Skyler's entire body was supported by the man's large palm, pressed against the just-closed door.
The cold, pleasant scent of the unfamiliar man mixed with his unmistakably masculine aroma instantly overwhelmed her senses.
Her first kiss!
She had been with Liam for so long, and they had never reached this step.
"Sir, please, let me explain—"
Her soft protest was swallowed up by the man's fierce, almost brutal kiss. Skyler, inexperienced, couldn't resist.
The kiss left her legs weak, her body limp in his arms.
"Remember, I don't like women who talk too much at times like this."
The man's large hand suddenly slapped her backside—not too hard, but with a clear warning.
Skyler's whole body trembled. She raised her tearful eyes to the man before her, but the light in the apartment was dim, and her vision was blurred with tears. She couldn't make out his face clearly.
"So sweet... the scent on you is so nice."
There was a light, sweet fragrance about her—not too strong, with a mysterious hint of orchid.
"Be good, don't move."
The man's hand gripped her waist, and he spoke in a low, husky voice near her ear.
Skyler's body stiffened as the man's hot breath brushed against her ear.
She suddenly realized that the man holding her was burning up, his condition seeming abnormal, with a strength she couldn't match.
"Um... sir, you're not..."
Skyler wanted to struggle, to stop him, but before she could finish her sentence—
Rip!
The sound of tearing fabric filled the air as her last piece of modest clothing was torn apart.