Chapter 1 An Unexpected Encounter

"Stop! I've changed my mind," Carly Sullivan blurted out.

Her last piece of clothing was at risk as the man's touch lingered on her waist, on the brink of removing it.

In that critical moment, she snapped back to reality and seized his wrist.

After discovering her fiancé's affair with her half-sister, Carly decided to pick up a striking stranger from the bar, intending to get even with her fiancé.

However, when the moment of truth arrived, she realized she couldn't go through with it.

The man's head remained nestled in the crook of her neck, his breath warm against her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

Carly pushed against the man's solid chest, needing to put some space between them.

Suddenly, the man's eyes flew open.

Taken aback, Carly raised her hands in defense, but he was quicker, capturing them and securing them above her head.

Kristian Mason, the man being referred to, propped himself up, eyeing her with an icy stare.

Carly, despite her angelic and pure looks, boasted a well-crafted body that was both stunningly voluptuous and alluring.

Even her attempts to play hard-to-get were executed with surprising finesse.

Kristian's lips curved into a playful smile.

He could tell his cousin Aydan Mason had finally caught on to what he liked.

Coming back from overseas to find such a nice surprise made him happy.

"Let go of me!" Carly's voice broke through the air as she squirmed, instantly regretting her rash decision.

Kristian's interest faded. He let her go and propped himself up on the bed.

Carly quickly wrapped herself in the blanket, retreating to a corner and watching Kristian with caution.

Kristian, with a chuckle, lit up a cigarette. Through the curling smoke, he gave Carly a look that was both teasing and assessing.

Carly felt like she was the target of some predator, her body tensing up.

Luckily, after a moment, Kristian simply got out of bed and left the room without another word.

Once the door clicked shut, Carly allowed herself to relax slightly.

A nice, woody scent lingered in the air, comforting yet reminding her of what had transpired.

Touching her forehead, she couldn't help but think about the crazy thing she had done for revenge.

She was relieved that it ended without any trouble.

The effects of the alcohol soon lulled her into sleep.

Deep into the night, the scene shifted to the Cloudland Club, the most luxurious entertainment spot in Brila City.

In the exclusive VIP room of the club, Kristian, the owner, was sitting on a sofa, his eyes half-closed.

Cormac Harper walked in, placed a card on the table, and respectfully said, "I've confirmed she's a student about to graduate from Brila University. It doesn't look like she has any connection to Aydan Mason."

Cormac paused, seeming like he had more to add.

Kristian gave him a sharp look, a silent prompt to get to the point.

Cormac blurted out, "You'd never guess, but she's actually Declan Mason's fiancée! She's going to marry into your family next month!"

Kristian narrowed his eyes. He had caught wind of this marriage soon after he left the country.

His grandfather, Brody Mason had even sent him pictures...

Mulling it over, a playful smirk appeared on Kristian's face.

"Aydan really went all out. He even got Declan's woman to lay a trap for me."

Cormac jumped at the chance to praise him. "Luckily, your cleverness kept you from falling for it..."

But before he could finish, his eyes landed on a noticeable lipstick mark on Kristian's collar, and he stopped mid-sentence, stunned.

"Holy crap! Did you sleep with her?"

Cormac remembered that Kristian had left the villa in less than half an hour.

Did Kristian, with his well-built physique, climax swiftly, barely able to contain his excitement?

Seeing Cormac's skeptical expression, Kristian just chuckled. "Fuck off! I'm not that fast!"

Thinking back to the woman who had been moaning in his arms earlier, Kristian suddenly felt parched.

He loosened his tie, a silent cue for Cormac to leave.

Misreading the signal, Cormac quickly returned with two girls wearing very little.

"They're newcomers. They haven't met any clients yet."

"Fuck off!"

Kristian dismissed them without a second look.

Once the door closed, he grabbed a bottle of whiskey, taking a long drink, then picked up a student ID card from the table.

The girl in the photo had memorable features.

"Carly Sullivan," Kristian said her name out, his voice low and rough.

Maybe the next time they met, she would be his cousin-in-law.