Chapter 4

At Present

Liana's Perspective

The man stands unshaken as I scream in panic, his expression unchanged, his cold, unsettling gaze locking onto mine with a chilling intensity. My voice grows hoarse, but he remains as immovable as a statue, his eyes fixed on me, devoid of emotion.

"Who are you?" I demand, overwhelmed by confusion, the disorienting reality of being alone in a bed with a man I don't recognize causing panic to surge through me. I instinctively touch my throat, relieved to find there are no markings.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" he responds, his tone flat and distant.

His piercing stare crawls over my body, sending an inexplicable shiver down my spine. As his eyes meet mine again, the temperature in the room seems to drop further, his gaze radiating a raw, silent power that makes it hard to breathe.

"No, I should be asking you," I stammer, trying to hold on to my composure. "You're in my room, lying in my bed, naked." My hands twist together as my anxiety grows, but I try to steady my nerves.

Frantically, I try to recall how I ended up in this situation. The room is in disarray. His towel hangs casually from the window, while Veronica's dress lies crumpled on the floor by the bed. My clothes are scattered across the room, and the bed looks like a battlefield.

"My name is Cassian," he spits out, his voice dripping with disdain, as if he finds my statement laughable. "Now, who are you?"

As he speaks, his fingers stretch unnaturally long and his knuckles crack with a deliberate slowness that sends a rush of fear through me. His presence is mesmerizing, yet dangerously poised.

"I'm Liana," I gasp, panic creeping into my voice as I watch his unnerving hand movements. "This is my room. I was at the bar last night, I drank too much, and came back here to sleep it off."

"You're lying," he snaps suddenly, his words sharp as a blade.

"No, I’m not," I protest, my voice shaking. "I can show you my keycard if you don't believe me."

He studies me for a moment, as if debating whether to let me go. A sense of helplessness sweeps over me as I search for the keycard Veronica gave me yesterday. Cassian watches, his gaze weighing every move I make with suspicion. When I finally spot the keycard tossed carelessly in a corner, I snatch it up and approach him, heart pounding.

I try to steady my hands as I offer the card. His eyes dart from my face to the card and back to the rest of my bare body. He has a nice glow from the sunlight coming in through the window, yet his face is as icy as ice. I find myself wondering how someone so attractive could be so aloof.

"This some kind of trick?" Cassian sneers, scrutinizing the card as though it's some elaborate joke.

"Wh-what do you mean?" I ask, startled by the intensity of his voice.

He holds up the card and points it out. "This is room 410," he states. "The keycard says 401."

"What?" I exclaim, unable to believe what he's telling me. "You're joking, right?"

"I don’t joke," he retorts, tossing the keycard back at me. My clumsy attempt to catch it only adds to my embarrassment as I fumble to steady myself. He doesn't react, simply watching with a cold, uninterested stare. I finally hold the keycard and read the number aloud, my heart sinking further into disbelief.

"401," I whisper, my voice filled with confusion. "This can't be right."

I step toward the door, but Cassian’s voice halts me. "And where exactly are you going?"

"To check the door number," I reply, hoping with all my might that the door will confirm my version of events.

"You're naked," he scoffs, and it takes a moment for the reality to hit. I suddenly remember that I am, in fact, exposed. In my rush to leave the situation behind, I wrap a blanket around myself and hastily make my way to the door.

"Ugh!" I groan internally, hating myself for the awkwardness of it all. I turn back to the room, wishing for the floor to swallow me whole. I am the one who’s out of place here.

Cassian’s voice slices through the tension, cold as ever. "Spill it. Who sent you? Eric? Selena? Joseph?"

The situation is too much to handle, and I stammer. "I don’t know those people." Trying to maintain my position, I take a trembling breath. "There is no setup here. My sister and I traveled here to celebrate my eighteenth birthday. I needed a drink to help me forget that I had caught my lover sleeping with someone else. I came up here to sleep it off, though, because after just one I felt overheated and lightheaded. I must have entered the incorrect room."

The words feel empty, like a cry for help in a dark, unfamiliar place. The memories of yesterday begin to surface—the night I had planned for something meaningful, only to find betrayal. I let out a sob, unable to hide the hurt. "I never even saw her face. I didn't do this to hurt you, Eric," I murmur, feeling the sting of the past 24 hours. "It’s all a misunderstanding."

My face is abruptly and harshly grabbed by his hand. I wince, preparing for whatever will happen next. Then, however, his hold relaxes and he takes a step back, his body tensing up in a sudden display of self-control.

One tear is streaming down my cheek when I open my eyes. He looks at his hand as the tear falls on it, as if surprised by how tender the moment is. He turns away from me without saying anything.

"Go," he commands in a quieter tone, his voice still hard but strangely subdued. "Don't forget the keycard."

I’m caught off guard by the shift in his demeanor, but I nod and quickly begin to dress. My legs feel unsteady as I walk out of the room, desperate to find my true space and make contact with Veronica.

But just as I’m nearing the exit, I hear two familiar voices.

"Liana!!"

I freeze, knowing it’s Veronica and Eric. Their voices send a jolt of anxiety through me. The tension is unbearable as they approach, and I’m left to face their accusations and judgments.

"Veronica? Eric?" I stammer.

"What are you doing here?" Veronica's voice is icy, and I’m immediately struck by the hostility in her tone. She’s never spoken to me like this before.

Before I can respond, she continues, her voice cutting through the air with a venom I’ve never heard from her. "What are you doing in a hotel room?"

"Yeah, what’s going on?" Eric adds, his voice almost rehearsed, as though they’d planned this confrontation.

"Did you sleep with another man?" Veronica demands, her words sharp as daggers.

"She obviously did," Eric interjects, pointing at me with accusation. "Look at her—eyes heavy, hair disheveled. How could you do this to me? To the man who loves you?"

The words strike me like blows to my chest, but then I see it—the watch Veronica is wearing. The same one I saw on the woman Eric was with. The realization hits me like a freight train.

"It’s you," I murmur in disbelief, unable to understand what’s happening.

"How could you do this to me?" Eric feigns hurt, his voice thick with fake emotion.

Veronica doesn’t give me a chance to speak. She’s shouting to the gathering crowd, making sure everyone sees her version of the story. "Look at her! She’s caught, crying because the truth’s finally come out."

I want to deny it all, to shout the truth, but the tears won’t stop. My mind races, piecing together what’s been done to me. My trust betrayed by both Veronica and Eric—people I thought I could trust. And to make matters worse, I’ve just given myself to a stranger. My world feels like it’s crumbling beneath me.

"See!" Veronica yells triumphantly. "She’s lying. She’s caught."

And then, Eric begins to speak again, but he’s abruptly silenced by a loud thud. The door to Cassian’s room slams open as he emerges, his powerful presence demanding attention.