Chapter 1

Scarlett POV

It was too hot; I felt my body become a burning flame, and only the caresses of the man before me could bring relief.

"You're too tight, relax a little, so I can give you what you want."

What was he saying?

Sweat dampened my long hair, wrapping like a web around both my body and the naked man's.

My legs wrapped tighter around the man's firm waist. He seemed to give up trying to stop me. His hands found my face in the darkness.

I could feel his burning breath traveling up my neck before he kissed my lips.

Our naked bodies pressed tightly together. From gentle to deep, I was almost breathless from his kiss. The saliva in my mouth was frantically sucked away.

This kiss was nothing like Richard's; his movements were so domineering, leaving me no room to refuse.

I struggled to push him away, but he pinned me against the wall.

"Don't move," he commanded, his voice deep and dangerous. My heart pounded; this time I finally heard clearly—this wasn't Richard Grey's voice.

But it was too late. His hands roamed freely over my body, finally stopping at my breasts.

When he squeezed hard, I hazily thought that since moving in here, my breasts had grown considerably larger.

My consciousness became increasingly unclear; the strong smell of alcohol mixed with the man's cologne made me dizzy, and then I completely passed out.

The next day, waking up on the messy bed, the discomfort in my body instantly reminded me of last night's events.

My fists clenched involuntarily. This unfamiliar room was even more luxurious than the one I was temporarily staying in, but it wasn't Richard's room.

Who was that man?

My mind was in chaos. Inadvertently glancing at the clock on the wall—oh no, in 10 more minutes the servants would come to clean each room.

I absolutely couldn't be discovered!

Frantically escaping back to my room, I stripped naked in front of the mirror, looking at the intimate marks all over my body, especially on my chest—a horrifying large patch.

My hands were trembling. Last night not only did the plan fail, but I also gave my virginity to another man.

It wasn't worth it at all!

Changing into a high-necked white shirt, I patted my face, forcing myself to stay calm. I came here as Richard's fiancée; there couldn't be the slightest flaw.

"Good morning, Richard," I greeted with a smile.

"Good morning, Scarlett. Why do you look a bit pale?"

Richard put down his coffee and looked at me with concern.

He was wearing a brand new three-piece suit; even at home, his manners were impeccable. If only he were a bit younger.

"Um... I forgot to close the window before going to bed last night. I might have caught a cold."

"Oh, you should take better care of your health. I'm truly sorry that I was occupied last night. I hope you didn't feel lonely," Richard said with concern.

I was about to answer him when suddenly, footsteps came from the direction of the stairs, and my heart began to race.

The man wore a casual shirt and held a silver cane. He was tall, with slightly curly brown hair that added a touch of sexiness.

His collar was slightly open, revealing several distinct scratch marks on his neck. Even in loose clothing, his V-shaped torso and well-defined muscles were plainly visible.

At that moment, he was staring at me with light blue eyes, a meaningful smile on his face.

But more eye-catching than his appearance was the bracelet on his wrist—my bracelet.

I gripped the fork in my hand, staring at him intently.

"Good morning, everyone!" he greeted us cheerfully, a mischievous smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Ah, you haven't met yet." Richard put down his cutlery. "This is my nephew, Alexander Grey. He used to be in the military and returned from service not long ago. He's been a great help at the company."

"Uncle, you're too kind." Alexander sat down across from me. He looked at me playfully: "This must be my future aunt? I've heard so much about you."

No wonder this was the first time I'd seen him in the month I'd been living here.

"Hello, I'm Scarlett Smith. Pleased to meet you."

I tried to make my tone sound not too aggressive, since Richard was still beside me.

Alexander smiled and sat down across from me. During the meal, his gaze often fell casually on me. I forced myself to maintain my elegance, but I noticed he was playing with the bracelet on his hand.

"That bracelet is interesting," I said, feigning curiosity. "It looks like a lady's jewelry." I couldn't let myself be the only one worried—he had slept with his uncle's fiancée after all.

Alexander's smile deepened: "Last night, a little wildcat brought it into my room. I tried to take off this bracelet, but got scratched." He spoke casually, but his eyes were fixed directly on me.

I almost knocked over my coffee cup. I felt a leg suggestively brushing against mine under the tablecloth.

Alexander, that bastard, so brazen, and he dared to call me a wildcat.

"Scarlett, are you alright?" Richard asked again.

"I'm fine, just... didn't sleep well. I've finished eating, please excuse me."

I turned to leave the table, hearing Alexander's voice from behind: "Indeed, last night was rather... unsettled."

After leaving the dining room, I walked alone in the garden, trying to gather my thoughts.

My phone suddenly rang; it was my mother, Emily Cole.

"Scarlett, darling, was last night successful? Did Richard mention anything about debt forgiveness?" Her voice was full of urgency. "Also, your father's hospital bills can't be delayed any longer. The hospital demands payment as soon as possible."

I felt a pang in my heart. Since the Smith family fell into debt, my father, Adam Smith, had been constantly ill.

When Emily learned that the head of the Grey family, Richard, our biggest creditor, had lost his wife, she immediately used all her connections to get me close to him, trying to have the debt forgiven.

After successfully gaining Richard's favor, she immediately had me pack my bags and move to the Grey home, an action that earned the mockery of all the great families, making me feel like a commodity—beautiful yet cheap.

I was about to tell her about last night's failure when a shadow loomed over me.

Alexander appeared behind me and snatched my phone.

"Your plan failed last night."Alexander said indifferently."

Emily's shrill voice immediately came through the phone: "Who are you? Put Scarlett on the phone..." Alexander hung up directly.

I sharply questioned him: "Are you a thief? What right do you have to snatch my phone?"

Alexander turned around with a dangerous smile on his face: "So our little wildcat has other motives for being here?"

He moved closer to me, and I instinctively backed away until my back was against a tree.

"Don't think I don't know your tricks, trying to use yourself to get the debt forgiven? Interesting, but if Richard knew his fiancée spent the night in someone else's bed, how do you think he would react?" his voice pressed close to my ear.

My palms were sweaty. Was he threatening me with what happened last night? This bastard.

I refused to show weakness: "Did anything even happen last night? Unless you admit to having sex with me, how can you prove it?"