Chapter One: The Name He Called Me

The lights from the bar were almost blinding, and the noise of the partying and chatter filled the room, but none of it bothered Claire Ellis. She sat staring at her full glass of whiskey, the one she hadn’t touched. She didn’t feel like drinking. She didn’t even want to be out. Sophie had insisted.

Then the song changed. Claire recognised it instantly. It was the one she and Dylan used to dance to all the time. Their song. Tears began to quietly stream down her face as her mind drifted back to what had happened earlier that day.

She had gotten off work early just to surprise him with his favourite snacks. She entered the code to the building and let herself in, tiptoeing through the house while giggling quietly. In the hallway leading to his room, she heard their special song playing loudly. Claire couldn’t help but smile. He had come to love that song. It showed how much he loved her.

She reached the bedroom door, grinned, and pushed it open. “Surprise, babe. I brought you snacks—”

The words died in her throat.

A woman was in bed with Dylan, the sheets tangled around them. Soft sounds filled the room.

Claire froze. “Dy…lan,” she managed.

Dylan’s head snapped toward the door. For a second he just stared at her, eyes wide, face draining of colour. Then he pushed the woman off him and sat up, grabbing the sheets.

“Claire—what the hell are you doing here?”

The girl beside him frowned and pulled the covers higher. “Babe… who is she?”

“Babe?” Claire repeated, still in shock.

Dylan looked between them, jaw tight. He ran a hand through his hair, then muttered, “She’s… no one. Just leave it.”

Anger finally cut through Claire’s numbness. “No one? Dylan, I’m your girlfriend.”

He let out a short, frustrated breath. “Not anymore. This—” he gestured vaguely between himself and the other woman, “—has been going on for a while. I just… I couldn’t keep pretending.”

“What?” Claire’s voice cracked. “I don’t understand. Where is this coming from? I thought you loved me. How long has this been happening?”

Dylan’s expression hardened, the guilt shifting into something sharper. “Does it matter? Look, Claire… I tried. But you never let me touch you. You kept saying you weren’t ready. I got tired of waiting. I’m a man. I have needs.”

“But you said you would wait,” Claire whispered.

“Yeah, well. I lied.” His voice turned cold. “I can’t do this anymore. You should go.”

Claire stood frozen in the doorway, heart shattering. “So that’s it? You’re just throwing everything away?”

Dylan wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Just get out, Claire. Please.”

That was why she was here. Sophie had insisted she drink away every memory of him.

Claire wiped at her tears, but they wouldn’t stop.  

A pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her. “Oh Claire, I leave you for a few minutes to get a drink and you start crying. What’s wrong?”

Claire broke. “I’m sorry, Sophie, but no matter how much I try, I can’t forget him. I can’t even bring myself to hate him. I love him so much, and that’s the reason this hurts so much.”

Sophie pressed a drink into her hand. “Drink, Claire. Drink and forget about that jerk. That’s why I brought you here.”

Claire’s fingers tightened around the glass. Sophie’s voice hardened.

“That Dylan is gonna pay for making my best friend cry. How can he cheat on someone as sweet as you?”

Claire stared at the table. “I guess I really wasn’t enough. I keep wondering how long it’s been going on.”

“That doesn’t matter right now,” Sophie said. “What matters is forgetting him tonight.” She handed Claire another drink.

Claire nodded and downed it in one go.

Sophie watched her carefully. “And if you still can’t forget him after tonight, I’ll hang out with you tomorrow. As much as you need. You can count on me.”

Claire played with the edge of a coaster. “Aren’t you busy with all the BioCure Labs stuff? You’re the future CEO.”

Sophie smirked and struck a ridiculous pose. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not that busy. Anywhere you want to go, just say the word. Your rich best friend’s got it.”

Claire let out a weak laugh despite herself.

Sophie stood and shook out her hair. “I’m going to dance. Join me once you hit party mode.”

Claire watched her disappear into the crowd. For a while she stayed at the table, ordering drink after drink whenever Dylan’s face flashed in her mind. The music grew louder. The lights blurred. Time slipped. By the time she looked up again, the table was crowded with empty bottles and Sophie was nowhere in sight.

Restroom. She needed the restroom.

Claire pushed herself up on unsteady legs and started across the club. The crowd parted and closed around her. She somehow made it into the VIP section using Sophie’s card. Men called out, offering drinks. She ignored them. Her steps were clumsy. She wasn’t thinking straight anymore.

She was halfway through the section when a strange feeling washed over her—sharp and sudden. She paused without meaning to.

At a nearby table, a man looked up. His eyes locked on her and widened.

Claire shook the feeling off and kept walking. She left the VIP area and turned down the quieter hallway toward the restrooms.

A hand caught her arm from behind and pinned her gently but firmly against the wall.

It was the man from the table.

He leaned in close, face near her neck, and breathed in slowly like he was searching for something. He was clearly drunk.

“You still smell the same,” he murmured.

When he pulled back, his eyes were full of something raw. His voice came out low and a little slurred.

“Serena… where have you been? I’ve missed you so much.”

Before Claire could form a word, he pulled her into a tight hug.

The alcohol made everything soft around the edges. The warmth of his body, the way he held her like he was afraid she’d vanish—something in her answered. She lifted her hands, cupped his face, and kissed him.

The kiss deepened fast. Neither of them pulled away.

When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathing hard. He rested his forehead against hers for a second, then took her hand.

“Come with me,” he said, voice rough.

Claire didn’t ask where. She just nodded.

They left the club through a side exit. The cool night air hit her face, but it did little to clear her head. A black car was waiting at the curb. He opened the door for her, and she slid inside without thinking. The drive passed in a blur of streetlights and silence. She was only half-aware of the city moving past the windows until the car stopped in front of a hotel.

He helped her out, kept a steadying hand on her back as they walked through the lobby and into the elevator. The moment the doors closed, he kissed her again.

By the time they reached the room, neither of them was thinking clearly anymore.

---

Claire’s eyes fluttered open to pale morning light. For a moment she didn’t know where she was.

Then she felt it—the faint, unfamiliar ache between her legs.

The full weight of what she had done slammed into her.

She had been a virgin.

And she had just lost it to a stranger.

Claire gasped and sat up quickly, heart racing. “What did I do?”  

“Oh my God,” she whispered, covering her mouth.

Damian stirred beside her. Claire was already pulling on her clothes, hands shaking.

“Serena?” he asked, staring at her back.

“My name isn’t Serena.”

His expression turned cold the second the words left her mouth. Whatever softness had been there last night was gone.

“Who are you?” His voice was flat. Distant.

“Who am I? Who are you, and why did I sleep with you?” she asked, panic rising.

Damian looked at her with cool disinterest. “You’re overreacting. It’s annoying.”

Claire’s face heated. “You’re being awfully rude for someone I don’t even know. Well, I’m leaving.”

“Wait.”

He reached for his wallet.

His wallet.

Does he want to pay me? As in I’m a prostitute?

No way. I won’t allow it. I have to protect my pride.

Claire crossed the room in three quick steps and slapped him hard across the face. “How dare you. I am not a prostitute.”

Damian’s head snapped to the side. When he turned back to her, his eyes were pure ice.

“Did you just slap me?”