Act 1

- EVA

On Saturday morning, I awoke in bed with a pounding headache and my body aching as though a truck had hit me.

As I moved my right hand, I froze at the touch of a firm body sleeping beside me.

"What? Who are you!" I gasped, sitting up immediately.

The man had a sharp jawline, full brows, and thin lips. I looked down at my body and froze. I lay naked in bed with the man.

"Who the hell are you!" I yelled before the events of the previous night crashed over me.

Layla Parker had invited me to celebrate her birthday at the hotel.

Layla came from a wealthy family; she was twenty-four years old, fair-skinned, and my best friend from college.

Though I knew Layla came from a rich family, I came from a struggling home. She had promised I would have fun at her party, even when I didn't want to. I agreed, and now I am on a bed with an unknown man.

"I should be the one asking you what the hell you're doing on my bed. This is a VIP suite. How did you get in here, miss?" the handsome man asked as he shifted away from me. His masculine physique stunned me.

Broad chest, chiseled abs, and six-pack.

"Don't drool at me like that. Get up and get out!" he barked. I refused.

"I am a virgin. I am not a prostitute, and you slept with me. Is this how you take responsibility for your actions? How did we become entangled in bed?" I sobbed, unable to believe I had sex with an unknown man. He ignored me and pulled the bedsheet away to shield his own body.

When he went into the bathroom, the sound of running water filled my ears. The entrance door swung open, and Layla came in with Jacob Stone, my boyfriend.

"So this is what you do, Eva. You hook up after everything I did to support you," Jacob accused me as he stood at the door with Layla.

"No, Jacob. I don't know what happened. Layla, you invited me to your party. How did I end up with that stranger in the bathroom?" I asked my best friend, needing her help.

Layla wore a short blue dress and paired with black shoes. She clung to Jacob's arm like she was his girlfriend.

"Jacob, I don't know what Eva is saying. She came to my party and told me she was looking forward to meeting a rich guy at this luxury five-star hotel, The Owen's Hotel. I honestly don't know how she got here—until I asked the security men," Layla lied to Jacob, and he believed her.

"I cannot believe you would do this, Eva. After everything I did to feed you, sponsor you, and this is how you repay me. It's over between us," Jacob said, glaring at me.

"You never let me touch you, and now you gave your body willingly to another man. I want back all the money I spent feeding and clothing you for the five years we dated. Fail to do that, and I will have you arrested. Trust me," Jacob said as he snatched his hand from Layla and walked out of the hotel room.

Layla glanced at me and smiled. "Do you think you deserve a rich man like Jacob Stone? Look at you, Eva. A poor girl like you cannot climb the ladder of wealth and power in this Dominic City. You belong back in the slum, and don't worry about Jacob—I will take care of him." Layla smirked and walked out, slamming the door with a deafening sound.

Tears flooded my cheeks as I sat on the bed speechless. 'Where would I get money to pay Jacob now?'

Jacob had promised to marry me after I graduated, and now Layla had ruined everything after I graduated this year.

Wiping my tears, I knew crying didn't solve anything. But I wouldn't just leave. I needed an explanation from the man in the bathroom.

How dare he use me despite knowing I was intoxicated, yet he acted as though I had taken advantage of him.

I waited for the man to exit the bathroom and grabbed my clothes from last night, which lay sprawled on the ground.

It was a green dress I had worn to Layla's birthday party.

A knock on the entrance door startled me, and I quickly used the green dress to cover my chest and shield my nakedness.

A tall man in a black suit entered the room. Seeing me use the green dress to shield my chest, he lowered his head and apologized. "I am sorry, miss. Where is Mr. Owen?"

"Mr. Owen? Who?" I asked, confused. The bathroom door opened, and the handsome man who had slept with me stepped out.

"Leave, Pete. I will call you later," he said.

"Okay, boss," the tall man replied, and my eyes widened. This handsome stranger is a boss. Who is he, and why did the tall man call him boss?

However, the man ignored me and went to get his clothes ready.

"Mr. Owen, you cannot take advantage of me without an explanation. I was drunk last night, and I bet you were drunk too," I said, my tone accusing him as he put on his shirt and buckled it.

Turning to face me with his sharp green eyes, he replied, "I wasn't drunk. But how do I know you were drunk when you came into my room, offered yourself to me, and kissed me first? Do you need me to replay the footage to show you what you did?"

"No, I…" I lost my words. "I would never do that. You are accusing me wrongly," I said, my voice quivering, as I didn't remember doing any of that.

"I see," Mr. Owen smirked and walked to pick up his phone.

"Look," he said as he played a video from last night on his phone.

In the video, I could not believe my eyes as I barged into his room, rushed to the bed, mounted him, and started kissing him.

"I don't remember doing that. That's not me, and how do you have the video on your phone?" I asked him accusingly, and he smirked.

"Don't play dumb with me, young lady. I own this hotel and the Owen's Group in Dominic City. If anyone needs compensation between us, it's me. You took advantage of me, and I could only help you when I sensed you were drugged. If I hadn't slept with you, who knows what damage would have happened to your body. So you should compensate me," he smirked, and my jaw dropped.