The Wrong Room

Chapter 1

(Lana Vale – POV)

I wasn’t supposed to sleep with him.

I didn’t even know his name.

All I knew was that the man standing in front of me had the kind of eyes that made smart decisions disappear.

And that night in Dubai…

I broke every rule I had ever made for myself.

Dubai at night is breathtaking.

From the balcony of the hotel ballroom, I watch the glittering lights of Dubai Marina dance across the water like scattered diamonds. Yachts drift slowly along the harbor while the towering buildings glow against the dark sky.

It’s beautiful.

But I’m not here for sightseeing.

I’m here for work.

As an executive consultant specializing in corporate restructuring, traveling is part of my life. New cities, new clients, new problems to solve. I fly in, fix what needs fixing, and leave before I become emotionally attached to anything.

Simple.

Professional.

Efficient.

Tonight was supposed to be no different.

The conference ended hours ago, but the hosting company insisted on a celebration party afterward. I tried to refuse, but apparently refusing a billionaire client isn’t considered polite.

So here I am.

At a party.

Something I usually avoid.

Inside the ballroom, music pulses through the air while businessmen laugh loudly over expensive champagne. Women in elegant gowns glide across the marble floor.

I take another sip from my glass.

That might have been my mistake.

Because one glass became two.

Then three.

Now the room feels warmer than it should.

“Okay… that’s enough for tonight,” I mumble to myself.

I quietly slip out of the ballroom before anyone notices. The hallway outside is blissfully quiet compared to the noise of the party.

By the time I reach the elevator, my heels feel like torture devices.

When I finally step into my hotel suite on the thirty-second floor, I release a long sigh.

“Home… for tonight at least.”

I kick off my heels immediately and unzip the back of my dress. My head feels light from the alcohol.

A shower.

That’s exactly what I need.

A few minutes later, warm water pours over my skin as steam fills the bathroom. I close my eyes and let the heat wash away the exhaustion of the day.

I don’t hear the door open.

I don’t hear footsteps enter the room.

And I definitely don’t realize that someone else has just walked into my suite.

⸻

Ethan Hale – POV

Tonight has been a disaster.

The party was suffocating.

Too many fake smiles.

Too many pointless conversations.

But the worst part?

The reminder of the woman my family arranged for me to marry.

Selene.

Just thinking about it irritates me.

I step out of the elevator and walk down the quiet hallway toward my suite, loosening the collar of my shirt.

“I’m not marrying someone I barely know,” I mutter.

My family may control the company, but they don’t control me.

When I reach the door, I swipe the key card and step inside without looking twice.

The room is dark.

Quiet.

Then I hear it.

Running water.

From the bathroom.

I frown.

“So she’s already here,” I say coldly.

Of course.

Selene.

My family must have arranged this too. A perfectly planned trap to force the marriage.

My jaw tightens.

“If they think this will change my mind…”

My gaze shifts toward the bathroom door where steam slowly escapes through the gap.

Behind the frosted glass, I can see the faint outline of a woman moving under the shower.

I exhale slowly.

Fine.

If this is their game…

I’ll end it tonight.

I loosen my tie and walk toward the bathroom.

“Let’s see how far this arrangement goes.”

But there’s one thing I don’t know.

The woman inside the shower isn’t Selene.

Not even close.