[3] Riverside Hotel

ELENA

It was already six in the evening when I finally returned from the hospital.

The moment I stepped into the bedroom, the first thing I saw was that dress. I picked it up slowly. The fabric was thin and light, revealing far more skin than I was ever comfortable showing.

Edward hadn’t only given me a dress. There were shoes too. And a black mask that covered only part of my face. My fingers tightened around it before I carried everything into the bathroom. After showering, I changed into the outfit and stared at my reflection in the mirror. But the woman staring back at me no longer felt like someone I recognized.

After drying my hair and brushing a little lipstick across my lips, I slipped on the black mask, letting it hide part of my face. Then I grabbed a coat hanging near the door to cover my bare shoulders. The thick fabric wrapped around me instantly, offering the illusion of protection that didn’t truly exist.

I tightened the belt around my waist. Then slowly, I walked out of the house and climbed into the car waiting for me. Eventually, the car stopped in front of Riverside Hotel. The building towered over the street, brighter than everything around it.

“I’m already in the hotel lobby. Where should I go?” I asked the moment Edward answered the phone.

“Go up to the lounge on the top floor. Now.”

The call ended immediately. After that, I headed straight toward the lounge. Warm lighting spilled across the room, yet somehow the atmosphere still felt cold. My eyes instantly found Edward sitting at the far end of the lounge. His posture was perfectly straight, one hand loosely holding a glass while his gaze remained fixed ahead. My steps already felt heavy before I even reached him.

“Edward?”

“Sit down,” he said, pushing a glass toward me. “And drink it all.”

“What is this?”

“Just drink it.”

My hand hesitated before reaching for the glass. The sharp scent rising from it made my stomach tighten. Across from me, Edward’s gaze hardened slightly.

“Don’t make me repeat myself, Elena.”

The tone of his voice made my chest tense immediately. In the end, I took a cautious sip. I nearly spat it back out if Edward hadn’t grabbed my wrist first.

“Finish it.”

There was no room for refusal in his voice. Forced into obedience, I swallowed the drink until not a single drop remained. The second I finished, I started coughing violently, covering my mouth.

“What exactly was that?” My voice came out hoarse.

Edward didn’t answer right away. Instead, he calmly took the empty glass from my hand and placed it back on the table.

“An herbal drink,” he replied shortly. “To help you relax.”

I blinked slowly.

“Herbal?”

“To make things easier for you.”

I swallowed hard.

“But it tasted—”

“You don’t need to think about it,” he cut in quickly. “You’ll feel the effects soon enough.”

Not long after that, my body began to feel strange. Like my awareness was slowly slipping away from me. Even Edward’s voice started sounding distant, as though he were speaking from the far end of the room.

“Edward…” I called softly. “Are you sure this is safe?”

“You’ll be fine,” he answered calmly.

But for some reason, his words didn’t comfort me at all. I tried to stand upright, but my body felt lighter than it should have, almost unstable beneath me.

“Edward… I feel…”

Before I could finish, his hand was already gripping my arm, steadying me before I lost my balance completely.

“I told you,” he murmured softly, almost like a whisper. “You’ll feel more relaxed.”

His eyes held mine from dangerously close range. And somehow, that only made my legs weaker.

“I think it’s time I took you to the room.”

“R-Room?”

Ignoring my question entirely, Edward suddenly lifted me into his arms before I could protest. His steps remained steady while my head grew heavier with every passing second. Just outside the lounge were two private suites. Edward chose the one at the far end of the hallway and opened the door without hesitation. Once inside, he laid me carefully onto the bed.

“Wait here,” he said as he turned toward the door. “And don’t go anywhere.”

I tried to push myself up slightly.

“Edward… where are you going?”

“You don’t need to know.” He didn’t even look back at me. “And I hope you’re not planning to run away.”

The words made my chest tighten painfully. I tried to stand, but my knees refused to cooperate. Suddenly, the collar of my coat felt unbearably tight around my throat. In a rush, I pulled the heavy coat off and threw it onto the floor.

“Don’t take off your mask no matter what happens,” Edward added before finally leaving the room.

The moment the door shut behind him, my body twisted restlessly against the sheets. The walls felt too far away. The lights above me seemed to spin slowly. And the heat spreading through my body was becoming harder and harder to control. I bit down on my lower lip until the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

Not long after, the door opened again. This time, Edward wasn’t alone. He was dragging another man inside.

The man’s steps were unsteady. Half of his weight leaned against Edward, while the rest seemed barely capable of supporting itself. His head hung low, like someone on the verge of losing consciousness.

“Edward…” My voice came out weak and broken before I could stop it. “What did you do to him?”

Edward simply dropped the man carelessly onto the bed. Then he walked out without another word. I blinked slowly. And the moment the man lifted his head with half-lidded eyes, my entire body froze.

Cedric.

My heartbeat slammed violently against my ribs. Why would Edward ask me to sleep with his own brother?

Panicking, I hurried to grab my coat from the floor with trembling hands. But the second I tried to leave, someone caught my wrist first. I struggled to pull away, yet Cedric’s body had already collapsed against mine, pinning me beneath him completely.

“Cedric… wait—”

My voice cracked, broken apart by my uneven breathing.

He wasn’t fully conscious. His eyes were only half-open, his gaze unfocused, as though he were fighting something burning beneath his skin.

“I… don’t know who you are…” he murmured hoarsely. “But… why does my body feel like this…”

Only then did I realize my fingers were pressing too hard against my own temple. Was the drink responsible for this too? My hands trembled as I tried to push him away slightly.

“Cedric, listen to me. You’re not in your right mind—”

“I can’t… control it.”

Tears slipped silently beneath my mask.

“This is wrong… please, let go—”

The words died in my throat. Because suddenly, Cedric’s hand touched my face.

And before I could move away, he pulled me toward him in one swift motion. His lips closed the distance between us.