Prologue

Prologue 

“Here's your drink miss,” 

I stretched my hands to collect the apple juice from the server who walked away immediately after. Taking a sip, I scanned the entire hall; everyone seemed to be socialising, well, everyone except me. 

Today is Stephanie's graduation party; she recently finished studying abroad and has returned and Darian threw a party to celebrate her. 

I finished my drink immediately and walked out of the ballroom to get fresh air, the juice tasted funny but I just drank it since I don't like alcohol. 

The balcony I walked to was quiet; only I was standing there. I started feeling dizzy, and everything was becoming too blurry. Before I could react, I felt someone lift me and take me inside a room. The person placed me on a bed and left. 

I tried to get up and leave but my body felt too weak, I walked towards the door, my head disoriented, I pushed the locks, but the door refused to open, it was locked. The person who spiked my drink added something extremely potent. I fell to the floor, my body feeling very hot and uncomfortable as I was fading in and out of consciousness. 

The sound of the door opening caught my attention, a domineering footstep came by, and my body felt weightless as the person lifted me and placed me on the bed. Without any resistance from me due to the effects of the drugs, the person started stripping my clothes off. The air felt cool on my exposed skin. I tried to scream but only a moan came out of my mouth. I can't identify the person since everything was blurry. 

“You dare to spike my drink? Don't worry I'll give you what you want,” The person said harshly, though his voice sounded familiar.

I tried to protest again but was stopped when I felt his lips on mine, not in a gentle way but one filled with passion and hunger. I couldn't breathe properly, the man's kiss was so intense it felt like he was consuming my soul. I tried to turn my head away but he held me in place, and a lone tear slipped from my eyes.

‘Is this how I would be taken advantage of?’ I thought to myself helplessly.

A rustling sound came and I felt the man's body on mine, he's naked as me. I was helpless and wished all this were a dream. 

“N…no please,” My voice was very weak and barely audible. 

“You were drugged, just like me” He said in a surprised tone. I nodded my head hoping he could understand me.  

“Shit,” He cursed under his breath and left me alone on the bed. My body still felt extremely hot so I subconsciously reached out to him, missing the feel of his body on mine. 

He walked towards the door, his movement a little unsteady probably due to the drug effects. Someone must have plotted against us but who would do that? Who would drug me and also this strange man and let us end up in a room together like this? 

He tried to open the door and realised it was locked again. He twisted the handle but it won't budge. 

“The fuck? I opened the door just now, why is it still locked?” 

He walked around the room, looking for something while I just watched his still blurry figure. 

“Who would dare do something like this, even the telephone isn't here to ask for help?” He said.

His words made me realise that this was his hotel room, so I was sent up by someone to be with this man. The revelation made me mortified. 

Soon, my head started hurting like hell, and I gripped my head in an attempt to calm myself and let out a painful groan. I noticed the man walked close to me and sat beside me on the bed. His body frame made me feel small. He looked like someone who prioritises working out, but is not obsessed with it; he is not overly jacked like a bodybuilder. 

He stretched his arms, held my cheeks and made me face him. That was when I noticed him a bit, he looked so much like Darian, but it's not possible, Darian will surely be with Stephanie, he hasn't left her side since the party began. They've been moving around like a couple. 

Suddenly, I felt him tense up.

“Selena?” He asked, his voice hoarse.

“Ye…yes”, I replied with a barely audible voice. 

He muttered something under his breath, one I didn't catch. He adjusted our position on the bed. His hands started gently caressing my body, like I was his lover. My tensed body slowly started relaxing, betraying me by subconsciously responding to his touch.

“Selena listen, to me, fight the effects of the drugs, okay, it's me, Darian,” Darian said, although his hands on my body ignited the fire in me instead of lowering it.

‘Darian,’ I thought in shock.

Darian was here, he's the man drugged. The man I've loved for years is with me in this room, both of us victims of someone's game, but he is here. I didn't know if I should be thankful that it was Darian here or I should be angry that he's the one here. 

What happened to him being with Stephanie all the time? I decided to fight the effects of the drugs, as much as I loved him, I don't want to be a third party.

My thoughts were interrupted when I felt him kiss me, a gentle kiss. It felt like all my resolve to resist him came crashing down. 

“Stephanie,” A rational part of me was screaming at me, to remind him.

“Selena, do you want this?” He asked with his voice strained.

Maybe it was the drugs that got me intoxicated, maybe it was his voice, or his touch, I couldn't tell, but a great part of me wanted this— I want to be with him. 

“I will take responsibility for you,” He said and his words made me feel mixed emotions. I felt both assured and scared. 

I can trust him to do that, but then will he agree, especially with Stephanie by his side? A decision formed in my mind, one I know I may regret, but I decided to do something no one would have thought I would do.

“I want…” I said and reached up to kiss him, but I didn't even complete my statement as Darian seemed to understand. He returned my kiss with much fervour and this time he was gentle, though the kiss was still so passionate. 

As his lips parted mine, my mind was filled with only him, not caring about the consequences, or how complicated our relationship was. 

And just like that, consequences

be damned, I slept with Darian, something that may ruin my life for good.