Chapter 1

“Greedy little kitten.”

He touched me, yet a shiver ran through me. My hands were chained, and I could barely move.

“Do you want it?”

He teased me without restraint, and a sudden discomfort ran through my body. I could not help lifting my head, and everything went white.

“Wake up… Zoe, wake up.”

Someone seemed to be calling me.

I frowned and opened my eyes. My vision became clear, and I said with a hint of surprise, “Dr. Frost.”

I remembered the scene from my dream and felt a flush of awkwardness.

I had just been enrolled in college. Before the semester started, a staff member told me that the dormitories were under renovation, so I was assigned to an apartment by the college.

Since moving in, I had trouble sleeping and kept having many dreams. My neighbor, Steven Frost, was a psychologist, so I went to his clinic for help. I had not expected to have such an intense dream during the session.

When I thought about the dream I had, my face grew warm again.

“Everything looks normal. Keep taking the medicine.”

I nodded. I wanted to stand, but my legs felt weak, so I sat back down. The chair was very comfortable. It was almost like a massage chair.

“Be careful.”

Steven came over and placed his hand lightly on my forehead.

I looked at his face and felt my mind drift for a moment. He was very handsome.

“You don’t have a fever. Why is your face so red?”

Before I could answer, he added, “Did you feel weak after your nap?”

His eyes crinkled into a smile, and his voice held a teasing note.

I quickly looked down and pretended to check the time. My cheeks flushed, and I said, “See you next time. I-I still have class.”

With that, I hurried away.

Behind me, I heard a soft chuckle.

I ran all the way to class. Luckily, I was not late.

After school, my classmates talked about a party that would take place over the weekend. Everyone was supposed to bring a date. At first, I planned to say no, but one of the boys said that everyone was going, and it would be a good chance to meet new people since the semester had just started.

I quickly swallowed my refusal. I forced a smile and said yes.

I usually spent my time alone and did not have many friends. I decided to reach out to someone online and ask them to come with me. I would see how things went tomorrow.

Night came, and I felt sleepy right after taking my medicine. I muttered, “This medicine really works.”

Then I heard a man laugh in a low voice.

I started to feel restless and thirsty. He gently lifted my chin and said, “Zoe, open your mouth.”

I did not know why, but something about him made me feel uneasy, and I obeyed on instinct.

His grip tightened, and his other hand started teasing me.

At last, I could not hold back and followed his instructions. A wave of discomfort came over me, and tears welled up in my eyes.

He said in a teasing tone, “You’re so weak.”

…

The next morning, I woke up feeling like I might be coming down with a cold. My throat felt sore.

I turned to check the time. I was going to be late.

I sat up quickly, but my body ached.

When I got out of bed, my legs felt weak and shaky. I felt a little worried. I gritted my teeth and walked to the bathroom to look myself over. Everything seemed normal.

I quickly got ready. As I waited for the elevator, I ran into Steven.

“Zoe, are you in a hurry?”

Steven was always polite. He always wore a gentle smile. He spoke in a calm, soft voice.

His presence immediately put me at ease, and I no longer felt so flustered.

“I’m meeting a classmate. Are you going out too?”

We stepped into the elevator together.

Steven replied briefly in a calm voice, “It’s my day off. I’m going to Sugarfrost to relax.”