Chapter 8

Edward never imagined that a woman would come to him so willingly, especially in a hotel room.

Was this some kind of setup?

"Are you okay?" Edward asked.

Her eyes were shut tightly, her breathing shallow, and a flush of red spreading across her pale face. She seemed disoriented.

Before he could react further, she pressed her lips against his in a sudden kiss.

"Wait… wait, I can't handle this kind of test!" Edward stammered.

He never expected the woman to start kissing him nonstop.

Was she trying to test him this way?

He tried to push her away, but she was relentless. Soon, he found himself wrapped in the woman's arms as she showered him with kisses, her legs locking around his thighs.

Holding onto her waist, Edward stumbled around clumsily until they both tumbled onto the bed.

-

Warm morning light streamed through the window, falling on Edward's face. His closed eyes twitched, his dark lashes fluttering slightly before his eyes snapped open.

Beside him lay a woman with a figure so alluring it could only be described as perfection. Her face, delicate and flawless, held Edward's gaze captive. The disheveled sheets revealed skin as smooth as silk, so tender it seemed it might bruise at the slightest touch.

Then Edward noticed it—a single crimson blossom staining the white bedsheet.

Wait.

Had he… taken her virginity?

Just as Edward was frozen, trying to figure out how to handle the situation, the woman's delicate eyelashes fluttered slightly. Her eyes opened, revealing irises as dark and mesmerizing as polished onyx.

"Hey there, beautiful—" Edward started.

"Ahhh!"

Before he could say another word, a piercing scream erupted from the woman, forcing Edward to clap his hands over his ears.

Rachel Lancaster shot upright in bed, clutching the sheets to her chest as she scrambled backward. Her wide, terrified eyes locked onto Edward.

"Who are you? Why are you here? What did you do to me?"

Edward lowered his hands, a look of exasperation crossing his face as he faced her rapid-fire questions.

Beautiful.

Now that he had a proper chance to look at her, Edward couldn't help but marvel at how unfairly blessed she was. God had clearly played favorites when crafting her face—it was nothing short of breathtaking.

Clearing his throat, Edward replied with a wry smile, "Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing. Last night, you barged into my room out of nowhere, and then you—well, you kind of… you know."

Rachel frowned at Edward's words, confusion etched across her face. "Kind of what? What do you mean? Spit it out—what are you trying to say?"

Seeing her reaction, Edward directly said, "You know, what people do in bed... you understand, right?"

As he spoke, Edward gave her a knowing look.

It took a moment for Rachel to process his meaning, but when it hit her, her eyes widened in horror. She glanced down and realized, to her utter shock, that she was completely naked.

"You jerk! How dare you touch me! I'll kill you!" Rachel shrieked, swinging a hand toward Edward.

As she moved, the sheet slipped away, revealing a sight that left Edward momentarily speechless, his eyes widening in stunned appreciation.

Rachel noticed his expression and quickly yanked the sheet back up, her face burning with embarrassment. "You pervert!"

Edward sighed, his expression a mix of exasperation and amusement. "Hey, don't blame me! You're the one who let it slip. How is that my fault?"

He crossed his arms, leaning back slightly. "Besides, last night you were the one who barged into my room and started getting handsy. If I hadn't reacted, wouldn't that have made me less of a man?"

Rachel's eyes darted around the room as his words sank in.

This wasn't her room.

Oh no!

She had walked into the wrong room. And to make things worse, she had somehow ended up in bed with a complete stranger.

Feeling deeply wronged, Rachel suddenly saw the bright red stain on the bed, and a wave of frustration hit her. Her eyes filled with tears.

"You bastard! You pervert!"

By this time, Edward had gotten out of bed and put on his clothes. Seeing Rachel cry like this made him feel a headache coming on.

"Hey, don't cry. You were the one who came into my room. If anyone should be feeling wronged, it's me. Who am I supposed to complain to, huh?"

"Shut up!" Rachel yelled at Edward angrily, seeing him act innocent when he clearly took advantage of the situation.

Seeing how upset she was, Edward decided not to say anything else. He moved to the couch and gave her some space to calm down.

Rachel bit her lip, her tearful eyes flicking toward Edward on the couch.

At that moment, she realized that Edward was actually quite handsome. She couldn't help but feel a little attracted, as he was her type.

But then, her feeling of being wronged quickly returned.

Because of a conflict with her family over company issues, she decided to stay in this hotel for a few days.

She never imagined she would end up losing her virginity in a muddled, confused way.

She had graduated from a top university, joined the family business, and within a few short years, climbed her way to the position of CEO. In Havaria, she was a rising star, a woman who commanded respect and admiration. Men lined up around the block to win her attention, but none had ever managed to catch her eye.

And yet, here she was, having somehow stumbled into bed with a man she didn't even know.

Ultimately, Rachel was the CEO of a company—she had seen her fair share of challenges and difficulties. After briefly venting her frustration, she composed herself.

Well, at least the guy wasn't bad-looking. She might as well chalk it up to bad luck and move on.

With that thought in mind, Rachel quickly got up and dressed while Edward had his head turned away.

As Edward was still thinking about how to handle the situation, he heard rustling sounds. When he turned around, he saw Rachel standing in front of him, already dressed.

"Here's some money for you," she said. She pulled a stack of crisp bills from her small handbag and slapped them down on the table. "If you dare breathe a word about what happened last night, you're dead."

With that, she turned on her heel and headed for the door.

"Wait a second—what the hell is this?" Edward shot up from the couch, his eyes wide with confusion as he stared at Rachel.

Was this woman out of her mind?

He had slept with her last night, and now she was paying him? Wasn't it usually the other way around?

For a moment, Edward couldn't help but feel like he was the one who had been taken advantage of.

What kind of twisted situation was this?

Rachel's expression was frosty, her entire demeanor screaming for him to stay away from her.

"Think whatever you want," she said, her voice as cold as her glare. "But if I find out you've breathed a word about last night, I'll make sure you never see the light of day again. Don't think I'm bluffing. Trust me, I'm Rachel Lancaster, and I have the means to make it happen."

With that, she turned on her heel and strode out of the room.

Bang!

The door slammed shut with such force that it jolted Edward back to reality.

"Did she really just pay me for sleeping with her?" Edward muttered, his eyes darting to the stack of cash on the table. He stared at it, his face a mix of disbelief and utter confusion.