Prologue

Prologue

“That man, seriously…” I shook my head as I gently closed the door to Rave’s condo.

It was strange to find the door unlocked. He always kept it locked, even when I knew he was inside. He was always cautious, sometimes even paranoid. But today, something felt different.

It had been three days since he last contacted me. He hadn’t answered my calls or replied to my messages. Even his friends couldn’t give me an answer. They claimed they had no idea where he was. So, I decided to visit him at his condo instead.

The entire unit was silent as I climbed the stairs. The living room was empty. But when I reached the middle of the staircase, I heard a sound coming from his bedroom. I stopped for a moment, suddenly nervous.

“Rave?” I called softly.

But there was no answer. My heart pounded as I approached his bedroom door. My hand trembled as I reached for the doorknob. I hoped my suspicions were wrong.

But the moment I turned the handle, my entire world came crashing down. There was Rave, on top of a woman. Naked. Sweaty.

I froze in place. “R-Rave…”

He turned toward me, his eyes widening in shock when he saw me standing in the doorway.

“Fvck!”

He scrambled to his feet and hurriedly covered himself with a blanket while the woman did the same.

I couldn't take it anymore. It felt as though my heart were being stabbed over and over again. I slammed the door shut and practically flew down the stairs.

“Canna, wait!” he shouted, chasing after me.

But before I could open the front door, I felt his hand clamp tightly around my arm.

“Let go of me!” I screamed, wrenching my arm away from him. “Don't touch me, you fvcking cheater!”

“Please, just hear me out—”

“You've got some nerve, Rave! I came here because I was worried about you! You disappeared for days, and this is what I find when I come looking for you?”

“I... I can explain, love.”

“Explain?” I let out a bitter laugh. “What exactly is there to explain? I was worried about you, Rave. I came here despite being busy with work. And all this time, you were having fun with another woman?”

He lowered his head, unable to meet my eyes.

“It's not what you think—”

“Don't treat me like an idiot! I saw everything with my own eyes!” I screamed. “There's no explanation that can erase what I just witnessed!”

He fell silent. The heavy silence between us was suffocating. And in that moment, I realized he couldn't even bring himself to lie because everything I had accused him of was true.

“You know,” I said quietly, my voice trembling, “I could have waited for you if only you'd been honest with me. I haven't even given you all of myself because I wanted to be sure that you were the one I wanted to spend my life with. But you... you were after something else all along.”

Suddenly, he dropped to his knees in front of me. That was the first time I'd ever seen him like that, broken and desperate.

“Canna, I'm sorry... I didn't mean for this to happen.”

“Why would you do this to me?”

He squeezed his eyes shut, his fingers tightening around the hem of my blouse.

“I got her pregnant…”

It felt as though a bomb had just exploded inside my head.

“W-what did you say?”

“I got Saizy pregnant. She's three months along. It only happened once, Canna. We had a fight, and you weren't there... and I was drunk. I never meant for it to happen—”

I couldn't hear the rest of his words. It was as though the world had stopped spinning. My ears began to ring, and everything around me became a blur. So, he'd been cheating on me for a long time.

“B-but I love you. You're the one I love…”

I took a step back.

“If you love me, why did you cheat on me?”

“Canna, please…”

“I stood by you, Rave. You have no idea how many times I've defended you against people who didn't believe in you. Against my cousin. Even against my own doubts. And what did I get in return?”

I could no longer hold back my tears. They streamed down my cheeks one after another as all the pain I'd been keeping inside finally spilled out.

“You don't deserve me. This isn't love, Rave.”

And for the last time, I turned my back on him. With all the strength I had left, I opened the door and walked away, leaving behind every memory we'd made inside that condo.

As soon as I stepped outside the building, I immediately hailed a taxi. Sitting in the back seat, I desperately tried to suppress my sobs. I pressed a hand against my chest, where the pain felt unbearable, and wiped away the tears streaming down my cheeks. At least I hadn't completely given myself to him.

“One more glass, please,” I told the bartender.

I hadn't even realized how much I'd been drinking. While waiting for my drink, I glanced around the bar. The place was noisy, and the flashing lights on the dance floor made my head spin.

My gaze settled on a man sitting alone at the far end of the bar. He was wearing a button-up shirt and a tie, but I couldn't see his face because his back was turned toward me.

I hesitated, wondering whether I should approach him and strike up a conversation. I might only end up embarrassing myself further, especially since I didn't even know the man.

“Here are your drinks, ma'am.”

I quickly looked away and focused on my glass.

“Thank you,” I said hoarsely.

I downed the alcohol in one go and stood up from the stool. I nearly stumbled, but thankfully, I managed to grab the counter just in time.

After regaining my balance, I made my way to the middle of the dance floor. I raised my arms and started dancing, even shouting as though I'd completely lost my mind.

When I tried to jump along with the beat, I suddenly lost my balance. Fortunately, a pair of strong arms caught me around the waist before I could fall.

“Careful,” a deep, baritone voice said.

I straightened up and turned to face him. I tried to make out the face of the stranger, but my vision was already blurring. The dizzying lights weren't helping, either.

“Canna…” he whispered hoarsely.

I gasped. Did this man know me?

He gently caressed my waist, and an unfamiliar tingling sensation spread through me at his touch.

“You're always disobeying me,” he said in a firm voice.

I furrowed my brows. Even his voice sounded familiar. But I was already drunk, and my mind was probably playing tricks on me. There was no way that man could be here at the bar.

“Let's go before I start punching the men who keep staring at you.”

“Wait—”

My protest was cut short when the man pulled me out of the bar.

“You defy my orders,” he said coldly once we stopped in a dimly lit corner of the establishment.

“Your orders?” I asked in confusion.

He pressed me against the wall and leaned over me, blocking my escape. He lifted one hand from the wall and slowly brought it toward my face, gently caressing my cheek.

“How about I punish you, baby?” he whispered hoarsely.

I swallowed hard. With heavy-lidded eyes, I stared at the man. I wanted to see his face, to know who he was.

“Tell me... how should I punish you?” he asked.

Even though I was drunk, I couldn't help but feel something strange stirring inside me. His words sent an unfamiliar heat coursing through my body. You could say I had a dirty mind.

“Pu-punish me?” My voice trembled slightly.

“Yes. I want to punish you, baby. A punishment you'll never forget,” he whispered before capturing my lips in a searing kiss.