จำเลยอัคนี (ซีรีส์ชุด : จอมใจอสูร ลำดับที่ ๑)

"Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, Amora! Your fiancé is the dream man for many women. You're truly lucky!"

A broad smile curled on Amora Lysander's lips as her best friend, Chelsea Harrison, congratulated her. There was no denying the joy blooming in her heart, as her moment of happiness was just around the corner.

In one week, Amora would become the wife of Chris Walden. A year ago, she met her future husband at an annual event for the Lysander company. She fell in love with him, and fortunately, her feelings were reciprocated. Their relationship was blessed by both families.

Amora was attending her bachelorette party, organized by her college friends. The party was held in an exclusive, private lounge at a luxurious five-star hotel.

The sound of pounding music and singing enlivened the small party in the room. Two young women, already drunk, were dancing on the table, while two others were busy cheering and clapping.

Amora Lysander shook her head slightly and laughed at the antics of her peers. She turned to Chelsea and clinked her crystal glass of red wine against Chelsea's glass.

"Thank you, Chelsea. I hope you follow soon. I pray that Andrew proposes to you quickly," Amora said sincerely. She also hoped her friend would find the same happiness she had.

Chelsea smiled wryly. She didn't respond to Amora's words but invited the other four women to toast Amora.

"Cheers!"

The clinking of glasses filled Amora's ears. The dark red liquor kept being poured into her glass, and then slowly, the liquid entered her mouth, burning her throat.

"When you become Mrs. Walden, don't forget us!" exclaimed Estelle Mauverick, one of Amora's friend and the daughter of a prominent businessman.

"Right. Especially since your fiancé is the heir to his family, Amora. You'll enjoy many benefits after becoming his wife," added Gloria Barclay, another of Amora's friends, with a tone full of admiration.

As the heir to his family, Chris Walden was undoubtedly the ideal husband and son-in-law. The Walden family was one of the wealthiest in New York City. The Lysander family would certainly be delighted to form familial ties with them.

A smile remained on Amora's lips. There was no denying that she was also eager to become Chris's wife. Her desire to leave the Lysander residence would soon come true.

"Stop drinking, Estelle. You're already drunk," Amora chided when she saw Estelle's flushed face.

However, Estelle shook her head and showed her fingers to Amora, saying, "I'm not drunk. Look, aren't these two?"

Amora gave a small smile. "That's three," she replied.

Estelle pouted and invited Amora to toast again, along with the other three women. Not wanting to disappoint her friends, Amora reluctantly obliged.

Sip after a sip of red wine went down her throat, making Amora's head feel increasingly heavy. She could feel herself getting more intoxicated from the alcohol.

Despite this, she felt genuinely happy to be with her friends and lost herself in the moment. By now, she had nearly finished an entire bottle of red wine ordered by Chelsea. Chelsea kept pouring the alcohol into her empty glass.

"That's enough, Chelsea. I can't take anymore," Amora squeaked, her face already red. She put her glass on the table and excused herself to the restroom. Her stomach's acid production was starting to act up.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Chelsea offered worriedly, seeing Amora's unsteady steps.

But Amora shook her head and continued to walk out of the VIP lounge. Chelsea watched Amora leave with a sly smile on her face before toasting with the others.

Meanwhile, Amora walked down the dimly lit corridor. For some reason, she felt incredibly hot. An unusual sensation crept through her, but she didn't know how to stop it.

'Why do I feel so hot?'

Amora fanned her face with her hand. Her vision was blurred. The whole room seemed to be moving erratically, and she shook her head vigorously.

She thought she was just too drunk. She looked for the restroom with her increasingly blurry vision until she finally entered a room, which she thought was the ladies restroom.

Her steps halted when she saw a man lying stiff on the floor in the dimly lit room, his body covered in blood.

Amora stood frozen. She blinked and shook her head repeatedly to process what was happening before her eyes. Then her gaze shifted to the back of a man standing with his back to her.

She was startled when she saw a gun in the man's hand.

‘Is this a murder?’ She wondered internally.

In her panic, the first thought that came to Amora's mind was to leave the place before the killer noticed her presence!

Unfortunately, her legs refused to cooperate. The alcohol she had consumed made it difficult for her to walk.

She accidentally pressed the light switch next to her, illuminating the entire room. The man Amora identified as the murderer quickly turned his attention to her. 

'Damn!' Amora grumbled to herself.

Although her vision was very blurry, making it hard to see the killer's face, she heard his footsteps approaching her.

Amora's legs seemed to be glued to the spot. She was utterly helpless, and she could only surrender to the situation. Slowly, she turned, her heart pounding in fear.

"Si-Sir, I... I didn't see anything," Amora stammered, her voice trembling softly.

She hoped the man wouldn't kill her. Tears welled up in her beautiful eyes.

"You think I believe that?" the man hissed.

His voice was deep and heavy, but strangely, Amora found it appealing.

Suddenly, rough, blood-stained fingers wiped the corners of Amora's eyes, causing her body to tremble violently. Faintly, Amora could see the contours of the murderer's face and a small smirk forming at the corner of his lips.

His firm jawline and tightly closed masculine lips, followed by a finely carved aquiline nose, momentarily captivated Amora. However, she snapped out of it when her gaze shifted to the sharp, piercing eyes that were staring at her intensely. She could feel the cold aura emanating from his gaze.

Amora could feel the cold aura emanating from his eyes. Her heart raced quickly as they locked gazes. The man's dark pupils were like an eagle prowling in the night sky. Strangely, Amora found herself deeply intrigued by him.

There was a burning sensation in her body that made it difficult for her to control herself. Her breathing began to race with the rhythm of her fast-beating heart. One thing she felt was something stirring inside her, boiling fiercely.

Amora's hand moved audaciously to touch the man's face. Her graceful fingers gently caressed his firm and cold features. Her gaze towards the man started to be filled with desire. Amora became aware of her actions when the man grabbed her hand and then pushed it away roughly.

The desire in Amora's eyes transformed into deep fear. She lowered her gaze, avoiding looking directly at the man's face again.

"What have I done just now? Why did I...?" 

Amora shook her head vigorously. She tried to push away the strange thoughts that continued to dominate her, to quench the desire that kept burning her soul. Still in her confusion, suddenly the stranger gripped her wrist tightly.

"Si-Sir, I—"

“Shut up and follow me."

The man's deep, heavy voice interrupted Amora's words. For some reason, his voice sounded sexy to her ears. Amora was startled by her thoughts.

When she tried to speak again, the man interrupted her once more and continued coldly, "If you want to stay alive, follow my orders!"