Rise Of The Legendary Goldmaster.

Thwack!!!

“How dare you touch me, you rapist?! What have you done to me?” A woman’s high-pitched screech filled the room.

She delivered a thunderous slap to Asher’s left cheek and he snapped awake, completely disoriented.

Asher blinked rapidly, trying to clear the pain and cobwebs in his mind as his bleary gaze locked onto the fair-skinned beauty in front of him.

“Did you just call me a rapist?” He asked calmly.

The woman, Victoria Stone, pressed herself against the headboard.

Her eyes widened in horror when she looked down and noticed that she was naked underneath the blankets;

“What happened to my clothes? Where am I? You had better start counting your days if you dared to lay your filthy hands on me!”

Asher’s lips tipped in a roguish smirk. Seeing her beautiful face twisted with anger and confusion, he could not resist pushing her buttons.

“Should I be offended that you’ve forgotten about our little fun time so quickly? You did not seem upset while you dozed off in my arms last night.”

Stunned, Victoria trailed her gaze over his cheap threadbare pants, her mind already imagining the unthinkable;

“Who are you and how did you get into my room? Are you some sort of criminal?! A thief, maybe?”

Asher shook his head in amazement. She was beautiful, no doubt, but her tongue was as sharp as a razor.

He smoothly got to his feet and grabbed his shirt, pulling it over his head.

Victoria couldn’t help but notice that the shirt was cheap and unbranded. The watch on his wrist was so old that it looked a bit rusty. And his shoes… ugh!

This man didn’t seem like someone who could even afford two square meals! What had she gotten herself into?

“Don’t just stand there and say nothing! How did I get here? I need answers.”

Asher understood that she was shocked, but he didn’t know how much longer he could tolerate her belittling tone.

“First of all, this is my hotel room, not yours. I’m not surprised that you don’t remember anything, seeing that you were drugged last night.”

Victoria froze, her lips parting in a strangled gasp. “You’re lying. Don’t you dare lie to me.”

“I would never lie to you. In fact, I believe that I may have saved your life.

I was out on my routine run last night when I saw two men trying to force you into a waiting car. Luckily, I was armed. I fired a shot into the air and they fled, leaving you out there in the middle of the street.”

Memories from the previous night suddenly came flooding back and Victoria lowered her head with a pain-filled groan.

During the memorial ball held in honour of her great grandfather, a man had approached her, claiming that her father requested her presence in a private room upstairs. Stupidly, she followed him.

The event centre was filled with guards. Nothing bad could happen to her. Or so she’d thought.

The last thing Victoria remembered was the sharp sting of a needle pricking her neck.

“What’s your name?” She asked calmly.

“Asher Deville.”

The name did not ring a bell which was surprising because despite his plain, cheap clothes, Victoria could sense that the man had an air of sophisticated mystery around him.

“Those men didn’t give you just any kind of drug.” Asher said quietly. “You were given an aphrodisiac. A drug that heightens sexual arousal. I couldn’t abandon you out there or entrust your safety to the police, so I brought you here.”

Victoria’s cheeks reddened with shame as more of her memories slowly returned. The aphrodisiac was indeed very powerful. She remembered begging Asher to take off her clothes and throw her into the pool because of the heat.

She remembered sobbing, clinging onto his chest and begging him not to leave her.

The heiress covered her face in embarrassment as memories of Asher gently wiping her with a warm towel resurfaced.

Asher had really done nothing wrong. She was the one who’d asked him for help!

The entire situation was a disaster because Victoria Stone was no ordinary woman. She was the first daughter and heiress of the Stone family, the richest and most powerful dynasty in East City.

If people found out that she had spent the night with a random man and even shared a bed with him, her entire reputation would go down the drain.

“Well? Is there something you would like to say to me?” Asher asked.

She despised that smug smirk on his face. Was he mocking her?

“I don’t remember cracking a joke. Why are you smiling?”

Asher raised a brow, his tone dripping with sarcasm; “sharing a bed with me is not a death sentence, you know. You don’t have to act like I killed your dog or something. Besides, we didn’t even have sex.”

“Death sentence is an understatement,” Victoria seethed, her eyes filled with disgust. “Whatever happened between us last night was an abomination! A low class commoner like you was never supposed to come in contact with someone like me.

Look, no one can find out about last night, especially… that we shared a bed. Understood?

If you even dare to breathe a single word of this to anyone, I swear you won’t be able to survive in this city. Be rest assured that I do not make empty threats!”

Asher was stunned at her total lack of gratitude.

“I think you need to pay attention to your tone, Victoria. Maybe you’re forgetting that you have no right to threaten me.”

“I’m giving you one chance! How much do you want to keep your mouth shut? Name your price, any amount you want, and I’ll pay.”

Asher shook his head. “I don’t need your money. I am not a commodity that can just be bought.”

“Oh, enough with the nonsense! Stop pretending and just tell me how much you want.

“There’s really no point in acting all high and mighty, Asher. We both know that commoners like you always have a price. Besides…” she shot a pointed look at his cheap clothes,

“you really look like you need the money. At least you can finally change your wardrobe…”

Annoyance slowly wormed its way into Asher's bloodstream. He leaned forward and without warning, slammed Victoria against the bed and pinned her arms above her head, ignoring her cry of shock.

He lowered his head until their faces were mere inches apart, then with a tone that could melt ice, he growled;

“I don't think I spoke Latin the first time, Victoria. I said I do not want your damn money!”

His outburst was met with dead silence. Seconds later, his heart burned with guilt when he noticed that her eyes were frozen with fear.

Asher made to lean back but Victoria’s harsh breathing stopped him in his tracks.

Something was very, very wrong.

“Victoria? Are you okay?”

Silence.

On a closer inspection, he noticed that she looked sickly pale. Her forehead was slick with sweat and her breathing was harsh and choppy.

Panic shot like electricity through his veins.

“Victoria, can you hear me?”

No response. Her lips remained firmly shut, but she seemed on the verge of passing out again.

Acting purely out of concern, he leaned closer, tugging at her top to check her pulse, but Victoria reacted like he’d burned her.

Before Asher could defend himself, another thunderous slap landed on his right cheek.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing…?!”