The soft fingers of morning light crept through the cream curtains and gently kissed the edges of the king-sized bed. The warmth stirred the figure lying there—Emma Robbins, the same lady from the club, her face partially buried in a pillow.
She groaned softly and stretched her arms, still wrapped in a fog of exhaustion. Her head pounded. Her throat was dry. Her body ached in ways she couldn’t explain. The events of last night were buried beneath layers of alcohol-induced haze. She had barely begun moving when her fingertips brushed against something—skin.
Warm. Firm. Human.
Her eyes flew open. She turned slowly, dread creeping up her spine.
A man lay beside her. Deep asleep. Peaceful. And very much naked.
Emma let out a half-scream, half-gasp as she scrambled off the bed, stumbling and nearly falling before catching herself. Her wide eyes scanned the room. Her clothes were everywhere—her red dress draped over the foot of the bed, her shoes beside the minibar, and her expensive Prada purse lying open on the floor like it had been tossed carelessly.
She was also naked.
A cold shiver of humiliation raced across her skin as she snatched the bed cover to wrap around herself. She blinked rapidly, her breathing shallow, heart racing.
“What... what the hell happened?” she whispered to herself.
She stumbled into the bathroom, slammed the door shut, and leaned against it, gasping.
Who is he? How did I get here? Her mind raced, grasping for memories, but the night was a fog, fragmented and cruel.
The marble cold against her feet, and locked the door, her breath ragged. She leaned against the sink, staring into the mirror—her mascara smudged, her lips pale, her eyes haunted.
The night’s pieces flickered: arriving at the Electric Viper, her heart raw from losing the Enzogrande Corporation contract, ordering “something strong, keep it coming.”
The waiter’s hesitant warning, her stubborn insistence—she’d drowned her failure in liquor.
But after? A blank.
She looked down at herself in the mirror, inspecting the subtle signs. There was no doubt about it. Her body had shared something it hadn’t shared in a long time. A man had touched her—last night.
Unprotected.
Her mouth went dry. “You stupid, stupid girl,” she whispered, staring at her reflection. She banged her palm against the wall.
Panic settled in like a thick fog. Who was he? What did they do exactly? Did he even know who she was? Did she scream his name? Or did he just... take her?
Splashing water on her face, she dressed quickly, the red gown clinging to her like a reminder of her lapse.
She cracked open the bathroom door carefully. He was still there. Still asleep. Arms spread like a peaceful soldier finally at rest.
She watched him silently. His features were impossibly symmetrical. Chiseled jaw. Thick lashes. Soft, almost boyish lips. A face too perfect for the chaos he carried behind it.
And somehow... infuriatingly calm.
“I’m panicking, and you’re sleeping like a damn prince,” she muttered.
Her gaze drifted down his lean form, and she winced. Yup. No doubt they did it.
For a moment, she paused, struck by his beauty, a fleeting thought: If this mistake leads to a child, at least they’d be gorgeous.
She shook it off, horrified. Pregnant by a stranger?
He didn’t even look rich—too plain, too ordinary in his black shirt and jeans tossed over a chair.
Gathering her things as quietly as she could, she tiptoed out of the room, still trying not to wake him. By the time she reached her sleek Mercedes in the parking lot, her heart was pounding. Shame. Confusion. Guilt. And a tiny grain of curiosity buried in it all.
Who the hell was that guy?
---
Meanwhile, back in the room…
The same morning sun that had roused Emma now fell across Ethan’s face, lighting up the features of a man unbothered by the world.
His eyes fluttered open.
He sat up and looked around.
The room was pristine—too pristine. Certainly not where he’d fallen asleep last night. He blinked and reached for his head.
Then it came back to him in fragments.
The club. Cobra. The chaos. The fight.
The lady.
He smiled faintly. So that wasn’t a dream.
Then came the alcohol. The lounge. Drinks. More drinks. Laughter. Blurry laughter.
Then… this hotel room.
He looked down and noticed his own bare body. “Ah,” he whispered. “A one-night stand?”
He chuckled. “It’s been a while.”
It was still surreal, adjusting to a bed that wasn’t made of metal, blankets that weren’t government-issue, and silence that wasn’t enforced by fear.
Five years in Fort-tight Maximum Prison had changed his definition of comfort. But this? This was... nice.
In Fort-tight, he’d been the Almighty Master Ethan Northstrum—AMEN to those who bowed—but even his dominion hadn’t softened the prison’s bite.
Still, he couldn’t remember who the woman had been. Mela, the waitress? The woman in red? Someone else?
It didn’t matter now; no foul, no guilt.
He sighed and lay back again. savoring the mattress’s embrace, the city’s hum a distant pulse through the window.
But not for long.
By 10 AM, Ethan rose, his body refreshed but his mind sharp.
The bathroom’s marble gleamed, the shower’s hot spray washing away the night’s excess.
He dressed—black shirt, jeans, the supreme black card a quiet weight in his pocket—and sat at the room’s oak desk, his thoughts turning to purpose.
Freedom was new, raw, a canvas to paint.
Settling down beckoned—a home, a woman to share it—but his mission burned brighter.
The stolen family relic, auctioned again recently, was his destiny’s key, tied to a legacy he barely knew.
Without it, he was adrift, a king without a crown. Today, he’d start the hunt.
As he stood to leave, his foot nudged something—an envelope, half-hidden under a chair, its contents spilling.
He crouched, picking it up, the paper crisp and official.
Enzogrande Corporation was stamped across it, and his pulse quickened.
His eyebrows lifted.
Matthew Witkov’s company—the richest man in the country, who’d named Ethan heir to his $33 trillion empire.
He smiled at the memory.
Three years ago, in Fort-tight’s cold cell, Matthew had knelt, begging for help. The President had sent him, whispering of Ethan’s power to fix the impossible.
Matthew had come to him—a trillionaire in despair, Enzogrande on the brink of collapse, shareholders about to pull out.
“Help me, Master Ethan. Name your price.”
Ethan didn’t want money. He wanted legacy. And when he gave his instructions, Matthew followed them to the letter.
His advice—strategic, precise—had won Matthew Enzogrande, turning a $50 billion venture into a trillion-dollar titan. Ethan’s lips curved, a rare smile. He’d shaped empires from a prison bunk.
Opening the envelope, he found a contract proposal, its pages dense with figures and terms.
A name caught his eye: Emma Robbins, CEO, Norand Interior Limited.
“Well, well,” he said aloud. “A CEO.”
He leaned back in the chair.
So that’s who she is.
His smile widened, a spark of intrigue. The mystery woman—his one-night stand—was a CEO, not just anyone. Yet, he couldn’t recall her face. “Perhaps, it was the damsel in distress last night?”
The red gown, Prada accessories—her wealth made sense now. “Maybe she is the one,” he thought to himself.
Ethan’s mind raced; she was no ordinary fling. If she proved worthy of him—strong, sharp, a match for his fire—he’d consider her for more than a night.
Marriage, even.
Another document peeked from the envelope, but excitement overtook him. He tucked it into his pocket.
“Emma Robbins,” he whispered to himself.
“Let’s see if you’re worthy of the life I’m about to build.”
He opened the hotel door and stepped out into the morning sun.
The hunt—for legacy, destiny, and maybe love—had begun.
Latest Chapter
Chapter 129: The cost of buried secrets
Chloe slammed her bedroom door shut so hard that one of the picture frames rattled against the wall. She twisted the lock with trembling fingers, her vision blurry with hot tears.She had heard enough for one morning, and just couldn't take it anymore as it was just too much to take in.She slid down to the floor, her back against the door, her knees pressed to her chest. A broken sob escaped her before she could stop it.“Why… why didn’t someone just tell me?” she whispered to the empty room.Her phone buzzed in her trembling hand — the image of Mr. King contact glowed softly on her screen. A surge of desperation shot through her chest.She needed him at that moment, as he was the only person who truly made her feel chosen and worthy.Her thumb slammed the call button before she could think twice.There was no other person she'd love to speak with at that point than Mr. King himself, and all she could do at that point was to hope and wish that he'd answer.“Chloe?” came the deep, vel
Chapter 128: Secrets served hot
Lizzy’s head snapped up. “You keep your mouth shut, Rose.”Rose’s laughter was low, mocking. “Oh, darling… you really think you can keep the past from catching up forever?”Ethan, silent and watchful, glanced around the table. The pieces were shifting again — faster, darker, and exactly as he had predicted.The Robbinns were actually hiding something and it was more than the secrets of the Crown of Aetheron. Lizzy’s breath caught in her throat as the entire room seemed to close in on her.“Rose,” she said, trying to steady her voice, “this is not your story to tell.”“Oh, but it affects the whole family, doesn’t it?” Rose’s tone was deceptively light, her eyes glittering with mischief. “We all lived through the scandal, Elizabeth. You may have buried it, but that doesn’t mean it died.”“Enough, Rose,” Grandpa Robbins’ voice came like thunder — calm yet commanding. But it wasn’t enough to silence the storm that was already gathering.Another breakfast successfully ruined, and this tim
Chapter 127: War during breakfast
The following morning arrived with the soft glow of sunlight streaming through the high glass windows of the Robbins mansion. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and buttered croissants wafted through the air, mingling with the low hum of conversation around the long dining table.The family had gathered for breakfast as usual, and this time around, the atmosphere wasn’t tensed as it used to be, as it could almost appear as though everyone seemed to want a peaceful and a quiet breakfast.Ethan, as usual, sat quietly at the far end beside Emma, who looked well-rested though still distant in thought. Across the table, Chloe was radiating excitement, her makeup flawless, her phone propped beside her plate as if she were waiting for another notification from social media.Aunt Rose sat next to her, sipping from her porcelain cup while her eyes darted between everyone with that habitual gleam of intrigue. Grandpa Robbins, dignified and calm as ever, occupied the head of the table, unfolding
Chapter 126: Shadows behind the screen
Emma’s intention was to tell the caller that Ethan was in the shower and would call back later. But the moment her eyes caught the name flashing across the screen, her breath froze in her chest.Matthews Wirtkov.The phone continued to ring in her trembling hand, the name glowing coldly against the black screen.Emma’s pulse quickened. She blinked, reading it again to be sure. Matthews Wirtkov.Her mind spun, and at the same time, her heart began to pound in her chest as she couldn’t help but wonder how Ethan knew Matthew Wirtkov and why he was calling Ethan.“What the hell is going on?” She whispered; her voice barely audible.She knew Matthews Wirtkov well enough to know that someone like Ethan wasn’t in his league to have the privilege of meeting let alone have his personal call line, except maybe it was someone else and not the Matthews Wirtkov that she knew.Just then, Ethan stepped out of the bathroom with droplets of water sliding down his bare shoulders. He was rubbing a towe
Chapter 125: A call from Matthews Wirtkov
Chloe couldn’t stop smiling as the driver pulled into the Robbins mansion driveway. The trunk of the car was full with all the stuffs that Wirtkov King had bought for her and she just couldn’t wait to get inside and begin to show off once again.She was really enjoying the way things were unfolding especially with her being miles ahead of Emma with the choice of a life partner.As the driver carried the first load of boxes inside, Chloe could no longer contain her excitement any longer. “Aunt Rose!” she called out, her voice bubbling with delight. “You won’t believe what Mr. King got me today!”Rose appeared at the top of the staircase, her expression one of expectant curiosity. She didn’t need to see the stuffs that Chloe had brought home before she’d believe. She had seen the news too, and all she had been waiting for was for Chloe to come home so they could both share in her excitement together.And so, the moment she saw the trail of luxury packages filling the grand hallway, her
Chapter 124: The ex-convict versus the king
Inside Wirtkov’s car, Chloe sat back, glancing sideways at him. “You never told me what drew you to me,” she said playfully. “Surely it wasn’t my sense of fashion.”Ethan smiled; eyes fixed ahead. “No,” he said softly. “It was the way you looked at me the first time we met — like you saw me, not my name.”Chloe tilted her head, touched by the sincerity in his voice, which she didn’t know was just a mere act, and that none of what Ethan was doing at that point meant anything to him. “That’s because when you walked towards me. I just couldn’t help but stare.”“Exactly,” he replied, his tone deepening. “And I miss that already.”***It was break time, and Stella had her attention fixed not on spreadsheets or pending calls, but on her phone screen — scrolling, zooming, replaying, and scrolling again.Post after post flooded Stella’s screen — Chloe Robbins, her smile bright, her eyes glowing with the kind of joy that couldn’t be faked. In every photo, Wirtkov King was close beside her, hi
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