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 10: Her knight in not-so-shining armor
“Say what you want, Loretta,” Emma said, stepping forward. “But if you ever disrespect my husband again, I swear you’ll regret it.”The room froze. Even the cashier paused mid-scan. Loretta blinked, stunned. Jennifer gasped. Emma wasn’t just defending Ethan—she was owning him. The fire in her eyes was unmistakable. Anyone who didn’t know better would’ve sworn this was a marriage born of love and choice.Loretta tilted her head mockingly. “Emma, how do you sleep at night? The girl who once dreamed of marrying a Forbes-listed billionaire… who fantasized about a wedding that would shut down half the country… Now here you are. No ring, no wedding, married to a… loser. This is your legacy?”Emma’s throat tightened. The words stung more than she thought they would. Loretta was right—about her dreams, her ambition, even her former sense of pride. But what hurt most wasn’t Loretta’s mockery. It was the reminder that Tracy and Stella had abandoned her. That her family still didn’t know what me
Chapter 9: From goddess to gutter
The black BMW pulled into the private lot of Luxe Vault, the most exclusive designer boutique in the city. Its clients were CEOs, celebrity wives, tech moguls, and high-ranking officials—people who knew their way around silk-threaded Italian blazers and six-figure heels.Ethan stepped out behind Emma and Jennifer, drawing attention the moment they entered. Not because of what he wore—his clothes were plain—but because of how he carried himself. Calm. Unbothered. As though he owned the place.The shopping began.Emma walked beside Ethan, scrolling on her phone while the store attendant guided them through suits. Ethan ran his fingers across a navy Armani tux. Sleek. Tailored. The kind of fabric that felt like status itself.“Perfect cut for your frame,” the attendant smiled. “This piece is limited edition. Forty thousand dollars.”Before Ethan could say a word, Jennifer stepped in.“Ah, no. That’s… too much. Bring us something cheap. Under ten grand,” she said with a tight, forced smil
Chapter 8: Married to an “ex-convict nobody”
Ethan took the marriage certificate from Emma’s hand with a curious brow, flipping it open and reading the content. For a second, his brows creased in confusion. Then, they shot up in disbelief.“What the hell…” he muttered under his breath.His eyes traced the names again: Emma Jane Robbins and Ethan Northstrum. The location—Harmony Creek Registry. The time—11:06 PM, just hours ago.He looked up, stunned. “I swear, I didn’t see this in the envelope earlier,” he said. “I had no idea.”Emma stared at him, arms folded, face hard to read. But inside, her mind was spinning out of control.Married?To this man?How?Why?Tracy snatched the certificate from Ethan’s hand and gawked at it with Stella.“This is real,” Tracy said, eyes wide. “Emma, you actually married him.”“An ex-convict,” Stella added with disdain. “You married an ex-convict.”Jennifer stood to the side, disgust smeared across her face. “It’s a setup,” she declared. “He planned this. Took advantage of your drunken state, fak
Chapter 7: Sex with an “ex-convict nobody”
The air in Emma Robbins’ office was thick with tension, the scent of fresh coffee mingling with the sharp edge of designer perfume. The sleek lounge, with its glass table and cream leather sofa, felt like a courtroom, the three women—Emma, Stella, and Tracy—staring at Ethan Northstrum as if he were an intruder. Ethan’s brows lifted in slow realization—this woman in the tailored pantsuit, sharp eyes, and commanding presence… was her. The pretty lady from last night. The one he saved from Cobra and his men. Now turns out to be the same lady he spent the night with—the CEO, Emma Robbins.Emma, on the other hand, looked like her soul had just left her body.Her worst nightmare, standing tall and composed right in her office.“What the hell are you doing here?” she asked, her voice tight with disbelief and dread.Her friends, Tracy and Stella, turned to her instantly. “You know him?” Tracy asked, puzzled.“Wait… Emma?” Stella chimed in. “Is he—?”Before Emma could respond, Jennifer the P
Chapter 6: Her nightmare is back
The early afternoon sun cast long shadows over the bustling Central Business District of Sun Industrial City, a world far more polished and opulent than the grimy nightclub corners where Ethan had danced with danger the night before.Standing before a sleek, mirrored building that towered like a monument to capitalism was Ethan Northstrum, hands in his pockets, dressed in simple, neat clothes that whispered ordinary to the untrained eye. But Ethan didn’t care. The document tucked securely into his jacket was the only thing on his mind.He glanced up at the massive logo engraved in brushed steel:Norand Interior Limited.This was the place.Inside the modern lobby, with high ceilings and glass decor, receptionists chatted idly behind a marble desk until Ethan entered. Their conversation halted, replaced by lingering glances and raised brows.One of them—Lynette, the senior receptionist—straightened up, her expression shifting quickly from interest to professional indifference. She gave
Chapter 5: Only one man did…
Morning rays filtered lazily through the tinted windows of the Electric Viper nightclub, now a silent shell of the chaos it had witnessed the night before. The scent of stale alcohol and disinfectant hung heavy in the air, mingling with the iron tang of blood.Mela, the head waitress, paced the club’s wide interior, her eyes sharp and instructive. She barked orders at her younger colleagues as they scrubbed down tables and mopped the sticky, stained floor. Despite the club’s near-pristine design, a trail of red marked where Cobra and his men had bled. Broken glasses crunched under shoes. A shattered bottle of whiskey sat like a grave marker near the bar.Mela had been in this business for years. She’d seen fights. She’d seen gunmen. She’d even seen some street-level mafia bosses lose their temper. But last night… last night was something else entirely.“Move faster!” she ordered sharply. But even as she tried to focus, her ears couldn’t help catching the buzzing whispers of the staff
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