-CH 2-

Zach had been walking for hours now. He hadn't eaten since last night's betrayal, nor had he stopped for sleep. Now, his legs ached in pain, numb from exhaustion after having walked nonstop for so long. His face hung down low with hunger, his stomach aching with emptiness. But he hardly had the chance to consider food as he evaded the watchful gaze of the city's police. Without any clothes to cover his naked body, he would surely be taken in for questioning if he was caught. Luckily, he had managed to avoid detection thus far by hiding himself behind buildings and alleys whenever possible.

He stumbled upon an old cardboard box just off the side of the street where he sat down wearily and let out a deep sigh of defeat. Using the scraps of whatever was left behind by the box's previous owner to cover his body, he rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment. Sleep would come soon enough when he couldn't fight it anymore and his eyelids seemed heavy as they began to close over his vision.

As the visions of his lover kissing another man flooded into his now closed mind, Zach silently wept into the darkness that surrounded him. It felt like everything he had worked towards these past 6 months had been stripped away in one single night. And yet, he couldn't muster the strength to hate Natalie. The girl that he loved so much, He wanted to forgive her, hoping that she would return to his side so that he could love her again. Despite how badly she'd hurt him this time.

After all, he didn't even have anything else left in life right now—no friends or family to fall back on if things got too tough for him. Only this moment of rest would give him the temporary reprieve he needed before returning back onto the streets to continue his hopeless search for new purpose.

Soon he let his worries drift from his thoughts and allowed sleep to claim him. Meanwhile, an unexpected voice reached him from across the alleyway.

"Hmm, this one will do nicely. That bitch will learn not to mess with Sanntach. She should have accepted our offer like a good girl." The rough voice continued as Zach's body was lifted onto the shoulder of a large man, carried along without a struggle. "Now hurry up. We've wasted enough time here already. Get him to the Hard Rock Hotel before that sow wakes up."

"Yes sir," came the reply of the large male who hastily carried the unconscious form through the alleys until they arrived at their destination. All the while, Zach had remained blissfully unaware of his current situation.

The large male dropped him unceremoniously onto a bed, leaving him to lie there alongside what could only be described as a peerless beauty.

Zach opened his eyes groggily, feeling pain throughout his entire body after having fallen asleep while leaning against a wall in some dark corner only to find himself lying down in such a comfortable place. A beautiful blonde woman lying next to him wearing nothing but lingerie which barely covered her most intimate areas. Her pale skin glistened in the dim light and her flawless hair hung loosely about her face and shoulders.

Her face appeared young enough to still be considered innocent by society's standards yet her hips and chest were full of experience and knowledge. There was no doubt in Zach's mind. He must have died and been sent to heaven—no one could look that perfect! His mouth fell open slightly when she suddenly opened her eyes to look at him with her mouth slightly agape.

The confusion in her eyes was evident as she stared directly into his, looking puzzled as she noticed him for the first time. She didn't know whether to scream or run away from him...or both. After all, she wasn't expecting to awaken next to a stranger lying naked in her bed.

But the pair's confusion was shortly broken up by the abrupt entrance of a thin man dressed in a white suit. The man's smile couldn't be contained as he brandished a camera in front of him before clicking it loudly several times.

"Ah ha! I see you're awake now!" The voice boomed out across the room before laughing heartily again as he continued on to speak to the woman who looked visibly shaken by this sudden intrusion. "This is your lucky day my dear. You just caught yourself an interview with the hottest reporter in town. The world will be excited to know how their innocent little Amanda spends her nights."

"Don't worry," the man spoke as though reading her thoughts aloud. "When the world knows just how much of a dirty slut you really are, I'll still be willing to take you in as one of my mistresses. And I will be sure to make your company one of our greatest subsidiaries, provided you can entertain me properly.

The young woman's face was filled with anger at the man's provocations as she rose off the bed angrily and pointed to the man. "I've told you Sanntach dogs time and time again, I don't need your help to bring glory back to my family, and I refuse to become some kind of object for you to use however you please! If I ever hear those words come from your filthy mouth again..." Her tone lowered slightly as he raised the camera to show her his newly taken photos.

"Are you sure you wish to speak to me this way, knowing that I currently hold your company's future in my hands? It would only take one single scandal to put the final nail in your coffin." He clicked away once more before continuing on to speak without a hint of fear in his voice. "After all, if someone so beautiful wishes to throw herself away like trash on some pathetic sense of pride, why should I stop them?

Amanda knew his words were true and there was little she could do to stop the man if he chose to follow his words. Her company had fallen into debt after debt as her late father hadn't been able to distance himself from a crippling gambling addiction over the years. His actions had forced both himself and her mother out of the house which resulted in Amanda having to take over ownership of Fermoso, a lingerie company built up by her family for generations. However, the company now struggled to compete with the likes of Victoria's Secret or even lacy lingerie shops owned by small businesses. The high demand for such products meant it cost more than it brought in, far more than her father could manage under his heavy debts.

In desperation to keep the business going, she reached out to the only people who would give her the light of day. But she soon discovered that Sanntach was not to be trusted. They were the very definition of shady and deceitful and their offer was anything but pure.

Despite her desperate situation, she couldn't allow herself to give in to their demands, betray her family name and reputation, and risk destroying everything they had worked for, for many decades. She wanted nothing to do with this disgusting man but he clearly had other ideas.

Her body shook after being cornered like some small animal. If she didn't do something quick then this man may ruin everything she'd ever hoped to achieve through her hard work, just like how Zach had the night prior.

And as if sensing the similarities between the two of them, Zach couldn't help but speak up in her defense. Even in this sorry state, He knew that there was one way for the both of them to get out of this situation unscathed. Even if she didn't want to accept it, he felt as though he owed her this in return for what he had set her up for.

"Amanda! I'm sure we can come to an agreement!" the thin man spoke confidently and bravely despite knowing that his words were completely ridiculous. "Just become mine and your company will survive beyond its current troubles." He laughed heartily before clicking away again while Amanda remained silent with a look of complete shock on her face until Zach spoke up from behind her.

"What scandal are you talking about? There is nothing to hide about our relationship." The young woman turned to him shocked at the unexpected response to the man's words.

"Haha, looks like your lover here finally found some spine to speak out," The man replied, continuing to laugh loudly. "And what could possibly be so normal about your situation."

Zach had only one thought in his mind to save the woman's honor, but it would only work if she herself allowed him to do so. "Of course it is normal. Why wouldn't it be for a wife to sleep in her future husband's embrace? You're looking at my fiancee." His voice was firm and calm.

A feeling that was not shared by the other parties present.