Lila Hart woke in Alexander Knight's bed.
The silk sheets tangled around her bare body, her skin still tingling from the night before.
The memories came in fragments—his relentless thrusts, the heat of his breath, the way he'd claimed her with a hunger that left her trembling. Each flash sent a wave of shame and unwanted desire twisting through her chest.
She'd given in.
Her body had betrayed her.
And now she hated herself for it.
Two years ago, she had saved him—from a burning car, her hands bloodied as she dragged him from the wreckage. That single act had bound her to him, turning gratitude into obsession, obsession into control.
Now, after their first night together, she felt more trapped than ever.
Sunlight streamed through the villa's barred windows, a cruel reminder of the cage she lived in. The private island was beautiful—but it was still a prison.
Lila slipped from the bed, wrapping the sheet around her trembling body. Her legs felt weak as she moved toward the bathroom.
The mirror met her with a stranger's reflection—flushed cheeks, swollen lips, dark marks scattered across her throat and breasts.
Each one screamed of him.
Each one reminded her that no matter how hard she fought, he always won.
Her stomach churned. She gripped the sink, trying to breathe through the storm of emotions clawing at her chest.
"You're awake."
His voice came from the doorway, deep and smooth, carrying that dangerous calm that both unsettled and drew her in.
Alexander leaned against the frame, shirtless. The morning light carved his muscles into sharp relief—broad chest, sculpted abs, powerful arms that had pinned her beneath him hours ago.
His blue eyes gleamed with amusement, as if her turmoil was nothing but entertainment.
"Don't look at me like that," Lila snapped. Her voice cracked, raw from the emotions burning in her throat. "I hate you. I hate this."
The words were sharp, but her grip on the sheet betrayed her trembling.
He pushed away from the doorway, stepping closer with that slow, predatory grace that made her pulse jump. His scent—sandalwood and smoke—wrapped around her, pulling at something she wanted to destroy.
"Do you?" His tone was mocking, almost tender. A cruel mix.
He cupped her chin, forcing her gaze to his. "Your body didn't hate me last night, little flame. The way you moaned… the way you begged…"
His thumb brushed her lower lip, dragging against the tender skin. The touch made her shiver, and she cursed herself for it.
"You can fight me," he murmured, leaning closer, "but you can't fight this."
Her cheeks flushed, fury and humiliation warring inside her. Her nipples hardened beneath the sheet, traitorous against her will.
"You're a monster," she whispered. But the words trembled.
He only smiled, slow and knowing, his hand tracing the column of her neck. His fingertips brushed the bruises he'd left there, and her breath hitched.
"Am I?" he breathed against her ear, voice low and dangerous. "Then why are you trembling?"
His hand slid beneath the sheet, fingers gliding down her side, teasing the curve of her hip.
She gasped, stepping back—but the wall stopped her.
He followed, his body caging hers, his heat pressing against her.
"You want me, Lila," he whispered, eyes burning into hers. "Even if you hate yourself for it."
"Stop," she managed, her palms flat against his chest. His heartbeat thudded beneath her touch—steady, powerful, infuriatingly calm.
He chuckled, dark and triumphant, his fingers dipping lower, tracing the edge of her core through the thin barrier of fabric.
A pulse of heat shot through her, sharp and unwanted. Her knees went weak.
Then—salvation.
His phone buzzed on the nightstand, slicing through the tension.
Alexander's body went rigid. His hand dropped away as he turned, jaw tightening.
He snatched the phone, his gaze darkening as he read the screen.
"What the hell is this?" His voice was low—controlled fury ready to explode.
Lila's stomach knotted as he turned the phone toward her.
A photo filled the screen.
Her and Alexander—at the gala. His lips on hers, her body arched against a marble pillar. Caught in a moment that had felt private, now exposed to the world.
The headline screamed across the image:
Billionaire Alexander Knight's Steamy Affair with Mystery Woman!
Lila's blood turned to ice.
Her secret—her shame—splashed across the tabloids for everyone to see.
Alexander's fingers tightened around the phone until his knuckles whitened. His voice dropped, a lethal whisper.
"Who leaked this?"
The fury radiating off him made the air crackle.
Lila's thoughts spun—Ethan, her only ally, could he have done this? Or Veronica, the woman who still wore his engagement ring?
Whoever it was, they'd lit a fuse.
Now the world knew.
And the storm Alexander Knight was about to unleash… would consume them all.