~Violet's POV~
Yes, others would call this a perfect revenge if they learned what transpired between me and this stranger, but this was never part of the plan.
Although Sebastian has cheated on me countless times, the thought of getting back at him by cheating had never crossed my mind. Merely thinking about it makes my stomach churn.
What happened between me and the stranger beside me was purely a mistake — a mistake born from too much alcohol.
If I had known this would be the end result, I would have rather let the heartbreak swallow me whole than do this.
Quickly, I wiped the tears sliding down my cheeks. My fingers curled around the sheets, and I lifted them gently, afraid the slightest movement might wake the man underneath.
Without daring to look at his face, I slipped out of the bed and tiptoed to where my dress and bra were scattered on the floor. Panic shot through me when I couldn't find my panties.
Thinking they might have been pushed under the bed during the heat of the moment, I crouched to check, but they were nowhere to be found.
"This can't be happening," I whispered, running my fingers through my messy brown hair. My eyes darted to my bare lower half, then to the dress in my hands.
Left with no other option, I slipped on my silk bra and pulled the dress over my body. It had stopped a few inches above my knees — the same dress I once felt excited to wear. It was supposed to be a celebratory dress, but that celebration never happened.
Clutching my white heels against my chest, I tiptoed toward the door. I had barely taken three steps when I heard a soft groan behind me. Desperate, I kept walking, assuming he had only shifted in his sleep.
All I wanted was to escape before he woke up and found me here.
"Are you sure you want to go home looking and smelling like that?"
The husky voice behind me froze every muscle in my body. I stopped abruptly, lowered the heels from my hands, and straightened my back.
Lifting my chin, I turned toward the bed, and found myself staring into a pair of enchanting chestnut eyes.
For a moment, my breath snagged in my throat.
"Is that Him?" My index finger shot toward him before I could stop myself.
My mouth opened and closed helplessly. Afraid I would give away that I recognized him, I dropped my hand and forced a neutral expression.
I had seen him countless times on business magazines, but only once had I seen him in person, from a distance.
This was the first time I was looking at him this closely, and the pictures had done him no justice.
My eyes trailed over his perfectly trimmed eyebrows, sharp nose, chiselled jawline, and naturally glossy lips.
I unconsciously swallowed when my gaze settled on his moving Adam's apple, perfection on its own.
I was so carried away admiring him that I forgot myself entirely.
"You're gonna bore a hole through me at this rate," he said casually, pulling the sheets up to cover his bare chest.
Caught red-handed, I instantly looked away and fixed my gaze on the white wall above his head.
After a few seconds, I cleared my throat and forced myself to meet his eyes again.
"I'm sorry if I caused you any discomfort last night," I murmured, fiddling with my thumb.
Silence stretched between us. He just stared,as if my apology was written somewhere on my face.
"I'm really sorry for last night, but I have to leave now~"
"What exactly are you sorry for, hmm?" he murmured, brushing aside a strand of silky ebony hair that had fallen over his eyes.
"Is it for insisting I drink when I told you I have zero tolerance for alcohol? Or for refusing to give me your address because you dreaded going home to him?"
My throat tightened.
"T-t-that…" I stuttered, lowering my head.
I didn't know what to say. Maybe if I had memories of what happened after I broke down crying in his arms, after I mistook him for Sebastian — I wouldn't be so lost.
"If your plan is not to announce to the whole world that you just returned from having the best sex of your life," he continued, "I'd advise you to freshen up and change into clean clothes."
His eyes swept slowly over my body, lingering on my lower half as if he could tell I wasn't wearing panties. Heat flushed up my neck and face.
"You literally smell like my cum," he added.
A wave of mortification washed over me. My hair was tangled like a bird's nest, my dress wrinkled, and I had been too desperate to leave to even notice.
"Did you say best sex of my life?" I scoffed, raising a brow.
Normally, I would have dismissed his words as a joke, but not after he indirectly belittled Sebastian.
Yes, he was undeniably handsome, but when it came to sex, no one did it better than Sebastian, or so I believed. Sebastian don't make love; he fucked — hard, rough, and with a passion that left my legs shaking for hours.
"Yes," he said calmly. "You declared so yourself last night."
"That's impossible," I snapped, thinking he was joking.
But his expression didn't change. He wasn't joking. And that seriousness made my heart tremble with doubt.
The silence between us grew thick and suffocating. His intense gaze made me feel exposed, unsteady.
This was supposed to be my first true encounter with Williams Hudson, CEO of H Group. Yet the way he looked at me… it felt like we had known each other far longer than a single drunken night.
Despite the chaos of last night, something about his eyes made me feel strangely safe.
After what felt like forever, I finally broke the silence.
"Thanks for the offer to freshen up, but I can't stay. I'm already late for work," I said, pointing at the alarm clock on his bedside table.
"I know getting drunk and sleeping with a stranger is nothing to be proud of, but thank you again for not leaving me alone in that dreadful place," I added softly, bowing slightly before slipping on my heels.
I turned toward the door, desperate to leave.
"I guess you weren't serious when you said you desperately needed a few days off to cool your head," he said, disappointment in his tone. "I was ready to grant that wish."
I paused abruptly in my track.
His tone reminded me of Sebastian, that same way of speaking like he knew exactly what was best for me. My chest tightened. I hated how easily men assumed they could decide my life for me. I hated how powerless I felt. And I hated… that he wasn't entirely wrong.
I turned, fists clenched, and shot him a hard glare.
"Yes, I am hurt," I said, my chest heaving. "And yes, I'm heartbroken. And all I want right now is to run away, hide, and heal."
My voice trembled. "But what the hell makes you think you can give me that, huh?"
He didn't move. He only stared at me—calm, unreadable, watching me unravel.
"You are just a guy I spent a drunken night with," I snapped, the bitterness spilling before I could stop it. "You're not my employer. You don't know me. So stop talking like you understand my damn life. You're not some seer."
My words came out harsher than I intended—sharp and wounded, the voice of a girl who'd been broken one too many times.
For a moment, neither of us breathed.