Eva's POV:

It was a bright Saturday morning. A ray of sunlight seeped into the room and landed on my face.

I woke up in bed with a throbbing headache. When I shifted my hand, I was stunned to touch another person lying next to me.

"What? Who are you!" I gasped, sitting up immediately.

The man had a sharp jawline, full brows, and thin lips.

I looked at my body and was stunned to find myself naked in bed with him.

"Who the hell are you!" I yelled, before the events of the previous night hit me hard.

Layla Parker had invited me to celebrate her birthday at the hotel. Layla came from a rich family. She was 24 years old, fair-skinned, and my best friend from college.

Though Layla came from a wealthy family, I came from a struggling home. She promised I would have fun at her party, even when I didn't want to go. I agreed, and now I was in bed with an unknown man.

"I should be the one asking you what the hell you're doing on my bed. This is a VIP suite. How did you get in here, miss?" asked the handsome man as he shifted away from me. I was stunned by his masculine physique—broad chest, chiseled abs, and six-pack.

"Don't drool at me like that. Get up and get out!" he barked. I refused.

"I am a virgin. I am not a prostitute, and you slept with me. Is this how you take responsibility for your actions? How did we end up entangled in this bed?" I sobbed, unable to believe I had sex with an unknown man. He ignored me, pulled the bedsheet away from my body, and wrapped it around himself.

When he went into the bathroom, the sound of running water filled my ears. The entrance door swung open, and Layla walked in with Jacob Stone, my fiancé.

"So this is what you do, Eva. You hook up, after everything I did to support you," Jacob accused me, standing at the door with Layla.

"No, Jacob. I don't know what happened. Layla, you invited me to your party. How did I end up with that stranger in the bathroom?" I asked my best friend, needing her help.

Layla wore a short blue dress and black shoes, and she clung to Jacob's arm like she was his girlfriend.

"Jacob, I don't know what Eva is saying. She came to my party and told me she was looking forward to meeting a rich guy in this luxury five-star hotel—the Owen's Hotel. I honestly don't know how she got here until I asked the security men," Layla lied, and Jacob believed her.

"I cannot believe you would do this, Eva. After everything I did to feed you, sponsor you—this is how you repay me. It's over between us," Jacob said, glaring at me.

"You never let me touch you, and now you gave your body willingly to another man. I want back all the money I spent on feeding and clothing you for the five years we dated. Fail to do that, and I will have you arrested. Trust me," Jacob said. He pulled his hand away from Layla and walked out of the hotel room.

Layla glanced at me and smiled. "Do you think you deserve a rich man like Jacob? Look at you, Eva. A poor woman like you cannot climb to the top of the ladder of wealth and power in this Dominic City. Return to the slum where you belong, and don't worry about Jacob—I will take care of him." Layla smirked and walked out, slamming the door with a deafening sound.

Tears flooded down my cheeks as I sat on the bed, speechless. "Where would I get the money to pay Jacob now?"

Jacob had promised to marry me after I graduated, and now Layla had ruined everything—after I graduated this year.

Wiping the tears off my cheeks, I knew crying didn't solve anything. But I wouldn't just leave. I needed an explanation from the man in the bathroom.

How dare he use me, knowing I was intoxicated, and yet act like I had taken advantage of him?

I waited for the man to get out, grabbing my clothes from last night that I saw sprawled on the floor—a green dress I had worn to Layla's birthday party.

A knock on the entrance door startled me again. I quickly used the green dress to cover my chest and shield my nakedness.

A tall man in a black suit entered the room. Seeing me using the green dress to shield my chest, he lowered his head and apologized, "I am sorry, miss. Where is Mr. Owen?"

"Mr. Owen? Who?" I asked, confused. The bathroom door opened, and the handsome man who had taken care of me stepped out.

"Leave, Pete. I will call for you later," he said.

"Okay, boss," the tall man in black replied. My eyes widened. This handsome stranger was a boss. Who was he, and why did the tall man call him boss?

But the man ignored me and went to get his clothes ready.

"Mr. Owen, you cannot take advantage of me without an explanation. I was drunk last night, and I bet you were drunk too," I said, my tone accusing him as he wore his shirt and buckled it.

Turning to face me with his sharp green eyes, he replied, "I wasn't drunk. But how do I know you were drunk, when you came into my room, offered yourself to me, and kissed me first? Do you need me to replay the footage to see what you did?"

"No, I…" I was lost for words. "I would never do that. You are accusing me wrongly," I said, my voice quivering, as I didn't remember doing any of that.

"I see," Mr. Owen smirked, walked over, and picked up his phone.

"Have a look," he said, playing a video from last night on his phone.

In the video, I couldn't believe my eyes. I barged into his room, rushed to the bed, mounted him, and started kissing him.

"I don't remember doing that. That's not me. And how do you have the video on your phone?" I asked accusingly. He smirked.

"Don't play dumb with me, young lady. I own this hotel and the Owen's Group in Dominic City. If anyone needs compensation between us, it's me. You took advantage of me, and I only helped you when I sensed you were drugged. If I hadn't slept with you, who knows what damage would have happened to your body? So you should compensate me," he smirked, and my jaw dropped.

Eva's POV:

I stood speechless in a corner of the room, watching Mr. Owen buckle his shirt and cover his masculine physique. I couldn't believe my ears—I had just had a one-night stand with the richest bachelor in Dominic City. How was this possible? How did I get into his hotel room?

"I don't have money to compensate you," I said at last, my voice low.

"Mmm. Well, you need to start by taking care of my sperm, since I didn't use any protection last night. I wouldn't want an unknown woman to carry my child," he stated, his tone sharp. I nodded.

"I will do that," I replied, but he scowled.

"I don't trust you," he said, pulling out his phone and contacting a number.

"Pete, get me a pack of contraception and make sure it's not expired," he ordered, his tone firm.

The call ended, and I still stood in a corner of the room, after seeing the video evidence that I had rushed into his room and demanded he sleep with me.

"Can I at least have my bath and use the bathroom?" I asked him weakly. My body ached, and I could still feel my core pulsating, as if his rod was still inside me.

"Sure, but don't stay too long. The medicine needs to work and flush out whatever of me you're carrying," he replied coldly, like he wanted nothing to do with me.

"Okay, sir," I said, lowering my head, uncomfortable meeting his gaze.

I had heard of Ethan Owen, the richest bachelor in Dominic City. Top magazines broadcast him among the top ten richest men. I couldn't believe I had spent a night with him. Even Jacob Stone, my fiancé, didn't come close to Ethan's rank in this city.

Slowly, I went into the bathroom and sank into the cold water. My body trembled at the realization of what I had just found myself in. I turned on the tap and let the cold water wash down my sore body. After my bath, I borrowed a white towel I found, since the bathroom smelled of a man's cologne. I didn't need anyone to tell me this was Ethan's luxury suite in this five-star hotel.

Knock knock.

The sound of someone knocking on the bathroom door startled me, and only then did I realize I had spent too much time zoning out. I rushed to the door and pulled it open, wrapped in a pristine towel around my chest. My long blonde hair was wet, and I stood as a slim woman.

Ethan's eyes trailed over my body, from my face to my chest, before moving back up to my face. He stood taller in front of me.

"What took you so long to bathe? I have somewhere to be, and you're wasting my time," he said, stepping aside for me to walk out. He had already put on his light blue coat, his green eyes following me as I strolled out of the bathroom weakly.

"I'm sorry, sir. How much do you want me to pay you?" I finally asked him, not wanting to get on his bad side or get arrested.

"Hahaha," Ethan laughed, his deep voice making my heart flutter. I raised my head and looked at his face. He took a step closer and asked, "Can you afford me?"

"Huh, but we already had sex last night. Since I am at fault, I should pay you off so nothing links us," I replied, as my phone rang in my bag.

A memory flashed in my head. I recalled getting dragged by a man out of the event hall last night—the club where Layla had chosen. I had fought to escape him before running into the next room and onto the bed to meet Ethan. Now I remembered how Layla had paid someone to sleep with me. She had planned it all.

My fist clenched at the memory, and Ethan's words brought me back to reality.

"You don't have to worry about paying me, since you're a virgin and a good girl last night," he said, drawing close to me. My brows furrowed.

"How about I pay you to be my personal mistress? Whenever I need a woman to get laid with," he said, his lips curling into a smile as he drew next to me and shifted my wet hair strands away from my face and neck.

I smacked his hand away and warned him, "I am not a prostitute. Sorry, Mr. Owen. You should find someone else to get laid with often."

I wanted to walk away from him, but he pulled me back and pressed me against the wall.

"This isn't what you did last night. You begged me to take you," he said, his voice cold, his sharp green eyes peering into my blue orbs.

"I was drunk. I would never do that. I kept myself for my husband as a wedding gift, and my best friend drugged me and made me lose my chastity to you. I will not do it. If you need me to compensate you, name your price, and I will do that," I replied, my tone broken as tears spilled down my cheeks.

The image of Jacob looking at me with disappointment flashed in my mind, and I couldn't stop my tears.

"Fine. Since you want to pay me, I will offer you a job to work for me as my personal secretary. What do you say?" Ethan asked. I am in need of a job as a tech developer, but I shook my head.

"No. I cannot be your secretary. I have other work to do," I replied, refusing his offer.

"I will pay you one million dollars per month," Ethan said, his tone sharp. My jaw dropped.

"No… I…" I wanted to refuse, but one million dollars per month was too much for a secretary.

Eva's POV:

"Are you serious?" I asked Ethan in shock, and he nodded, his lips curled into a smile.

"Yeah. How much do you want me to pay you? But you must abide by my rules and work as my secretary only," he said, and I gulped hard.

"I haven't been a secretary before. I just graduated with a degree in software engineering, and I want to be a software developer. I applied at Almond Tech, and they offered me a position to start work by Monday," I replied, and his brows furrowed.

"I will pay you two million dollars. If you accept, you can come to work in my company by Monday. Fail to show up, and you lose—I am in need of a new secretary," he said. I gulped hard and accepted his card.

"Fine. How about the medicine you want me to take?" I asked, as he had almost forgotten the contraceptive pill in his hands.

"Oh, here it is," Ethan said, handing me the bottle. I took two pills and gulped them down with the bottle of water he gave me.

"Don't forget. By Monday. If you fail to show up, I will get a replacement. I will be expecting you. What's your name?" he asked, pausing as he turned to walk away.

Lowering my head and avoiding his green eyes, I replied, "Eva Brooks."

"Alright, Eva, I look forward to meeting you again. Take your things and leave. The hotel staff will come to clean the room." After saying that, Ethan turned and walked out of the room.

My eyes fell on the red stain on his pristine white bedsheet.

Looking at the blue card in my hand, I shook my head and reached for my handbag. I put the card inside and took out my phone. I saw four missed calls from my mother.

"Hello, Mom," I answered, and she yelled at me.

"Eva, what did you do to provoke Jacob? He has cancelled his partnership with your father and called off your engagement. How could you cheat on him at a time like this, when he was planning to marry you? What came over you?" Mom yelled, and I felt guilty.

"Mom, I am sorry. Layla set me up," I tried to explain, but Mom cut me off.

"Shut up. Layla didn't set you up. You went to that man and cheated on Jacob. How could you do this to us? We disown you as our daughter. Don't bring your shameful self home to us again," Mom yelled, and before I could explain, the call ended.

Shaking my head, I stood in the hotel room and sighed.

Gripping my phone tightly, I tried to call Jacob one last time to explain that it was all a mistake and I would never cheat on him. However, the phone rang, and Jacob ended the call. When I tried to contact him again, I heard, "Sorry, the number you are trying to call does not exist."

"What?" My brows furrowed as I realized Jacob had blocked me.

*Did five years of our relationship mean nothing to him?* I knew Jacob had always wanted to have sex with me, but I stopped him and told him we should wait until marriage. Now, I had cheated.

Wiping my sobs away, I put on my black bra and panties, then reached for my green dress and wore it. After that, I put on my black stilettos shoes and adjusted my long hair, before taking a final glance at the room to make sure I didn't forget anything.

I walked out of the hotel room while the hotel service staff went in to clean it. Then I made my way to the elevator and rode down to the ground floor.

When I walked out, I felt eyes on me, but no one stopped me. The impressive luxury hotel was filled with different kinds of people coming and going.

Making my way out of the hotel building, I exited the premises, recalling that I wouldn't have come to this hotel if not for Layla's insistence.

I hailed a taxi and went home, even though my mother had warned me not to return.

I knew I had no one to go to. Jacob had broken up with me, and I couldn't go to his place. Not just that—my relatives would be furious with me. It was because of Jacob that my father's small loan company could soar higher. Now that Jacob had withdrawn his support and demanded I repay him for all the money he had spent on me, I knew none of my family members would want to help me at this point.

When I arrived home and paid the cab, I walked nervously to the magnificent black gate of the bungalow where my parents lived. My father owned this house—he bought it after Jacob and I started dating.

Reaching the gate, I knocked, and the security man pulled it open.

"Miss Eva, you are not allowed into the house," he said, and my brows furrowed.

"Why? This is my father's house. I want to see him and explain," I begged the security man, Tom, but he shook his head.

"Your mother said if I let you in, I will lose my job. I don't want to lose my job, madam." He went back into the house and locked the gate on me.

"Wait, Tom," I knocked again, but he wouldn't answer.

Sighing, I paced by the gate, thinking of what to do. I couldn't believe my family would abandon me at a time like this. *Was this how people fell from top to bottom?*

I tried calling my mother, but the same number she used to call me wasn't connecting.

Calling my older brother, Cruz, he demanded, "Eva, how could you cheat on Jacob at a time like this, when we were looking forward to you both getting married?"

"Cruz, I was set up. I didn't mean to cheat on Jacob. Believe me, Layla set me up," I said, and my brother sighed.

"I warned you to stay away from Layla. That girl is a snitch, and you didn't listen to me. She is not from our place, and her parents are richer than ours," my brother fumed, and I sobbed.

"I am sorry. I should have listened to you," I replied, and he sighed.

"It's fine. Where are you now? Mom and Dad are angry, and they don't want to see you. Also, Jacob is demanding compensation and saying you never let him touch you, so you didn't do anything for him in the five years you both dated," Cruz said, sighing in frustration.

"Can I come over to your place?" I asked Cruz, knowing he had gotten married.

"Hmm. Sure, but you know Maddison and you don't get along. Don't worry, I will talk to her and make her understand," Cruz said. I sighed heavily, feeling relief that I could rely on him. Layla's betrayal still stung, and I couldn't call any of my female friends again.

I went back to the road, hailed another cab, and went to my older brother's house.