Carlton froze, genuinely caught off guard. "You don't even know me," he said slowly. "Why would you ask me for something like that?"

Penelope felt her cheeks burn with both shame and defiance, stunned by what had just left her lips.

"Do you..." she stammered, "...find me attractive?"

Silence stretched between them as Carlton's gaze slowly traveled over her, from head to toe. He ran a hand through his hair, visibly unsettled.

"Yes... I mean, you are. But I won't take advantage of you. Why would you want to have sex with me?" he asked, so full of uncertainty.

Penelope took a deep shaky breath, her vulnerability exposed a side of her she rarely allowed anyone to see. Her body wanted to run, but her vulnerability fought the instinct.

The room felt too quiet, as though the walls themselves were listening. Penelope could hear her own heartbeat, loud and erratic, each thud reminding her how close she was to unraveling completely. This wasn't a desire guiding her-it was grief, shock, and a desperate need to feel something other than betrayal.

"Look," she said in a calm and soft voice, "I just realized I've made a terrible mistake all my life," tears welling up again. "And before I snap back to my normal self I want to make just one last mistake."

"That doesn't make sense at all. Why make more mistakes when the one you made left you in this terrible form?" he asked, trying to fathom what he had just heard.

"By doing this, I wouldn't feel guilty of the mistake I have made, this is all I want from you. Don't try to understand me. Have sex with me, simple. I sincerely don't want to know you, I don't want your money. I don't want your love or a relationship.

His jaw tightened. Desire flickered in his eyes, but so did restraint, the kind that came from knowing this moment would leave a mark on both of them.

Carlton studied her for a while, the room felt heavier under his silence. He wasn't looking at her like a man eager for pleasure-he was looking at her like someone standing at the edge of a decision he couldn't undo.

"No, I can't do this," he said, the only help I can offer is by giving you a listening ear."

Penelope didn't respond, and to his utter shock, she ripped the towel off her body, standing naked in front of him.

Carlton's eyes widened, at the sight of her perky boobs and her meaty clean shaved vagina.

He looked away from her naked body, "you're hurting, this is not right."

"Just have sex with me, that's all I ask for, please." Her eyes pleading.

He exhaled slowly, as though steadying himself. Whatever she was offering wasn't just her body-it was her brokenness, and he knew accepting it would change the course of the night.

"I want this, this will clear my head." She moved closer, pressing her breast against his chest and kissing him.

The moment she kissed him he let go of every hesitation and returned the kiss with equal passion. Before she knew it, he carried xr toher over to the bed, laid her on it and grabbed her boobs.

He broke the moment, held her gaze and asked her "do you really want to do this?"

Penelope gave him a pitiful furrowed look, "Yes I want this," voice sharper than ever.

The moment she gazed her consent, he removed his clothes, pinned her against the bed and ravaged her lips, his mouth moved to her breast, using his tongue to caress her nipples.

Even though she believed having sex with a stranger would dull the pain of realizing she had loved a devil all her life and nearly married him, his touch aroused something in her far deeper than Geoffrey ever had-and that terrified her.

She found herself moaning loudly, letting her hand slide down to the bulge between his legs and squeezed it gently, releasing a soft attractive moan from him.

A gasp escaped from her lips, when his fingers connected with her clit, she tightly held on to the bedspread, as she buried her other hand in his hair, massaging his head lightly, while the air filled with shared intensity.

She pulled out his dick from his underpants, turning her over, he buried his face in her pussy while she also got busy by giving him "mouth job." He increased the pace of his tongue on her clit, as she couldn't hold back anymore turning soft moans into loud cries of pleasure.

"Fuck me now please", she pleaded. Wanting nothing more than him buried inside her.

"I will baby, but you have to cum for me" he said, dipping his fingers in her pussy as he continued with the increased pace of his tongue on her clit, as though that was all she needed to hear she screamed "I'm cumin'... I'm cumin', she toppled over the climax of pleasure and her nod shook with the force of her orgasm.

Still trying to recover from that he positioned himself in-between her thighs and slid his big cock into her wet drooling pinky rose with an urgency she wasn't used to, sending her into another round of orgasm.

She moaned loudly, wanting him to pause so she could catch a breath and also not wanting him to stop as she flowed with the rhythm of his thrusts.

In that moment, Penelope who had always thought sex wasn't so pleasurable, discovered how good and pleasant sex is.

She spent all night in the arms of the striking, handsome stranger, he held her so close as she unlearned all the lies Geoffrey told her about herself and her body. Subtly, her pains disappeared into thin air.

Penelope woke up before the sun had fully risen, a thin line of dawn slipped through the heavy hotel curtains, washing the room in pale light.

For a moment, she lay still, her mind hazy-until the memories of the previous night came crashing back. Her chest tightened.

Carlton lay asleep beside her, his arms loosely draped across her waist, his breathing slow and steady. Carefully, she lifted his arm away and slid out of the bed.

Spotting a Louis Vuitton shopping bag resting on the dresser. Without hesitation, she pulled out a simple dress from it and slipped into it, then folded her wedding gown-the symbol of everything that had gone wrong-and gathered it into her arms.

The room felt unnaturally quiet, weighed down by reality.

Her heart pounded as she approached the door. She paused briefly when she noticed her car keys on the rack. Taking a deep breath, she glanced back at Carlton one last time. He remained asleep, peaceful in the dim light, unaware that this moment would be their only one.

She considered leaving him a note, but she stopped herself.

Some things are never meant to be explained. She grabbed the keys and slipped out quietly.

She hurried down the hallway, into the elevator, and out of the building.

The cool morning air hit her like a slap as she stepped out of the building. Relief washed over her as she saw her car parked in the valet stand. Looking slightly bruised but intact.

She climbed in and shut the door, exhaling shakily.

Her phone lay on the passenger seat, its screen glowing with missed calls and unread messages.

She picked it up and saw numerous missed calls and messages from her Dad, Hill, Geoffrey, and even Mrs. Oretha. Penelope's heart sank as she stared at the screen, but she didn't return any of the calls nor reply to the messages.

Each number represented a conversation she wasn't ready to have, a judgment she wasn't ready to face. With a clenched jaw, she tossed the phone back to the passenger seat, fired the engine, and drove off.

The city slowly woke around her, but Penelope felt detached from it all. A few streets away, she pulled over beside a public trash bin. Her hands trembled as she reached for the wedding dress.

For years, she had imagined walking down the aisle in it.

Now, without ceremony or tears, she shoved it into the bin and slammed the lid shut.

She didn't look back.

The drive home was blurry. By the time she arrived home, the house was already alive with noise.

Her father. Geoffrey. Hillary. Mrs. Oretha.

Everyone.

She parked and took a moment to steel herself. The moment she stepped inside, the tension thickened. Her father's face hardened when his eyes landed on her.

"What is this?" he demanded. "Are you out of your mind?" His face was burning with anger and fury.

The accusation hung in the air, Penelope stared at her father, and a cold emptiness settled in her stomach.

Before she could respond, Hillary rushed forward, arms outstretched. "Pen, please-"

Penelope stepped back, avoiding her touch. Geoffrey moved next, reaching for her hand, his voice strained with panic. "Penelope, thank goodness you're alright. Where were you? Talk to me.

She pulled away again, her face unreadable, her silence louder than any accusation. She walked past them into the house, Mrs Oretha waiting in the hallway.

"You could have taken your calls, you got us all worried," Mrs Oretha said, her tone gentle but firm.

"I will no longer be getting married to Geoffrey," Penelope announced, her voice steady and loud enough for everyone to hear.

A stunned silence fell over the room. Geoffrey's face turned pale, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. "What do you mean babe?" he finally managed to ask.

"You heard me correctly," Penelope replied, her voice unwavering. "I am not marrying you Geoffrey."

Her father's anger erupted. "You embarrassed me. You made me look like a fool in front of my friends, my family, and everyone. Penelope, you disgraced me."

"You were nowhere to be found at your wedding, guests left in disappointment, and you came home reeking of male cologne, and you said what?" her father's voice almost breaking through the hard walls.

Hillary stepped forward, her expression one of concern. "Penelope, what's wrong? Are you having cold feet?"

Penelope turned to her, a stranger hidden behind a mask of feigned sympathy. The betrayal echoed in her memory, clear as day. How could she have been so blind? She mused as she looked at Hill with a blank expression, feeling a surge of anger and betrayal.

'How did I never realize what a calculating bitch you are?' she thought, but didn't say anything.

Her father's voice broke through her thoughts. "If you are not marrying Geoffrey, then you are not setting foot in this house again."

The words landed hard.

Penelope's heart ached at her father's words. It hurt her that he cared more about the wedding than her well-being. She took a deep breath, standing tall. "I am not getting married. It was my choice to get married, and now I no longer want to get married. You can do whatever you want, Dad."

Her father's face twisted with rage. "Then you leave this house and never come back. I don't want to ever see your face again.

Penelope felt a pang of sadness but stood her ground. "Fine. I will leave," she declared, since she desperately needed time and space.

She needed space away from both Hillary and Geoffrey. She couldn't bear to look them in the face and she never wanted to let them see or know how they had hurt her.

The shock in the room was palpable as she turned and walked upstairs, and immediately, Mrs Oretha and Hillary hurried after her.

Before either of them could walk into her bedroom she slammed the door in their face and locked it.

She grabbed a suitcase and began to pack, her hands trembling slightly but her resolve firm. She picked up her passport and her essentials, tears streamed down hùer face, but she wiped them off immediately, and took one last look around her room, then headed back downstairs.

Downstairs, her father's voice continued to echo angrily, Mrs Oretha trying to calm him down, while Hillary and Geoffrey whispered to each other.

Penelope looked around the house, at the faces she once trusted, at the place she once called home-and felt nothing but resentment.

As she reached the bottom step, her father glared at her. "You really mean to leave?"

Penelope nodded without hesitation, her eyes meeting his. "Yes Sir"

Without another word, she walked past them all, out the front door, and into an unknown future that awaited her.

As Carlton stirred awake, he rolled over reaching out instinctively, but his hand met only cold sheets. Groggily, he opened his eyes, blinking against the sunlight filtering into the room.

When he saw the other side of the bed was empty, he sat up, remnants of sleep still clinging to him, and scanned the quiet room.

He glanced at the clock on the nightstand, it was ten in the morning.

He frowned, running a hand through his tousled hair.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, planting his feet on the plush carpet.

He stood, stretching, and took a slow lap around the suite. Her clothes were gone. The only trace of her was the subtle fragrance that still hung in the air.

Her scent lingered in the room, a faint tantalizing reminder of her presence.

He remembered the night vividly, the intensity, the passion, the way her presence had ignited something in him. But now, she was gone.

Frustration gnawed at him. He had just returned to the country the previous day, and the jet lag had hit him hard. He had slept more soundly than he had in weeks, and in his deep sleep, he hadn't heard her leave.

Carlton grabbed his phone from the nightstand and dialed his driver. It rang twice before he answered. "Good morning, Mr Banks."

"The lady from yesterday- is her car still parked outside?" Carlton asked, ignoring the pleasantries.

"No, sir," the driver replied. "I didn't see the car when I got here four hours ago."

He cursed under his breath, thanking the driver before hanging up. He paced the room, his mind racing.

He had no way of finding her, no clue about who she was or where she had gone. The realization only added to his frustration.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. There was nothing he could do now but hope that somehow she would show up again.

For the time being, he needed to go check the state of his father's company. Pushing aside his irritation, he headed to the bathroom to shower and shave.

The hot water did little to ease the tension in his muscles. His thoughts kept drifting back to her-her moan, her touch, the way she had made him feel alive. But now she was gone, leaving behind only a memory.

Carlton stepped out of the shower and toweled off, his mind gradually shifting to the day's events.

He dressed up, choosing a black shirt and a tailored suit. As he was fastening his cufflinks, his phone rang. His mother.

"Hi, Mom," he greeted, holding the phone between his ear and shoulder as he finished dressing.

"Carlton, dear, are you alright? I just heard about the accident."

"I'm fine. I wasn't hurt," he assured her quickly.

Alright. You need to come home," she said, her voice tinged with urgency.

"Home? What for?" he echoed, confused.

"The wedding didn't take place yesterday. We all left there in disappointment," she said.

Carlton paused, his cufflink dropped. "What happened?"

"I have no idea," his mother sighed. Just come home. Hopefully, Geoffrey will explain everything to us all.

"Anyway, I'll be there soon," he said, ending the call.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror, his mind reeling. The bride had jilted his cousin? This day was turning out to be far more complicated than he had anticipated.

He finished dressing quickly, grabbed his keys, and walked, slipping them into his pockets. With one last glance around the room, he left the suite, the scent of her perfume still faintly lingering in the air, a ghost of the night before.

He stared out the window as the driver drove him to his father's house, his thoughts a tangled mess of frustration and curiosity.

Who was she? And what on earth happened with his cousin's wedding?

When he arrived, his mother met him at the door, her face drawn with worry.

"I'm glad you're here," she said. Pulling him into a brief hug.

"What's going on?" Carlton asked curiously.

His mother sighed. "Let's go into the house. Your father is waiting, she said, and led him inside.

"What's this about Geoffrey being jilted?" Carlton asked as soon as the door closed behind them.

His mother shook her head, looking both angry and resigned. "According to his mother, she disappeared a few hours before the wedding yesterday and was out all night with her lover. She showed up early this morning, announced she was no longer getting married, and refused to explain herself.

Then she packed her bag and left."

Carlton frowned. "Just like that?" he asked as he settled into the seat opposite his father.

"Just like that," she confirmed.

"I never believed in fairytale weddings, they always turned out badly. The main reason I didn't attend." Carlton murmured.

"Thank goodness you didn't attend, you would have been so embarrassed," his mother said.

"Poor Geoffrey. He must have been devastated," Carlton said, and his mother nodded.

"This is such a mess. Can you imagine how much embarrassment and humiliation this family has to suffer? I can't believe he wanted to get married to someone so irresponsible," his mother added and Carlton sighed.

"Well I suppose a broken wedding is better than a broken marriage," Carlton pointed out.

"You could say that. Now that you're back, let's talk about the company. I'm stepping down for you to take over at the next shareholder's meeting," his father announced.

"When you say takeover, do you mean you would be stepping down completely or as your puppet?" He asked with a raised brow and his father chuckled.

"I'm going to let you do your thing, I'm getting older and tired. All I want is to retire and spend all my time playing with my wife and playing golf," his father said and this time Carlton chuckled.

"You are not old at all, you're only in your late sixties. And I have no problems taking over as long as you don't expect me to stand in front of cameras reciting words I don't mean or pretending to be who I'm not," he said easily and his father nodded in agreement.

"I understand that you don't want to be under public scrutiny, and I will respect it, as I've always done," he said, and Carlton nodded.

"Then I believe I'm ready to step into leadership and carry the reins forward."