Outside, the icy air infiltrated my nostrils, making it hurt to breathe. The streets were still filled with people enjoying the nightlife of Austeen. I rubbed my hands together to keep the cold out, still searching for the men with my blurry vision.

Just then, I felt something warm wrap around my shoulders, pulling me into the same warmth I'd felt inside the bar. I turned and looked up at those hazel eyes once again. Apparently, it was the only thing I could make out from his face.

"Where do you live so I can take you home?" came the voice, sounding calm with a tinge of irritation.

Home?!

"I don't want to go home. Just leave me alone, would you?!" I said, trying to pull away, but he grabbed my shoulders and spun me around to face him, making me stare into his eyes.

"Look," he began, fully irritated now. "I don't have time for this. Tell me where you live so my driver can drop you off."

I went mute, staring at him.

Why was he mad at me? I never asked for his help. Why was he acting this way? I should be mad at him for interfering in my business.

"And if I don't tell you where I live, what will you do, huh?" I asked, falling against his chest and feeling him wrap his arms around me to keep me steady.

I could feel his eyes roam over my face, then lower to my lips.

I gulped again. Even with the fogginess, I could make out his luscious lips. I should blame the drink. Yeah, it's the drink, because I suddenly leaned in, brought my face dangerously close to his, and whispered:

"Make love to me tonight."

Leah! I yelled internally at my boldness.

I felt his hands stiffen on my sides.

"Where do you live?" he said, slowly taking a step back as if I'd suddenly turned to hot coal. One of the bodyguards opened his car door for me to enter.

I felt my face stretch into a beautiful smile. I looked from him to his guard, then to the open door.

I smiled sheepishly again, turned to the car, and jumped in, laughing at the top of my lungs. I wasn't in control of my body or mind at this point. It was as if another force had taken over...someone who needed a break. That orphan who wanted liberation from the hardship she'd faced right from childhood.

I watched him through the open window as he picked up a call. After a brief talk, he signaled to his bodyguard, who opened the car for him. He entered the passenger seat. Soon, the driver started the car and sped off.

I placed my head against the headrest, my eyes closed and a smile permanently pasted on my face, reeling in the rich leather scent and the fresh, woody smell coming from him.

I could feel his gaze shift to me from time to time, but I didn't care. I felt so free.

They could be kidnapping me right now, or heading to butcher me, and I wouldn't care.

We drove on for a while as I drifted in and out of consciousness. Eventually, we came to a stop. He stepped out first, and I think he signaled someone to come get me because the same bodyguard came and gently pulled me away, carrying me bridal style into the house. He took me to a room and laid me on the softest bed. It felt heavenly!

I sighed and pressed myself against the pillow, ready to drift off into nothingness when, all of a sudden, I was jolted awake by a sudden realization.

I had a task to achieve.

Grandma!

I immediately flew out of the bed, tripping and falling face-flat on the rug as dizziness swept over me. I held onto the bed and lifted myself off the floor, then staggered to the door.

I didn't know where I was. I accepted that this was the worst plan I could ever have come up with in all my existence. Like, what was wrong with me?! I needed the boldness to do what I'd wanted to do. How could I achieve that if I couldn't tell my left from my right?

I facepalmed myself and trudged forward, looking for my way out. I opened door after door in search of an exit, but apparently, the house was way too huge and had no obvious exit.

This went on for a while until I got really tired. I turned to the next door, hoping for an exit, but no. It was another room. The biggest I'd seen yet.

I slowly walked into the dimly lit room, my head reeling with different images and thoughts I couldn't piece together. I started feeling dizzy again. I had to stretch out my hands and hold onto the sturdy bed frame for support. I then slowly slumped onto the bed, falling back against it.

My eyes stung with brimming tears. I felt a gut-wrenching pain grip the center of my belly, slowly crawling up to my throat and escaping in whimpers through my lips. I picked up the duvet and flung it over me, then bawled my eyes out.

I don't know how much time passed. I must've drifted off because sudden movements jolted me back into consciousness.

For a moment, I forgot where I was. The duvet was twisted around me so badly, I didn't know how to get it off. I began struggling with it, dragging and pulling it from different angles to free myself, but the devil wouldn't budge.

"Get off!" I yelled angrily, opting to use my teeth and feet. Fortunately, I was able to get the evil sheet off me, throwing it as far away as possible before springing up, breathing heavily.

Just when I thought the craziness was over, I looked up and saw someone standing a few feet away from the bed.

He was holding a bottle of wine in one hand and a glass in the other. The dude was shirtless and apparently in shock because he just stood frozen.

"What are you doing here?" came his perplexed voice.

"I don't know. You brought me here," I retorted, trying to stand up but sitting back down because I still felt dizzy.

"This wasn't the room they put you in..." he started, his voice laced with annoyance.

"Why are you stripping?" I blurted out nonchalantly.

"Because this is my room!" he yelled, now getting angry.

"Wowww! Who pissed in your cereal?" I said, raising my hands in surrender.

He sighed, dropped his bottle and glass on the table, then ran a hand down his face, obviously in no mood to entertain me.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, genuinely feeling like I'd found my kin.

I saw him cock his head to the side as if he was taken aback by the change in my tone.

"I had a shitty day too...more like a shitty life," I continued with a scoff. "I'm in a dark hole that may become so endless if I don't come up with a solution tonight."

"Was that why you were at the bar with those men?"

I looked up at him in surprise.

"Yeah," I nodded, sighing.

He heaved a sigh, then picked up the shirt he'd dropped on the couch, threw it back on, and walked over to the bed, plopping down beside me.

I looked at his side profile. The man was gorgeous. Although I still couldn't see clearly, I could make out enough to know he was breathtaking.

"I'm in a mess too," he said with a humorless chuckle, leaning back and supporting himself with his two arms on the bed.

"It's that bad, huh?"

He nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I saw him turn to look at me.

"Why do you have so much makeup on? You look like a clown."

I widened my mouth in shock, then we both burst out laughing.

"It's not my strong suit. I needed to look the part."

"For the circus, you mean?"

"No!" I said, laughing, slowly feeling my tense muscles relaxing.

He sighed again, turning to stare into the distance. "One of our resorts caught fire, harming a lot of people."

I gasped, covering my mouth immediately with my palm. "Oh my God."

"Five of my staff lost their lives. A lot were injured, including guests. I don't know what to do. I'm lost. For the past three weeks, my legal team, PR team and myself have been trying to get things under control. Visiting the families of the deceased, attending press conferences, having the police investigate everything... yet it's as if it'll never end."

"That was why you were at the bar."

He nodded. "That's also why I finished a bottle of champagne and am currently talking to a complete stranger...with ridiculous makeup," he added with a lopsided smile.

I smiled back, watching this handsome stranger bare his heart to me.

"Well, if I was in my right mind, I wouldn't be here, would I?"

He shook his head.

"Hey, nobody wrote the manual for how to survive a complete disaster. You're basically inventing it as you go. That's impressive... and slightly terrifying."

"That's funny because all my life, I've been preparing for this role. These situations have been drilled into me with years of studies and training, yet it's all so difficult."

"No one said the real thing would be easy. And you look young..."

"I am young..." he said with a laugh.

"See... a lot of people would've broken down. A whole lot would have fled and left it for others to handle. Yet here you are, standing strong... with an empty bottle of champagne and again... a stranger in your room."

He threw his head back and laughed.

"You're good, shrink."

"Oh, but I try," I smiled.

"Don't do it," he began with all seriousness.

"Huh?"

"Whatever you're going through... don't go down that path," he said, looking at me squarely.

I slowly stood up and walked toward where he'd dropped the bottle of champagne and glass. Right beside it was a second bottle of champagne that he'd already started on. I quickly grabbed the bottle and gulped as much as I could.

I felt his presence before the bottle was snatched from my hand. The force made me stumble backward right into his arms.

"Stop," he said curtly, returning to that stoic person I'd met in the bar.

I smiled sheepishly and turned around, wrapping my arms around his neck. I felt his whole body stiffen at our contact. My own body, on the other hand, came alive. It was as if something ignited deep within my stomach. The feeling grew, spreading throughout my body in sizzling succession.

"I just want to forget," I said with a weak shrug, tears brimming in my eyes.

I watched as his stoic demeanor crumbled as he stared into my eyes.

"You're drunk..."

"So are you."

"We shouldn't..."

I cut him off by crashing my lips against his, tightening my arms around his neck as the sizzling ignited into flames within me. I felt him return the kiss immediately, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing me closer to him.

A moan escaped my lips as he nibbled on my lower lip. That particular sound must have driven him into a frenzy because he momentarily left my lips, slid his hands down to my thighs, and grabbed them. He pulled me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

He took my lips again, kissing me hungrily as he made his way to the bed. Once his leg hit the edge of the bed, we both stumbled onto it, laughing hysterically at our clumsiness.

For a moment, he stopped, staring into my eyes.

"We may not remember this night. Are you sure you want to do this?"

I smiled and nodded in approval.

I believe that was all he needed to know, because right after that, he took my lips again, kissing me fervently like his life depended on it. Even while fully clothed, he savored my body, kissing every part of me as if it were his life's mission.

I'd never felt this way in my entire life. I never knew such pleasures existed. I'd heard a lot, I'd also seen a lot, but I'd never felt it. My whole body stood on edge, moving to the rhythm of his lips, hands, and body.

Just when I thought I'd felt it all, he slid lower...

I gasped as his lips made contact with my belly button. I never knew that part of me was that sensitive. I slapped my palm against my mouth, hoping to stifle the loud moans that were sounding so strange to me.

Slowly and leisurely, he peeled all my clothing off me, then stared at me with hooded eyes. I shyly placed my hands over my breasts. I saw his lips stretch into a beautiful smile before he reached out and gently pulled my hands away.

I could've sworn I heard him visibly gulp. But alas, the thought was driven right out of me when he bent over, grabbed my breasts, and suckled on them.

Yeah, the tiny scream I was holding back escaped. I grabbed the sheets on both sides of me, arching my back as ripples and ripples of pleasure washed over me. I could feel his lips stretching into a smile against my skin.

He went from one breast to the other, nibbling and suckling like a baby starved of food. I involuntarily grabbed a handful of his hair in my desperate quest to control whatever entity had taken charge of my body.

He momentarily left my breasts, raising his head to the ceiling and moaning deeply. My eyes were shut the entire time, but when I heard him moan, I opened them and looked down at him. He had his eyes shut tightly, grimacing as if in pain.

I quickly pulled my hand from his hair, thinking I was causing him pain, but just as quickly, he grabbed me by the wrist and slid my fingers back into his hair.

"Don't stop," he said in a hoarse voice.

I gulped, nodding my head vigorously.

After that, I would say I lost my senses.

This man I knew nothing about drove me to the ends of the world and beyond. There was discomfort at first, but he was so gentle that the sharp pain left just as quickly as it came.

Afterwards, we just lay there, in each other's arms, breathing heavily.

"Do you still think we'll forget?" I asked, tracing circles on his toned chest.

"I hope not," he said, staring at the ceiling as he stroked my hair.

"Me too," I said, reaching out and touching his face. He lowered his gaze and looked deeply into my eyes.

"Let me show you something," he finally said, and slipped out of bed in all his male glory. He walked over to where his suit lay, put his hand into the inside pocket, and retrieved a shining object. Then he walked back to me and hovered it over my face.

"Wow! It's beautiful. What's this?"

"Strangely, my grandfather felt it was the right time to give me the family crest. When things are falling apart, he felt the need to mount this pressure on me."

"Why do you feel it's pressure? What does it represent?"

"He didn't say. He just said I should hold on to it. But somehow, I feel like this comes with a lot of responsibilities."

"It's beautiful."

"Yeah."

"Can I feel it?"

"Sure."

As I stretched out my hand to hold the precious gem, a bright light shone from the window. It was so bright I had to squint, covering my face with the back of my hand.

"Mum! Wake up!"

"Huh?!" I yelled, jumping up from the bed. "I'm awake, I'm awake!"

"I'm hungry," Jason cried out. "You've been sleeping for hours."

"Baby, I'm awake now. I'll go fix something for you very soon, okay?"

He nodded.

"Where's Grandma?"

"She's having a nap."

"Okay, baby. I'll be out shortly."

I watched my five-year-old son walk out, his favorite Escanor toy tucked under his arm like a tiny warrior ready for battle.

I sighed and rubbed my tired eyes. I needed more sleep. Work and school were taking a toll on me. I was in my finals and exams were near. The stress level wanted to stifle the life out of me.

I reached out to take a glass of water from my bedside table when suddenly, the dream I'd just had came crashing in confusing whirls.

It wasn't a dream.

It happened six years ago. The night I conceived Jason.

But the weird part was, for the life of me, I don't remember the dream every time I wake up. It's as if it's a memory locked deep within my head that only unlocks in my subconscious.

I do remember waking up with a migraine the next morning and finding myself alone in the room. I do remember the disgust I felt at having sex with a complete stranger who had just had his way with me and left.

I had shamefully worn my clothes and was about to sneak out when my eyes caught sight of the gem I always saw in my dream. Apparently, the gem is the only thing I remember whenever I wake up from that dream.

I cringed when the thought of what I did crossed my mind. It will forever haunt me.

I was so desperate.

The gem looked like the solution to my problem.

I stole it.

But I was going to return it. My plan was to pawn it off alongside the wristwatches and gold cufflinks I took from the dresser, get the funds I needed, save my grandma, then work my ass off to reclaim everything.

Surprisingly, just the gem was enough to cover all medical expenses, making me wonder at the gravity of what I'd done.

"Mum!"

"Coming!"

I quickly brushed my teeth and rushed out to make lunch for my son, then prepared for work.