The awful feeling finally started to fade, but a few drops of the spilled drink had stained my dress. They were barely visible, but I knew they were there. My hands hadn’t escaped either—they were still sticky in the most humiliating way.

Locked away in the ladies’ room, I tried to clean myself up, already knowing I wanted to go home. That rich asshole had looked at me like I was something disgusting stuck to the bottom of his shoe, then acted like I wasn’t even worth a response. Way to ruin an evening.

My phone rang inside my purse, and I grabbed it while still holding the hem of my dress under the hand dryer.

"Zoe, when are you coming home?" Valeri’s excited voice burst through the speaker.

I pulled the phone away for a second and glanced at the time. Yeah. I’d been here long enough.

"Soon, I think. Judging by your voice, meeting your fiancé went well?"

"Better than well! Zoe, he’s gorgeous. Seriously, you should’ve seen him. He’s so polite, so sweet... and the way he looked at me..." She let out a dreamy sigh. "It made me feel... I don’t know... something."

"Turned on?" I offered with a laugh.

"Zoe!" she gasped, scandalized.

I laughed again.

If my sister liked him that much, then he was probably a good guy. I already respected him a little, even though we hadn’t met.

"No, seriously," she rushed on. "I think I fell in love at first sight. Please come home soon. I’m literally going to explode if I don’t tell someone everything."

"Are Mom and Dad home?" I asked, mostly out of curiosity. I couldn’t help wondering if anyone besides Valeri had even noticed I was gone.

"No. They dropped me off, Mom changed, and then they left for some private event."

"Of course they did," I muttered.

Nothing ever changed. I was still invisible in my own house. Honestly, if it weren’t for the surgery when we were kids—when I had to donate stem cells and blood to Valeri—I probably would’ve convinced myself I was adopted. The only thing proving we were related was the cluster of birthmarks across my back, exactly like Mom’s and Valeri’s.

"I’ll be home soon, Valeri."

I ended the call, looked at myself in the mirror, and let out a quiet sigh. Was it really because of how I looked? The way I dressed? Why did they treat us so differently? Valeri was loved, adored, spoiled. I was just... there. An inconvenience nobody wanted.

I headed back into the club, planning to sneak out without anyone noticing, but basic manners won out. I should at least tell my friends I was leaving.

Kriss was sitting at the table with the two guys, and for once they weren’t laughing or causing chaos. Sergey waved me over, and before I could protest, I found myself trapped between two stubborn idiots who clearly had no intention of letting me leave.

Not that they got a vote.

Once I made up my mind, that was it. Kriss knew that better than anyone.

"Come on, Zoe, stay a little longer," she whined, grabbing my hand like I was about to make a run for it. "I ordered you a mojito. Maybe that’ll change your mind?"

She pushed a glass toward me. Mint leaves and lime slices floated in the pale green liquid. Usually it was one of my favorite drinks.

Usually.

"Sorry. I’m leaving. I’ll leave my card with you so security doesn’t give you any trouble," I said firmly, getting to my feet.

For a second, something dark flashed across Kriss’s face, but it disappeared just as quickly. She covered it with a wounded look, her eyes immediately going shiny.

Typical.

Kriss was a manipulator. If begging didn’t work, she’d move straight to guilt and tears.

Good thing she wasn’t looking directly at me. One glance at my face and she would’ve known exactly what I thought of that act.

Miron slid the glass back toward me and lifted his own, full of something I couldn’t even identify. I leaned closer and sniffed my mojito carefully. The three of them had tried to get me drunk before, but this time I couldn’t smell any alcohol besides what should’ve been there.

I took a long sip.

Cold, sweet, refreshing.

Despite myself, I smiled.

"Fine. Five minutes. But that’s it."

"Of course," Miron said, throwing an arm around my shoulders.

Kriss and Sergey grinned and went back to drinking like they were dying of thirst.

"I can walk you home later, Zoe," Miron added.

He switched into what he probably thought was his charming mode and took my hand.

My stupid, inexperienced heart had no idea what love was supposed to feel like, but I knew one thing for sure: when I did fall in love someday, it definitely wouldn’t be with either of them. I knew my friends too well for that.

The next few minutes dragged on forever.

Little by little, I stopped feeling like myself. A heavy drowsiness settled over me, pressing down on my eyelids. My eyes burned like I hadn’t slept in days. My body felt warm and heavy, and my thoughts started slipping through my fingers, slow and blurry.

Seriously?

Was I actually about to fall asleep in the middle of a club?

"I think I should go," I said, forcing myself to stand.

Only Kriss was still at the table. She was typing furiously on her phone, but when she noticed me, she got to her feet too, swaying slightly.

Yeah. We both needed to get home.

I managed to swallow the first yawn, but the next one hit me so hard my eyes watered.

"Are you okay, Zoe?" Kriss asked, slipping her arm through mine. "Maybe we should get you home."

"You don’t look so great either," I said, glancing down at her.

She was standing there in one shoe.

Kriss burst out laughing and ducked under the table to look for the other one.

"Maybe we should just go together," I said. "You’re drunk, and I can barely keep my eyes open."

"Yeah..." She shoved her shoe back on and grabbed my arm again. "But first let’s find the guys. I saw them go upstairs."

"Upstairs?" I frowned, looking toward the staircase.

The VIP area was up there, hidden behind the balcony level, but neither Sergey nor Miron were anywhere downstairs.

We couldn’t leave without saying goodbye... could we?

Step by step, we made our way upstairs. My head felt heavier with every second, and dragging myself up the stairs while Kriss leaned half her weight against me felt almost impossible.

"There," she said, pointing toward a door.

We stepped into a narrow hallway lit by dim golden lights.

"There’s nobody here," I muttered, staring at the closed doors lining the corridor.

The room spun.

I caught myself against the wall, breathing hard. What the hell was wrong with me? I could’ve curled up right there on the floor and gone to sleep without caring.

"Kriss, let’s go back. I don’t feel good."

Everything blurred.

The next thing I knew, I was in some unfamiliar room.

Maybe I was imagining it.

Or maybe I really was sitting on the edge of a huge bed.

Silky sheets brushed against my fingertips, soft and cool, and before I could stop myself, I leaned into them.

Warm light filled the room.

A door opened.

I wasn’t drunk. Not really. I was too aware for that. My head was foggy, but I still recognized the man standing in front of me immediately.

The same one I’d spilled my cocktail on.

"So the money wasn’t enough to pay for your jacket?" I snapped, glaring at him.

"Disgusting," he said coldly.

His eyes swept over me like he couldn’t stand the sight.

"I thought you agreed to this. You’ve got terrible friends, girl." His mouth twisted. "So tell me... what exactly am I supposed to do with you now?"

"I don’t need you to do anything to me," I snapped, trying to lift my hand.

My body didn’t feel like mine anymore. My arms and legs were heavy, useless, and even the brush of my own fingers against my face felt wrong. Distant. Unreal.

"How much for the night? I’ll pay you double."

The words cut through the haze, and I forced my eyes open.

The man standing in front of me was taking off his shirt.

Panic hit me so hard it stole what little breath I had left. If I’d been thinking clearly, maybe I could’ve done something. But right now, I could barely move my tongue, and apparently someone had decided I was easy.

"Get the hell out! I don’t sleep with men for money!" I hissed.

Suddenly, his weight pressed down on me.

Please let this be a dream. Please not this.

Then he moved.

Cool air brushed over my chest, and a broken gasp slipped from my lips.

"If you don’t sleep with the men in this club, then what exactly is a girl like you doing here?"

His voice was right beside my ear. My eyes fluttered open again, and all I could see was his bare shoulder. Warm skin. The sharp, woody scent of his cologne.

The fear finally cleared some of the fog from my head.

"I came here with friends. I’m not staff. I have a VIP card."

"I almost believed you," he said with a low laugh.

One side of my chest burned where his fingers touched me. I flinched and tried to push him away, struggling to understand what was happening.

"And maybe I would've believed you were innocent, judging by how sweetly you react to me..." His voice dropped lower. "But your outfit says otherwise. Around here, only escorts dress like that."

"What are you doing? Stop! I really came here with friends!" I cried as his knee slid between my legs, pressing insistently against me.

A strange, sharp sensation twisted low in my stomach, making my whole body tremble.

"Friends?" he said with a rough laugh. "Your friends were happy to take my assistant’s offer. One night with you. And from the look of it... they drugged you too. Do real friends do that?"

He went quiet for a second.

"There’s only one person in my life I’d call a friend. And trust me—this isn’t what friendship looks like."

"You don’t know that..." My voice came out weak and slurred. My eyes kept drifting shut, and I couldn’t make myself pull away from the heat of his touch. "You don’t know them..."

"A minute ago, I wasn’t sure, sweetheart," he murmured against my ear. "But maybe this is a lesson you need."

His voice dropped even lower.

"Remember this. The next man might be a lot worse than me. So maybe start thinking harder about the people you trust."

I tried to answer.

I couldn’t.

Why can’t I talk?

Something filled my mouth, slick and unfamiliar, cutting off even my ability to breathe properly. My lips moved, but no sound came out. My throat refused to obey me.

And then everything stopped.

Warm breath brushed across my damp lips.

"You’re adorable..."

Those were the last words I heard before the darkness swallowed me whole.

My scream tore through the silence—

—and disappeared.

***

My head was pounding, and my eyes refused to open.

Did those three really drug me?

Because this felt a lot worse than a hangover.

With a groan, I finally forced my eyes open—and froze.

I had no idea where I was.

The room was dim, but there was enough light for me to see my naked body beneath the sheets.

Horror crashed over me, and I bolted upright.

My hand shook as I slipped it between my legs.

Then I froze.

Wet. Sticky.

Even without experience, I understood immediately.

I’d spent the night with a man.

And I’d lost my virginity.

A sob tore out of me.

Then another.

Tears streamed down my face so fast I could barely breathe. My throat burned, and before I knew it, I was crying so hard I couldn’t stop.

I jerked my hand away and clenched the sheets instead—but there was something underneath them.

Paper.

Blinking through my tears, I looked down.

Money.

Large bills scattered across the bed.

Not only had some stranger taken the one thing I had protected so carefully...

He’d paid me for it.

Like I was nothing but some cheap whore.

Rage exploded inside me, hot and vicious.

I remembered everything.

Everything except what had happened after the room went dark—like my mind had erased the worst part out of mercy.

I’m going to kill Kriss.

The second I see that bitch, I’m going to kill her.

My clothes were crumpled at the foot of the bed. I got dressed as fast as I could. Every inch of my body hurt, and the dull ache low in my stomach reminded me exactly what had happened.

I grabbed the money too.

Not because I wanted it.

Because I was going to throw it in that bastard’s face.

When I stepped into the hallway and headed downstairs, relief flickered inside me when I realized the club was closed.

At least no one would see me like this.

Humiliated. Ruined.

"Hey! Where do you think you’re going?" an annoyed female voice snapped as a wet mop smacked against my legs. "Use the back exit! Don’t walk all over my clean floor!"

I turned.

An older woman stood there glaring at me with obvious disgust.

God. I feel disgusting.

"Where’s the back exit?" I asked quietly.

"What, you don’t know? Or is this your first time doing this kind of work?"

A lump rose in my throat.

"Where. Is. The exit?" I repeated, louder this time.

With an irritated sigh, she jerked her head toward the hallway near the ladies’ room.

I ran.

I ran like my life depended on it.

Like something horrible was chasing me.

Like if I didn’t get out of there, I would die.

The sun hit my face the second I stepped outside, bright and blinding.

It only made everything feel worse.

How could I have been so stupid?

I always knew Kriss was awful.

So why did I still walk right into her trap?

After I called a taxi, there was only one thing I wanted—

to scrub this night off my skin.

Thankfully, Mom and Dad weren’t home.

Neither was Valeri.

I went straight to my room, locked myself in the bathroom, and stood under the hot water for over an hour, crying until there was nothing left.

Maybe that was the difference between me and Valeri.

She never would’ve ended up in a situation like this, trying so hard to prove something to people who didn’t deserve it.

This was my fault.

Maybe this was the cruelest lesson life could’ve taught me.

But at least...

no one knew.

And no one ever would.

I would bury it.

Forget it.

Pretend it never happened.

Why did it take something like this to make me see the truth?

I didn’t have real friends.

And I would rather be alone than surrounded by people like them.

But that didn’t mean I was going to forgive Kriss.

Not a chance.

By the time my tears finally stopped, I was dressed.

And even though my body still remembered everything—

I was going to find that red-haired bitch

and make sure she understood exactly what she’d done.

Alan

Saturday morning’s meeting hadn’t just gone badly—it had been a complete disaster. Dragging a man out of a warm bed on his day off was never a good idea, no matter how important the issue was. The new employees were turning into one problem after another, and apparently even weekends weren’t off-limits anymore.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, cutting through the mess of thoughts in my head.

"Rinat, did you get her name?" I asked without wasting a second. As if work wasn’t enough of a headache, now I had personal problems too. All because I’d been an idiot who couldn’t keep his hands to himself.

"Alan, come on, we all have... needs. I didn’t sleep at all last night. I sat outside that damn room the whole time—"

"Spare me the details. Just tell me you got her name and address. She told you when you drove her home, didn’t she?" I snapped. I needed to get rid of the guilt that had been hanging over me since morning.

"She took off. The second I stepped away for a minute. Then security came over with some list of the escorts who got into the club last night, and I lost her."

"You’ve got to be kidding me." I shut my eyes for a second and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Then find her. How do you lose one girl? One? Tell security to pull the camera footage. Find her friends. Get me her name and address."

"You disappeared without a word. Maybe now you’ll finally tell me why you care so much?"

"She was a virgin." The words came out flat, like a sentence being handed down. I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling. "I don’t think she belonged there. I think she was just with her friends."

"I think you’re wrong, my friend. I talked to that redhead—Kriss, I think her name was. She said they came to make money. And I paid her in advance, exactly the way she asked. Said it was to 'reserve a spot.'"

"Then find the redhead too. What kind of club lets girls like that in?"

"Then maybe you should explain why your mystery girl walked into the place without an ID. You’d have to be pretty damn sure of yourself to do that."

"She wasn’t drinking. If there had been anything suspicious, the bartender would’ve checked. She didn’t smell like alcohol either." I rubbed a hand over my face. "Doesn’t matter. I’m counting on you. Find her and bring her to me. The last thing I need right now is a scandal—especially when I’m about to announce my engagement."

"We’ll handle it. Your blonde will be delivered to you soon enough."

***

Kriss wasn’t answering her phone, and I had no idea where else to look for her.

The obvious place would’ve been her apartment. She was probably lying in bed with the world’s worst hangover. But she wasn’t there either. According to her bratty little sister, she’d gone to the mall.

By then, the need for revenge had dulled a little. Mostly because I had no clue what I was actually going to do once I found her. I’d stormed out of the house fueled by anger and adrenaline, without thinking any of it through. I probably should’ve stayed home and slept for another few hours. My whole body still hurt after last night.

I wandered past one glossy storefront after another, then stopped in the middle of the mall and swore under my breath. Acting on impulse had been stupid. Kriss would get what she deserved. I just needed to stop charging in blindly.

I was about to leave when I spotted a familiar figure stepping into one of the most expensive boutiques in the entire mall.

For a second, I thought I had to be mistaken. There was no way that was Kriss.

But the closer I got, the more certain I became.

It was her.

And there was no way in hell she could afford anything in a place like that.

So what was she doing there?

I slipped quietly inside and ducked behind a display of shoes, peering around it at my target.

Kristina wandered between the racks of designer clothes like she belonged there, casually flipping through dresses she had no intention of paying for.

"Can I help you?" a woman asked from behind me.

I turned and found myself face-to-face with an impeccably dressed sales associate. Apparently, I didn’t exactly look like I belonged there either. I had no makeup on, my hair was twisted into a messy bun, and I was wearing denim shorts and an old T-shirt.

"I’m fine. Worry about your own customers," I muttered. Too much attention was the last thing I needed.

Meanwhile, Kristina disappeared into a fitting room.

I tried to move closer, but the same saleswoman stepped into my path again.

"This is a luxury boutique, and if you’re not planning to buy anything, I’m going to have to ask you to—"

I yanked the first thing I saw off a rack, shoved it into her arms, then dug a few bills out of my pocket.

"Great. I’m buying it. Now please leave me alone."

The woman pasted on a tight smile and headed toward the register.

The second she was gone, I slipped behind a display of handbags and kept watching.

A minute later, Kriss stepped out of the fitting room in a gorgeous evening dress and slowly turned in front of the mirror.

Well, look at you.

And where exactly do you think you’re going dressed like that?

"Can I help you?"

The question came again.

This time, I lost it.

"If you want to help me get revenge, then sure. Otherwise, stop asking me stupid questions. I’m not buying anything else."

Kriss disappeared back into the fitting room, and I turned toward the latest annoyance.

Then froze.

That wasn’t the same saleswoman.

This time, it was a man.

Tall. Broad shoulders. Ridiculously attractive.

I glanced around to make sure he was actually talking to me.

"You work here?"

"In a manner of speaking." He smiled, and a dimple appeared in his cheek. "Now tell me—what’s all this about revenge?"

"I..." I started, then ducked down when I heard my former friend call for someone from inside the fitting room. "Well... it’s just..."

"Let me guess. That pretty little thing over there did something awful to you?" he asked, leaning casually against the display.

"Something awful?" I let out a bitter laugh. "That’s one way to put it. Because of her, I lost something that meant everything to me. And now I want payback."

"I see." There was something amused in his voice as he glanced toward the fitting room. "You know, you’re too young to spend your life chasing revenge. It never feels as good as people think."

"Maybe not for other people. But for me, it will." My voice came out sharper than I meant it to. "Because otherwise I’ll have to keep pretending I’m okay when I’m not. What she did... I can’t forgive it."

The words spilled out before I could stop them. I didn’t even know why I was telling a complete stranger any of this. Maybe because he didn’t know me. Maybe because there was no risk in it.

"You think it’ll make you feel better?" he asked.

"I know it will."

His eyes sparkled.

Then he crooked a finger at one of the sales associates and leaned down to whisper something in her ear.

She nodded and disappeared into the back.

A few seconds later, he looked at me again.

"I’d be very interested to hear what that girl did to you," he said lightly. "Other than trying to steal several sets of very expensive lingerie from this store."

My mouth dropped open.

Two security guards appeared out of nowhere, grabbed Kristina by the arms, and started dragging her toward the back room.

"You can’t do this! I’m filing a complaint! Let go of me!" she screamed.

Then the door slammed shut behind her.

"Well?" the stranger asked, flashing me a smug smile. "It’s a small start, but it has to feel pretty good, right?"

It felt even better than I’d imagined.

A laugh burst out of me before I could stop it, bright and shaky and completely real. My eyes filled with tears—part relief, part satisfaction.

No, it wasn’t enough to ruin that bitch the way she deserved.

But it was a beginning.