"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.

"My name is Boris. And here's your purchase and your change."

The man in front of me had somehow managed to turn an awful day into something almost bearable. For the first time in what felt like forever, I actually wanted to smile again. Maybe there were still good people left in the world. I'd spent so long obsessing over certain people that I'd stopped noticing everyone else.

"Thank you," I said, taking the bag and the money from him. "I'm Zoe. And you have no idea how much better I feel right now. But that girl isn't getting off with nothing more than a shoplifting fine."

"Then I'm guessing what she did was a lot worse than fighting over the same guy," he said.

Heat rushed to my face, and I dropped my gaze.

I had never been this flustered around a man before, and I had absolutely no idea what to do with myself, so I just nodded.

"Well, have a good day, Zoe."

He flashed me one last heart-stopping smile and stepped aside. I threw one last look toward the door my former friend had disappeared through, then headed outside.

My phone rang in my pocket, and I stopped in surprise when I saw the name on the screen.

Kriss.

Well, would you look at that. So she'd had her phone with her the whole time and had been ignoring my calls on purpose. And now suddenly she remembered I existed?

She probably needed something.

Deal with your own mess, Kriss. I always have to deal with mine.

I got home a little after noon and, unfortunately, found the whole family there.

Mom was in the living room, drinking tea and talking to one of her friends on the phone. Dad was in his office, loudly complaining about his useless employees. And Valeri was in the kitchen making sandwiches.

I headed straight for her.

"What time did you get home, Zoe?" my sister asked, narrowing her eyes.

She looked different today. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes were shining, and she looked ridiculously happy.

Apparently meeting her fiancé had gone very, very well.

"Right before sunrise," I said quickly, already trying to think of a way to change the subject.

On the way home, I'd taken a better look at what I'd bought, and it turned out to be a cute blouse exactly in Valeri's style. I set the bag down on the table and smiled.

"This is for you. A little present. So? How did it go with your fiancé?"

Apparently, that was exactly what she'd been waiting for.

Valeri looked inside the bag and blinked in surprise.

"You bought me clothes? From this store?" She glanced at the logo on the bag. "Zoe, this must've cost a fortune."

"I just wanted to make you happy."

She immediately handed me half her sandwich, and I practically inhaled it while she started talking.

"I'd seen his pictures in newspapers before, but in real life..." She sighed dreamily. "He's completely different. He's such a gentleman. Polite, kind, attentive. And..." She nodded toward the windowsill.

An enormous bouquet stood there in a vase, so beautiful it barely looked real.

"He gave me those flowers. And he invited me to his country house next weekend so we can get to know each other better. I asked if you could come too, and he said yes."

"Oh no, Valeri," I said around a mouthful of sandwich. "He wants to be alone with you. Talk to you. Maybe drag you off into a bedroom somewhere. I'm not going. I refuse to be the third wheel."

A piece of ham fell out of my sandwich and landed in my lap.

Without even thinking, I grabbed it and stuffed it back into my mouth.

Valeri gave me a look.

"You're coming with me. Otherwise I'll tell Mom and Dad you secretly applied to literature school and refused to study law and finance."

I snorted and glared at her.

Low blow.

"And why do you even need me there? I'll just be in the way."

"Girls."

Mom walked into the kitchen.

She set her cup in the sink and looked at us. I had to admit, she looked incredible. Fresh, beautiful, glowing.

Of course, that was mostly thanks to countless surgeries and expensive treatments. Over the years, she'd changed so much it was hard to tell what she had originally looked like. Valeri was the female version of Dad. As for me... maybe I looked like Mom used to, before she'd remade herself completely.

"Your father and I are flying to the United Arab Emirates tonight for work, so we won't be back until the end of the week. If anything happens, call us. I'll transfer money to Valeri's account."

We both nodded.

Mom stepped away a second later when her phone started ringing again.

The second she was gone, I looked at Valeri.

She understood immediately.

"Check your account," she said. "I sent you your half half an hour ago."

I pulled out my phone and saw the notification.

Perfect.

Unfortunately, Mom came back at exactly the wrong moment.

"Zoe, did you deliver the documents?"

I froze.

Beside me, Valeri looked way too interested in my answer. I grabbed her wrist before she could betray me.

"Of course, Mom. Everything's fine. I already got accepted."

"The only thing I worry about," Mom said coldly, "is whether you'll embarrass this family one day. Valeri, keep an eye on your sister."

Then she walked out.

I lowered my head.

"I'll go with you," I muttered. "Just please don't tell them. You know they'll make me study whatever they want."

"I won't," Valeri promised with a smile. "As long as you keep your word. You'll see, Zoe. You're going to like him. Alan is exactly what a perfect man should be."

"I believe you," I said.

After I finished eating, I went upstairs to my room.

I was exhausted. My whole body felt heavy, and even though I never slept during the day, this time I gave up and crawled into bed.

What had happened in the store had given me a strange kind of peace.

Then Kriss ruined it.

My phone buzzed over and over with messages from her.

Please call me back.

I'm in such a horrible situation.

I'm so miserable.

This is so unfair.

And finally:

Help me, Zoe. We're friends.

The worst part was realizing there was something ugly inside me. Something mean. Something that had probably always been there.

Because after getting a taste of revenge, I wanted more.

Kriss dreamed of landing a rich boyfriend. That was the only reason she'd dragged me around with her all this time.

She was such an idiot.

Why would any rich, spoiled guy want a liar and manipulator like her?

I wanted something completely different.

I wanted to fall in love with an ordinary guy. Someone funny. Someone I chose for myself.

He didn't need to be rich.

A life like Valeri's was the last thing I wanted. The truth was, she'd never really been given a choice. Our parents had picked a fiancé for her, and somehow she'd gotten lucky enough to fall for him at first sight.

But me?

It was suddenly painfully obvious that I hadn't managed to save myself for the man who was supposed to be my first.

Curling up under the blanket, I pressed a hand against my stomach, and all the warmth inside me disappeared.

I thought about that bastard.

About what he had done to me.

And I swore that I would never, ever get involved with a man like him again.