Charlotte’s merciless jab earned her a dark look from Adrian Preston.

Unafraid, she stared right back at him. "What, was I wrong? Come on, we still have to go downstairs and make toasts. We need to see to our guests."

Adrian reined in his emotions and went back downstairs with Charlotte.

When Adrian Preston saw Owen Sinclair, he felt a sudden, inexplicable surge of anger.

He pulled Owen Sinclair aside.

"I really thought you’d be the one to successfully take my place."

His words were laced with sarcasm.

Owen Sinclair couldn’t muster a single word in response and silently downed two glasses of wine instead.

"If she really has to choose someone, I’d rather it be you."

Owen Sinclair frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"Because I trust your character. She’d be happy with you."

"Then what about you? Why get a divorce? Weren’t you dead set on having her back then?" he demanded, annoyed.

"You think I wanted this? I wasn’t the one who wanted a divorce, Mia Kane was. If I had any choice in the matter, I would never just hand her over to you. Owen Sinclair, this is your last chance. If you don’t grab it, you’ll never have a hope in hell for the rest of your life."

Owen Sinclair frowned, unsure of what to do next.

Should he continue pursuing Mia Kane, or should they just remain friends?

But Adrian’s words still managed to sway him.

’Maybe I should give it one more try. Sincerity can move mountains, after all.’

"Alright, I’ll try. I definitely won’t give up."

Brimming with renewed confidence, Owen Sinclair walked away. Charlotte immediately sidled up to Adrian.

"Are you afraid Mia Kane will start messing around with some riff-raff, so you want to find someone to keep an eye on her and keep her occupied? On the surface, you’re graciously encouraging him to take your place, but you’re really just setting things up for your own comeback. Adrian Preston, you really are a schemer."

"Did you find out what I asked?"

Adrian dodged the question.

"Tonight, Mia Kane is planning to take that ’pretty boy’ home for some... ’in-depth research.’"

"In-depth... research?"

Hearing this, Adrian Preston’s voice grew hoarse and deep, thick with a towering rage.

’How dare she take him home for research! In-depth research, no less!’

The party dragged on late into the night. Mia Kane was bored out of her mind and decided to leave.

She left early. She hadn’t even had much to drink, but her head was spinning and she felt completely dazed.

’Maybe... the wine tonight is just especially strong.’

She had put on a brave face, pretending to be magnanimous and unbothered, but her heart ached with bitterness.

She’d had to smile at everyone, careful not to let them see her sorrow. Her cheeks were stiff from forcing it.

"I’m so dizzy. I’m just going to lean on you and rest for a bit."

Tanya Shaw didn’t say anything, so she took his silence as a yes.

She passed out in the car. When she woke up, she found herself back at Shayla Quinn’s house.

In the familiar king-sized bed, she rolled over and bumped into a wall of muscle.

’Huh? Is that Tanya Shaw?’

’Wasn’t he supposed to be in Shayla Quinn’s room tonight? Why is he in here with me?’

Just as she was about to speak, a mouth covered hers.

The lights were off. She could only make out the man’s silhouette—a hard, solid outline.

Her hand brushed against him accidentally. He felt firm and well-defined, clearly the result of regular exercise. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

’Looks like these pretty boys really take care of themselves nowadays,’ she thought. ’How else would they have the stamina to please their rich clients?’

The kiss was fierce and overwhelming.

She’d had too much to drink, and her mind was sluggish. As realization dawned, she began to frantically push against the chest of the man she thought was Tanya Shaw.

But the man was like an immovable mountain, impossibly heavy. She couldn’t budge him.

"Mmph..."

A broken sound escaped her lips.

’No, this can’t happen...’

’I haven’t sunk that low yet.’

She didn’t know where the strength came from, but she landed a hard kick on his body.

The man tumbled to the floor.

She fumbled for the light switch, but damn it... nothing happened.

’Is the switch broken, or is the power out?’

"What’s wrong? Is my service not to your liking?"

The man’s voice was unusually raspy, as if he were deliberately trying to disguise it.

She didn’t know Tanya Shaw well, so she couldn’t immediately tell if it was his voice or not.

The effects of the alcohol were wearing off, and her mind was now on high alert.

’This is such a mess!’

"Didn’t I... didn’t I tell you to go to my best friend’s room? She’s the one who hired you for the night."

"Oh? Is that right?"

The man’s voice rose slightly in amusement.

Mia Kane felt the atmosphere in the room shift. The initial tension and danger seemed to ease slightly.

’Did I drink so much that I’m imagining things?’

"So you don’t want me, then? You hired the top escort just for your best friend?"

The man climbed back onto the bed, and his large, rough, calloused hand wrapped around her slender ankle.

She flinched and instinctively tried to pull her leg back, but the man held on tight, refusing to let go.

’God, are the top guys’ seduction techniques always this intense?’

’Who could possibly resist this?’

’If my willpower weren’t so strong, I’d really be tempted to just let loose and indulge for once!’

’But I do have some moral fiber, after all.’

"Let go of me..."

"I’ve admired you for a long time, miss. Tonight, I don’t want to be with anyone else. I only want to be with you. I’ll even do it for free."

With that, the man pinned her beneath him once more.

Her heart hammered in panic.

"If you don’t leave right now, I’m calling the police!" she snapped.

The man froze. Sure enough, he made no further moves.

"Get off!"

Her voice was still stern, and the man had no choice but to roll off the bed.

"Get out. And don’t you dare come into my room again."

The door opened and the man vanished. Only then did Mia Kane let out a sigh of relief. She had come dangerously close to crossing a line.

Still, she could understand those rich women now. It really was hard to maintain self-control. People always said money corrupted men, but it clearly corrupted women, too.

A moment later, the lights flickered back on. It must have just been a power outage.

Mia Kane walked out of the room to get a glass of water and saw Shayla Quinn and Tanya Shaw chatting on the sofa.

"Miss," Tanya Shaw greeted politely.

Mia Kane felt goosebumps break out all over her body, and she quickly walked away.

Tanya Shaw just smiled, not saying anything. He hadn’t even come back in the same car as Mia Kane; he had been intercepted and forced out of the car partway through the ride.

He looked at Shayla Quinn. "Is this your first time, miss?"

"Y-yes... it’s my first time... Will it hurt?"

"Why did you want to hire an escort?"

"Because... you’re handsome."

Shayla Quinn blinked. Tanya Shaw was exactly her type. And... he looked so much like her first crush.

No, to be more precise, an unrequited crush.

But when she was fifteen, the boy next door moved away, and she never heard from him again.

She never expected to see Tanya Shaw while staking out the club. Back then, he had just started in the business and still looked very green.

Haunted by the memory of her crush, she desperately wanted to spend a night with Tanya Shaw, but unfortunately, she couldn’t afford him.

When Mia Kane hired him, Shayla found herself completely captivated just by looking at his face.

"I’m going to give you your money back. You shouldn’t play with fire for your first time. I’m not a good person; I sell my body for money. A girl’s first time is important. Don’t just throw it away on someone who isn’t worth it."

"A handsome face is one thing, but you should find a partner you connect with on a deeper level—a soulmate."

"You deserve someone better."