The CEO's Contract Bride: Billion Dollar Secret

Scene 1: The Taste of Betrayal Anya Lei's 22nd birthday felt like a dream, until the champagne stopped sparkling. The party had been perfect sparkling wine, the rooftop view of the city, and the casual, confident presence of her fiancé, Victor. It wasn't until later, when she was alone with her best friend, Seraphina, that the night took a dark turn. "Just one more glass, Anya. My special birthday mix," Seraphina chirped, handing her a tall flute. Anya laughed, feeling a sudden, strange heaviness in her limbs. "You're trying to get me drunk, Phina." "Only to celebrate, darling. You deserve to loosen up before the wedding planning starts!" Anya took a long, trusting drink. The world immediately turned fuzzy. Sounds became distant, colors too bright. She vaguely registered Victor re-entering the room, but his face was not soft and loving; it was cold, almost cruel. "Relax, Victor. She's out," Seraphina said, her voice sharp and clear, devoid of the bubbly warmth Anya knew. "Take her." Anya tried to fight, but her limbs were cement. Through a painful, hazy fog, she realized Victor wasn't approaching her with care. He was hoisting her up, an impatient frown fixed on his handsome face. "Don't bruise her, you fool. Just get her to the car. The mark is waiting," Victor muttered. The mark? The words cut through the drug haze. Anya’s vision swam, finally focusing on the sickening sight of Victor and Seraphina exchanging a knowing, triumphant smirk, a connection so intimate it instantly poisoned every memory Anya had of them. This wasn't a joke. This was planned. She was vaguely aware of being carried, then dropped onto soft leather. The next hour was a blur of motion and flashing streetlights. Her mind screamed, but her mouth couldn't form a single word. She was being delivered. Delivered to someone they didn't know, for a reason she couldn't grasp, by the two people she trusted most in the world. Scene 2: The Stranger Suite The air shifted, turning cool and refined, scented with aged leather and expensive cologne. Anya was moved again, this time onto a vast, impossibly soft mattress. Her eyelids were too heavy to lift fully, but she could sense the overwhelming luxury of the room, a penthouse suite. A moment later, a man entered her field of view. He was tall, perfectly tailored, and the light seemed to dim around him. This was not Victor. This man had an aura of effortless, almost terrifying authority. His features were too sharp, too handsome, etched with the cold exhaustion of power. He stood by the window, phone pressed to his ear, his voice low and dismissive. "Yes. The deal is finalized. I'm taking the rest of the night off." Anya was a trembling, helpless mess on his bed. The drug was hitting its peak, igniting a devastating, desperate need in her body. The man turned, his sharp, dark eyes assessing her like an unwelcome object that had just been placed in his room. It was the CEO, Kaelen Li, utterly unaware of the drama that brought her here. He had checked into the Presidential Suite for one night of solitude after closing a multi-billion dollar acquisition. He saw the stunning woman on his bed, recognized the symptoms of a recreational party drug, and his jaw clenched in annoyance. Another cheap attempt at corporate sabotage. "Get out," Kaelen commanded, his voice a low, lethal rumble. Anya couldn't speak, but her body reacted instinctively to the heat and the power radiating from him, driven purely by the drug and her primal terror. She crawled toward him, her breathing ragged, unable to obey the order. Kaelen cursed under his breath, realizing this was not a setup he could simply dismiss. The sheer vulnerability and potent desperation in her wide, dark eyes struck him. He had no idea who she was, but she was in serious trouble, and he was the only one in the room. He didn't move away. He watched her approach, a primal, magnetic force pulling them together in the silence of the luxurious suite. The last thing Anya remembered before the world truly shattered was the intense relief of his touch, followed by a dark, ecstatic blur that belonged to neither the nightmare nor the dream. What happens next? Does Kaelen leave immediately in the morning to protect his reputation, or does he stick around to find out who she is?