Elena entered the wrong hotel suite which was dimly lit. Her heels clicked softly against the marble floor as she stumbled inside, the weight of alcohol dulling her senses. She wasn’t in control, but some part of her still clung to familiarity. Her blurred vision settled on a silhouette sitting at the edge of the bed.
“Elena…” the voice in her head whispered.
“Adrian?”
Her lips curved into a bitter, tired smile.
“I knew you’d come, Adrian… I knew it.”. She kissed him.
But something was off.
That man—his posture, his silence—didn’t match Adrian’s arrogant, cold demeanor. As her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, her body tensed. This wasn’t Adrian.
“Who are you?” she asked, suddenly uneasy. “What are you doing in my room?”
The stranger didn’t answer immediately. He leaned closer— smirks darkly, leaning in closer, his hot breath brushing against her lips so close she could feel the warmth of his breath brushing her ear.
Then, in a voice so intoxicatingly deep it sent a chill down her spine, he whispered:
“I’ll take revenge for the injustice done to you. I’ll return every right that was stolen from you… but for that, I need you to stand with me.”
Even through the fog of alcohol, Elena felt something shift inside her.
That voice… it was mesmerizing. Powerful. Like velvet and danger wrapped in a secret.
And then—nothing.
Darkness swallowed her.
---
When Elena woke up, it was already morning. Though the sun hadn’t yet fully risen, the pale glow of dawn filtered through the tall windows of the suite’s bedroom. Her mouth was dry. Her head pounded from the hangover.
She sat up, trying to piece together her thoughts.
“What happened last night?”
The memories came in fragments. A stranger. The kiss. The warmth. His Whispered words. That voice.
Her heart stuttered.
Had something actually happened… between them?
She glanced down—her clothes were intact. Her dress wasn’t out of place. Everything looked exactly as it did last night.
“If anything had happened… why would I be fully dressed?” she reasoned.
And yet… that voice…
Elena grabbed her phone, hoping to distract herself.
45 missed calls. All from Christina.
Her stomach dropped. She called back instantly.
“Elena! Where the hell have you been?!” Christina’s voice exploded into the phone. “I’ve been looking for you since last night! Just tell me your room number!”
“607.”
Seconds later, someone knocked.
Elena opened the suite door. Christina stood there, wild-eyed with panic. Behind her were the hotel manager and the security chief.
“Yes, this is the one. Can we go now?” Christina confirmed.
Elena blinked. “Wait… what’s happening?”
“Don’t even get me started,” Christina snapped. “I’ve been looking for you in every damn corner of this hotel. I was losing my mind!”
“But we were together last night, weren’t we?” Elena asked, confused. “I thought you said you were stepping out for a bit…”
“You don’t remember anything?” Christina pulled an aspirin from her bag. “Here. Take this. Then sit down—I’ll explain.”
Elena popped the pill, her body aching and her mind spinning.
“I went to the ATM to get cash for you after my work was done,” Christina said. “I told you to escort to Room 604. It’s usually reserved for my dad’s corporate team. But thanks to your confident drunk state you insisted to go alone and dropped you off in 607 instead.”
Elena’s mouth parted in realization.
“I came back after half an hour but found the suite empty. And guess what? The CCTV on this entire floor conveniently broke down last night,” Christina added, visibly frustrated. “I tried calling you over and over!”
“I… I’m sorry,” Elena mumbled. “My phone was on silent.”
“I was this close to going to the police!” Christina said, waving her fingers.
Just then, Elena’s phone rang again.
She stared at the screen. The name Adrian flashed.
Her jaw tightened.
“For someone who doesn’t care,” she muttered to herself, “you sure do keep calling.”
She picked up. “When did you start caring about me so much?”
“I don’t,” Adrian’s voice was flat. “I’m only calling to tell you to be at Family Court by noon. We’re filing the divorce papers. After that, do what you want with whoever you want—I couldn’t care less.”
Her grip tightened around the phone. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”
“I don’t care what you did last night. In fact, go ahead—keep destroying your reputation,” he sneered.
“Oh, shut up! For your kind information, I was with Christina all night. Believe it or don’t—I honestly don’t give a damn anymore.”
And for the first time… Elena hung up on Adrian.
Her fingers trembled. But it felt liberating.
Christina stared at her, a proud smile on her face.
“Well, look at that. Our girl’s finally done begging.”
Elena exhaled shakily. “He asked me to be at the Family Court today.”
“Good. The sooner you get rid of that narcissistic scumbag, the better,” Christina said. “You deserve someone a hundred times better. Hell, a thousand.”
---
Elsewhere, in a private hospital suite, Cassie held her belly, speaking softly.
“Adrian… Elena’s okay, right?”
“She says she was with Christina all night,” Adrian muttered. “So it's good. She and our baby are both are fine. If anything had happened to our child…” Cassie said
“You’re overthinking,” placing a hand over her hand. “I’ll never let anything happen to our baby.” Adrian said looking towards her now flat belly.
“I just… Ele's always been emotional. I’m sure she’s taking this badly,” she added.
Cassie frowned slightly. “If she says something harsh, don’t take it personally. You know I owe everything to her, right? I wouldn’t be here… if she hadn’t stepped aside.”
Adrian nodded absently. “I’ll go check with the doctor.”
The moment he stepped out, Cassie’s entire demeanor shifted.
She sat up, pulled out her phone, and made a call.
“Why haven’t I received the photos yet?”
“Ma’am, how are we supposed to send them without the girl?" That man was in Room 602 with five others. "We looked everywhere for the girl you described but found nothing.”
Cassie gritted her teeth.
She had bribed the bartender at Hotel Ocean Star weeks ago, knowing Christina often visited there.
Her plan was simple: send goons to Christina’s room, click explicit photos, and use them to blackmail Elena.
But last night, Elena had unexpectedly joined Christina at the hotel.
And now her plan was dangling by a thread.
When the bartender finally sent over Christina’s picture, Cassie forwarded it to her men with a single instruction:
“Execute Plan A.”
But things had gone wrong.
“You said the girl would be beautiful,” one of the thugs messaged. “Our men are angry. Either give us a new target, or pay double. Otherwise, I’ll tell your precious fiancé Adrian everything.”
Cassie’s blood ran cold.
“Give me some time,” she replied. Then she began plotting her next move.
---
Back at the suite, sunlight now poured into the room. Elena’s phone buzzed again. A new message.
> “There are 10 men in Room 602. They’re here to hurt you. Cassie sent them.”
Her fingers trembled as she typed back.
“Who are you? How do you know all this?”
> “I’m the one who left a mark on your back last night.”
Her breath caught.
Elena jumped off the bed and rushed to the mirror. She turned, pulling aside her dress collar—and froze.
A love bite. Just behind her shoulder.
It wasn’t a dream.
Something had happened.
She backed away, heart pounding. “Who was that man?”
Another message buzzed.
> “If you’re ready for what I told you last night, call me. I won’t rush you. The decision is yours.”
That voice echoed in her mind again.
“I’ll avenge the injustice done to you. I’ll win back everything they stole.”
Her thoughts spiraled. Was he Adrian’s enemy? Cassie’s? Or both?
Why did he sleep with her?
And why… did it not feel wrong?
Another ping. She picked up the phone again.
> “There’s a debit card in your bag. The PIN is 3494. It has ₹5 lakhs. It’s yours.”
Elena stared at the screen. Her pulse raced.
She slowly opened her purse—and found the card.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. She started to type a reply…
But instead—she dialed.
The phone rang.
Her heartbeat echoed in her ears.
Who was this man?
Why was he protecting her?
What did he want in return?
And above all…
Would she let Mr. Shadow change the course of her destiny?
---