Morning light filtered softly through the curtains.
Noah Steele woke with a faint sense of discomfort, as if something heavy were pressing against him. He shifted slightly—then froze.
Wrapped around him was a warm, soft presence.
Xiao Mei clung to him like an octopus, arms and legs locked tightly, her head resting against his chest as she slept peacefully.
“…Xiao Mei?”
The memories came rushing back.
The bar.
The drugged drink.
The fight.
The room upstairs.
And everything that followed.
Noah ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. “So that really happened…”
He glanced down—and noticed the faint crimson stain on the sheets.
His heart skipped.
“…She was a virgin.”
That realization hit him harder than anything from the night before.
Noah stared at the ceiling, suddenly w
