Chapter 1
One year ago, deep into the night.
Within the confines of Motoko Bar, a pulsing neon glow painted the room in shifting hues of amethyst and gold. Shin swiped at her tear-streaked cheeks, shoving a crystal tumbler filled with ruby-red liquor toward Ember.
"Emmy, drink with me!" Her eyes, raw and bloodshot from sobbing, locked onto Ember, a flicker of venom slicing through Shin’s gaze.
Both wore crisp white blouses and pleated baby-blue skirts, yet Ember radiated a purity Shin could never replicate. The man Shin had loved for four years had confessed today that his heart belonged to Ember—was it merely because Ember looked untouched? Pure? Shin hated that word.
So he was obsessed with Ember’s innocence? Tonight, she’d make sure Ember became dirtier than anyone.
"Shin, I start at Yin Enterprises tomorrow. I really shouldn’t—" Ember accepted the glass but hesitated, her brow furrowed. She’d fought for that job; being late on day one was unthinkable. But Shin, fresh from heartbreak, needed comfort. Two glasses had already clouded her mind; a third would surely blur the line between tipsy and trashed.
"Emmy, I’m destroyed! One more, please? We’ll leave right after, I swear." Pouting with feigned sorrow, Shin drained the remaining half of her own drink. Ember’s drink was different now.
Shattering that innocence would be Shin’s parting gift to the man who’d wasted her love—a cruel farewell he’d never forget. He loved Ember? Fine. She’d deliver him a soiled version.
"Alright… just one." The liquid seared Ember’s throat, its fire blooming into a fever that prickled her scalp. She winced—bitter, sharp, with a strange metallic tang. God, alcohol tastes vile. How had Shin pounded glass after glass?
Watching Ember gulp down the spiked drink without suspicion, Shin rose unsteadily, a vicious smile curling her lips. "Bathroom break. Stay put, Emmy."
"Okay." Half the glass gone, a delicate flush spread across Ember’s cheeks, her vision swimming.
Sliding out the back door, Shin flung a wad of cash at the muscular bouncer, nodding toward Ember, who glowed softly in the bar’s dim light.
"Go. Ruin her. Like we discussed."
Grinning greedily, the thug pulled out a compact camera, waving it before Shin. "Relax, love. This is my jam. I’ll send you the best shots."
"Good. I spiked her drink—don’t hold back." With one last vindictive glance, Shin turned, ignoring Ember’s anxious figure inside.
One minute. Two. Five.
Ember checked her watch, panic rising. Had Shin passed out in the restroom?
"Alone, sweetheart?" A thick, calloused hand clamped onto her shoulder. The bouncer had slipped in, shooting a knowing glance toward Shin’s hidden spot before leering at Ember.
Blinking to focus, Ember felt a cold shiver race down her spine. She swatted his hand away. A bar at midnight, a predatory stranger—she needed to run. But Shin was still here.
"Oho, look at those rosy cheeks. You’re smashed, pet. Let big brother take you somewhere cozy..." His rough palm slid down her back, the curve of her blouse igniting his lust. "Mmm, nice and tight..."
"Get off me—" Clutching her purse, Ember staggered back, her legs feeling like lead. As she stumbled, the man grabbed her waist, yanking her against his chest.
"Be a good girl... I’ll treat you right." The feel of her fragile body made his breath hitch.
Even naive, Ember recognized that hungry growl. She shoved with all her might, staggering toward the corridor. Jesus! What’s happening? Find Shin! This place is a trap...
"Nowhere to run, darling," he chuckled, fumbling with his belt in the shadowed hallway.
Cornered, Ember slammed backward, her shoulder hitting a VIP suite door that cracked open. She fell inside, scrambling to shut it.
The man froze, face paling as the heavy door clicked shut.
Darkness swallowed her. Leaning against the door, Ember moaned, "So hot..."
An unfamiliar fire licked her skin, every cell screaming. Instinctively, she tore at her collar, gasping as something cold pressed against her side—blissfully icy. Arching into it, she ignored the lethal presence coiling nearby.
Narrowed eyes watched her dishevelment. Luo Qifeng’s lips twitched with dry amusement.
Drunk? Is this Luo Qixuan’s latest stunt? Contempt flared as he studied her.
"Mmm..." Ember ripped her blouse open further, lost in sensation.
Her reckless abandon piqued his rare curiosity. His gaze sharpened.
Which mob sends an amateur like this? Luo Qixuan usually sent skilled hitmen. This— a tipsy girl in a school uniform, canvas shoes? Ridiculous.
"Who sent you?" His deep voice only muddied Ember’s mind further. She reached toward the sound.
"Sent me...?" Her hand groped the air.
An attack! His suspicion spiked.
Of course. Qixuan’s pawns are never straightforward.
