Betrayed by Fiance, Redeemed by Tycoon

Chapter 2 The Stranger

The next day,

Grace groggily opened her eyes, her head filled with the aftermath of a hangover, and her body tingling with a satisfying soreness, indicating the pleasure-filled night she had experienced. She had imagined how it would feel when Andrew held her in his strong, powerful arms, but the reality surpassed her wildest fantasies.

At this moment, "Andrew" was still sleeping next to her.

Rubbing her eyes, Grace yearned to snuggle into Andrew's embrace. But in the next instant, her body froze, and her blood seemed to flow backward.

The man lying next to her was not Andrew!

She didn't know this man!

Grace almost let out a scream as she leaped away from him, but the naked, soreness in her body confirmed that something had happened between them last night.

Startled by Grace's cry, the man furrowed his brows and opened his eyes. Undoubtedly, he was more handsome than Andrew, with deep-set eyes that sparkled like moonlight on calm waters. His furrowed brow showed annoyance at being disturbed, and as he sat up, the thin sheet slipped off his well-defined chest, revealing the lingering traces of last night's intimacy with Grace. With just one glance, a dominating presence emanated from him, overwhelming her with intensity.

"Awake, huh?" he said, his voice low and gravelly.

Grace couldn't understand how he could remain so calm. Her head was about to explode, and she anxiously asked, "Who are you? It should have been Andrew with whom I had relations last night... No, I mean, why would I...?"

Grace's words became incoherent.

"That's a question you should be asking yourself." The man appeared much more composed compared to Grace's panic. "Who is Andrew?"

"My... fiancé. Yesterday was our engagement ceremony, and he called me to this room..." The man stood up and put on his clothes. Grace shifted her gaze, but a glass of water was placed in front of her. She didn't want to be so intimate with her one-night stand, but Grace still accepted the water offered by the man. The cold water helped her regain some clarity, and her memories of the drunken night slowly returned.

"This must be a misunderstanding." Grace's face remained pale. "Last night was a mistake, sir. I thought you were Andrew. I don't know what went wrong in between. I have to leave. Let's pretend we never met..."

Grace didn't want to stay in this seductive room any longer. She was eager to escape from this place. She struggled to put on her clothes and noticed that the man had thoughtfully arranged new women's clothing, as her gown from last night wouldn't do anymore.

"Hold on a sec," the guy called out as she was about to leave.

"What else?" Grace paused, not wanting any more interaction with her one-night stand. It was a night filled with mistakes and misunderstandings.

"What's your name?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"No need to know, sir. I don't want you to find out who I am," Grace replied honestly. "Besides, you never told me your name either. It wouldn't be fair."

"Colton Miller," he said, possibly intentionally misinterpreting Grace's intentions.

Caught in his intense gaze and overwhelmed by his commanding presence, Grace felt compelled to respond. "I'm Grace Allen. But I think it's best if we never cross paths again."

Just a simple case of a mistaken one-night stand.

Grace hurriedly left the room, unaware of the smug look that appeared in the guy's eyes behind her.

Everything sucks!

It's a complete and utter disaster!

Grace hasn't even had a chance to fully process the chaos when she comes face-to-face with Andrew right at her doorstep.

"Grace, where the hell were you all night? Everyone's been frantically searching for you!" Andrew, usually so composed, sounds both worried and angry as he grabs Grace's arm. But his expression quickly changes as he notices the disheveled state she's in. "What the hell happened, Grace? Did you betray me at our own damn engagement party? Have I been running around like a fool looking for you?"

"Andrew, just let me explain..."

Little did they know that the engagement party had caught the attention of the media, and now reporters are swarming around them, thrusting microphones and cameras in Grace's face, bombarding her with relentless questions.

"Miss Grace, did you really betray Andrew?"

"Grace, this was your own damn engagement party! Does this mean you don't give a damn about the alliance between the families? Are you disrespecting the Andrews family?"

"Grace, is this marriage even going to happen now?"

"And who the hell is that man with you?"

The questions keep bombarding Grace, and she has no idea how to handle this situation. She never expected that her one-night stand would become public knowledge, especially at an event that involves both of their families. Her father won't let this slide easily, and neither will Andrew. Now everyone knows that he's been betrayed, and at their own engagement party, it's a massive disgrace.

Grace hurriedly tries to explain, "No, Andrew, I didn't betray you. I thought it was you who called me to the room..."

"Do you really expect me to believe such a pathetic excuse?" Andrew's words are icy cold, his lips pressed into a thin line, disappointment evident in his eyes. His cold gaze sends a shiver down Grace's spine.

Grace is momentarily taken aback. Andrew has never looked at her with such disgust and indifference. He once promised to protect her with all his heart, but now he stands with these reporters, questioning her. It feels like a sharp stab to her heart. Andrew appears to have no knowledge of their exchanged messages, as if it never happened.

Wasn't it their secret?

Why does Andrew seem completely unaware?

What on earth is going on?

Could last night have been nothing more than a dream?

Andrew coldly snorts, "Grace, I'm so disappointed in you. I thought you were just naive, but it turns out you're a lying fraud."

Turning away, Andrew starts to walk off. Grace wants to stop him, but the man who once showered her with affection now forcefully pushes her hand away, leaving her surrounded by reporters. She faces one sharp and piercing question after another.

Grace feels like her body is no longer her own. Her mind goes blank, and her limbs feel weightless. Just yesterday, she was immersed in happiness, but why did everything change after the engagement party? It feels like a nightmare, with a dark mist enveloping her world, obscuring all light and leaving the air thin.

"Grace, please explain!"

No longer wanting to listen to the reporters' inquiries, Grace forcefully pushes them aside, pushes through the crowd, disregarding the shouts behind her, and runs desperately toward her home. It feels like her last refuge.

But as soon as she opens the door...

SLAM!

Grace's head jerks to the side abruptly.

"Look at what you've done!"