Betrayed by faith

Chapter 3

(Dylan)

The champagne was cold, the lights were low, and the ballroom buzzed with the usual laughter of people pretending they liked each other. I gave my practiced smile to the investor from Milan seated next to me and nodded politely as he went on about luxury yachts and tax loopholes. I honestly didn't want to be here but I had no choice in these social matters.

Truthfully, I wasn’t even listening. Something was just off. I felt different and suddenly hot.

I quickly loosened the top button of my shirt and pulled slightly at my collar. It was warm in the room, too warm. My skin felt clammy, and a strange heat was crawling slowly up my spine. I only took a few sips of the champagne. Just a little. I barely drank at these events anymore.

I blinked hard and reached for the water glass. My throat was dry and my pulse was too fast. Something really wasn’t right. Then it hit me. Someone drugged me.

Instantly, I stormed through the ballroom, ignoring confused glances and murmurs. I couldn't bear to stay one more minute in there. Who the hell would drug me.

I hurried outside before I lost total control of myself and took the next available taxi. My driver was nowhere to be found. I just couldn't stick around to find out what happens next. I just needed to be alone.

“Please take me to the nearest hotel and hurry up please” I pleaded with the driver and he seemed to understand my urgency.

The next minute, we were speeding away to the next hotel we could find. I rolled the windows down. My vision was slightly blurred, but my mind was clear enough to drive.

I just needed to be somewhere safe and away from whoever could dare to drug me. I'll take care of it later.

About fifteen minutes later,we pulled into the underground parking of The Westfield Grand Hotel.

On a normal day, I wouldn't even bother being in this kind of hotel but I could care less right now.

I hurried in and booked a room urgently, ignoring the raging hotness in my body.

As I stepped into the elevator, I tugged my jacket off and wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. My breathing had steadied a little, but my muscles still felt hot and restless under my skin. Whatever this person slipped into my drink thankfully wasn't strong enough to knock me out, but it was trying to.

As the elevator climbed, I rubbed my temple and exhaled. I’d dealt with Catherine’s manipulations before, but tonight? Tonight, she crossed a line.

The elevator got to a stop and dinged open. I hurried out and checked my room number even though my vision was fuzzy. Room Number 17.

I looked up and located the room and instantly pushed the door open and headed in.

Inside, the room was dim and quiet, cool compared to the heat burning under my skin. I walked in, shoulders slumped, took off my jacket and dropped it on the chair. Then I kicked off my shoes, tugged off my shirt, and dropped down onto the bed with a long exhale.

The softness was exactly what I needed. Finally, I had some peace and quiet. I laid on my back, staring up at the ceiling. My head was pounding, and my body still felt off, like I was floating somewhere between sleep and fire.

Maybe just a few minutes. Just enough to let my body settle.

I didn’t even hear the bathroom door slowly open. I was half-asleep when I felt the shift in the air.

The faint scent of soap and something soft. Like coconut and vanilla. Then the dip of the mattress beside me.

I blinked, but I didn’t move.

A figure crawled into the bed. I saw her bare white skin in my peripheral vision. Wet hair and soft breathing.

She dropped onto the bed like she didn’t even know I was there. For a second, I thought I was dreaming. Was my imagination playing tricks with me?

Then she turned slightly… and froze.

I didn’t look at her face, I couldn't. I just stared at the ceiling. I thought I was imagining it.

Then her body tensed and I felt it in the air between us. That thick silence. That moment of delayed shock when you realize you’re not alone. Her breathing quickened, and I knew instantly.

This was all real. I was in a room with a strange woman. She didn’t know anyone else was in the room.

Shit. I clenched my jaw, not moving an inch. My thoughts were still foggy, but reality was slowly crawling back in. Something wasn't right. I could feel it now.

I had messed up real bad because of all the times to be alone with a woman , why now that I had absolutely no control of my body or my mind.

But neither of us said a word. We just laid there, her totally naked body under the sheets, me, shirtless and still too damn hot, stuck in the quiet and frozen in the moment almost like we were both waiting for the other person to say something or do something first.

I could feel her breath quickening. I could tell she felt the shift in air too but we were both too shocked to turn around.

I tried to steady my quickened heartbeat and I swear she could hear my heart beating heavily too.