Slowly Falling For You

In a hazy state, Sharlene Wood felt the bed dip slightly on the other side. The swaying made her head heavier. “Mmm...” She thought it was someone trying to urge her to drink again. Frowning, she reached out to push them away. “Really... I’m done!” But the next moment, her neck was suddenly grabbed tightly. “Uh?” “Who let you in?!” The melodious voice was laced with anger. Sharlene struggled to breathe, her throat aching. The voice snapped her halfway out of her drunken haze. She opened her eyes, but due to the dim light, she could only make out a dark figure. As the air grew thinner, her instinct to survive made her fight back desperately. But with her drunkenness and the grip on her neck, how could she possibly compete against a man? “Smack!” The man slammed the bedside switch, flooding the room with light. When he saw the woman beside him, the anger in his deep eyes shifted to confusion. He slowly released his grip on her. “Sharlene Wood?” Finally free, Sharlene covered her sore neck and began to cough violently. Once she managed to calm down, she felt a strong gaze locked onto her face. Her eyelashes fluttering, she slowly turned her head, and moments later, her eyes widened in shock. “Trenton?” The man had a strikingly handsome, face with chiseled features. Beneath his sharp brows were deep, mysterious eyes. His stunningly beautiful face was currently covered with coldness, indifference, and a hint of wickedness. His piercing gaze was filled with a chilling intensity, and at that moment, his eyes narrowed dangerously. His oppressive aura could make anyone nearby feel uneasy. This man was Trenton Howard! Trenton Howard, the youngest son of the Howard family in City A, ranked third among his siblings. Sharlene used to visit the Howard family often and always greeted Trenton with a casual “Trent”. However, Trenton showed no sign of warmth upon seeing her. Instead, he scoffed, "Don’t call me that. We aren’t that close." "..." Sharlene bit her lip, struggling to suppress her embarrassment. Just as she was about to get up, she caught the mocking glint in his eyes as he scanned her from head to toe. His gaze finally settled on her shoulders. "Even if I did have a sister, she wouldn’t take off her clothes and lie naked with a random guy." Sharlene frowned and followed his gaze, only to freeze in place. Her shoulders were bare! She had worn a fitted long dress today! To make matters worse, during her earlier struggles, the blanket had slipped down significantly, exposing a large portion of her delicate chest... Wide-eyed, she hurriedly pulled the blanket up a bit more. This room, from its decor, looked like a hotel room... Even though she was usually smart and collected, she felt completely flustered at that moment. The lights in the room were all on, and the heating was cranked up, yet Sharlene still felt cold. That chill crept from her bones, making her feel not just cold, but also frightened and panicked. Trenton let out a scoff, "So this is Fraser Austin's plan? He personally sent you here? How generous!" "It’s not like that!" "No?" The man raised a teasing smile, his eyes filled with mockery. "So, you got into my bed all by yourself?" Her face turned pale, and embarrassment and panic made her eyes well up with tears. "No! I don't know how this happened, I really don't. You have to believe me." She spoke quickly, desperately hoping he would trust her. He let out a low laugh, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Believe you?" His gaze was predatory as it roamed over her. "You crawled into my bed without a stitch on, and you want me to believe you? Sharlene Wood, if it weren't for old times’ sake, you would be dead right now." She shuddered violently and kept explaining, "Trent... I really don't know." After saying that, she wrapped herself in the blanket, trying to get out of this dangerous situation. But before her feet even touched the ground, Trenton tightened his grip on her wrist, and in an instant, she was pulled back and fell onto the bed. "Ah—" She gasped, and just as she tried to get up, Trenton firmly grabbed both of her wrists and lifted them above her head. Leaning closer, he looked at her with a smile that was anything but friendly, the malice in his eyes completely unmasked. For a moment, she forgot to struggle, staring at his flawless, handsome face as it loomed larger before her. His jawline was sharp yet oddly gentle. With thick, dark eyebrows, a straight nose, and thin lips that curved slightly, his deep black eyes seemed to see right through her. Though he had such a beautiful face, it sent chills down Sharlene's spine. It was those striking black pupils that were now filled with menace. "Thinking of running away?" "..." "Sharlene, no matter who sent you here, from the moment you stepped into this room, nothing is under your control anymore. Do you understand?" Sharlene trembled uncontrollably, her bright almond-shaped eyes filled with fear. At that moment, she was like a frightened little deer. "What... do you want?" "What do you think?" Trenton narrowed his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips. "No matter how you got here, since this is what you want, it would be rude of me not to reward your hard work." "Trenton Howard, don't you dare!" Sharlene shouted and began to struggle, but she was no match for him. He lifted one leg, easily pinning her down. "Sharlene, you started it." His cold tone sounded like it came straight from hell. With a swift motion, he yanked the blanket off her, his large hand ruthlessly gliding over her smooth chest, applying pressure. "Since you came to me, you should have thought about the consequences!" His scorching breath hit her face; it was hot, yet she felt an icy chill creep through her body. An overwhelming fear engulfed her, plunging her into a frozen abyss. Trenton looked at her with a wicked grin, his gaze assessing her like a hunter eyeing its prey. "Are you ready to receive the punishment, woman?" "No—" Sharlene gasped awake, breathing heavily. She sat up, her heart racing as she looked around the room, slowly pulling herself out of the nightmare. This nightmare again... Since that day she had entered Trenton’s hotel room, she had had the same dream at least five times. Even though she was now married to Trenton, the nightmare always haunted her, filling her with dread. The truth was that Trenton hadn’t done anything to her that day, but the scenes in her dreams felt so real. Every time she woke up, it took her a long while to gather herself. Sharlene raised a bitter smile and sighed as she got up, preparing to head to the bathroom to freshen up. Just as she got off the bed, there was a knock at the door. "Ma'am, are you awake?" It was Rosalie, the housekeeper. "I'm up," Sharlene replied. "Mr. Howard is back and waiting for you in the living room," Rosalie informed her. Sharlene froze for a moment. He's back?