Chapter 4 up

Vania’s consciousness returned slowly, like someone being forcibly pulled out of a dark abyss. Her head felt heavy, her vision blurred. A foreign scent filled her senses—a mixture of masculine perfume, cigarette smoke, and the cool fragrance of an air-conditioned room.

She blinked several times.

The ceiling above her did not belong to her.

A large bed with dark gray sheets stretched beneath her body. A crystal chandelier cast a dim, warm light that somehow felt suffocating.

And there—

Devan and Leonard stood not far from the bed, facing each other.

“What are you doing?” Vania asked softly yet firmly as her awareness fully returned.

Devan turned quickly. When he saw that Vania had opened her eyes, a relieved smile curved on his lips, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“Vania… you’re awake,” he said, stepping closer.

Vania immediately pushed herself up into a sitting position, though her head was still slightly dizzy. She pressed her fingers to her temple, trying to understand the situation.

“Why am I here?” Her eyes scanned the room before stopping on Leonard, who stood casually near the mini bar.

Leonard said nothing. He simply observed.

Devan sat on the edge of the bed, attempting to take Vania’s hand, but she pulled away.

“Vania, please,” Devan’s voice softened, almost pleading. “Just this once, do what I ask. Sleep obediently with Leonard. After that, I’ll give you the wedding you’ve always wanted. Anything. The grandest hall. The most beautiful gown. Everything will be yours.”

The sentence hung in the air like an invisible slap.

Vania stared at him in disbelief. Slowly, she shook her head.

“Have you lost your mind?” she whispered.

“This is for our company,” Devan insisted.

“You’re selfish, Devan!” Vania’s voice rose. “Why are you so eager to hand your woman over to another man? Haven’t I helped your company all this time so it wouldn’t go bankrupt? I attended meetings, I searched for clients, I even sold my personal assets to cover your losses!”

She stood from the bed, though her legs were still slightly weak.

“But why are you treating me like a cheap woman now?” she continued, her voice trembling.

Devan stood as well. “Vania, listen to me first! I never thought that if you served Leonard it would make you a cheap woman.”

“Then what?” Vania challenged.

“On the contrary…” Devan took a deep breath. “I would fall even more in love with you. Because you’re willing to sacrifice for our future.”

The words sounded so absurd that Vania almost laughed. Instead, a restrained sob escaped her lips.

“Stop calling betrayal a sacrifice,” she said softly.

Leonard raised an eyebrow, watching the exchange like a spectator in the front row of a performance.

“My decision hasn’t changed from yesterday until now,” Vania continued more firmly. “I will never serve Leonard. I would rather see the company I helped you build disappear than watch my own fiancé betray me.”

Smack!

The sound of a slap broke through the room.

Vania’s head snapped to the side. Her left cheek turned red instantly.

“Why are you so selfish, Vania!” Devan shouted. “I’ve been speaking calmly this whole time, but why can’t you understand!”

Vania held her cheek, looking at Devan with tear-filled eyes—not because of the pain, but because something inside her had just shattered.

Leonard gave a faint smile at the humiliating scene before him. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

“Interesting,” he murmured.

Devan turned to Leonard, his face filled with frustration. “Leon, you see it yourself, right? She’s just stubborn. But once it starts, she’ll quiet down.”

Leonard stared at him sharply.

“Leon,” Devan continued, growing more desperate, “taking Vania’s virginity in this state… wouldn’t that be even more thrilling? Come on, do it now.”

The room suddenly felt colder.

Vania’s eyes widened. “Devan, what are you saying? I will never serve Leonard. I’d rather break off our engagement!”

Her words made Devan fall silent for a moment.

“Don’t be stupid, Vania,” he hissed. “It’s only one night. After that, everything will be over. For the one trillion that Leonard promised.”

“One trillion?” Vania let out a bitter laugh. “So my dignity is just a number in a bank account?”

“This isn’t about dignity!” Devan shouted.

“Then what? Your ambition?” Vania stepped back, putting distance between herself and both men. “You’re selling me for a company that I helped build just as much as you did!”

Leonard finally stepped forward, his voice calm but firm. “Enough.”

Both of them turned to look at him.

“I never agreed to a cheap spectacle like this,” Leonard said flatly. “Yes, I accepted Devan’s offer. But not through force.”

Devan stiffened. “Leon, not now—”

“Silence.” Leonard’s gaze turned icy. “I have no interest in a woman who is forced or traded like an object.”

Vania looked at him in shock.

Leonard continued, “If Vania chose to stay here of her own will, that would be another matter. But seeing this…” He glanced at Vania’s reddened cheek. “You are truly low, Devan.”

Devan’s face paled. “Are you going to cancel your investment?”

“Yes.” Leonard drew a deep breath. “I would rather lose money than deal with a man who has no boundaries.”

Devan ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “If you pull the funds, my company is finished!”