Chapter 3 3

Chapter 3

...

At that moment, Anastasya had no idea that one of the most powerful men in the city was watching her.

Completely oblivious to Alexander's unwavering gaze, she crossed the street toward the hotel standing just ahead of her.

"Hmm..."

"My heart's beating so fast." She pressed a hand against her chest, letting out a quiet laugh as she tried to calm the restless flutter in her heart. "I wonder what kind of surprise Damian has prepared for me." A gentle smile curved her lips.

Her life had always been filled with pain and loneliness. There had never been much light in it. Yet even so, she had always been grateful that Damian had chosen to stay by her side.

That thought alone was enough to warm her heart.

Still wearing that beautiful, hopeful smile, she stepped into the hotel and made her way toward the room number Damian had sent her.

When she finally stopped outside the door, however, an inexplicable sense of unease crept into her heart.

She stood there for several seconds, staring at the closed door.

"Hoo..."

Drawing in a deep breath, she tried to brush away the strange feeling before wrapping her fingers around the doorknob.

She slowly turned it.

The door wasn't locked, just as Damian had said in his message.

The corners of her lips lifted into another smile.

Perfect... If the door was already unlocked, then she could surprise him instead.

Suppressing her excitement, Anastasya carefully pushed the door open, making sure not to make a sound. But the moment the door opened just enough for her to peek inside... Her smile vanished, and her eyes widened.

Every muscle in her body froze as a familiar woman's cry pierced her ears.

"Ahhh...!"

"Again, babe... I want more..."

"It feels so good... babee!" Xevia's breathless moans echoed shamelessly throughout the room as Damian buried himself in her on the bed.

They clung to each other with desperate hunger, as though they had been starving for one another for years.

"God..."

"You're incredible, babe." Damian's voice was thick with satisfaction as he praised Xevia, who responded to every touch with shameless enthusiasm.

Hearing his compliment, a smug smile spread across Xevia's face. Lying lazily against the bed, she glanced toward the bedroom door and immediately noticed it had been left slightly ajar.

Ana had arrived.

Perfect! Everything was going exactly as she had planned. Now all she needed was one final push.

She wanted Anastasya to hear it with her own ears. She wanted her to realize that Damian had never truly wanted her.

Wrapping her arms around Damian's neck, Xevia deliberately raised her voice.

"Babe..."

"What about Ana?"

"Do you still love her?"

"Do you still want her..."

"...after I've satisfied you like this?" She spoke between uneven breaths, making sure every single word carried beyond the doorway.

"Hm?" Damian paused for a brief moment.

Then, as Xevia tightened her embrace around him, he let out a dismissive scoff.

"No."

"I don't want Anastasya."

"She's too innocent."

"Too naive."

"She doesn't even know how to satisfy a man." His answer came without the slightest hesitation. "So stop talking about her."

"The night's still young, babe." He had no interest in discussing Anastasya. All he wanted was to enjoy himself and spend the rest of the night with Xevia.

A victorious smile slowly spread across Xevia's lips. She glanced toward the doorway once more.

The door had quietly closed.

Outside, Anastasya still stood there frozen and unable to move.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The violent pounding of her heart echoed painfully inside her chest.

Her body had gone completely rigid. Her fingers curled into tight fists until her nails dug into her palms, while every breath became harder to take.

'Anastasya... I love you so much.'

'Be my girlfriend.'

'You're the only woman I'll ever love... Trust me. I'll always protect you.'

'One day, I'll marry you.'

'I promise I'll never leave you.'

'I'll never betray you.'

Every promise Damian had ever whispered replayed vividly inside her mind, one after another, like fragments of a cruel memory she could no longer escape.

Her eyes slowly lost their focus.

The pain crushing her heart was so unbearable that it felt as though thousands of blades were piercing straight through her chest, leaving her unable to breathe.

Without realizing it, she turned around and began to walk away. One slow step after another. Her vacant gaze remained fixed on the floor beneath her feet as she wandered aimlessly, no longer aware of where she was going. By the time she reached the street outside the hotel, she didn't even notice that the sky had opened.

Rain poured down relentlessly, growing heavier with every passing second, it soaked her hair, and her trembling body. Yet she felt none of it. Every memory she had shared with Damian became another blade driven into her heart, each one hurting more than the last.

Only when the cold rain had completely drenched her did Anastasya finally stop walking.

Slowly...

She lifted her face toward the heavens.

Above her, the night sky had disappeared beneath thick, gloomy clouds, wrapped in a veil of mist that made the darkness feel even heavier.

Anastasya squinted as the cold rain lashed against her face, droplets stinging her eyes until she could barely keep them open.

"Rain...?" A bitter smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Your timing is perfect."

"It's almost as if the universe is celebrating my pain all over again." She let out a quiet, broken laugh before it dissolved into a sob.

"Everyone lies."

"Maybe they're right..."

"Maybe I don't deserve to be happy."

"Maybe I don't deserve to be loved."

"Maybe I was never meant to have any of it." Her voice faltered.

"But..."

"My heart hurts so much." She pressed a trembling hand against her chest, her fingers clutching the soaked fabric of her dress as though she could somehow stop the unbearable ache.

"It hurts so much..."

"How could he tell me he loved me..."

"...and then betray me so easily?"

"WHY?" Her voice cracked into a scream.

"Why does everyone always leave me?"

"Why...?"

"AAAAAAAH!" Her anguished cry echoed through the nearly deserted street outside the hotel. She cried without restraint, standing beneath the relentless downpour as if she were challenging the heavens themselves.

"Why...?" Her knees finally gave way.

She sank onto the rain-soaked pavement, closed her eyes tightly, and desperately wished all of this was nothing more than a nightmare. A dream she could wake up from, but no matter how many times she pinched herself... No matter how many times she squeezed her eyes shut before forcing them open again... Nothing changed.

"Dad..."

"Mom..." Her trembling voice grew softer, almost swallowed by the rain. "Why didn't you take me with you?"

"Do you hate me too..."

"...because I'm nothing but bad luck?" Fresh tears spilled from her eyes, disappearing into the rain before they could even reach her cheeks.

"I can't do this anymore..."

"I'm so tired."

"I'm tired of hurting."

"Can't I just... die?" The last words escaped her lips as little more than a whisper, carrying a despair so profound that it seemed to drain the last trace of life from her eyes.

She lowered her head... The devastation in her heart became even heavier, threatening to crush what remained of her fragile spirit.

Then...

"Are you lost, little girl?" A deep, unfamiliar voice suddenly drifted into her ears.

Before Anastasya even looked up, she realized something strange, the rain had stopped, or rather... It was no longer falling on her.

"Huh...?" Still trapped in the darkest moment of her life, she slowly raised her head.

The instant her eyes met the man standing before her, they widened in shock.

A pair of piercing blue eyes stared back at her with unwavering intensity.

The faint smirk playing across his handsome face should have looked charming.

Instead... For reasons she couldn't explain, it filled her with an instinctive sense of fear.

The man stood directly in front of her, holding a large black umbrella above her head, shielding her from the relentless rain.

Anastasya could only stare at him.

There was something about his gaze... Something overwhelmingly oppressive.

It felt as though he could see straight through her.

She couldn't even find the courage to speak.

Then the stranger spoke again.

"I asked you..." His deep voice remained calm, yet every word carried an invisible weight that seemed impossible to ignore. "Are you lost, little girl?"

"Huh?" His question finally pulled Anastasya back to reality. Blinking several times, she hurriedly looked around before realizing where she was.

She was sitting right in front of the hotel's entrance.

She had probably been blocking his way all this time.

"Ah..." Using every ounce of strength she had left, she forced herself to stand.

The moment she rose to her feet, a sharp pain throbbed through her head. It felt as though every bit of strength had been drained from her body.

"I'm... I'm sorry, sir." She lowered her head politely. "I think I've been blocking your way..." Although her body swayed weakly, she struggled to stand as straight as she could. Not once did she dare meet the stranger's eyes.

Instead, she bowed her head once more before attempting to leave.

"In that case..." She inhaled a shaky breath. Her head spun violently, and even breathing felt difficult.

"I'll... be on my way..." She had barely taken a step when darkness suddenly swallowed her vision... The world tilted.

Her knees buckled beneath her.

She was about to collapse onto the rain-soaked pavement, but before she could hit the ground, a pair of powerful arms caught her effortlessly.

Her frail body fell straight into Alexander's embrace.

The sudden movement caused the umbrella to slip from his hand. It tumbled onto the wet pavement, leaving the rain to pour over both of them.

"Hm..." Alexander lowered his gaze to the unconscious woman resting against his chest. Rainwater clung to her pale skin, damp strands of chestnut hair framing a face so delicate that it almost didn't seem real.

A slow, dangerous smile curved his lips.

"So beautiful..." His thumb lightly brushed a damp strand of hair away from her face.

"Far too beautiful." His blue eyes darkened with unmistakable interest. "It almost makes me want to play with you."

Without another word, Alexander bent down and effortlessly swept Anastasya into his arms. As though she weighed nothing at all, he carried her toward the black luxury sedan waiting nearby.

"Boss." Kai immediately stepped out of the driver's seat and opened the rear door.

Ever since Alexander had noticed Anastasya crossing the street earlier, he had ordered Kai to follow her.

In all the years Kai had worked for him, it had never happened before. His boss had never shown the slightest interest in any woman. The sudden order had left Kai genuinely puzzled. Even so, he knew better than to question Alexander's decisions.

Silently, he watched as his boss carried the unconscious young woman into the car.

Moments later, the sedan disappeared into the rain, heading toward the private residence of one of the most powerful men in the country — Alexander De Graham.

Neither of them realized it yet, but from that rainy night onward... A cruel twist of fate had already bound their lives together. And a long, complicated story was only just beginning.

...

To be continued...