Preston handed me a glass of amber liquid, his gaze so tender it made me melt. I forced down a blush and drained the glass.
So he had drugged me then?
"Juliana?" Preston's voice came from the doorway as he walked in with a warm smile.
His shirt was uncharacteristically buttoned to the top, but a faint lipstick smudge on his collar confirmed everything.
I bit my lip, digging my nails deep into my palms, the sharp sting keeping me lucid.
Preston sat beside me and pulled my arms down.
"What are you doing? They're all my friends. Don't you trust us?"
Suddenly, the room started to spin, and a wave of heat surged from deep within my body.
"Whoa! Preston, looks like the drug is kicking in."
"Preston, is this really okay?" Troy asked hesitantly.
Preston laughed dismissively. "Don't worry. The Hayes family's trust fund has some problems, they won't be back on their feet anytime soon. Do whatever you want. I'll take the heat."
With the last of my strength, I grabbed his sleeve, my vision blurring with tears. "Preston, tell me… why?"
I wanted to ask, "Why would you do this to me? I gave you my whole heart. Why?"
His eyes turned bloodshot. He seized my chin and said coldly, "Juliana, your family's so-called 'class' is just an act. This is only the beginning. There's plenty more where this came from!"
He flung my hand away, and I collapsed onto the mattress. Without a backward glance, he wrapped his arm around Savannah and walked out. At the door, Savannah turned, a triumphant gleam in her eyes.
The moment he was gone, the group of men surged forward, their hands grabbing at my dress.
"Help… help…" I tried to cover myself, but my limbs felt like lead, my muscles useless under the drug's influence.
Within seconds, cold air hit my skin as the men's gazes burned over me.
They closed in around the bed. I struggled to crawl away, but a hand clamped around my ankle and dragged me down. More hands reached for me.
I bit my tongue until my mouth filled with the taste of blood, the sharp pain giving me a sliver of strength back.
I remembered the heavy, antique brass letter opener on the nightstand. Tonight, it might be my only salvation.
Gritting my teeth, I inched toward the headboard as their hands dragged across my skin, whistles and crude comments buzzing in my ears.
"God, this is so exciting…"
"She's probably still a virgin. Skin like silk. Can't believe Preston never touched her."
"Who cares? Her first time is ours!"
"Come on! Let's all go at once!"
A hand fumbled between my legs. The drug made my breath come in ragged gasps.
A sickening wave of drug-induced pleasure and nausea washed over me, my vision swimming with stars.
I bit down harder on my tongue until a trickle of blood escaped the corner of my mouth.
The man closest to me grabbed my chin and slapped me. "Stop fighting!"
My fingers finally brushed against the cold metal on the nightstand.
"Stay back!" I screamed, swinging the letter opener in a wild arc through the air.
"Ooh, she's got a toy! What's this, Juliana? You like it rough? We can play that game."
No one took the letter opener seriously. A few of them even laughed.
I retreated to the corner, hugging my body tightly, the feeling of their hands on my skin replaying in my mind.
Then, I raised the letter opener, turned the point toward myself, and plunged it into my own thigh.
The rowdy men fell silent. Before they could react, I stabbed myself again. Agonizing pain ripped through me, tearing through the drug's haze and burning it away.
"You want me dead? Fine, I'll grant your wish!"
Blood stained the white carpet. My strength was draining away, my vision darkened, and then everything went black.
