The room light was dim, shadows flickering across the walls. Jordan tried steadying himself, but his hands wouldn't stay still. His fingers twitched restlessly, as though craving contact with something-anything.
A storm raged inside him. Anger twisted with an unbearable, unfamiliar heat, a raw ache clawing through his veins. It made him stagger, drunk on something he hadn't chosen.
Then he saw her.
Julian lay sprawled on the bed, her body glowing with a fevered flush. Her lashes fluttered against her cheeks, lips parted slightly, soft and inviting. The neckline of her dress gaped open, revealing the steady rise and fall of her chest. Her beauty burned into him like fuel poured on fire.
No... this isn't me.
But the drug mocked his resolve. His body moved without his permission, dragging him closer until he was above her, caging her in. His mouth crashed against hers, a kiss far too rough, too desperate.
Julian's skin tingled with unbearable heat. Her body craved warmth, contact, anything to soothe the ache that pulsed inside her. A low whimper escaped her lips as she clutched at his chest, pulling him closer. Her body betrayed her, moving toward him, hungering for the fire he brought.
He groaned against her mouth, the sound guttural, broken. The kiss deepened, turning savage, wild. His hands trembled as they slid down her arm and anchored at her waist, holding her still.
Julian kissed him back with equal urgency, the drug in her veins stripping away reason. She wanted-no, needed-more.
"Please... don't leave," she whispered, voice breathless and slurred, her eyes hazy.
Her plea shattered the last barrier inside him.
He pressed her down beneath him like a beast finally unleashed, dominance surging where restraint had once lived. His weight covered her, his body straining against hers, his desire a torment that demanded release.
Julian gasped, her body quivering as her dress slipped further, exposing bare skin to the cold air. Her lashes fluttered, half-blind in the dark, unable to make out his face. He was strong, overwhelming-an unyielding force she couldn't fight.
Then came the sharp intrusion.
Julian stiffened, a cry breaking from her lips. Pain flared, her fingers clawing at his back in instinctive resistance. Yet the drug twisted even this-turning pain into a confusing tide of heat and pleasure that stole her voice.
Her hands tangled in his hair, pushing, pulling-caught between resistance and surrender. Her lips sought his again, desperate, as though her body had been hijacked.
He groaned, his own mind warring with his actions. Stop. Stop this... But the fire only grew hotter, and the drug drowned his thoughts in a haze of lust.
To Julian, the world became a blur of heat, pressure, and confusion. Her mind screamed questions-Who is this man? Was he part of Aria's scheme?-but her body no longer obeyed her mind. She was lost in the storm, carried by a tide she couldn't escape.
Her finger slipped from his shoulder,falling limp against the sheet
The last thing she felt was the crushing weight of his body and the pounding of her own frantic heartbeat before darkness swallowed her whole.
The next morning...
Julian woke slowly, every muscle aching as if she'd been dragged across thorns. A groan escaped her lips, her fingers pressing against her temple. The fog in her head slowly cleared, and with it, flashes of last night seared into her mind. Heat. Rough hands. A kiss she hadn't wanted. Her body quivered at the memory.
She turned instinctively, searching the cold sheets beside her.
"The man from last night..." she whispered hoarsely. He was gone.
Panic stirred inside her. She tried to stand, but her legs buckled beneath her, sharp pain stabbing through her body. Her breath caught in her throat, the ache a cruel reminder of what had been done to her.
The door burst open.
Aria walked in first, her face a careful mask of concern. Behind her, Richard and Margaret followed-both stiff, their eyes wide with horror as they took in the scene: Julian disheveled, the room in disarray, the sheets baring shameful evidence of what had happened.
"Damn you-shameless girl!" Margaret's voice cracked as she raised her hand and slapped Julian across the face. The sharp sting burned, and blood trickled from the corner of Julian's mouth.
Julian flinched, eyes widening in disbelief. "Mum-please-"
Margaret's voice trembled with rage. "How could you? Just a few months back in this family, and you're already dragging our name through the mud? Do you know how many years I've worked to build our reputation?!"
"Mum, don't be angry," Aria said softly, stepping forward, her tone full of false concern. "I'm sure sister was just drunk. She didn't mean to sleep with some... random man." Her lashes fluttered, but the glimmer of triumph in her eyes betrayed her.
Julian stared at her, stunned. "Aria-you know the truth. You drugged me!"
Aria's lips parted, her face the perfect mask of hurt. "Sister, how can you accuse me of such a thing? After everything... I was the one who called Mum and Dad here because I was worried about you." She bit her lip, lowering her eyes like a child wounded by unfair blame.
Richard's face hardened, his jaw tight. "Julian, enough. Do you know what shame you've brought to this family? Do you realize what people would say if this ever got out?"
"Dad, please!" Julian's voice cracked. "You have to believe me. I would never-"
"You're a disgrace," Richard thundered, his face dark with fury. His words cut like a blade. "From today, you're no longer my daughter. You'll be sent abroad-you won't return. I will not let any daughter of mine destroy everything I've worked for."
He stormed out. Margaret followed, her face twisted with anger and shame.
Julian's lips trembled as she watched them leave. Tears blurred her vision, her chest heaving with broken sobs. The people she had longed for, the family she thought she'd found-they had abandoned her without hesitation.
Aria's soft laugh broke the silence.
"Hehehe... Julian, I told you. Everything goes my way. Mum and Dad will always believe me over you. Damian will always be mine. And you-" she crouched closer, her smirk wicked, "-you'll always be the long-lost daughter no one wanted back."
Julian's lips trembled. "You... how could you do this to me?"
"How?" Aria tilted her head, her smirk deepening. "Because it's easy. You're too pathetic to fight back."
Aria leaned in, her voice a poisoned whisper. "Hope you enjoyed last night, sis. I made sure the man was... wild. The kind who doesn't know how to be gentle." Her words dripped with mockery.
"You..." Julian's voice cracked, rage and humiliation knotting in her chest.
Aria straightened, flicking her hair back with a triumphant smirk. "Sis, you will always live in my shadow. Enjoy the rest of your miserable life."
Her heels clicked against the floor as she left, her laughter echoing cruelly in the empty room.
Julian sank back onto the bed, tears streaming, her body trembling. Betrayed. Broken.
