Karina stiffened, her body frozen in terror.
“Want to shower together?” he asked, his tone almost playful. “Or should I carry you?”
“No!” she blurted, panic flashing in her eyes. “No need. You go first.”
The man chuckled, mistaking her fear for shyness. “Alright, I’ll go first.” He pinched her cheek lightly before stepping out of bed, his broad frame disappearing into the bathroom.
As soon as the bathroom door clicked shut and the faint hum of water filled the air, Karina sprang into action. Ignoring the searing pain in her body, she stumbled out of bed and grabbed her clothes, which were scattered haphazardly across the floor. Each movement sent jolts of agony through her, but she gritted her teeth and dressed as quickly as she could.
She slipped out of the room the moment she was dressed, her breath hitching with every step.
Outside the hotel, her phone rang. She answered, her voice shaky.
“It’s done. I did what you wanted,” she said coldly. “Now, about my brother’s treatment—”
“Insolent girl!” her stepmother, Eunice Rocha, screamed on the other end. “Where have you been all night? You were supposed to replace Vitória and stay with Mr. Francisco! How dare you disappear? And you still have the nerve to ask for money?”
Karina’s lips curled into a bitter smile. “When I left, Mr. Francisco was taking a shower. Are you going to back out of the deal?”
“Rubbish!” Eunice shouted. “Get back here now! If you upset Mr. Francisco, who will pay the debt?”
The call ended abruptly, leaving Karina stunned. Eunice’s rage wasn’t what unsettled her—it was the implications of her words.
“If that wasn’t Mr. Francisco,” Karina whispered to herself, her stomach sinking, “then who was the man last night?”
At the hotel, Julio entered the suite, pulling back the heavy curtains to let the early morning light spill in. The soft, pale glow of dawn illuminated the luxurious room, casting long shadows across the rumpled bed.
The sound of rushing water from the shower came to an abrupt halt. Moments later, Ademir Barbosa stepped out of the bathroom, a towel slung low on his hips. His lean, athletic frame glistened with water droplets, his broad shoulders tapering to a chiseled torso. His dark, sharp eyes scanned the room as he ran a hand through his damp hair, his expression shifting from satisfied laziness to a curious frown.
“Where is the girl?” Ademir asked his tone calm but edged with irritation.
Julio froze momentarily, then shook his head. “She wasn’t here when I arrived.”
Ademir’s gaze drifted to the bed, where the crumpled sheets bore faint traces of what had transpired. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, more amused than angry.
“She ran,” he muttered, his voice a mix of intrigue and annoyance. “Didn’t I tell her to wait? Disobedient little thing.”
He chuckled softly, though his narrowed eyes betrayed his thoughts. Women had often been sent to his bed, some willingly, others coerced, but none had ever dared to slip away afterward. This one, however, had done precisely that.
Ademir’s mind flickered back to the previous night. Someone had drugged him with an aphrodisiac, and she had been there when his self-control had slipped. Was it the drug’s influence that made her unforgettable—or was there something genuinely unique about her?
“Julio,” Ademir said, his voice firm, “find out what happened last night. And find her. I want her name, her face, everything.”
Karina burst into her home, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. Inside the living room, a stocky, middle-aged man with a balding head sat fuming, glaring daggers at Vitória.
“You ungrateful brat!” Francisco barked, his voice loud enough to rattle the walls. “I promised to marry you, and you dare deceive me and keep me waiting all night?”
Vitória remained silent, her face pale but composed. She knew better than to argue with Francisco, a man who used promises of marriage to manipulate and humiliate women. His interest in Vitória had been a stroke of bad luck, but her parents had decided to send Karina to her place.
Karina’s sudden return made everyone freeze. Francisco turned, his mouth opening slightly as his eyes roamed over her.
“Where did she come from?” he muttered, almost to himself.
