MADDISON'S POV

I didn't know if it was the alcohol in my system or the intoxicating scent of this man but a rush of adrenaline filled me and I kissed him back with the same intensity.

He pulled back for a moment and rubbed my burning and swollen lips with his thumb

The room was quiet and we could both hear our heavy breathing.

"Fuck it," he muttered before throwing the blanket off me and climbing on top of me.

He buried his face in my neck; I let out an involuntary moan as he sucked hard on my neck.

He gradually tore my clothes off my body and took off his own shirt.

My hand trailed his broad chest and shoulders and went around to wrap his neck. He lifted his head and captured my lips again and I didn't hesitate to give him access to my mouth.

Our tongues fought for domination but I ended up submitting to him.

He grabbed my boobs and kneaded them softly at first, then he pressed harder with his hands, earning a muffled moan from me.

He groaned softly into the kiss, before trailing kisses to my neck, collar bones and chest.

My fingers dug into his hair as I kept on moaning softly.

He captured one of my erect nipples in his mouth while he used his fingers to pinch on the other one.

"Ahh...yes..." my moans got louder as he feasted on it like a starved man.

I didn't know what I was doing but I didn't want this man to stop what he was doing to me.

My eyes rolled to the back of my head as he released the first nipple with a pop sound and captured the other aching one with his mouth,.

"Fuck!" I muttered, digging my fingers deeper into his hair.

His other hand trailed my body until it got into my already soaked panties. I didn't know who this man was, but I was fucking aroused by him.

He dipped his hand inside my clit to feel my arousal, "Damn! You're fucking wet and ready for me," he growled, while sucking my nipples, sending a vibration to my entire body.

He continued to rub on my wet clit while he sucked on my nipples. The pleasure was overwhelming and my clit kept dripping in his hand.

"You're fucking juicy," he whispered as he released my nipples and looked into my eyes, "I want to know how good you taste."

Before I could respond, his finger penetrated into me and I jerked up with a loud moan.

"Easy...easy," he murmured as he moved his finger into me and kissed me hungrily.

He kept finger fucking me but my moans were muffled into the kiss as his thrust became faster. I was a dripping wreck and my fingers dug in his back as the pleasure exploded all over my body.

"I want you, Maddison. I want you so bad."

He knows my name. But I wasn't thinking straight enough to ask him for his name.

He continued to thrust deeper and faster with his finger and I was a moaning mess underneath him.

He planted kisses on my body and trailed them down until he settled between my thighs.

He pulled out his finger and licked it. "You taste fucking heavenly." he groaned "We don't want all this juice to go to waste, do we?"

Before I could respond, my hips jerked up with force as I felt his mouth capture my pussy lips.

He held my hips in place and sucked hard on my pussy like a starved maniac.

"Ahh... fuck...please," I tried to push his head away while my other hand gripped the sheet, but he didn't budge.

I didn't know if I wanted him to stop either but the pleasure was too much for me to handle. I've never felt this way before.

He continued to eat my pussy, his mouth and tongue worked in perfect rhythm and I practically screamed my lungs out in pleasure.

After a long moment, my legs began to tremble and I couldn't scream anymore. My voice was hoarse and my moans came out breathless.

But this man was so dedicated to sucking me dry as I continued to drip for him.

Before I knew it, darkness took over me again as I came undone in his mouth.

***************

I woke up to an empty bed the next morning and I realised that I was alone in a hotel room.

I groaned softly as I sat up, my clothes were neatly folded on a chair, pressed and dry-cleaned and my suitcase was sitting at a corner of the room. I wore a hotel robe with nothing underneath.

My body felt heavy and sore, especially my nipples and vagina.

"What happened to me? How did I get here?" My questions were returned with silence.

I shivered from panic as the memories came flooding back and a cold knot twisted in my stomach.

Did I...?

I pressed my thighs together instinctively, and a shiver of realization ran through me. The tingling sensation between my legs confirmed my worst fear.

"Did I lose my virginity to a stranger last night?" my heart pounded with fear.

A soft knock interrupted my spiraling thoughts.

"Breakfast, Miss," the hotel attendant came in carefully with a tray in hand.

I steadied my breathing as she walked in and placed the tray on the bedstand. "Thank you...um, do you know...who brought me here?" I asked her.

The attendant shook her head. "I'm sorry, Miss. The guest who requested your stay didn't want their name disclosed. Everything you need has been covered for the next 24 hours." She left and closed the door behind her.

My hands clenched the sheet, and my knuckles turned white.

Was it Christian?

My chest tightened. He found me drunk and helpless and he took advantage of me.

The anger and betrayal clawed at my chest as I slammed my fists against my laps.

"How could you let this happen, Maddison? How could I be so stupid," I scolded myself and cried until I couldn't cry anymore.

I soon realized that wallowing in shame and regret wouldn't solve anything. I picked myself up and took a shower; all my sensitive spots burned as the cold water hit my body and I tried not to cry all over again.

I got dressed and left the hotel room with my suitcase with one place in mind: Throne Group.

I had to see Aldric Hwathorne. It was going to be difficult to get an audience with him but I couldn't give up without a fight.

Standing in front of the towering building, I smoothed my hair nervously. My long brown waves framed my pale, tear-streaked face, my green eyes swollen from crying. My petite figure felt small under the shadow of the glass-and-steel giant,

but my chin lifted, determination flaring despite the fear. I couldn't give up. I had to prove my innocence, reclaim my job, and regain some shred of dignity.

My heart raced as soon as I spotted the familiar sleek black car gliding to a stop at the entrance.

I sprinted towards it. "Mr. Hwathorne!" I called, waving my arms.

The bodyguards stepped forward immediately, blocking me.

"Miss Huston, please step back," one warned with a firm voice.

I ignored him, keeping my eyes on the man stepping out of the car;

Aldric Hwathorne. His face was cold and unreadable, as always. He had a perfectly sculpted face and deep brown eyes that seemed to look straight through people, and a lean, muscular frame.

He wore a black tailored suit. Every inch of him screamed authority, charisma, dominance.

He didn't look at me. He just walked in, utterly unbothered.

Ignoring the guards, I pushed past them and rushed into the building.

"Mr. Hawthorne, I'm innocent! Please-you have to hear me out!" I shouted, my voice cracking under the weight of desperation.

The guards immediately moved to drag me back, but before they could touch me, Aldric stopped and turned around. Raising one hand, he silenced them with a single gesture.

"Let her go."

His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried enough authority to bring everyone to a halt.

For a moment, I simply stared at him. After everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours, I hadn't expected anyone to give me the benefit of the doubt, and the small act of mercy sent a rush of hope through my chest.

"Follow me," he added before turning away, clearly expecting me to obey.

Relief washed over me so suddenly that my knees nearly gave out. Gripping the handle of my suitcase, I hurried after him, terrified that if I hesitated for even a second, this opportunity would disappear.

When we reached the executive elevator, one of his personal bodyguards stepped in front of me and blocked my path.

"Use the general elevator."

I nodded quickly and did as instructed.

By the time I stepped onto the executive floor a few minutes later, my palms were damp with sweat and my legs felt unsteady beneath me. Every step toward Aldric Hawthorne's office seemed heavier than the last, and yet I forced myself forward until I finally reached the large double doors.

Taking a steadying breath, I knocked softly.

"Come in," his deep voice called from inside.

I opened the door slowly, and my breath hitched. He was taking off his jacket, revealing a fitted white shirt stretched across broad shoulders.

His chest and arms were strong, toned, disciplined. I swallowed hard, heart thudding uncontrollably.

"You have five minutes," his deep and commanding voice brought me back to reality. "I'm sure you didn't cause all that ruckus just to stare at me."

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment and I blinked, trying to steady myself and breathe properly.

I stepped further into the room and shut the door behind me.

The familiar scent of his cologne hit me instantly, and my mind betrayed me; memories of the stranger from last night, the moans, the kisses, the pleasure, rushed back in full force.

My pulse raced as I looked at him with a sense of familiarity. The bodybuild, the face, the voice....

My mouth opened before my mind could stop it;

"It was you..." I blurted out, "You were the man who slept with me last night."

MADDISON'S POV

His silence hit me harder than the shock on his face.

Aldric didn't react or say anything at first, he just narrowed his eyes at me like he couldn't believe I just said that.

"So that's why you're here?" His voice came out smoothly and unbothered.

I froze. My pulse spiked when the realization of his response hit me.

He didn't deny it. It was really him.

"How could you..." My voice trembled slightly.

Aldric let out a soft, humorless chuckle.

My chest tightened with anger. "How dare you? Why would you... why would you take advantage of me when I was drunk? Why do men always..."

He pushed back from his desk and stood, the sudden movement making my pulse jump. The calm, unreadable expression he'd worn all morning hardened into something dangerous as he circled the table and stalked toward me with deliberate slowness, leaving me feeling less like a visitor in his office and more like prey trapped in a predator's sights.

"That's how you show appreciation?" he asked quietly. "To someone who saved you from danger? Protected you because you were careless enough to drink yourself unconscious in a bar?"

I blinked in confusion. "Protected... me?"

"Yes. And you dare accuse me of taking advantage of you? Seriously, Miss Huston?" He stopped in front of me and trailed his eyes from my legs up to my face.

I felt cornered, stupid and confused.

"No, I remember everything." I tried to keep my voice steady but my shaking breaths betrayed me. "You kissed me, you touched me, you even..." I trailed off my last words because I couldn't bring myself to say it.

His eyes glinted with something I couldn't read.

"You don't seem to have recovered from the alcohol," he said with a smirk on his face, stepping closer while I backed away until my back hit the wall.

His arm braced beside my head, and my breath caught as he leaned in, heat radiating from his body like fire contained in a man.

"You must be so delusional to have imagined me having sex with you," he murmured, his lips brushing so close to my ear that my knees weakened.

My breath caught in my throat.

"I didn't imagine-"

The protest died on my lips when he reached out and tilted my chin upward, forcing me to meet his gaze. He was standing so close that I could feel the warmth radiating from his body, and the sight of his mouth hovering inches from mine sent my pulse racing in a way that made me instantly resent myself. There was something unsettling in his eyes, something dark and unreadable that made me feel as though he could see straight through every defense I had left.

Then he leaned closer, lowering his head until his lips were near my ear.

"I don't fuck virgins."

The words landed like a physical blow.

A shiver ran through me as his breath brushed the sensitive skin of my neck, and a fresh wave of confusion swept through my mind.

How could he possibly know that?

"How..." I swallowed hard before forcing the words out. "How do you even know that?"

For a moment, I thought he might answer.

Instead, he simply stepped back and pushed away from the wall, leaving me standing there breathless and disoriented, as though he hadn't just unraveled every coherent thought in my head.

I swallowed again and tried to steady myself.

"Mr. Hawthorne... did you really not..."

He glanced back over his shoulder, his expression unreadable except for the faint trace of boredom in his eyes.

"Were you hoping I did? So you could blackmail me into hiring you back?"

My jaw dropped. "No, No! That's not..."

"Good," he said coldly. "Because nothing happened. I only helped you because you used to work here. Don't count on that happening again."

Humiliation burned through me;

Of course. He would never want me like that. I was not his type.

My throat tightened. I didn't know what to say after embarrassing myself like that. "Mr Hwathorne, I..."

"You've used up your five minutes." His tone sliced through every ounce of courage I had left.

"Leave."

"I'm really sorry for accusing you like that. Please, just give me a chance to explain."

"I said leave."

The sharp command cracked through the room, and the authority in his voice made me instinctively flinch.

The last shred of hope I'd been clinging to vanished. Whatever opportunity I might have had to clear my name had been destroyed the moment I let my emotions take over.

Muttering another apology that he clearly had no interest in hearing, I backed toward the door and slipped out of his office, closing it quietly behind me.

By the time I reached the lobby, humiliation had settled heavily in my chest. The memory of everything I'd said replayed over and over in my mind, making me cringe with every step.

What was I thinking?

I had come here to convince Aldric Hawthorne of my innocence, yet somehow I'd ended up accusing him of sleeping with me.

Unable to leave, I crossed the street to a small café beside Throne Group and took a seat near the window, convincing myself that if I waited until the end of the workday, I might get another chance to speak to him.

The afternoon dragged by painfully slowly. I spent most of it staring at my phone without really reading anything, alternating between rehearsing what I wanted to say and wondering whether there was any point in staying at all.

I was still sitting there hours later when a familiar voice sliced through the quiet atmosphere of the café.

"Well, well. Look who it is."

A knot immediately formed in my stomach.

I looked up to find Clarisse and Belle walking through the entrance, and the moment their eyes landed on me, their expressions lit up with the unmistakable excitement of people who had just found a new target.

Their eyes lit up when they saw me.

"Oh wow," Clarisse smirked. "The office whore survived? Thought you'd evaporated from shame."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not doing this with you."

Belle snickered. "Did you come to seduce the CEO too? I heard he threw you out. Must've been humiliating."

They both burst into annoying laughter.

I clenched my jaw but I refused to react because I didn't want to cause a scene.

When they walked away to order, I grabbed my bag and suitcase, and walked out. It would be better to avoid them.

I'd barely walked a few meters when I heard a commotion behind me.

"Hey! Stop! Stop her!"

I jerked around, baffled, as people rushed toward me.

Clarisse pointed at me dramatically. "She stole my wallet!"

"What...?!" My heart dropped. "No I didn't! You're lying!"

"Search her bag!" she yelled.

"There are security cameras everywhere." I pointed toward the ceiling. "If you're accusing me, then prove it. Show me the evidence."

But they weren't interested in reason. Someone grabbed my bag forcefully and the contents spilled on the floor.

She gasped as she bent down to pick her wallet amongst my stuff.

"See?! It's with her!" she held it up to show them.

Gasps and murmurs erupted.

I was stunned and confused. "How did that get there?! I didn't take your wallet. You know I didn't do it, Clarisse."

"You shameless thief," someone spat

"I swear, I didn't..." A drink splashed on my hair and my face before I could complete my sentence.

People threw cups of drinks and food at me, their voices turned into an ugly roar.

I stopped trying to keep the peace. Squaring my shoulders, I turned to face the crowd. If they wanted a fight, I was done running from one.

Tears streamed down my face, my body shook under the humiliation, the noise and the shame.

Everything suddenly went quiet and I felt a coat cover me and spin me around;

My face hit a hard chest, and the familiar intoxicating cologne filled my nostrils.

I heard some people gasping behind me and my breath hitched as the deep voice rumbled above my head.

It was Aldric.

"Do you always get in trouble to get my attention?"