"Satisfied with your acting, hm?"
That baritone voice wasn't just deep... it possessed an explosive force that sent a short circuit through every nerve in Arunika's body. Nika froze. In that heartbeat, she realized something was horribly wrong. This scent... the aroma of expensive sandalwood laced with subtle tobacco... it wasn't at all the scent of an old man on the verge of retirement.
CLICK!
The main lights flickered on dimly, casting a dramatic golden glow. As Nika's vision finally focused, she felt her heart stop beating for three full seconds. The man currently pinning her down in such an intimate position wasn't the pot-bellied Mr. Baskoro.
He was Bara Vane.
The sole ruler of the Vane Group, a man whose single sneeze could destabilize the national economy. Bara stared down at her with a lopsided smirk... the kind of predatory smile reserved for a hunter who had just found a fascinating new toy.
"M... Mr... Bara?" Nika stammered, her face flushing deep crimson all the way to her ears. She felt like she wanted to vanish, teleport to another planet, or at the very least, be buried alive right then and there.
Bara didn't release her. Instead, he locked both of Nika's wrists above her head with one of his large, powerful hands. His other hand slowly traced Nika's jawline, then slid down to her neck, making her shudder violently.
"Now, tell me..." Bara lowered his face, his lips nearly brushing Nika's ear, delivering a searing sensation that scorched her skin. "Who are you, really? And what is your purpose in entering my room wearing this practically useless dress, only to attack me as if you were the hungriest woman in the world?"
Nika swallowed hard with great difficulty. The tension between them had surpassed all normal limits. Bara's broad, unbuttoned chest pressed against hers, making every breath they took feel shared.
"I-I'm in the wrong room! I thought this was Mr. Baskoro's room!" Nika struggled, but her movements only caused their thighs to brush against each other, creating an electric jolt that left Nika even weaker.
Bara let out a low, thin chuckle... a sound that was incredibly sexy yet lethal. "Baskoro? So you wanted to trap that old man? With such cheap tactics?"
Bara pressed his body even closer, his knee sliding between Nika's legs, forcing her to feel the full weight of his dominance. His gaze locked onto hers, sharp and utterly demanding.
"Tell me your name! And don't you dare lie to me if you still want to leave this room alive," Bara hissed. His masculine breath fanned Nika's trembling lips.
Nika wanted to cry. The awkwardness was god-tier; her shame had pierced the atmosphere. She was trapped in the most humiliating position with the most dangerous man who was feigning ignorance... even though his gaze felt as if it were stripping away every foul plan hidden in her heart.
"My name is... Arunika," Nika sobbed softly. "I... I just wanted to take back what was stolen from my father."
Bara arched an eyebrow, his fingers now grazing Nika's lips, which were swollen from their heated kiss in the darkness earlier. "Taking it back? By selling yourself to an old man? It turns out you are far more foolish than you look."
Bara tightened the space between them, making Nika feel every inch of the tension in his body. "But since you've already lit a fire inside me... I won't let you go until I get what I want tonight."
Nika squeezed her eyes shut, surrendering yet feeling consumed by a passion that shouldn't exist. Her revenge against Dimas had now ensnared her in the grip of a merciless God.
"M... Mr... please..." she whimpered, but Bara silenced her moan with a kiss that was far rougher, more demanding, and hotter than before.
The kiss was no longer a mere greeting; it was a conquest. Bara devoured Arunika's lips with a demanding tempo, as if he wanted to absorb every bit of oxygen left in her lungs. Nika tried to turn her face away, but his iron grip on her wrists only pressed harder against the pillow, leaving her no choice but to accept every assault of passion.
I'm dead... this is absolute suicide, Nika screamed internally between her racing gasps.
Bara broke the kiss for a moment, just to give Nika air, but his eyes remained locked onto hers with terrifying intensity. "Tell me, Arunika... what was stolen from your father? Enough for you to crawl into a stranger's bed and do all this?"
Nika sobbed, her chest heaving against Bara's hot, broad chest. "The... the gallery. My father's gallery. Dimas seized it through treachery until my father had a heart attack. I just want the gallery back!"
At the mention of Dimas's name, a strange flicker crossed Bara's eyes. However, he maintained his act as a stranger who had no business with family dramas. Bara laughed low... a masculine sound full of mockery.
"So, the price of an old gallery is worth your body?" Bara whispered, while his left hand began to explore the curves of Nika's waist, pulling the red dress higher until the skin of Nika's thighs met his searing heat. "You're bolder than I thought. But unfortunately, you chose the wrong prey. Baskoro is weak. But me? I won't let you go after you gave me such a promising 'opening service' earlier."
Bara leaned down, ravenously kissing Nika's neck, leaving a prominent red mark—an indisputable claim of ownership. Nika let out a soft moan, her toes curling against the silk sheets. Her body was betraying her; her reason screamed "Run!", but her nerves craved more touch from the man pinning her down.
"M... Mr. Bara... don't... please..." Nika whimpered, but her voice sounded more like an invitation to the predator.
"Don't? But your body says 'yes,' Arunika," Bara hissed into her ear. His fingers found the zipper of the red dress on Nika's back, pulling it down in one slow, agonizing motion. "You started this game, and I will finish it. Tonight, forget about revenge. Just think about how you will survive under me."
Bara attacked Nika's lips again, his hands roaming wildly over every inch of her sensitive skin. Nika felt her brain melt; all the neat plans she had drafted in her father's shop evaporated. Under the power of Bara Vane, Nika felt like a sheet of paper ready to be crumpled and discarded at any moment.
Shame, fear, awkwardness, and exploding passion mixed into one, creating a storm of emotion that left Nika helpless. She could feel Bara's heart beating strongly against her chest, as if the man himself was affected by the mad game they were playing.
"One night," Bara whispered amidst their rhythmic gasps. "Give me one unforgettable night, and I will consider helping with your 'little problem.' But if you fail to satisfy me... you will know what it means to disturb a sleeping lion."
Nika squeezed her eyes shut tightly, her tears finally falling and dampening Bara's luxury pillow. She didn't know if this was the path to getting her gallery back, or the path to her own destruction. But under Bara Vane's hungry gaze, Nika knew there was no longer a way out.
That night, in Room 1001, Arunika hadn't just entered the wrong room. She had surrendered her life to a devil with the face of a god who would change her life forever.