Two sets of lingerie—one burgundy and one purple—lay side by side on the bed. The fabrics were soft and delicate, the designs bold and provocative, radiating an undeniable sense of allure and desire. The moment they were laid out, the very air in the room seemed to hum with a certain tension.
Diana Bell traced her slender fingers over the pieces, debating which one to choose. Her phone chimed with a notification from Penelope Reed: [Babe, go with the one with the cutout in the middle. A hottie like you in that? Your husband won't survive the night!]
Diana picked up the phone and typed back: [Thanks for the tip, but my husband says he'd quite like to stay alive.]
Setting the phone down, she reached for the purple set. She unknotted the towel wrapped around her chest, letting the white cotton slide down her smooth skin until it pooled on the plush carpet.
She stepped into the sheer fabric, pulling the purple silk up over her legs, past her thighs, and over her waist until it hugged her chest. The thin spaghetti straps rested on her delicate, ivory shoulders. Diana stood before the full-length mirror.
The reflection staring back was striking... almost overwhelming.
Her heart began to race. She shut her eyes tight. If she wore this in front of William Knight, she was genuinely worried he'd think she was some kind of temptress.
It was too much. Too scandalous.
They weren't that close yet. Going this "intense" for their first time... she was worried he wouldn't be able to handle it. Or rather, she was worried she wouldn't be able to handle the consequences.
Blushing, Diana walked back to the bed and swapped it for the burgundy nightgown. She slipped it on and returned to the mirror.
She looked like a vision: snow-white skin against deep red, a slender waist, and legs that seemed to go on forever. Her back was as smooth as fine jade, and the neckline dipped into a dizzying, graceful curve. While the design was daring, it covered just enough to be elegant while remaining breathtakingly seductive.
The greatest temptation isn't total nudity; it's the "peek-a-boo" effect—the mystery of what is partially hidden and partially revealed. This burgundy gown mastered that art perfectly.
Satisfied, Diana decided to keep it on. She checked the time; it was already 10:00 PM.
William wasn't back yet.
She wasn't in a hurry. William had his business to attend to, and she had her own plans to manage. She threw a silk robe over the gown and sat at her desk, opening her laptop to browse the latest job listings.
Since William had provided her with a stable home and a monthly allowance of 200,000, she was no longer a piece of driftwood tossing in the storm. She had the luxury of time to find a position that actually fit her career path.
She scrolled through various recruitment sites as the minutes ticked by. One listing caught her eye: Senior Lead Instructor for High School Entrance Exam Prep.
Back at her old company, Diana had been an "A-level" instructor, but she had never reached "Senior Lead" status. Their grading system required a certain amount of performance in live-streamed classes. Because she had been overweight, Atticus Archer had called her "too ugly" and refused to let her appear on camera. Without those metrics, her path to promotion had been blocked.
Curious, she scrolled down to see the company name.
It was a subsidiary of the Knight Group.
The ultimate boss of this company was William Knight!
Diana blinked in surprise. She knew the Knight Group focused on high finance, but she hadn't realized they had branched into the education and training industry.
Water flows down, but people climb up. The Knight Group had the deepest pockets, offered the highest salaries, and provided the best benefits. There was no reason for Diana to pass this up. She immediately uploaded her resume.
However, she had no intention of using the "back door" or her connection to William. She had absolute confidence in her professional abilities. Her students always showed the fastest improvement and her reviews were consistently the best. Her talent was her greatest asset.
By the time she closed her laptop, it was nearly midnight. Fearing the dreaded "late-night hair loss," she slipped into bed at exactly 11:59 PM. She discarded the robe, sleeping only in the burgundy silk gown.
The villa's climate control kept the room at a crisp, comfortable 22°C. She was tucked under a soft silk duvet, lying on a Hästens mattress worth two million.
And yet, Diana couldn't sleep.
After tossing and turning, she reached for her phone on the nightstand. The soft glow of the screen illuminated her face in the dark. She opened WhatsApp and stared at William's profile—a single red rose against a dark background.
Their last message was still his: [If you want me to, I'll come back.]
When?
A sense of eager anticipation welled up in her heart. She had never looked forward to a man coming home like this before. It felt as though she finally had someone to lean on.
She set the phone down and began counting sheep. By the time she reached sheep number 10,001, she finally drifted off.
At 3:00 AM, the bedroom door creaked open. William Knight stepped inside.
The room wasn't pitch black; a soft floor lamp cast a thin, golden veil of light across the floor. She had left a light on for him.
William kept his footsteps light as he walked to his side of the bed. He looked down at Diana. Her small face looked peaceful and soft in sleep, possessing a sort of innocent, defenseless quality that made her look much younger—almost like a child.
He reached out, wanting to touch her cheek, but seeing her steady, gentle breathing, he pulled back. He didn't want to wake her.
William left the room to shower in a guest bathroom, then returned. He lifted the duvet and slid into the other side of the bed.
Just as he was about to drift into a heavy sleep, a warm body pressed against him. The faint, sweet scent of Diana's perfume filled his senses.
Suddenly, she wrapped her arms tightly around his.
He was wearing a sleeveless pajama top, and the sensation of her soft, curves pressing against his arm was incredibly vivid.
William's sleepiness vanished instantly.
His body reacted with an instinctive surge of longing and heat. A secret thrill shot through him, but it wasn't enough—he wanted more.
William stared at the ceiling and let out a silent, breathless laugh. He had been working for nineteen hours straight—since 8:00 AM the previous morning. He was exhausted. But the second she pressed against him, his interest was piqued.
Worked to the bone and I still want this, he thought, marveling at his own lack of self-control.
But she was sleeping so soundly. He couldn't exactly be a beast and wake her up at 3:30 AM just to satisfy himself. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart and calm the fire in his veins.
Just as he thought he might finally settle down, he felt a weight on his lap. Her slender, white leg had hooked over his.
Her warmth and her weight were now fully draped over him. In her sleep, she was as soft as a vine, tangling herself around him, shifting occasionally and brushing against his skin.
William's breathing turned heavy and ragged. It was a torturous kind of pleasure.
Sleep was definitely off the table now...