"Ouch... It hurts so much..."

Anna McAllister shivered as a sudden chill swept over her body. Her eyes flew open, and under the faint moonlight, she saw the man right in front of her. The pain was so intense that tears welled up instantly, her eyes reddening.

She instinctively reached out to push the man away, but her wrists were effortlessly captured by his large hand and pinned above her head.

This man... he looked familiar. She was sure she'd seen him before.

Though he didn’t move away, he stopped whatever he'd been doing, locking eyes with her. His gaze felt disturbingly deep, like a dark vortex.

“I remember now... You’re Ethan Sinclair, my father’s friend. I can’t believe it! You’re nothing but a wolf in sheep’s clothing! How could you do this to me? To my dad? I’ll call the cops. You’re going to pay for this!”

But even as she spat those words, tears rolled uncontrollably down her face. How could she face her soon-to-be fiancé, Jason Miller, after this? And her dad—would he even believe her? After all, this so-called wolf was someone her father had personally brought into their home.

Ethan Sinclair’s eyes turned cold, sharp like a blade ready to cut through despair. His voice—a low, steely chill—broke the silence. "You’re going to call the cops?"

Anna’s face turned ashen, and despite her trembling voice, she forced herself to speak louder: "Yes, I am! Even if you’re someone as powerful as the infamous Mr. Sinclair, the law doesn’t bend for anyone. You’ll face justice for this!" Ethan Sinclair's lips curled into an almost-smile.

The man's roughness, combined with the pain coursing through her body, jolted Anna McAllister into clarity. This wasn’t the time to provoke him.

Her dry lips quivered slightly as she tried to steady her voice, though it came out raspy and weak. “Ethan, I’m about to get engaged to my boyfriend. Please... I’m begging you, let me go.”

Ethan’s gaze shifted, something unreadable flashing in his eyes. “You have a boyfriend?”

“Yes,” Anna said quickly, her voice gaining a hint of determination. “We love each other. We agreed to get engaged as soon as I graduate.” Her usually lifeless eyes lit up at the mention of her boyfriend, a flicker of hope shining through.

“Who’s your boyfriend?” Ethan’s tone was skeptical, like he doubted her claim.

“He’s my senior… Jason Miller. If you don’t believe me, go ahead and have someone look into it,” Anna replied, her words tumbling out as though this was her last lifeline. But Ethan’s eyes grew even darker, something unsettling brewing beneath his unreadable expression.

“No need. I know him.”

Her heart skipped a beat, panic flooding her chest. Had this all been planned from the start?

“You… you know Jason? Are you friends?” Desperately, she tried to pull away from his grasp, but the disparity in their strength was glaringly obvious.

“We’re not,” he replied coldly.“What’s the deal here?” Anna McAllister hoped Ethan Sinclair would just clarify things so she wouldn’t have to keep guessing.

“Could it be that you’re enemies?” Was this some kind of payback against Jason Miller?

“No.”

Anna felt a tiny sense of relief. “Can you please let me go then? No matter what went down between you and Jason, I’m pretty sure we can sort it out. He’s reasonable, and I’m sure you are too.”

Ethan gazed at her with a steady calm. Luckily, his eyes were fixed on her face, not on the sleepwear pooled on the floor.

She was barely breathing now, like every second stretched into an eternity. Finally, Ethan’s cool, magnetic voice broke the silence near her ear.

“You’re getting engaged to Jason Miller?”

“Yes, we already picked the date—it’s next month.” Anna was banking on the hope that maybe, just maybe, her being spoken for might make him back off.

She guessed right. Ethan let go. Snatching her phone from the table and grabbing the sleepwear from the floor, Anna darted to the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

Inside, the huge mirror caught her reflection. She glanced at herself, her eyes wide in horror. “Ah…”