It was hot—stuffy and suffocating.

Madeline Moore’s head was foggy, her body felt all wrong. She shivered uncontrollably, pressing herself against the cold wall, hoping to cool down.

The restlessness in her chest eased just a bit, but far from enough.

What the hell was going on? Where even was she?

The warm, dim lighting in the room couldn’t hide the strange heat spreading through her. She felt dizzy, on the edge of passing out, confused about how she even ended up in this unfamiliar place.

Out of nowhere, someone picked her up.

The arms holding her were strong and burning hot. She instinctively wanted to push away but somehow couldn’t resist leaning into him. It felt... comforting in a way she couldn’t explain.

"Madeline..." The deep, magnetic voice called her name. It sent shivers down her spine.

Startled, she looked up with dazed eyes. Her gaze, shimmering like a lost doe’s, was soft and full of confusion—vulnerable, yet impossibly captivating.

“Huh? Who are you—”

The man standing there was tall and sharp-featured. He looked oddly familiar, like someone she might’ve known a long time ago—maybe even family. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t match a name to that face.

The strange feeling in her body kept gnawing at her, dragging her consciousness deeper into a haze.

He didn’t answer.

The girl in front of him looked so pure, so uncertain. Every look she gave—nervous, shy—only made her seem more precious, like a delicate bloom just about to open, meant only for him.

His hand slid lightly across her waist.

She gasped softly and instinctively grabbed his hand.

“Don’t… I’m scared...”

"Madeline, relax. I won’t hurt you."

His voice was gentle, even though he was clearly in control. Looking down at her fragile state, his eyes held something tender.

This was the girl he had held back from for so long. He’d resisted for years. And now, like this, so vulnerable—irresistibly so—she was right here in his arms.He felt like he couldn't take it any longer tonight.

"Madeline, do you even know how much I’ve missed you all these years? Or how hard it’s been for me?"

Madeline Moore frowned, her delicate eyebrows tightening as she struggled to focus on him through her hazy vision.

What was he saying? Why couldn’t she make sense of it?

"I..." She didn’t have the strength to think too much. The drug in her system was already pushing her to the edge. "I feel awful... I don’t know what’s happening... can you help me, please?"

She wasn’t even sure why those words slipped out—it was just instinct, her mind barely functioning under the effects.

The man leaned in close, voice low. "But if I help you now, don’t regret it later."

Her head was spinning, her thoughts completely fogged. She could barely see anything besides the man’s thin, well-shaped lips.

Without even thinking, she leaned up slightly and lightly brushed them with hers.

It was just a fleeting kiss, but its innocent sweetness made him freeze.

Even knowing she probably wasn’t entirely conscious—or maybe just reacting under the influence—he still couldn't stop that wave of longing inside. He had waited too long for this. The thought of her had nearly driven him mad over the years.

"Madeline, don’t regret this... now that you’ve kissed me, don’t you dare regret it, not for the rest of your life..."

His voice was a low mutter against her ear, but Madeline couldn’t hear a word anymore.

A feeling of unease slowly crept up from within her.

Just as he moved, about to go further, another voice rang out, snapping through the haze in her head.

"Miss, we’ve arrived. Time to get off. Miss?"

With a startled gasp, Madeline jolted awake. She looked around in a panic—no strange room, no mysterious man.

She sat frozen for a few seconds before realizing—she was still in the car on her way to the airport.

The driver glanced at her with a puzzled look.

"Sorry," she said with an awkward smile, "just had a bad dream..."

But her thoughts were in complete chaos.

Why had she dreamed that again? Same setting, same man... and even now, after all this time, she still didn’t have a clue what he looked like. How could this weird dream show up again after all these years?