Chapter 1

"I'm so warm, Beth." Natalie Lopez's lips parted instinctively when she heard those words. Before she could say she wasn't Bethany, her mouth was silenced. The man enveloped her, invading all her senses. "I'm not—" A passionate kiss muffled Natalie's desperate protest. He devoured her with his lips, relentless and demanding like a wolf savaging its prey. A chill ran down Natalie's spine despite the heat radiating from his body. Her last line of defense was gone. Natalie flinched, her body tightening in a desperate attempt to protect herself. Her efforts to push the intruder away were futile. Just then, she locked eyes with a breathtakingly handsome face with sharp cheekbones and a defined jawline. When he subtly lifted his chin, Natalie was shocked to recognize him. It was Taylor Jones! He had a girlfriend, and she just met them both at the banquet earlier. Summoning every ounce of strength, Natalie struggled to break free from his grip. However, her efforts were in vain. Natalie cried out in desperation, "I'm not Bethany Powel, I'm Natalie Lopez! Let me go!" However, Taylor seemed oblivious to her words. Silence enveloped the room after what felt like an eternity. Overwhelmed by despair, Natalie couldn't shake off the feeling of shame and confusion. Her mother lay in the hospital, and her father's legal troubles loomed. Yet, here she was, entangled with a man. Lost in her thoughts, Natalie was startled by voices outside the room. "Where did Taylor go? Wasn't he going upstairs to rest?" "I have no idea." "Why is the door open?" The door swung open, followed by the click of the lights coming on. The woman shrieked, "Taylor Jones, what's going on?" Natalie glanced over and saw Bethany, Taylor's girlfriend. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she turned away. Tears started slipping down Natalie's cheeks. "What are you doing here?" Taylor's voice was filled with surprise and anger. As Natalie met his gaze, she saw a mixture of shock and disgust in his eyes, as if she had orchestrated the situation to trap him. Filled with sorrow and defiance, Natalie spoke up, "I don't know what happened either. You were the one who—" Infuriated, Bethany cut her off, "Taylor, let's break up!" With that, she dashed out of the room in tears, and Taylor hastily adjusted his clothing before following after her. Natalie lay on the bed, her clothes disheveled. Outside, she could hear others gossiping about her. "No matter how ambitious you are, you shouldn't resort to being a mistress." "She's so shameless!" "I heard her dad was corrupted, and he gave gifts to over 300 women on Valentine's Day." "Like father, like daughter!"