But what she feared the most still happened.
As the searing pain tore through her, Aurora’s tears spilled uncontrollably. Her body trembled violently, yet the man above her showed no tenderness. This night would be forever etched into her mory—a night she would never forget.
It was Everett’s first ti tasting the essence of a woman. He was like a beast, starved for thousands of years, leaving countless bruises across her delicate skin.
For soone untouched before, Aurora couldn’t withstand such ruthless aggression. By the ti it was over, she was completely drained, her mind blank, and her consciousness slipping into darkness.
When she finally awoke, she found herself covered with a blanket. The air still carried a strange scent. She pressed her lips together, barely shifting her body—only to be t with unbearable pain.
Tears surged forth again, unbidden and unstoppable. Through the veil of shimring droplets, she saw a man sitting at the edge of the bed, silently smoking.
Everett’s bare torso glowed under the dim light, his bronzed skin adding to his dangerously seductive aura.
He noticed her, wrapped tightly in the blanket, quietly crying. He had intended to mock her, to say sothing scathing—but as the words reached his lips, he found himself unable to utter them.
No matter how unworthy she might be in his eyes, he had been the one who ca to her, forced himself upon her. To ridicule her now would be beneath even him.
"This ti, I’ll take responsibility," Everett said after a mont of thought.
His life had been filled with won desperately clinging to him, yet not a single one had ever truly beco his.
He could never explain why—why he always felt contempt, why he always felt disgusted.
Aurora had been different. He had only intervened that night because she had been cornered, her snow-white face streaked with clear, glistening tears.
Most celebrities wore layers of makeup when filming a music video, but Aurora, blessed with natural beauty, only had a touch of lipstick applied. No eyeliner, no excessive embellishnts—just a light coat of high-quality mascara.
So even when she cried, her makeup remained flawless. Instead, her tear-streaked face, glowing with a natural rosiness, had been breathtaking—like a pearl adorned with dewdrops.
He hadn’t even understood why, but sothing compelled him to order his n to rescue her.
Aurora was the first woman he had ever tolerated being close to. But last night, after drinking with his so-called friends, those bastards had drugged him as a joke...
The first thought that had crossed Everett’s mind was Aurora.
In his eyes, she was just another woman trying to climb into his bed, so he had co here, thinking this would prove whether he had any real interest in her.
He never expected things to escalate like this.
Underneath the blanket, Aurora was still trembling, as if trapped in an endless winter. Even though it was August, she felt as though she had been plunged into an icy abyss, her surroundings thick with bone-chilling cold.
"We’re investing in a new film. You’ll be the female lead."
Everett’s voice was calm, indifferent.
He thought this was what Aurora wanted.
But to his surprise, she suddenly sat up, clutching the sheets tightly around her bruised body.
"Everett! I don’t need anything from you!" she shouted, her voice raw with emotion. "I’m grateful... grateful that you saved ... but I don’t need you to do this for ! Money ans nothing to you, so just consider this as you repaying for that night—nothing more!"
"From now on... don’t ever co looking for again. We have nothing to do with each other!"
Aurora’s eyes brimd with resentnt and sorrow. She had always intended to save herself for her wedding night. Though so might call her old-fashioned, she had always believed in waiting for the right mont, for things to happen naturally.
She was furious about what had just happened, yet deep down, she knew that if it weren’t for Everett, she would have already been violated by those seven or eight thugs in Country W.
Fate had given her a way out, but it had still exacted a price. At least now, she owed him nothing. There would be no lingering sense of debt gnawing at her peace.
But Everett simply let out a low chuckle, his eyes filled with mocking contempt, making Aurora’s chest rise and fall with anger.
She knew it—he saw her as just another scheming woman.
Regret churned inside her. She should have never let this man inside.
"Are you playing hard to get?" His voice dripped with scorn. "Don’t think I’m so naïve fool, easily deceived. Since you’ve already climbed into my bed, you’d better start acting like soone’s woman. Don’t even think about getting involved with any other man."
A dark glint flickered in Everett’s eyes, his tone laced with warning.
Aurora’s head snapped up in shock. "Everett, what do you an by that?"
Even Everett himself couldn’t explain what he was feeling. All he knew was that suddenly developing an interest in a woman felt completely unnatural to him. And the fact that it was Aurora—soone he believed was constantly trying to climb into powerful n’s beds—made it even more absurd.
"What do I an?" He scoffed. "You’ve already slept with . How could I possibly mistreat my lover?"
His voice was cold as he stood up, taking his ti putting on his clothes.
Aurora’s face turned ghostly pale, her lips trembling. "That’s not what I ant! I ant every word I said, Everett. I never wanted to use you. You despise , don’t you? Then don’t ever—don’t ever look at again! Spare yourself the disgust!"
Everett’s sharp, falcon-like eyes darkened, his lips curling into a sneer. "Are you seriously acting like you don’t know how this industry works? There’s no such thing as a one-sided rejection—only I decide when to walk away. And besides... you’ve already co this far, so why pretend?"
"I’m not pretending! It was you... you forced !" Aurora was trembling with rage, her voice breaking as tears stread down her face. She looked heartbreakingly vulnerable, her delicate features streaked with glistening tears—like a flower battered by the storm.
But Everett’s expression remained cold. Adjusting his collar, he reached into his pocket and tossed a card onto the bed. "A woman of mine doesn’t need to live in a cramped little place like this."
He stood tall, his imposing presence suffocating. It felt as though a massive weight was pressing down on Aurora, making it hard to breathe.
"I don’t want it!" She grabbed the card and flung it back at him.
Everett let out a low scoff, turning on his heel to leave.
Aurora’s voice cracked as she scread after him, "Everett! You bastard! I hate you!"
But he never looked back.
Aurora sat there for what felt like an eternity, crying until she was too exhausted to shed another tear. Only when hunger made her head spin did she force herself to move. Ignoring the pain wracking her body, she dragged herself to the bathroom for a shower, then rummaged through the fridge for sothing to eat.
Her company had actually assigned her a personal assistant, but she had always been fiercely independent. She preferred to live alone—not just for privacy, but also because she feared betrayal.
Loyalty was a rare thing in this world.
She grabbed a cold piece of bread and took a bite, but it only made her stomach feel worse. Frustrated, she hurried to the kitchen to cook herself so noodles.
Aurora wasn’t a top-tier celebrity yet—just a rising star who had won an award. Her portfolio was still too thin. Since her company had allowed her to choose her own songs, she had only released one single last year, and she had just finished filming the music video for her new song this year.
She needed to work harder to solidify her na in the industry.
One day, she would be able to afford a bigger ho—one that didn’t make her feel so rootless.
After finishing her al, Aurora suddenly felt a warm sensation in her lower abdon. Annoyed, she slapped her forehead in realization.
Her period had arrived.
At least that ant she wouldn’t need to take any ergency contraception.
Still, the weight of what had happened crushed her spirits. Curling up under her blanket, she cried again, only stopping when her gaze landed on the gold card lying on the floor.
She let out a cold, bitter laugh.
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