Third Person Pov.
Raymond Black woke to find the beauty still lying beside him. He took his time studying her face, as though etching every delicate feature into his memory.
A dangerous glint passed through his eyes as he recalled her calling another man's name the night before—a memory that had only driven him to be rougher, more possessive.
Before anger could rise again, his gaze fell on the red stain on the bedsheet, unmistakable proof that it had been her first time.
Seeing the marks he had left on her body filled him with dark satisfaction. From this moment on, he believed, he was the only one allowed to bully her this way. Gently, almost tenderly, he pulled the duvet over her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Kitten," he murmured softly, "where have you been all my life? I can't let you go after today. You can only be mine."
He headed into the bathroom to clean up. When he returned, the bed was empty.
A smile curved his lips as he picked up his phone and made a call. "Come upstairs. Immediately."
Raymond sat on the edge of the bed until his personal assistant arrived. Then, in a casual tone that belied his tension, he asked, "Who was the girl you sent to my room last night? I want every detail about her."
Liam stiffened in shock. "Sir, I didn't send any woman to your room last night. I would never repeat that mistake. The last time I did, you almost transferred me to the East Africa branch."
Raymond exhaled sharply. Liam was telling the truth.
He had slept with a complete stranger.
The realization sent unease crawling up his spine. "Get me every piece of CCTV footage from this hotel, especially the one for this room. Immediately."
"Yes, sir." Liam hurried out, silently praying he wouldn't be the one fired today.
Raymond paced the room, restless and furious with himself. How could I be so careless?
What if she had been sent by his enemies? Was this a trap? A scheme to get pregnant and tie him down?
Lost in thought, he barely noticed when Liam returned with a laptop, and the hotel's general manager.
"Sir," Liam called, louder this time.
"Yes?" Raymond snapped.
"Did you get what I asked for?"
"Yes, sir." Liam swallowed hard and handed him the laptop.
Raymond opened it and began reviewing the footage, eyes narrowing with every passing second.
Carefully, Liam began to explain. "Sir, may I clarify who the woman is and how she ended up in your room?"
Raymond didn't look up. "Proceed."
"Her name is Lena Smith. She's the CEO of Smith Enterprise, daughter of Magnus and the late Hailey Smith. Her father has remarried, and she's currently engaged to Evans Rings."
Raymond's head snapped up. "What kind of name is that?"
Before Liam could answer, Raymond exploded. "She has a fiancé? What sort of woman tricks another man into sleeping with her when she's engaged?"
Rage burned through him. "I want to see this audacious woman. I'll teach her a lesson she'll never forget."
Liam was sweating now, but he forced himself to continue. "Sir, there's more you need to know."
"Then speak."
"She didn't trick you," Liam said carefully. "Her fiancé and her best friend drugged her. They planned to take compromising photos and blackmail her into handing over her company."
Raymond's fists clenched.
"Her father and stepmother were also involved," Liam added. "They wanted to destroy her."
"That still doesn't explain how she ended up in my bed," Raymond growled.
"The men hired to take her to her fiancé's hotel room brought her to the wrong one, yours. When the man returned later, she wasn't there. He got drunk and passed out. He left this morning."
A vein pulsed at Raymond's temple.
"Do you have her address?" he asked quietly.
Liam nodded.
The hotel manager, who had been hiding near the door, was trembling uncontrollably. Everyone in York City knew the legend of Mr. Black—the ruthless billionaire who never forgave and never forgot. Those who crossed him rarely lived to speak of it.
Raymond stood, letting the laptop fall onto the bed. He slipped on his jacket and turned to Liam. "When we bring my kitten home, take two men from the pride Squad. Find the man who was hired to ruin her."
His voice was ice-cold. "I'll deal with him personally, before I feed him to my dogs."
The manager collapsed, wetting himself in terror.
Raymond turned to him. "I'll deal with you later. This happened under your watch. Is this what I pay you for?"
The manager begged, pressing his head to the floor. "I accept my punishment, sir. Please forgive me."
Raymond didn't respond. He simply walked out.
In the garage, they climbed into his sleek black Maybach and drove off.
The silence in the car was heavy.
Why am I this angry? Raymond wondered. Why do I care so much?
Her face flashed through his mind, and his fury surged.
"How dare they bully my kitten," he snarled. "Drive faster."
Liam smiled faintly. "We're already here, sir."
Raymond looked up as they pulled in front of a massive house. "This is it?"
"Yes."
They stepped out. Liam raised his hand to knock, but Raymond stopped him.
"Wait. Let's listen first."
After a moment, Raymond spoke again. "Call the Pride Team. Give them this address. I want them here in twenty minutes."
He paused. "Tell Roman to use the helicopter."
"Yes, sir."
As Liam moved away to make the call, Raymond pushed the door open and stepped inside. His patience already ran cold
Raymond's eyes narrowed dangerously, an unreadable storm simmering behind his sapphire gaze.
Lena couldn't tear her eyes away. Is he a Greek god? she muttered under her breath, mesmerized. It's a sin to be this beautiful.
Raymond chuckled, low and amused. The sound wrapped around her like silk, and she barely registered that he had already squatted in front of her. "Are you always this shameless?" he asked, a teasing edge to his tone. "Try to close your mouth, you're drooling all over the place." With a swift, playful ruffle of her hair, he snapped her out of her daze.
"I… I… I—" Lena stuttered, her mind blank, unable to form a full sentence. Then, almost instinctively, she blurted, "Do I… know you?"
With a straight face and a teasing glint in his eyes,
Raymond replied loud enough for everyone to hear, "You didn't ask who I was when you were screaming under me last night."
Lena's stomach turned, and she almost gagged. Shameless, she muttered under her breath. And then the realization hit her like a lightning strike, this was the man she had spent the night with yesterday. But why is he… being friendly toward me?
Raymond chuckled again, a dangerous smirk on his lips. "Yes, I'm shameless, kitten. I'm a little sad that you don't remember me after all my hard work last night, but don't worry. I'll make sure next time you never forget my face, baby."
"Shut up," Lena hissed, crimson rising to her cheeks. "There won't be a next time."
"That's not for you to decide," he countered, his tone softening just enough to make her pulse race. "I promised to protect you… and to take responsibility for you, kitten. Don't you remember?"
"No. I… I can't seem to remember anything. No matter how hard I try," Lena admitted, a frown creasing her brow.
Raymond's gaze softened, but a faint fire lingered in his eyes. "There's something else I promised you, kitten. I promised no one would ever bully you. Do you remember that?"
Lena shook her head, helpless, signaling that she
didn't recall.
As their conversation unfolded, Evans could feel a chill creep down his spine. Sweat dampened his shirt as he realized the truth: the man he had paid to sleep with Lena was none other than Mr. Black, the demon of New York City himself.
Ashley, meanwhile, was practically seething with jealousy. How does she get all the best men all the time? She thought bitterly. Mr. Black,known to everyone in New York, was not just a wealthy; he was a god in his own right. Some whispered he was the godfather of commerce, others, the god of the underworld. And here he was, standing mere feet from her… and focused entirely on Lena.
What does she have that I don't? Why do all the men want her? Ashley's fists clenched as fury twisted her features. Even Evans wanted her first.
She had to scheme her way into his heart!
Her face contorted further, ready to lash out, but Selena stepped forward, gently holding her hands.
"Don't make a fuss," she warned. "Calm down, or you'll ruin everything. Mr. Black does not forgive easily."
Lena's father, Mr. Smith, had remained silent until now, observing the drama unfold with a calculating gaze. How had Lena managed this? He concluded that it didn't matter. All that mattered was gaining
Mr. Black's favor, perhaps even earning an invitation to his exclusive circle of the rich and powerful.
Raymond, oblivious to the undercurrents swirling around him, kept his focus solely on Lena. His expression returned to the calm, controlled composure he had when he first arrived. "Kitten, who is this to you?" he asked, his voice tinged with restrained anger.
Lena's face flushed, her embarrassment spiking.