C5 A Night of Indulgence

The night was a whirlwind of chaos and ambiguous passion.

I woke up aching all over, my bones feeling as if they had been disassembled. In my heart, I cursed Jorrell thoroughly.

How wild had he been last night? He was nothing short of a beast!

Sitting up, I caught sight of the dense array of kiss marks across my chest and the bruises on my arms. My irritation flared even more. Sure, if he wanted to do it, that's one thing, but did Jorrell really need to go so overboard?

"How do you rate my performance in bed? Satisfied?"

A sultry, deep male voice came from beside me. I whipped my head around to find Jorrell, his handsome face shadowed, watching me intently.

A wave of panic washed over me, and I quickly wrapped myself in the blanket. It felt strange to have a man, still somewhat a stranger, gaze at my body, even though it was I who had invited him into my bed the night before.

"Now you're playing the innocent? You were anything but shy last night."

Jorrell rose and moved closer, his voice dripping with scorn and contempt. His haughty demeanor made me bristle, as if I were inherently a woman of low virtue.

I threw off the blanket, grabbed my clothes from the floor, and dressed boldly in front of him.

"You're quite skilled, and that 'thing' of yours is sufficiently impressive. I'm quite pleased."

My gaze flicked to Jorrell's crotch with a teasing glint in my eyes.

His face turned stormy, his eyes ablaze with fury as he looked at me.

"Do all women nowadays lack shame like you? To speak so freely!"

His words had barely left his mouth when I noticed his gaze linger on the bed, his expression growing complex. Following his line of sight, I saw the stark red that stabbed at my heart.

After a seven-year relationship with Anatol, I had always intended to save my most precious first time for our wedding night. But before we could celebrate our nuptials, I discovered his vile true colors.

And now, I had sunk to giving away my first time so casually to a man.

"Was that your first time?"

Jorrell's eyes met mine again, filled with a complicated mix of emotions.

"What if it was? Do you have some sort of fixation on virginity?"

I withdrew my gaze and met Jorrell's complex expression, my words laced with a hint of mockery.

Jorrell's brows furrowed, his eyes reflecting his distaste for my tone.

"Out with it. What do you want? Money?"

It took him a moment before he spoke again, his voice as icy as before.

"What, do all the women you've been with expect money from you?"

Feeling insulted, I glared at Jorrell, anger rising within me. All I had wanted last night was to get back at Anatol for his infidelity. Did I really come across as someone after his money?

"We were both just fulfilling our needs. I don't want your money. As of today, we're strangers."

With that declaration, I had no desire to exchange another word with Jorrell and swiftly exited the hotel.

Upon arriving at my dear friend Priya's place, she immediately pulled me into her room.

"Ellie, you were gone all night. Do you have any idea how worried I was? I couldn't reach you on your phone. You didn't end up with Anatol, did you...?"