C4 Godson Empire

Michelle’s POV

It was evening when I finally stirred.

My eyes blinked open to a soft glow filtering through floor-length curtains. The ceiling above me wasn’t familiar, neither were the pale gold sheets or the faint scent of cinnamon and clean linen in the room. I pushed myself up and groaned slightly as a dull ache pulsed at the back of my head. My entire body felt like it had been run over emotionally and physically.

“Where am I?” I whispered hoarsely.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, noticing I was in fresh clothes. A large, warm cotton shirt covered my body. Not mine. I scanned the luxurious room again, from the art on the walls to the plush rug at my feet. Everything felt like it belonged to someone powerful.

Before I could stand, the door creaked open. An older woman stepped in with a tray balanced carefully in her hands. She had kind eyes and a graceful air to her movements.

“Perfect timing,” she said with a small, warm smile.

I blinked. “Good day, ma’am,” I managed. “Please… where am I?”

“You’re in the mansion of the only heir to the Godson Empire,” she answered, placing the tray on a side table.

The name struck something in me. “Godson Empire?” I repeated. “Wait, that sounds familiar.”

“Jason Godson,” she added. “My boss. He found you unconscious in the rain. You were soaked to the bone.”

I stared at her, trying to put the pieces together. Then, like a tidal wave, the memories crashed back. The rain. The swing. Crying. Collapsing and before that, Seth. Kiara and the lies.

I drew my knees to my chest, breathing shallow. The sting behind my eyes burned. I bit my lip hard, refusing to cry again.

The woman looked at me with quiet concern. “My name is Miss Mane. I take care of this house and Jason, to some extent.”

My stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly, embarrassing me. Miss Mane didn’t comment. She simply gestured toward the food. “Eat. You’ll feel better.”

Reluctantly, I reached for the tray. The aroma of warm rice and chicken broth stirred something inside me. I hadn’t eaten in almost a day. My fingers shook slightly as I spooned a bite into my mouth.

I was halfway through when the door opened again.

Jason walked in.

I froze.

He wore dark slacks and a grey shirt, the sleeves rolled to his elbows. His presence alone was overwhelming, so calm, so composed. So different from the last time I saw him.

He didn’t look surprised to see me awake. His eyes locked onto mine as he approached.

I stood abruptly, heart thumping. My hands tightened around the fork, unsure what to say.

Jason stopped a few feet away. “You’re awake.”

I nodded.

“I know you probably want answers,” he said gently. “And I owe you that much.”

He pulled the single chair near the bed and sat, resting his elbows on his knees.

“I want to start by saying I’m sorry,” he continued. “About that night… I never meant to take advantage of you.”

I swallowed hard. My fingers trembled around the cutlery.

“You came into my room on your own,” he added. “You were dazed, you touched me first, and I didn’t know you’d been drugged… but I should’ve been stronger.”

I exhaled slowly. “It’s not your fault.”

His brows pulled together. “It feels like it is.”

I shook my head and placed the fork down. “I wasn’t drunk. Someone dropped something in my drink. I just didn’t know who or why… but I panicked and ran. I found you. And something about you felt safe, even though I didn’t know you.”

Jason’s jaw clenched. “You were drugged? At the hotel?”

“Yes,” I whispered. “It wasn’t alcohol that blurred my head. Someone wanted to take advantage of me… but I escaped. You didn’t hurt me, Jason. You helped me. Twice now.”

A beat passed.

“I woke up and saw you gone,” he said. “I felt horrible. I tried to find you. When I got to your house, I saw you walking alone… in the rain… looking like your entire world had just collapsed.”

“It had,” I said bitterly. “I caught my boyfriend in bed with my step-sister. In our house.”

Jason leaned back slightly, stunned. “You… have a boyfriend?”

“Had,” I corrected. “Not anymore.”

He said nothing for a moment. His gaze darkened.

“I’m sorry, Michelle. No one deserves that.”

My throat tightened. “He told her he never loved me. That he just wanted my company, my inheritance, everything my mom left me. And Kiara? She helped him.”

The tears fell before I could stop them. I wiped them away roughly with the back of my hand, furious with myself for still being so fragile.

Jason moved but didn’t come closer. “Is that why you went to the bar?”

I shook my head. “I only found out the truth after I left your hotel room. I went home and… I heard them. I saw them.”

Jason’s face was unreadable, but I saw something flicker in his eyes. Sympathy? Anger?

“And you’ve never slept with him?” he asked gently.

“No,” I said. “You were the first.”

His lips parted slightly. “Michelle…”

“Don’t apologize again,” I cut in. “I won’t pretend I’m proud of what happened between us… but I don’t regret it either.”

He stood slowly and walked over to a nearby table. Picking up two items, he walked back to me and handed them over, my ID card and my complimentary business card.

I took them from him quietly. “Thank you.”

“I found them in your bag,” he said. “You left in such a hurry.”

“Thank you again… for the rain. I was so out of it. I could’ve died from the cold.”

His tone softened. “I wasn’t going to leave you out there.”

For a moment, we were both quiet.

Then he asked, “What will you do now?”

I blinked. “I don’t know. If I go to my father, he won’t believe me. My stepmother controls the narrative in our home. She’ll spin it against me.”

Jason studied me. “What if I helped you?”

I frowned. “You want to help me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I can. And because… I don’t want to see you broken,” he said softly.

I was silent.

“You’re not weak, Michelle. You just need someone to stand beside you while you rise.”

I gave a sad laugh. “And what would you suggest? Revenge?”

His lips curled into a smirk. “Maybe.”

I tilted my head. “And how would that work?”

“You said Seth thinks he’s won. Let’s remind him he hasn’t.”

I looked at him. This man-Jason Godson wasn’t just offering comfort. He was offering power.

Real power.

“I’m in,” I said quietly. “But he doesn’t know I’m already one step ahead of him. That’s my only advantage.”

Jason’s eyes glinted. “Then let’s make the most of it.”

For the first time in two days, I felt something stir inside me.

Not fear, not grief, not despair.

But hope, and the tiniest flicker of vengeance.