Arya and Noam had been a couple for five years and it had been three since they'd last seen each other, with Noam having gone abroad to study. But today was the day they would finally reunite. Arya had risen early, though in truth, anxiety had scarcely allowed her to sleep the previous night. Time crawled by at an agonizingly slow pace, every minute feeling like an hour, even as she went shopping to find the perfect outfit for the long-awaited moment with her beloved. As dusk fell, she took her shower, applied her makeup exquisitely, donned the carefully selected attire, hailed a taxi, and set off for the hotel to wait for him, having made up her mind to give herself to the man she loved.

"Hello, did you miss your flight?" she said with a lump in her throat and tears forming in her eyes.

"Arya, I've booked the next flight out. I'll be there tomorrow morning, okay? You'll wait for me, right?" Noam spoke with a calm voice from the other end of the phone.

"It’s fine, I just miss you so much. It’s been so long," she managed, trying to hold back tears and hide the disappointment in her voice.

"We’ll see each other very soon," he said with affection and hung up before she could even say goodbye.

She grabbed the wine bottle she had picked out so carelessly for that night and took a hefty swig directly from it. Today, she had resolved to gift herself to Noam after years, but all went awry. Her mood and self-esteem were in tatters at that moment. Not sure if she’d ever have the courage again to be with him before their wedding day, she took an even larger gulp and looked at herself in the mirror, all dressed up for nothing, feeling the sting of frustration at that moment.

"Noam, why did you do this to me? You don't realize how frustrated I am right now! I got all ready, and you miss the damn flight and act like it's no big deal," she yelled, wishing he could hear just how let down she felt, even though it was futile – he was in another country and wouldn't hear anything she said.

She finished the rest of the wine in the bottle, her body feeling lighter as the room seemed to spin. Collapsing onto the bed with tearful eyes, she knew she would look horrible in the morning with a swollen face from crying and a terrible hangover. She was nearly asleep when she heard a noise at the door, which must have been the bathroom, as the pleasant scent of men's cologne filled the room. She saw a male silhouette appear, heard the door close, and watched him approach.

"You really waited for me while drunk, huh? Don't think I'll let you get away with this; I'll have to punish you," she heard in disbelief as Noam had arrived, seeing her in that state, and she accepted her 'punishment'...

Kilan Pagano, the sole heir to the influential Pagano family of the United States and known for his arrogant, cold, and commanding nature, was someone people feared to approach. After an argument with his father, he had left home and checked into a New York hotel, armed with nothing but a few clothes due to his constantly traveling for business. After one of these trips, he decided to meet some friends in a well-known city bar before returning to his hotel.

"Room key for 8018," he demanded brusquely.

"Good evening, Mr. Pagano. Here is your key," the receptionist replied, her voice wavering.

He took the key and headed to the elevator, his presence inevitably drawing everyone's attention. Once in his room, he noticed a woman lying on his bed.

"They sent another woman to please me? They never tire of this, but at least she's not bad," he remarked upon seeing Arya sprawled out. He glanced around and noticed the scattered lingerie and clothes near the bed.

"They could at least find someone less messy; she's asleep no less!"

He disrobed and took a shower. Upon returning, he lay beside the partially awake Arya, who hugged and kissed him, exuding the smell of alcohol.

"You really waited for me while drunk, huh? Don't think I'll forgive you; I'll have to punish you," he said with a raspy voice and mischievous smile, unable to resist the allure of such a beautiful woman in his bed, and she, mistaking him for Noam, embraced his supposed surprise.

"So this is how you choose to seduce me, you wicked girl, but since I’m a magnanimous man, I’ll indulge your wish," he asserted.

His kiss was fervent, matched by her own intense passion, though in her mind it was Noam she was sharing this moment with. Kilan's hands explored Arya's body, eliciting a soft moan from her.

"Be gentle with me, my love," she whispered faintly.

"Don't worry, you'll enjoy it, I can assure you," he responded, capturing her lips again as she moaned.

Their intense night of passion unfolded with Arya surrenderingly fearlessly, fulfilling all the desires of the man she mistakenly believed was her own. Little did she know, this encounter on a hotel bed would herald the beginning of her undoing.

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It was already morning when Arya woke up to the ringing of her room's phone, her head throbbing from a hangover. As soon as she picked up, a somewhat hesitant female voice greeted her.

"Good morning! Is this Ms. Lewis from room 8018?"

The woman asked, clearly dreading the answer.

"Good morning! Yes, speaking," Arya replied, her voice still heavy with sleep.

"How was your night, Ms. Lewis?" The voice trembled even more.

"Quite enjoyable!" Arya responded, prompting a relieved sigh from the woman.

"That's really wonderful to hear. We will be sending up your breakfast immediately. Have a great day, Ms. Lewis." With that, she hung up, leaving Arya puzzled.

After replacing the receiver, Arya noticed a few dollars on her nightstand and tried to rise, but in addition to her awful headache, she felt a pain in her hips, and flashes from the previous night's memories started to scare her.

"It was just a dream, I'm sure of it. Was Noam here?" she said, confused by her recollections.

"But I didn't say anything about him being here when I spoke to him last night, I'm absolutely certain." She paused, terrorized by the implications of her actions.

"I can't believe I gave myself to another man thinking he was my fiance. How foolish to do something like that. Who was he? Who was this man I surrendered to? My God! What have I done with my life."

After getting up and taking a shower, she dressed and ate the breakfast that had been sent up. Arya went down to the lobby to demand an explanation for what had happened. As she approached, she realized the staff were rather uneasy.

"Who was the man you let into my room last night?" She demanded angrily.

"Ms. Lewis, only you checked into room 8018 last night. Perhaps Ms. Lewis availed herself of a special service?" The receptionist said, frightened, trying to cover up the hotel's mistake, which only infuriated Arya further.

"Are you insinuating that I requested an escort last night?" Arya yelled, indignant.

"I didn't ask for anything of that sort last night; I am not that kind of woman!"

In a corner of the lobby, the manager and another employee watched the confrontation from a distance.

"Sir, what will we do now with this happening?" The employee whispered, not wanting to be overheard.

"Fire whomever was on duty last night. They gave away Mr. Pagano's room, something everyone here should have been aware of by now. We need to ensure this incident doesn't leak out," he said, visibly concerned.

"Sir, when he entered the room last night, he must have thought we sent her as a gift," the employee said, even more anxious.

"If Mr. Pagano suspects this mishap and digs deeper, we're screwed," the manager muttered, running his hands through his hair.

"He'll shut this hotel down, and we'll be out on the streets with tarnished resumes, no chance of getting another job in the future."

"I'll do my best to ensure he never hears of it," the employee said, terrified.

"I expect you to handle this catastrophe; otherwise, an even greater disaster will befall us all," he stated and returned to his office.

After an exhaustive argument with the receptionist, Arya eventually admitted defeat. Even if she discovered the man's identity, the damage had been done, and there was no turning back—after all, even inebriated, she had acted voluntarily. Now, she had to forget everything that had occurred and move forward, hoping no further misfortune would befall her. Her phone rang, interrupting her morose thoughts, with Noam's number on display.

"Hello," she answered, her voice laden with sorrow.

"Arya, it's me, Noam," he spoke, but she did not respond.

"I just got off the plane, I've missed you so much and really want to see you. I'm sending the driver to pick you up soon, so be ready," he said eagerly, and tears filled Arya's eyes once again.

"I'm sorry, Noam, but there's a lot of visitors here, and I can't leave my mother alone with all these people," she lied, not ready to face him yet.

"That's fine. Call me when you're free, and I'll send for you immediately. And don't forget, my parents are hosting a party tonight to celebrate my return, and I've got a surprise for you," he said before hanging up.

"Noam, my love, would you ever forgive me if I told you about the mistake I made last night?" she murmured, her voice low and bitter.

Arya returned home to find her mother entertaining some clients at their bakery. She tried to enter unnoticed but failed miserably.

"Hey, my daughter, come here," her mother called.

"Is something wrong? You look awful. I was worried; you didn't tell me you were spending the night out," she said with concern.

"Mom, don't worry. Nothing happened between me and Noam," Arya said sadly.

"Arya, you know the Duncan family is very powerful. Even though you're engaged to Noam, we can't afford to offend them," her mother said, as if it were Arya's duty.

"Mom, I've just graduated from college. I want to get a good job and help you with the bakery," she said, somewhat troubled.

"Do I really have to marry Noam?"

"My daughter, you've always been very passionate about him since you were young," she said with a smile.

"A girl has to get married while she's still young and beautiful. Besides, it's just the two of us. What if something were to happen to me one day? So please, don't worry me about your future."

"Of course, mother. It was just a silly thought that crossed my mind."

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Evening had fallen, and Arya was getting ready for Noam's party, but the lack of enthusiasm was clear on her face. The memory of what had happened in that hotel room was still fresh. After she had finished dressing, she looked at herself in the mirror. She truly looked stunning with her black hair styled in an intricate bun, her green eyes accentuated with beautiful makeup, and the expensive designer dress that draped perfectly over her curvaceous figure. Soon after, the Duncan family's chauffeured car arrived to take her to the party venue.

Upon her arrival, Noam was waiting for her at the entrance of the family's mansion. As soon as she stepped out of the car, he embraced her tightly and kissed her with passion, which she returned with equal fervor. Yet, in her mind, she kept wondering how all of this could have happened yesterday, before her emotions turned into the mess they were now, with her heart feeling shattered and an unbearable pain that seemed to suffocate her.

"I missed you so much, my love," Noam said as they broke away from the kiss.

"I've missed you too," she replied, feeling a lump form in her throat and tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'll quickly greet the guests and then spend the rest of the night with you," he said with a smile, holding her hand as they entered the grand hall.

"There's no need to rush; we'll have plenty of time," she said with a hint of sadness in her voice, wishing to be alone for a moment to catch her breath.

"You're right, and my parents wouldn't like it if I neglected their guests," he laughed.

As they entered the party, all eyes turned to the striking couple. Noam began greeting the guests, while Arya managed to slip away to a quieter corner and took a drink to settle her nerves.

"Look at Miss Lewis from the bankrupt family," a woman sneered as she approached Arya.

"How are you, Eleonor? I see you’re as venomous as ever," Arya retorted mockingly.

"I thought you'd have the decency to leave Noam so he could be happy with someone more suited to him," Eleonor provoked further.

"What can I do if he sees no qualities in women like you? Perhaps you should take it up with him," Arya said before leaving the infuriated woman behind.

Arya moved to another part of the hall to find peace but her efforts were in vain when she encountered Noam's mother.

"Arya, it's been so long," a familiar voice said.

"How have you been, Mrs. Duncan?" Arya responded politely.

"I just want you to know that you're with my son only because your grandfather was good friends with my father-in-law. Otherwise, I would have never let it get this far," the woman stated fiercely.

"I'm not forcing your son to stay with me, he's here by his own choice," Arya fired back, releasing all her pent-up anger at the woman.

"It's so good to see you two getting along," Noam said as he joined them.

"I was just telling Arya that we've missed her and that she can always count on me," Mrs. Duncan said with the most insincere smile.

"I can't bear this life and these people anymore. Maybe what happened was a sign to put an end to all this," Arya contemplated internally, witnessing her mother-in-law's charade.

"Love, come with me. I know we're getting married in three months, but I want to do something I should have done a long time ago," Noam stated, leading her to a small stage set up for the band.

Once on stage, he gestured for the musicians to halt and requested everyone's attention. When all eyes were on him, he knelt down, took a small box from his pocket, and opened it to reveal a stunning engagement ring.

"Arya, will you marry me?" he proposed, and she froze.

"I'm sorry, Noam, but I can't accept," she replied after a pause and hastily left the scene.

After catching a taxi home, Arya's mother was alarmed by her sudden return and inquired what had happened. Arya told her everything and apologized. Noam followed her in an attempt to reconcile and even proposed to postpone the wedding for a year, but Arya continued to reject him.

Two months had passed since the incident, Arya wasn't feeling well, and Noam hadn't given up on her; he continued to urge her to renew their engagement. He arrived at Arya's place, and during their conversation, she grew increasingly frustrated with him to the point of fainting. He rushed her to the hospital, where she underwent some tests and waited for the doctor.

"Congratulations, Miss Lewis, you are two months pregnant," the doctor announced, handing her the results and then exiting the room, leaving her with Noam and her mother.

"Is this why you don't want to get back with me?" he asked bitterly.

"If that's the case, I know a clinic where you can have a safe abortion, and we can proceed with our engagement without anyone knowing," he suggested.

"Noam, are you insane? I won't terminate this pregnancy," she shouted at him.

"My daughter, listen to him, it's best. Raising a child alone is not easy," her mother tried to persuade her.

"Are you with the father of the child?" Noam inquired, with a choked voice.

"The truth is, I don't remember him; it was just one night," she admitted, feeling ashamed.

"My daughter, how could you do something like this?" her mother asked, disappointed, and Noam left without saying goodbye.

"But if you want to have this child, I will support you," her mother said.

"Thank you, mother, and I've accepted that job offer in England. I'll be leaving in a month."