At a five-star hotel in Cancun, Caroline King was sitting by the bar sipping margaritas. After spending the entire night drinking and dancing, celebrating her twenty-first birthday, Caroline went to the bathroom near the pool area.

She stepped inside the empty bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She admired the beautiful vermilion dress her stylist had designed for her as a birthday present. She fetched her red lipstick from the pocket of her corset-style dress.

After touching up her makeup, Caroline walked back to the bar by the pool. She found her boyfriend and her friend conversing. Caroline stepped closer to them and stood next to her boyfriend, Christopher.

“What are you two talking about?” Christopher wrapped his arm around Caroline’s waist while her friend, Sofia looked away. She rolled her eyes as Caroline added, “aren’t we going to continue dancing?”

“Well, it’s getting late. Plus, we’ve been dancing the whole night. I think we should just go upstairs and call it a day,” Christopher spoke. “Oh, c’mon, Christopher,” Sofia followed up, “it’s her birthday.” Christopher looked at the designer watch on his wrist and spoke, “was her birthday.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter. Let’s just have one last drink before we continue the celebration tomorrow,” Caroline said. She called over the bartender and was about to ask for some tequila shots when Christopher stopped her. He ordered a champagne bottle and explained, “We still haven’t made a toast.”

Caroline chuckled said, “but my birthday was yesterday.”

“It doesn’t matter. We came here to celebrate your birthday.”

“No, we came here for business. Isn’t that right, Sofia?” Sofia, who was lost in thought looked at Caroline and uttered, “what?”

“Are you tired? You seem to be distracted. Do you want to go up to your room?” Caroline asked. “No, that is not it. I was just trying to ignore you two. Seeing how close you two disgust me.” Caroline laughed and then voiced, “don’t say that, Sofia. Just because you hate relationships doesn’t mean you have to hate us; we’re your friends-.”

Before Caroline could continue, Christopher placed a glass of champagne in front of Sofia and then tapped on Caroline’s shoulder. She turned around to face him and he held two glasses of champagne in his hand. He handed her one glass with a smirk on his face before clicking his glass with hers.

“To your twenty-first birthday.” Caroline smiled and clicked her glass with Sofia. “Happy birthday, Caroline.” Christopher took a sip of the champagne before placing the glass on top of the bar. He stood up and spoke, “I think it’s time for us to head upstairs.”

“Why? The night is still young. We haven’t even finished the bottle yet.”

“She’s right, Christopher. If you’re tired, you can just go to your room. Caroline and I will stay here a bit longer,” Sofia added. “Very well,” Christopher spoke, “make sure you go straight to your room when you’re finished. I have a surprise for you.” Christopher pressed a peck against Caroline’s lips before leaving.

Caroline sat on Christopher’s chair and took another sip of the champagne in her glass. As she drank the alcoholic drink, Sofia thought to herself, “His plan is going just as he wanted. Of course, Caroline’s alcohol problem wouldn’t let her refuse a drink.”

“So, what do you want to tell me, Sofia?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just wanted to spend more time with you.” Caroline smiled, showing her pearly white teeth. She took another sip and as she drank the champagne Sofia spoke, “you should finish that quickly. You don’t want to make Christopher wait too long.”

Caroline laughed and spoke, “why wouldn’t I want to make him wait? He’s the one that was in a hurry, but why are you suddenly so interested in my relationship?”

“I’m not. I just think it is best if you go meet him,” Sofia responded. “I just want you to hurry up, so I can dispose of you,” Sofia thought as she lied to Caroline. “I don’t buy it. What’s in it for you?”

After a moment of silence, Caroline laughed and spoke, “I’m kidding,” she took another sip before she added, “I was just playing with you. There was no need to get so nervous.” Sofia chuckled nervously before she took a sip of her glass of champagne.

After placing the glass back down Sofia asked, “have you ever done it with him?” Caroline chuckled before responding, “you know I haven’t. Like if told you before, I am waiting until marriage.”

“Why?” Caroline remained silent while answering the question in her mind. “Because I will never get married.”

When Christopher had left the pool area, he walked inside the hotel. He made his way to the elevator as he dialed his friend’s phone number. The elevator chimed and the doors opened while the call went through at the same time. He got in the elevator and pressed the button to the top floor of the building as he spoke to the person over the phone.

“Yes, man. Everything is going smoothly... Yes, I did put it in her drink… She is with Sofia right now,” Christopher spoke as the elevator doors were about to close. The doors opened once again when the sensor detected a person going into the elevator. Christopher stood to one side of the elevator, letting a man get in the elevator.

Without greeting each other, the man with a cold expression looked at the buttons in the elevator and saw that the elevator was heading to the top floor of the building. The elevator doors finally closed, and Christopher continued talking over the phone. “I can’t believe she will finally be mine. I have waited for this since I met her… Shut up, man. I know she is the only girl that has ever refused me, but I can’t wait any longer. I am not forcing her to be with me. She just needs a small push.”

The man standing next to Christopher raised his eyebrow as he overheard his conversation. He glanced at Christopher before fetching his cellphone from his pocket and deciding to mind his business.

When the elevator finally reached the top floor of the building, the mysterious man walked out of the elevator before Christopher. He walked into his suite, located at the end of the corridor, near the elevator. Christopher continued walking down the hallway while talking on the phone, making his way to Caroline’s suite.

Once he stood in front of the door to the hotel suite, he spoke, “I’m about to go into her suite. It won’t take long for her to come find me… Yes, man. I will tell you how it went yesterday. Thank you for wishing me good luck, but I don’t need it. As I said before, she will sleep with me tonight.” He walked inside the suite with the card he had in his pocket and hung up the phone.

Back at the bar by the pool, Caroline and Sofia were conversing when Caroline took the last sip of her drink. She placed the glass on top of the counter and placed her hand over her forehead after suddenly feeling dizzy.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Caroline nodded before responding, “yes, I think I drank a bit too much. I should just go upstairs.”

“Yes, do you need me to help you get to your room?” Caroline shook her head in refusal before trying to get off the stool she sat in. She grabbed onto the countertop when the feeling of dizziness intensified.

Sofia got up from her stool and grabbed Caroline’s arm. “Here. Lean on me.” She placed Caroline’s arm over her shoulder and started walking towards the hotel lobby. As she helped Caroline towards the elevator, Sofia remembered a conversation she overheard Christopher had over the phone earlier and said, “your plan is working perfectly, Christopher. Caroline would not have been tipsy even after drinking the entire bar.”

Knowing Caroline’s high tolerance for alcoholic drinks, Sofia instantly knew Christopher placed something in Caroline’s drink. She looked over at the intoxicated woman next to her and clicked her tongue. “I must get rid of you,” Sofia spoke.

After getting in the elevator and going to the top floor of the hotel, Sofia patiently waited for the elevator to take them to their floor. She once again looked at Caroline and sneered. She fought the urge to leave Caroline alone in the elevator as she told herself the best way to get rid of her was to leave her in her own suite, making sure she would not meet Christopher.

When the elevator finally arrived at the top floor, Sofia walked out of the elevator with Caroline and looked around the empty hallway, cautiously looking to the right and then to the left. With one door open at the end of the hallway she smirked. “Well, now that I think about it, it’s better if I leave you in there than to go all the way down the hallway to my room,” she thought.

Sofia walked over to the door and found a waiter providing room service. “Leave the door open. My friend is staying here,” Sofia spoke. Praying the waiter understood what she just said, the waiter walked out of the suite with an empty cart, leaving the door open for them.

She entered the spacious suite and looked around for any guests. Seeing how there was no one around, Sofia walked over to the bed and threw Caroline on the bed. She then walked back to the door, thinking her mission was complete, but when she was about to walk out of the suite, the door to the bathroom opened.

Sofia jumped after hearing the door opened and looked towards the bathroom. She found a man with a towel wrapped around his lower body. Without staring too much at the man with water droplets running down his muscular body and wet hair, Sofia ran out of the room.

As she made her way down the corridor she looked back and noticed the room was located in a blind spot. Then she uttered, “A man. Not bad. At least you will not be so lonely tonight, Caroline.” She let out a giggle as she continued to ecstatically walk to Caroline’s suite in hopes of finding Christopher there.

In the suite with a complete stranger, the drunk Caroline lay on the king-sized bed, switching positions to get comfortable. Unable to fall asleep, she slowly opened her eyes and looked down at her feet. She sat up and took off her silver high-heel sandals. She let her high heels fall to the floor and tried to lie down once more.

When she was trying to get comfortable, she sprang up at the sound of the man’s deep voice. “Get out!” The man shouted. Caroline squinted her eyes while staring at the man. She stood up from the bed and staggered while walking towards the man.

As she stepped closer, she spoke, “can I get some water? I don’t feel so well.” Her voice fainted in the air as she stood inches away from the tall man. She looked up and met the man’s gaze. She lost herself in his beautiful green eyes. She took another step and wrapped her arms around his neck.

As soon as she clung to him, the intriguing smell of her perfume seduced him. The seductive fragrance lingered in the close space between them. As he continued to breathe in the enticing aroma, he felt more and more intrigued about the woman in front of him.

“Who sent you here,” the man asked in his husky voice. “Sent me here?” She asked in a croaky. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I don’t know why you are in my room. I just want a glass of water.”

“Who sent you?” He repeated. Caroline placed her hand against the back of his neck and slowly rode her hand up. She ran her fingers through his wet hair. She pressed herself against his body, standing on her tippy toes while leaning closer to his ear.

“This is my room,” she whispered, “now, get out before I call security.” The man grasped her wrists and pushed her down to the floor. She fell to the ground and looked up at the man. “I don’t have time for your games. Get out!”

His harsh tone made her flinch. She looked around the suite but was dumbfounded when she could not find any of her belongings. “Who are you?” Asked the man. Caroline looked back at him and uttered, “who are you?” The man let out a sigh. “My patience is growing thin.”

Again, Caroline’s dizziness returned. She forced her eyes shut while placing her hands on her head, trying to rub her aching temples. “Could you please get me a cup of water?”

The man walked over to the table and picked up a glass and poured some water in the glass. Caroline slowly stood up and walked over to the bed. She took a seat as the man walked over to her. He placed the glass of water in front of her and right when she was about to grab the glass, he pulled back the glass. “Who are you and what do you want?”

Ignoring his question, Caroline grabbed the glass of water from his hand and took a sip. Once she finished drinking the last drop of water in the glass, she responded, “who I am is none of your business.” She smirked as she watched the man’s irritated expression. She then placed the empty glass on the nightstand next to her.

Trying to keep his composure, the man took a deep breath and spoke, “how much do you want?”

“Want what?”

“How much money do you want to get the **** out of my room?” As the drug Christopher placed in her drink began to take effect, Caroline looked at the handsome man in front of her. She bit her bottom lip, watching his lips move, unable to comprehend the words coming out of his mouth.

She shook her head, trying to get back from her thoughts. She gave the man an ugly stare and uttered, “I am not feeling well. What the fuck did you put in that water?” The man raised his eyebrow. Since this was the first time anyone had been daring enough to talk to him like that, he did not know how to react. But one thing was for sure, his interest in the daring woman in front of him had grown.

The man coldly looked at her, making her shiver. She gave him another death stare, refusing to be intimidated by the man in front of her. She stood up from the bed and stepped closer to the man. She pinched his sharp jaw. The man harshly grabbed her wrist, trying to make her remove her hand, but she would not oblige.

Due to her occupation, Caroline was used to having men look down on her until she showed them the power she holds. “Get the **** out of my room,” Caroline spoke in her autocratic voice.

The man pulled her away as he smirked. “Who is this woman?” He wondered. Caroline turned and pulled her wrist until she freed herself from his grasp. As soon as she was free, she lost her balance and was about to fall to the floor, but she grabbed onto the man. By doing so, she accidentally tugged on the man’s towel.

She stared at the man’s muscular body as she bit her bottom lip. Normally she would not feel this way, but since the drug Christopher placed in her drink was highly effective, her thoughts and her actions were completely corrupted.

The man smirked and picked up his towel. He wrapped the towel around his lower body once again before looking back at the bold woman in front of him. She licked her lips and stepped closer to him.

Since Caroline was not sober, she could only think about the mysterious man in front of her, and how much she desired him. Her gaze traveled up from his abdomen to his lips. She looked into his eyes for a second before staring back at his lips.

The man placed his finger under her chin and lifted her gaze, making her look back at his eyes. With his thumb, he trailed her cherry lip as she let out a deep breath.

Her temperature began to rise, her pupils dilated, and her desire for the man in front of her intensified because of the drug Christopher had dropped in her drink. Her arousal grew uncontrollably. At this point, she had lost the ability to control her breathing.

“Help me,” she let out between pants. Her cheeks blushed more than usual. Her body temperature continued, driving her mad. She instantly placed her hands on her back and grasped the strings from her corset. She tugged on the stings before slowly undoing her corset. She slipped the straps of the dress off her shoulder, letting the dress fall to the floor.

Her heart pounded rapidly as the feeling for desire became indescribable. The man gazed upon her body, completely admiring the view. He placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her down against the bed. He leaned closer to her, placing his knee in between her thighs. He brushed his lips against hers and whispered, “do you want me to help you?”

Caroline let out a deep breath and slowly nodded. Unable to hold back any longer, the man uttered, “don’t worry, I will take good care of you.” He passionately kissed her soft lips. She let out a moan through the kiss as she placed her hands around his neck.

Caroline was peacefully sleeping in the spacious bed when she was awakened by the bright light coming from the window and the cold air conditioning, which was set at a low temperature. She slowly opened her eyes because a ray of sunlight was hitting her eyes. She looked around for the bed cover and found it on the floor.

Because she was still half asleep, she picked up the bed comforter from the floor and wrapped her ***** body in the comforter. She tried to go back to sleep but the discomfort all over her body did not let her go back to sleep. She sat up and placed her hand over her lower abdomen, wondering why that was the place where she felt the most discomfort.

Caroline came to her senses and realized she was *****. She looked around the suite and realized she was in an unknown hotel room. All her belongings were nowhere to be found. She continued to look around and found a man’s belongings and panicked. “What has happened? How come I am unable to remember anything?” She wondered.

Caroline slowly managed to stand up from the bed and picked up her dress from the floor. She looked around wondering if there was anybody else with her in the suite, but to her good luck, she was alone.

Caroline got dressed and walked over to the desk in the suite. She grabbed the notepad and pen provided by the hotel after thinking of what to write.

“I had a great time last night. I hope we never see each other again.”

She reached inside her pockets and found four hundred dollars and a scarlet lipstick. She placed the dollar bills on top of the desk before she put on the red lipstick. She picked up the note and kissed the corner, making her lips on the paper.

Caroline left the note on the table along with the one-hundred-dollar bills and made her way out of the suite. She looked around the empty hallway and noticed her suite was on the same floor and hotel she was staying. She let out a sigh of relief.

She walked down the hallway and found her suite and was about to open the door with the card she had in her pocket. As she had been walking down the corridor, she remembered what happened during her childhood. She clenched her fists, sinking her nails into her skin, trying to hold back to tears that were about to stream down her face.

“Crying is for the weak!” Those words tormented her, making her want to cry even more yet at the same time, those words gave her strength. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

When she was ready, she entered the suite and slowly walked towards the bed because of the heavy discomfort she felt as she walked. When she stood in front of the bed, she found a man and a woman sleeping on her bed.

Unable to believe what her eyes were seeing, her body ached with rage at the sight of her friend and her boyfriend sleeping peacefully on the bed. “What is going on here?” She shouted, making the two lovers awake from their slumber in a scare.

Christopher sprang up and looked at the woman standing in front of him. “Caroline?” He looked to the side as Sofia sat up, covering herself with the comforter. “It’s not what it looks like, Care.”

“Oh really? So, it’s not like my supposedly good friend and my wonderful boyfriend are sleeping together,” Caroline spoke with a hint of sarcasm in her tone. Sofia chuckled. “Give it a rest, Caroline. I’ve won, he prefers me,” Sofia spoke. Sofia got up from the bed and walked up to Caroline.

As she stood close to Caroline, she smelled the strong scent of a man’s cologne. “What is that smell, Caroline? Is this the infamous walk of shame? Did you have fun with the man from last night?” Sofia asked. Refusing to let Sofia insult her, Caroline let out a chuckle. “I have no idea what you are talking about... But tell me, how does it feel to cling to another woman’s man?”

“Oh, Caroline, he was never yours, to begin with. He was just pretending with you. He was only after your money and connections. Right, babe?” Stunned, Christopher did not know what to answer. “I-I... that is not true… I love you, Caroline.”

“Spotting a liar has never been easier. Do you really think I will believe those pitiful words? Christopher, I’ve caught you sleeping with this cheap *****. Do you seriously think you can lie to me now? I don’t care how long you two have been screwing each other and lying to me. All I care about is that I finally know the truth.”

Caroline gripped Sofia’s wrist and dragged her out of the suite. She closed the door on her face, making Sofia bang on the door. Caroline ignored the crazy woman standing outside of the room and walked over to Christopher. “Baby, listen to me... I thought it was you-.”

“What the **** are you saying? Are you giving me that “I was thinking of you the entire time” bullshit? Christopher, I will not believe any more of your lies. You are just full of shit! I should have listened to Sebastian. He was right about you. We have been together for two years together. All those rumors going around that you were cheating on me, were true… I was so naïve to believe all of your shit, all of your lies.”

“That is not true-.” Caroline interrupted Christopher with a harsh slap. She left her fingers marked on his cheek as she hit her hand against his face, turning his head to the side. “I want you to get the fuck out of my room and never appear in front of my face again. If you do, you are dead… Get out!”

Christopher was still stunned by Caroline’s words. “You are not a man; you are a piece of shit. Get out! Now!” Hearing her use that tone with him and those harsh words for the first time surprised him. Unable to look at her eyes, his gaze trailed down to her neck where he noticed a bruise on the side of her neck.

“What is that on your neck?”

Caroline ignored his question and grabbed him by his arm and dragged him out of her room. Christopher knocked on the door loudly, but Caroline ignored his pitiful behavior. Sofia walked out of her suite, which was right in front of Caroline’s suite. She walked over to Christopher and led him inside her suite.

Caroline looked around the spacious suite in disgust. She could not believe those two had used her room to have their affair. She walked over to the balcony and opened the sliding door. She stepped out to the balcony and took a deep breath of fresh air.

Tears streamed down her face, but she instantly wiped them off. She felt so pathetic to be wasting her emotions on the man that was cheating on her with her friend. Caroline decided not to cry for Christopher, he was just not worth her tears.

When she felt she could go back inside the suite without feeling like the air in there was suffocating her, she went to the bathroom and ran the water in the shower. She took off her dress and looked in the mirror. Thankfully, the only mark left by the man was the hickey on her neck.

When Caroline walked out of the bathroom, she glanced at the bed and sneered in disgust. She did not even want to imagine how many times those two had been together. Though she was pissed, she did have to thank Sofia for not letting her have sex with Christopher. She would rather sleep with a stranger than him.

Caroline got dressed and packed her belongings. She sat out on the lounge chair on the balcony with her laptop to finish the business she was doing in Cancun. The main reason why she traveled to Mexico was for business; however, she decided to stay a few more days because of her birthday.

After signing the contract, she spent these few days, the hotel would be hers. She only needed to finish some paperwork before she could return to New York. She would usually send her assistant to do her work, but this time, she wanted to deal with this matter in person. She understood that a hotel when it was well managed and in a good location was always profitable.

After finishing her work, Caroline made a phone call to her assistant. She then gathered her belongings and went down to the lobby of the hotel. Right when she got off the elevator, she encountered the manager of the hotel.

After having a conversation with the man, she asked him for a list of names of the guests staying on her same floor. With this, she found out that the handsome man’s name was Liam Sabbatini, the man that had taken advantage of her when she was most vulnerable. She finished her conversation with the manager about the hotel and made her way to the airport.

When Caroline arrived at her penthouse in New York, she was

greeted by her maid, Susan. “Welcome, Miss King.”

“Hello,

Susan.” Susan has been working for the King family since Caroline was twelve

years old. Since then, Susan has taken care of Caroline’s needs. Susan is even

considered part of the family. Being Caroline’s loyal servant, Susan moved with

Caroline when she got her penthouse four years ago.

“How was

your trip, Miss King?” Caroline responded, “it could have been better, but

nothing is perfect in this world, right?”

“Miss King…

your nutritionist called. He asked if you are taking care of yourself. He

wanted to know if you were eating your balanced meals.” Caroline nodded. “Okay.

I will give him a call, thank you.” Caroline started to make her way towards

the living room and Susan grabbed Caroline’s suitcases to her room.

When

Caroline took a sit on the sofa, her cellphone suddenly rang. She looked at the

caller ID before answering the call. “Hello?” Said the man over the phone. “Hey

dad, how are you?”

“I’m well, pumpkin. How was your birthday?”

Asked her father. “I was okay. I landed back in New York an hour ago and I am

in my penthouse right now. You know how traffic is.”

“I’m glad you’re back from your trip. Why

don’t you come over for dinner and tell me how your trip went? I would love to

hear about it. And I still have a birthday present for you”

“Another

gift? But you already gave me the private jet.”

“Yeah, but

I have something very special for you.”

“Okay that dad, I’ll go over for

dinner.” After a pause Caroline added, “will Mason be there?”

“Well of course, he lives here

after all.” Caroline rolled her eyes and sweetly spoke, “yes, I was just asking

because I missed my older brother. I haven’t seen him since his birthday. And

he still owes me my birthday gift.”

“You’re right, darling. But his birthday

wasn’t that long ago. Though, I am happy that you to get along so well- given

the circumstances.” Caroline spoke, “well, I will see you soon, dad.” Caroline

finished her call and let her cellphone fall on the sofa. She laid back for a

bit on the sofa and then got up to get ready.

After taking a shower and picking an outfit,

she brushed her long brown hair and put on some light makeup. She made sure to

not put on too much make since she was only meeting her father and brother for

dinner. Plus, she doesn’t really need it. With or without makeup, her beauty still

beams.

Once she was ready, she called her

chauffeur and let Susan know she was leaving. Caroline got on the elevator and called

chief assistant, Joseph. “Hello? Joseph I am back from Cancun… I want a report

of what happened while I was gone… I also want you to investigate someone for

me… Liam Sabbatini.” She finished her call and got on the white Maserati.

When

Caroline arrived at her father’s penthouse, she was politely welcomed by

Francis. “Welcome, Miss King.” Francis has been working as the butler for the

Kings even before Caroline was born. “Thank you, Francis,” said Caroline with her

signature smile. “There is my beautiful girl!” Victor greeted as he stepped

down the stairs. “Hi dad. What’s with the whole enthusiasm?” Caroline asked.

“What? Can’t a dad be excited to see his little girl? Well, she is not so

little anymore. She is an adult now. Oh! They grow up so fast.”

“Yes, dad. By the way, where is

Mason?” Caroline asked. “Oh, your brother might be coming here soon, he just

got out of the company,” Victor spoke, “come on, why don’t we go sit in the

living room.” Caroline nodded as they started to make their way towards the

spacious living room. They sat on the white upholstered style couch and Francis

opened a bottle of red wine and served two glasses. He handed one glass to

Victor and one glass to Caroline. Victor made a gesture to Francis. “So, tell

me, pumpkin, how was your trip?”

“It was good. I bought the hotel I

wanted to buy and celebrated my birthday there. It was a fun trip.” Actually,

she was lying. Her entire trip was ruined by Sofia and Christopher, all the

good memories she had before she found out about them where turned into

terrible memories. Caroline did not want her father to find out about what

happened with Christopher. She knew that if she told him, he would probably

kill Christopher. She wanted to deal with Christopher and Sofia by herself. “Really?

You sounded like you didn’t enjoy your trip over the phone?”

“Really? No, I didn’t mean to sound

like that. It might be because I’m a bit tired from the long trip.”

“How are things going with

Christopher? Did you break up with him?” Caroline chuckled. “Not at all,

everything is good.” Another lie. “He said he was going to stay a few days

there for some business. He was ‘obligated’ to stay because of his father; you

know how it is. You have done that many times with Mason.”

“Well enough about him. How is your mother?

Did she call you to wish you a happy birthday?”

“She is doing well. She did call me

to wish me a happy birthday.”

“Is she still in Paris?”

“Yes, she is still there with

Mark,” Caroline answered as Francis entered the living room with two red velvet

jewelry boxes in his hands. “Oh, that’s good… Here is the present I wanted to

give you.” Francis handed the jewelry boxes to Victor and went to the kitchen. “This

is a necklace,” said Victor as he opened the biggest of the jewelry box.

In the jewelry box there was just a

Cartier 24K yellow golden chain with nothing more. Victor opened the other box,

there was a 24K yellow golden key with a K design at the top and a little ruby

under the K.

As Victor attached the key to the

necklace he said, “this key has been passed down from generation to generation

to the women of the King family. You are the first woman of this generation, so

now you get the key, and then it is passed down. Your grandmother gave it to me

to give to you on your twenty first birthday. This key it is given to the first

woman of the King blood of that generation on their twenty first birthday.”

Victor was putting the necklace on Caroline’s

neck when she asked, “If this is passed on by blood how come grandma had it?” Victor

chuckled. “Well, my grandmother was only able to have one child, and that was

my dad. When he got married and had me and your uncle, my grandmother decided

to give this key to your grandmother to give to her first granddaughter.”

“What am I

supposed to do with this key then?” Caroline asked while looking at the key hanging

on her neck. “You are supposed to find the treasure and open it.”

“Treasure? Do you think this is a fairytale

story? Are you messing with me?” Caroline asked while chuckling. “No, I am not

messing with you. Before your grandmother passed away, she told me to give you

this on your twenty first birthday.”

“Okay then if this story is real, then tell me

where this ‘treasure’ you speak of is located.” Victor explained, “I don’t know

where it is. The men of the family don’t get to know where the treasure is hidden,

and your grandma did not know where it was either because she was not of blood,

so my grandmother never told her where it was.” Caroline crossed her arms and

said, “I call BS.” Victor grabbed Caroline’s hands, “it is true. You must

believe me-.” Caroline interrupted, “so you’re telling me that the company is

passed down to the men of the family and a mere key is passed down to the women

of the family?”

“Yes… and it is not a mere key.

That key holds great treasure. You have to believe me.”

“How can I believe you when you

have always loved to prank me.” How could Caroline know that her dad was

telling the truth? Besides if it were true, her grandmother would never leave

her such thing. Her grandmother hated her. She just decided to just play along

with her dad, but still thinking that it was a prank. “Ahem... Mister King Jr.

has arrived,” said Francis.

Sitting at

the dinner table, Victor being the head of the family, sat in the end of the

table. Mason sat to his right hand and Caroline sat to his left. Francis poured

the glasses of wine and then served the dinner. They were having fettuccine

alfredo, Caroline’s favorite. Caroline only knows of two Americans that can

make the right fettuccine al burro. One of them is her cousin and the other

one, Francis. “How is the company doing, Mason?” Caroline asked. “It’s going

well,” Mason replied as he took a sip of the white wine.

“Dad, are you going to keep Mason

as the executive VP forever? Why don’t you make him the CEO already? I know you

are the one mostly managing the company, but after all of these years, he might

be ready,” Caroline spoke. “When I see he is ready, I’ll hand him the company, but

for now he is still on probation.” Mason Chuckled. “How am I still on probation-.”

Victor cut him off, “when you show me you are ready, I’ll give you the company.”

They enjoyed the food and continued with small talk.

After dinner,

they were gathered in the living room. “Caroline, Gabriella Sabbatini contacted

me today. She told me that she called your mom, but she said she did not answer,”

said Victor. “Gabriella? Sabbatini? That name and that surname…” Caroline thought for a moment and remembered that Gabriella was a good friend

of her mother’s, “but that last name… could the man she met in Mexico

related to Gabriella?”

“How is she? I haven’t heard from

her in years,” Caroline spoke. “She is doing well. She invited us to her home tomorrow

night. Her son just came back from a business trip and she wanted us to have

dinner with them. She told me that she would invite your mom but since she is

in France, she won’t make it,” Victor explained.

The King family and the Sabbatini

family have been friends since before Caroline was born. When Caroline was a

little girl, her family used to always hang out with the Sabbatinis since they

also had a small child. But one day, suddenly, they lost contact and because

Caroline was so little, she does not remember this. She just remembers

Gabriella from the time she went with her mother to her first New York Fashion

Week.

“Tomorrow

at seven p.m. sharp we will arrive there,” said Victor. “How about I meet you

there?” Caroline asked. “Yes dad, how about we meet you there?” Mason followed

up. “Well, if you don’t want to go there with your old man then fine, meet me

there. I’ll send you the address.”

“Sometimes

he is just so petty,” Caroline thought. “Well, it’s getting late dad; I

better get home. I have to work tomorrow,” Caroline uttered. “Yes, dad.

Caroline needs to get her rest,” Mason added.

Caroline was about to call her

chauffeur when she suddenly got a call, it was Sebastian, her best friend. Sebastian

and Caroline were childhood friends. His dad and her mother were close friends.

“Hello, Care Bear. I heard you are back,” said Sebastian. “Yes, I am. Where are

you? I can barely hear you.”

“I’m at the Blue Diamond club with Jennie and Sephie.

You should come.”

“Alright. I’m on my way,” said Caroline as she

grabbed her purse. She hung up the phone and called her chauffeur.

At the

club, Caroline found Sebastian sitting at a booth with Jennifer and Persephone.

He sat next to Jennifer and Persephone was sitting in front of them. Caroline

made her way to the booth. “Hi guys!” Caroline was so excited to see her best

friends. Persephone got up from her seat and hugged her, “Happy late birthday, Caroline!”

“Thank you,

Sephie!” Sebastian also stood up and hugged Caroline, “Happy Birthday, Care Bear!”

Said Sebastian. “Thank you, Teddy,” replied Caroline. Jennifer also stood up

and hugged Caroline and wished her a happy birthday. Caroline sat next to Persephone

and ordered a martini.

“I felt so

sad that you guys could not go with me to Cancun,” Caroline admitted. “Yes, I

know, but we were all stuck at work. I’m sorry we could not be there for your birthday,”

said Sebastian. “It’s alright, Teddy. How’s the filming going?” Caroline spoke.

“It’s alright. The movie premier is already set.” Persephone spoke, “that’s

great. I can’t wait to see it.”

Persephone is

Caroline’s best friend. They met in middle school and have been best friends

since then. Jennifer is Sebastian’s girlfriend; they have been together for

three years. Jennifer did not like Caroline at first. She believed Caroline

would be a threat to her relationship. But then she changed her judgement when

Caroline started to date Christopher.

The waiter brought

over the martini to Caroline. “Where is Christopher?” Jennifer asked. “I dumped

him. Turns out he is just a piece of shit like all the men.”

“Hey, you

don’t have to speak so ill of us. There are still men in this world that are

good. Though trash like him make us all look bad,” Sebastian spoke, “I am glad

you dumped his ***.”

“Why did

you break up with him?” Jennifer asked. Her anxiety returned. She felt even

more threatened by Caroline now. “He cheated on me… with Sofia.”

It was now

one in the morning. Caroline had a great time with her friends. “Guys I called

my chauffeur, it’s time to leave.” She had called her chauffeur to pick her up.

Caroline was a bit tipsy but not drunk. “Okay thanks for offering to drop us

off,” said Jennifer. “Of course. Anytime,” Caroline responded.

After

taking friends home, her chauffeur finally arrived at her penthouse. She took

off her heels and walked to her room. She threw herself onto the king-sized bed,

she could finally rest. She did her night routine then she changed into a gray

babydoll and went sleep.

The next day, Caroline was woken up from a terrible

nightmare. The same nightmare that has tormented for years refreshed her

memory, as lively as ever. She panted heavily and ran her fingers through her

hair. After she calmed down, she got up from her bed and went to her bathroom

to take a shower.

            After

getting ready for work, she went to the dining room, where Susan was setting

the table. Caroline took a sit as Susan placed Caroline’s breakfast in front of

her as Caroline rubbed her aching temples. Caroline looked up and saw the

mimosa in front of her. “Please take this away and get me an Alka-Seltzer.”

Susan took the mimosa away. “Yes, Miss King.” Caroline spoke, “thank you.”

            After

having breakfast, she felt better. An Alka-Seltzer has and always will be her

ultimate hangover cure. She called her chauffeur to go to work. She went to her

room to grab her purse then went down to the lobby of the building. She went

out of the building and got on the white Maserati.

            When

Caroline arrived at the company, her assistant, Joseph, was waiting for her at

the entrance of the building. “Good morning, Miss King,” Joseph greeted with a

smile. “Good morning,” Caroline replied. They walked to the elevator together.

            In the elevator

Joseph was updating Caroline on what had happened while she was away. When they

reached the top floor of the building, they walked out of the elevator past the

secretary division and went into Caroline’s office.

            Caroline

sat on her chair and Joseph handed her some files. “Here are the reports you

asked for. On today’s agenda you have: a conference call at eleven with the

hotel manager from Cancun. Then, I have scheduled lunch with your father and

your brother. After that, another conference call with the acting CEO in the Seattle

branch. And at seven p.m. you have dinner scheduled at the Sabbatini residence.”

            Caroline

was looking at the files while Joseph explained today’s agenda. “Okay. That

would be all, thank you. You may get back to work now.” Caroline went over the

files until it was eleven a.m.

            Caroline

read Liam’s file, there was not much on it because he likes to keep a low

profile. His file stated that he was the son of Dante and Gabriella Sabbatini. He

became the CEO of the Sabbatini Group at the age of twenty-one. Studied in

Harvard University. “This information is useless,” Caroline spoke, “this could

be found by a simple google search. There is no way that is all Joseph was able

to find on him.” Caroline kept looking through the files but there was nothing

that was really relevant. She even found that he was featured as one of the

most handsome eligible bachelors in the country. “Why am I not surprised?”

At eleven a.m. Caroline got a

conference call from the manager of the hotel in Cancun. The meeting continued

in Spanish. During the meeting, Caroline asked the manager of the hotel for a

copy of the CCTV footage taken the day of her birthday. Specifically, she asked

for the footage from the bar by the pool area and the footage from the floor

she was staying. She wanted to find out exactly what happened and why she could

not remember.

When the meeting was over, it was

lunch time already. Caroline called Joseph in her office. “Are you ready? Let’s

go have lunch.” Joseph nodded and opened the door for Caroline. Joseph is

Caroline’s personal assistant, so it is normal for Joseph to be invited by

Caroline to many places. The chauffeur drove Caroline and Joseph to the

restaurant, White Pearl. This restaurant is owned by Roxy King.

Caroline and Roxy have been close

since they were little. When Caroline walked into the restaurant, she was

welcomed with a warm hug from her cousin. “Oh, I’ve missed you, Care. Why don’t

you come here more often? By the way happy late birthday.”

“I’ve missed you too, Rox. And

thank you,” Caroline spoke, “are those new glasses? They look good.”

“Yes, they are.” Roxy chuckled. “I ran

out of contacts.” Caroline complimented, “you look beautiful with or without

glasses.” Roxy smiled. “Thank you.” Caroline asked, “where’s my dad?”

“Victor and Mason are over there,”

said Roxy as she directed Caroline where they were sitting. “Hi dad, Mason.” Caroline

greeted the men sitting at the table as she took a sit. “So, what are you guys

going to have today?” Roxy asked. “I will have the usual please,” Caroline

stated. “I will have the lobster,” said Mason. “I will have my usual as well,” Victor

spoke. “

 “Okay coming right up,” said Roxy as she went

to the kitchen.

            Five

minutes later, Roxy went over to the table and sat next to Caroline. “The food

will be out in ten minutes.” Ten minutes later, the food was brought to the

table and everyone sitting at the table were enjoying their food. Roxy’s

restaurant was a five-star restaurant with great food. The food has an amazing

taste and incredible flavor. Most of the dishes, she learned to prepare

herself. She learned to prepare Caroline’s favorite dish in Italy.  After having lunch, Caroline went back to the

office and resumed her work.

            At five

thirty when most of the employees were leaving, Caroline went home to get ready

for the dinner at the Sabbatini’s penthouse. Caroline took a nice relaxing bath

and went to the kitchen to prepare a baklava. She could not go to the Sabbatini’s

home empty handed. She planned to prepare the special recipe Persephone taught

her. “Miss King? Is there anything you need?” Asked Susan as she stepped inside

the kitchen. “No, I will be preparing a dessert for a dinner I will be

attending this evening.”

            “Alright,

do let me know if you need anything.”

            “Yes, I will.”

            Caroline

preheated the oven and began to prepare the recipe. She gathered all the

ingredients to make the Greek dessert. Caroline grabbed a baking tray and

buttered it to prevent the dessert from sticking. To prepare the filling, she smashed

four cups of walnuts and placed them on a bowl. In the same bowl, she placed

one cup of sugar and one teaspoon of cinnamon. She mixed all the ingredients

well.

            Later, she

heated two cups of butter. Since the filo dough is quite thin, she decided to

place two sheets at the time. She placed the first filo sheet on the tray and

covered it with some butter. She placed another sheet then placed some butter

again. Then she placed some of the mixture she made for the filling. Then she

placed another two filo sheets. She continued until she ran out of the filo

dough. With the remaining butter, she poured it over the dessert.

            Once the oven was heated, Caroline

placed the baklava in the oven and went to get ready. Caroline put on some

light makeup, combed her beautiful long brown hair and put on some earrings

that matched the key necklace she wore. She put on a tight blue open leg maxi

dress that outlined her beautiful figure. She wore matching blue high heel

sandals.

            She went to

the kitchen once she was ready. On the stove, she placed one cup of water and

sugar to boil. Once the dessert was ready, she took it out of the oven. And immediately

poured the sauce she made with the water and sugar over the baklava. She let it

sit to cool. When it was time, she left to the Sabbatini’s penthouse.

            Caroline arrived

at the Sabbatini’s penthouse at seven forty, she was greeted by the butler. Gabriella

welcomed her with a warm hug. They really have not seen each other in years. Then,

Caroline said hello to Dante Sabbatini, Gabriella’s husband. “You are finally

here, pumpkin,” said Victor as he made his way to say hi to her. Mason also walked

over to say hi to her.

            Then, they

sat in the living room and started talking and laughing. Unexpectedly, a tall, handsome

man with his fawn-colored hair slicked back. His dark attire made him seem cold

and mysterious, attractive and intimidating. “Oh, you finally arrived. This is

my son, Liam,” Gabriella exclaimed excited to see her son. “Liam?” Caroline

wondered.

            “Well, you two

know him,” Gabriella spoke, referring to Victor and Mason. “Son, this is

Caroline,” said Gabriella as Caroline stood up from the sofa. When Liam looked

at her, he smirked. His smirk wore off soon thereafter. “You may not remember

since you were too young, but you used to hang out a lot. You were best

friends.” Caroline just gave her signature smile but was taken aback by the

man’s cold stare. She did not wear a ton of makeup like the women Liam is used

to meeting. He even liked the perfume fragrance she wore; he was used to

meeting women that wore too much make up and too much perfume. She was just

beautiful, elegant, and well… perfect.

            They

gathered at the dinner table to enjoy the flavorful dinner prepared by

Gabriella accompanied by the exquisite taste of Biondi Santi wine. “Okay, time

for dessert,” Gabriella spoke. The butler had cut the baklava brought by

Caroline just as she instructed and placed a slice in front of everyone. Dante

ate a piece of the baklava on his plate and spoke, “this taste so good, what is

it?”  Caroline put down her glass of wine

after taking a sip, she spoke, “Oh, thank you. It’s a special recipe my best

friend taught me. It’s baklava. A Greek dessert. Actually, this is the first

time I make it by myself. I was a little anxious about how it would turn out.”

            Gabriella praised

Caroline for her baking skills, “this is amazing. You have great talent,

Caroline.” Caroline’s smile shined brightly. “Of course, she does. She got it

from me,” Victor spoke confidently. Caroline interrupted his narcissistic

moment, “oh, please, don’t flatter yourself. You can’t even cook an egg without

burning it. I must have gotten my skills from my mom.” Caroline smirked as the

took a bit of the baklava. Liam looked at her from the corner of his eye and

slightly smirked. “She is quite bold,” he thought.

After dinner, Dante invited Victor a

bottle of scotch in his study. Victor agreed and they both walked to Dante’s study

at the end of the hall. In the study, they sat opposite from each other. Dante poured

two glasses of scotch and said, “are you going to keep your promise?” It took a

while for Victor to remember what he was referring to. When he finally recalled

he asked, “Is there any way you could let that go?”

“We have an agreement. You can’t go

back on your word.” Dante’s words made Victor frown. “Is there another way? I can’t

do that to her.” Victor thought his pitiful tone would make Dante change his

mind. “We made the deal; you can’t back out now. But there is another way, remember

we agreed on the company.” This made Victor remember of the mistake he made

when Caroline was four years old. “It’s either her or the company.” Seventeen years

ago, Victor and Dante were playing a game of poker. They kept raising the

stakes.

“How about this, Victor. If I lose,

you get my company. But if you lose, I get your company or when Caroline turns twenty-one,

she must marry Liam. Don’t worry they just have to be married for one year,”

Dante proposed. Victor was feeling confident because he had won the last four games

in a row. Victor did not think much of it at the time and he thought Dante was

just drunk, so he agreed.

To Victor’s bad luck, he lost the

game. He felt devastated, he could not believe he lost. Victor could not give

up the company, so he agreed on the arranged marriage. He thought that maybe

Dante would just forget about this later. That is the reason they lost touch. Victor’s

cowardliness drove him to lose contact with his best friend.

Victor tried to avoid Dante as much

as possible. Though recently, Victor and Mason had started a project with

Sabbatini Group, to their good luck, they were doing business with Liam. Dante had

asked his lawyer to make a contract which they both signed, and each got a copy

of the document. Victor still believed that Dante would just forget about the deal.

“I still have the document we

signed,” said Dante, which brought Victor back from his memories. Dante handed

the document to Victor and Victor read it. He did agree for just one year, and he

felt that one year was just going to fly by. “So, what’s it going to be? The

company or marriage?” Seeing Victor’s hesitation, Dante spoke again. “you seem

quite hesitant. If you can’t choose, I will be forced to destroy you. I made

you the man you are today, I can end you as well.”

Victor was taken aback by Dante’s

statement. “Don’t look at me like that, you know more than anyone what I am

capable of.” Such a difficult decision for Victor to make. He could not just

let his little girl get married yet. She is still too young, but he also would

not give up the company that he worked so hard for. Victor made the decision,

“just for a year?” Dante replied, “they have to be married for one year.” Victor

agreed, “fine, she will marry Liam, but you have to give me some time to talk

to her and convince her.” Dante answered in a cold tone, “you have one week.”

Victor nodded. “Now let’s go back to the living room,” said Dante as he stood

up from his chair.

When Victor walked back to the

living room, he wore a frown on his face. Caroline noticed and could not help

but worry. “Dad, what’s up?” Caroline asked in a concerned tone. “Nothing, I’m

fine, pumpkin,” Victor responded with a forced smile on his face. Caroline just

nodded, but still thought that something was up. Caroline looked at Liam who

was sitting in the armchair across from her. The more she stared at him the

more she thought he looked familiar.  Caroline

and Liam made eye contact. She looked into his green eyes and suddenly got some

flashbacks from that night.

Caroline was shocked, how could the

man that took advantage of her be sitting so casually in front of her? Liam’s

cold gaze sent shivers all over her body. Caroline felt a bit intimidated by

him. But she also felt attracted to him. His entire demeanor fascinated her,

making it impossible from her to look away.

As Caroline continued to get

flashbacks, she looked away. Her cheeks reddened, more than usual. She bit her

tongue and curled her hands into a tight fist, pressing her nails onto her skin

to suppress the tears that tried to escape her eyes. She came up with this

technique at a young age.

When Caroline was young, she was

taken by her uncle and was submit to training with her older cousin. Unlike

him, she was rather weak. Her uncle swore to not stop her training until she was

no longer weak. Those years with her uncle were a nightmare. She was

mistreated, punished, tortured. She cried and begged for her mother’s help, but

her mother did nothing. She would cry for her mother all the time and whenever

she did, she was punished for it. She got beaten, neglected food and water

until she learned that nothing good will come from shedding tears. She learned

that showing emotion was for the weak.

As the traumatic years went by, she

was brainwashed into thinking that the training that was forced upon her was

the best thing that could have happen to her. When her younger brother was old

enough to start training, her mother finally got the courage to cut ties with her

lover and escape. Just then, Caroline’s uncle was assigned to leave the United

States, right when Caroline’s training was over.

After the training, Caroline decided

to not recent her uncle for the torture he brought her, because thanks to him, she

was no longer weak. She did not recent her mother, either. She knew that

Elizabeth could not help her. Caroline knew that she could only help herself. Which

was what drove her to growth. Caroline continued to train and work hard as the

years went by. Thankfully, as the years passed, Caroline learned to not bottle

up her emotions. Or all of her emotions that is. She still refused to show

weakness in front of people.

Gabriella looked at Caroline and

noticed her sudden change. “Are you alright, dear? You look a bit blushed.”

Caroline answered, “yeah, I’m just tired. I should go home; I have to work tomorrow.”

 “Yes, it is best if you get some rest.”  Caroline stood up from the sofa to say her

goodbye. “Why don’t you take her home?” Victor murmured to Mason. Mason nodded

and stood up from the armchair. “Are you alright, sis? I will take you home.”

Caroline looked at Mason and responded, “okay.” Caroline and Mason said their

goodbyes before leaving.

As they made their way towards the entrance,

Caroline turned around to look at Victor. She made eye contact with Liam first

then shifted her gaze towards Victor. “Dad? Shouldn’t you be coming with us?”

Victor shook his head, “I have to talk about some business with Dante. I will

meet Mason at home later.” Caroline nodded and turned around.

 In the car, Caroline quietly looked out the

window as Mason drove to her penthouse. “Are you alright?”

“You can drop the act; dad is not

here.” Mason chuckled. “You can see right through me. Father should be grateful

to have such a talented daughter. I mean, what can’t you do? You can cook, you

can bake, you can develop a company from nothing and most importantly, you can

act.” Caroline rolled her eyes she could sense the sarcasm in his tone since he

opened his mouth.

 When they arrived at the building, before

Caroline got off, she said, “just remember that I play nice just for the sake

of dad.” Mason agreed, “likewise. I just want father-.” Caroline got off the

car and closed the door before Mason could continue.