Chapter 1 Shopia

"Jason, where are you going? It's our honeymoon, Babe," asked Shopia.

Jason buttoned up his white shirt with an air of indifference, his attention more on his phone than on the woman he had married with.

"I have something important to do, we can postpone our first night together," he replied flatly, not even looking at her.

Shopia froze, clutching the edge of the silk robe that barely covered her trembling body.

"But Jason, we’ve waited for this, it's our first night..."

"Shopia, please. Not everything revolves around sex. I have to meet someone, this is urgent!" Jason sighed impatiently.

"Who is she, Jason?! Are your friend more important than me?" Ask shopia, her voice rising.

Jason’s jaw clenched as he slipped his phone into his pocket.

"You’re being ridiculous again, Shopia. It’s not another woman. It’s a business."

She stared at him, disbelief flashing in her teary eyes.

"Business? On your honeymoon?"

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.

"You wouldn’t understand. Just... don’t make a scene."

Jason’s indifference stung deeper than any argument could. He turned toward the door, adjusting his collar.

Shopia felt her chest tighten.

"Jason, please, don’t leave me tonight," she whisper.

"I’ll be back soon," he muttered before walking out, closing the door behind him.

Shopia sank onto the bed, tears fall from his beautiful eyes.

He left me. On our wedding night.

She didn’t know how long she sat there, until her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She reached for it out of habit, expecting Jason. But the name on the screen made her heart skip a beat.

She hesitated before answering.

"Mr. Maxwell?"

His voice was deep, calm, yet tinged with something she couldn’t name.

"Shopia. Did Jason left you tonight?"

"You… you knew?"

"I warned him not to leave you. But my son never listens."

She bit her lip, unsure what to say.

"He said it was urgent business."

A low sound came from the other end of the line.

"He’s lying. He’s at a poker table with friends right now. I just saw him." Shopia’s throat tightened.

"Then why are you calling me, Alex?" she whispered his name without thinking and the sound of it felt too intimate.

"Because you shouldn’t be alone tonight," he said simply.

Her heart pounded, heat rushing through her veins.

"Alex, this isn’t right--"

"I’ll be there in ten minutes," he said quietly.

"You don’t have to say anything. Just don’t lock the door."

Before she could respond, the call ended. Shopia stared at the dark screen, her pulse racing.

Every part of her knew this was wrong but the loneliness, the betrayal, and the memory of how Alex’s eyes always lingered just a second too long whenever they met, all of it blurred the lines between right and wrong.

Ten minutes later, the soft knock came.

And when she opened the door, Alex Maxwell stood there.

"Alex…." she breathed, her voice trembling.

He stepped closer, the faint scent of his cologne enveloping her.

"I told you, you deserve more than a boy who doesn’t know what he has," he murmured.

Her breath hitched as he lifted his hand, his thumb brushing away the tear that had escaped down her cheek.

He looked at her for a long moment.

"Shopia, you shouldn’t look at me like that."

"Like what?" she whispered, her voice trembling, though her eyes never wavered.

"Like someone trying to remind herself that this is wrong," he replied quietly.

His words thickened the air between them. Shopia lowered her gaze, but Alex stepped closer. She could feel his breath against her skin making every inch of her tense.

"Jason should be here tonight," she murmured.

"But he chose to leave,"Shopia said bitterly.

"And somehow, you’re the one who came."

Alex’s eyes darkened. There was a battle behind them. His hand rose slowly, hovering in the air as if wanting to touch her, but hesitating.

"If I touch you now, i won’t be able to stop."

Shopia closed her eyes, trying to calm the wild rhythm of her heart.

"Maybe I don’t want you to stop," shopia whispered.

Alex pushed Shopia's body and kissed her brutally.

"Mmhh.... Shopia, I miss your lips," Alex moaned.

Alex’s breath trembled as the space between them vanished.

"Shopia…" he whispered her name like it was something he shouldn’t say.

Her eyes fluttered open, and for the first time, she saw him not as Jason’s father, but as a man, flawed, lonely, and burning with the same hunger she felt.

"Yes Alex... I want you..."

Alex cupped her face, his thumbs tracing the curve of her cheekbones.

"I shouldn't," he breathed, but his eyes said otherwise.

"I can't."

Shopia reached up, her fingers tangling in his hair.

"Don't," she whispered back, urging him closer.

The scent of his cologne filled her senses, a heady mix of sandalwood and something uniquely Alex. It was a scent she knew she would never forget.

His gaze dropped to her lips, lingering there as if he were memorizing every curve and contour.

"Shopia," he groaned, a sound that vibrated through her very core. He lowered his head, his breath warm against her mouth.

"Tell me to stop."

But she didn't. Instead, she closed the distance between them, her lips meeting his in a kiss that was both desperate and tender. It was a kiss born of longing, of unspoken desires, of a forbidden attraction that had simmered beneath the surface for far too long.

Alex deepened the kiss, his hands moving from her face to the small of her back, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them.

The world outside faded away, and all that mattered was the feel of her lips on his, the taste of her skin, the intoxicating scent of her.

Driven by a need he couldn't control, Alex's hands moved to the buttons of his shirt, fumbling with them in his haste.

Shopia mirrored his actions, her fingers trembling as she unfastened the delicate lace of her lingerie. The soft fabric fell away, revealing the curve of her breasts, the pale skin of her stomach.

He pulled away just enough to look at her, his eyes dark with desire.

"Shopia," he whispered, his voice hoarse.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, her eyes locked on his.

"More than anything," she breathed.

**