Chapter 1 Derailment

In front of the one-way mirror in the hotel room, Donna Jackson's pupils constricted as she watched a man and woman hooking up in the room across from her.

Her hands trembled against the cold glass. Ten years. Ten years of her life, reduced to this.

Not only were there heavy breathing and the sounds of bodies colliding, but also their dirty talk.

"Leo, who do you think is better, me or Donna?"

The question hung in the air. Donna held her breath, a part of her still hoping—

"Of course it's you, you sexy bitch. Donna is as boring as a piece of wood. How could she compare to you?"

Something inside Donna shattered.

Right now, it was the carefully constructed image of her life, the future she'd planned, the trust she'd given so freely. All of it, crumbling like a sandcastle before the tide.

Her mind went blank, then flooded with memories: Leo's proposal, their first kiss, the engagement party where he'd called her "the only one." Every memory now tainted, every sweet word now poison.

The man was her fiancé, Leo Russell.

And the woman was her good friend, Maya Coleman.

Their passionate entanglement made her feel sick.

Maya even thought it wasn't intense enough and seduced Leo into having sex in front of the mirror.

They would never imagine that Donna was standing right behind the mirror, watching their disgusting display crystal clear.

This one-way mirror meant Donna could see them, but they couldn't see her.

A double betrayal of friendship and love was playing out before her eyes in the most unbearable and ugly scene.

Donna could barely stay on her feet.

Maya hooked her arms around Leo's neck, whispering to him, "Leo, aren't you getting married in three days? Will you still miss me after the wedding?"

Leo laughed while thrusting. "Of course I won't forget you. Otherwise, why would I come find you right before my wedding? Don't sleep tonight, or I won't be able to touch you for at least several months, and I'll be dying for it."

Getting the answer she wanted, Maya's moans became even more lewd.

Donna bit her lip hard to stop herself from rushing to the next room to deal with this pair of scumbags.

She used her last bit of rationality to record a video.

Tonight, she had received a room number from an unknown number, telling her to come catch them in the act.

Although she still didn't know who sent the message or what their purpose was, she would thank them for helping her see Leo's true colors.

After saving the video, Donna turned and walked out, her legs barely holding her weight.

Once outside the room, with just a thin door between her and what she'd left behind, she leaned against the cold wall and finally let herself breathe.

Her stomach lurched. She bolted to the trash can at the end of the hallway, retching until her throat burned with nothing but bitter bile.

Friendship? Love?

So that's what her “ten proud years” amounted to—a joke, carefully scripted from the start.

The Russell family. The Jackson family.

She wasn't a person—they'd tagged her like merchandise. And now, even the merchandise had been stained.

She wouldn't cry. Tears were the most useless currency in this world.

The Russell family was extremely powerful. Even if Leo cheated, the two families could still marry her off to him.

After all, this was a strong alliance between two companies, with interests intertwined like the roots of a large tree.

It would be impossible to cut them off.

She had to stay composed, to carve out a path untethered to the will of any of them.

The hallway seemed endless.She just needed to get out, to breathe, to think.

Now, stumbling around the corner, she crashed directly into a solid chest.

The cold woody scent from him instantly filled her nostrils—familiar somehow. His tall figure not only blocked her view but also the light behind him.

Through her hazy vision, she recognized him. The man from the reception.

"Sorry." Her voice came out broken.

After apologizing, Donna instinctively tried to leave, but unexpectedly, he grabbed her wrist. His touch was gentle despite the firmness.

She looked up reflexively and met his deep eyes. Those eyes that should have been cold now carried an abnormal redness.

The next moment, Donna felt weightless as the man picked her up horizontally, pushed open the door to the adjacent room, and threw her onto the soft bed.

Before Donna could react, the man's burning body was already pressing down on her.

That temperature felt hot enough to burn her fingers.

Donna struggled instinctively. "Who are you? You—!"

Before she could finish, the man had already lowered his head to kiss her.

Her lips were full and soft, making him unable to stop seeking more.

He had been drugged with an aphrodisiac tonight.

The fact that he had maintained his rationality until now showed his strong willpower.

But that collision at the corner, with Donna's soft body falling into his arms like scattered sparks, completely drew out all the hidden desires in his body.

After he kissed Donna, his restrained desire broke free, raging through him in an instant.

More importantly, he caught that faint, elusive trace of gardenia on her, and through the murk of his clouded mind, a hazy fragment emerged — once, someone had accidentally fallen into his arms, carrying that very same scent.

And that someone, whom he had quietly observed for so long, was now Leo’s fiancée, Donna!

All of Donna's refusals and questions were blocked.

She widened her eyes in disbelief, struggling with all her might, but her strength compared to Edward Russell's was more like tickling.

Donna finally found an opportunity and pushed him away forcefully, her voice trembling. "If you keep this up, believe it or not, I'll call the police?"

Edward's expression froze, and his rationality briefly returned, but only for a brief moment.

He frowned, speaking painfully. "I'm feeling terrible right now. Whatever you want, I can give it to you."

Before Donna could speak, Edward's kiss fell again. The flames of desire burned him, and this time she didn't even have a chance to escape.

Her mind was now crystal clear. She trusted her judgment of people; this man, with both his striking appearance and commanding presence, was undoubtedly no ordinary individual.

If she returned home, she would once again become a commodity to be bartered away. But if she could secure a powerful protector for herself, she might break free from this shackle!

Though it was a staggering gamble, she had no other path left to tread.

Donna slowly closed her eyes, surrendering as he drew her deeper into the abyss of desire.

His lips and tongue grazed her chest, sending shivers through her, a soft moan escaping her lips, while the hunger in Edward's gaze deepened.

Though he could barely restrain himself, the man still took care to indulge in foreplay.

As he touched her most intimate place, Donna's body trembled lightly, leaning weakly against Edward.

"Donna…" Edward couldn't help but murmur the name of the one who haunted his heart.

Donna, lost in the throes of passion, didn't quite hear him.

His fingers ventured into her secret depths, accompanied by the relentless sound of wetness.

Donna's skin flushed a delicate pink, her gaze hazy with longing.

One finger, then two… four fingers, stretching her almost to the limit. Suddenly, Edward withdrew his hand, the abrupt emptiness snapping Donna back to a fleeting moment of clarity.

In the next instant, Edward thrust forward, his thick cock plunging into her. Before Donna could fully register the sensation, he was already moving with rapid, forceful thrusts.

Hitting a certain spot, Donna moaned aloud, her body growing even more limp.

Edward knew he had found her sensitive core, and he pressed against it with increasing fervor and speed, their union marked by a glistening sheen of moisture.

Under Edward's relentless onslaught, Donna soon felt overwhelmed. Combined with his exceptional endowment, the delicate entrance of her core grew red and swollen from the impact.

A sudden surge of intensity drove Donna to instinctively bite down on Edward's shoulder.

Edward felt no pain, only a rush of affection as he likened the woman in his arms to a kitten, spurring his desire further as his movements grew even more unrestrained and wild.