Chapter 3 One-Night Stand

The man's raspy voice sent a wave of fear through Natalie. With his hand tightening around her throat, she struggled to break free. "I... I walked in here by mistake. I meant no harm..."

Andrew Bennett didn't believe a word she said. He was furious that she'd drugged him—furious enough to want to snap her slender neck.

Desperate for air, Natalie clawed frantically at his hand. "Please... let me go..."

Andrew moved closer, ready to question her, but then the moonlight fell across her face.

He recognized her immediately.

Andrew was already fighting desperately to keep his growing desire under control. At the sight of the familiar face, what little restraint he had left began to crumble.

Holding Natalie down, Andrew stared into her frightened eyes, then spoke in a deep, coaxing voice. "Help me."

Natalie trembled from head to toe at the intense heat coming off his body.

Tears gathered in her eyes as unfamiliar sensations overwhelmed her.

Somewhere in her dazed state, she vaguely heard the man above her whispering reassuring words.

Her thoughts were so muddled that she could barely understand what was happening, much less resist as he moved her however he wished.

By the time Natalie woke up, morning had already come. She jerked into a sitting position, only to wince as a deep ache spread through her entire body.

She slowly turned her stiff neck to look at the man lying beside her. As soon as she recognized his face, she froze in disbelief, unable to make another move.

It was Andrew Bennett! He was the uncle of her best friend, Madison Bennett!

He was the young head of the Bennett family, a man widely feared for his merciless nature. But wasn't he living abroad? When had he returned to the country?

Once the initial shock wore off, Natalie quickly pulled herself together and rushed out of the room.

As soon as the hotel room door shut behind her, Andrew opened his eyes, scowling.

He massaged his forehead before spotting a bloodstain on the disheveled sheets, his eyes darkening. Reaching for his phone, he dialed his executive assistant.

A short while after, Ryland Hayes arrived with a suit in his hands. "Sir, I was negligent yesterday. The Gordon family somehow learned that you'd returned to the country. They arranged for a woman with a disease to trap you in a compromising situation. I intercepted that woman, but I never imagined another woman would manage to get past us..."

Andrew lifted a hand, cutting off his explanation. "I want you to identify the woman who was here last night."

"I've already started investigating." Ryland passed him a phone. "She left this behind yesterday. Regarding the security footage..."

The phone's screen came on, and Andrew squinted at the wallpaper. It was really Natalie!

Andrew interrupted Ryland. "Locate her immediately."

"Understood, sir!"

After fleeing the hotel, Natalie swallowed an emergency contraceptive pill, but it triggered a serious allergic reaction.

Luckily, Madison reached her in time and rushed her to the hospital.

While they sat together on a bench in the hospital hallway, Madison angrily complained about Isaac. "What kind of husband is Isaac? After everything he's put you through, he can't even make the effort to come see you!"

Natalie let out a humorless laugh. "I imagine he's occupied with Hannah right now."

"That scumbag! Next time I see him, I'll give him a piece of my mind!" Once she'd finished ranting about Isaac, Madison asked more carefully, "Do you know who the man you were with last night was? I could get someone to make him pay for what he did!"

Natalie's throat suddenly felt dry. How was she supposed to admit that the man she'd slept with was Madison's own uncle?

Seeing Natalie stay silent, Madison tried to encourage her. "My uncle just returned from overseas for some business. I could get him to help you deal with this!"

Madison wanted to ask the man involved to deal with himself?

Natalie shivered at the thought. "No, I'd prefer not to."

At that moment, a doctor stepped out of the examination room. "You're Mrs. Reynolds, right? You shouldn't take contraceptive medication without making sure it's safe for you. You're allergic to it."

"I'll keep that in mind—thank you, Doctor," Natalie replied.

After checking the IV connected to her arm, the doctor added, "You can leave once the infusion is complete."

When the doctor had gone, Madison turned back to her friend. "Natalie, after everything Isaac has done to you, you still don't want to divorce him?"

"I actually went to see him yesterday evening to discuss the divorce. But..." Natalie looked down. "I have to sort out my mother's situation first, because I simply can't afford everything at the moment..."

"Then why not return to Bureau of Cultural Relics?" Madison suggested. "You have more than enough talent to support yourself. There's no reason for you to depend on Isaac!"

Natalie gave a small shake of her head. "I don't have the courage to face my mentor after everything."

Noticing how sad Natalie looked, Madison slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, don't dwell on that! As soon as you're out of here, I'll find ten handsome, accomplished men to help you celebrate your divorce. We deserve to have a little fun with men competing for our attention for a change!"

Natalie burst out laughing at Madison's idea. She was just about to respond when a deep, commanding voice cut into their conversation.

"I really didn't expect you to become this daring, Madison."

Madison looked around and found herself staring into Andrew's cold, imposing eyes. A shiver ran through her, and she immediately jumped to her feet. "Uncle Andrew!"

Andrew approached them. He merely glanced at a bodyguard standing nearby, and the man promptly came forward. "Miss Bennett, please come with me."

As the bodyguard led Madison away, Natalie couldn't help glancing toward Andrew. Their eyes met briefly before she hurriedly looked down.

Even after so many years, being in Andrew's presence still filled Natalie with nervousness.

She had seen firsthand just how ruthless he could be when she was still in high school.

During those years, Madison regularly brought Natalie to the Bennett residence, so Natalie had encountered Andrew quite often.

Initially, she'd actually liked her friend's uncle. He was only five years her senior, and his warm smile and pleasant attitude had always made him appear approachable.

Everything changed one day when she visited the Bennett estate and happened to stumble upon him in the garden.

With a slight smile on his face, Andrew had been casually cleaning blood off his hands using a handkerchief. He then instructed someone to take care of the unconscious figure sprawled on the ground.

Natalie had been so shaken by what she saw that she'd made every effort to stay away from him afterward.

When Andrew eventually finished college and moved abroad, she'd assumed their paths would never cross again...

"What are you thinking about?"

Andrew's voice came unexpectedly close to her ear, pulling Natalie back to the present. Startled by how near he was, she leaned away. "Um, Mr. Bennett. I wasn't expecting to see you here. What a coincidence."

"I wouldn't call it a coincidence." Andrew reached into his pocket and produced Natalie's phone.

Her breathing faltered the instant she recognized it.

Andrew lowered himself slightly to meet her eyes. "Would you like to explain this?"

"Last night, I was at Crestmont Hotel having dinner with Isaac, and somewhere along the way, I misplaced my phone. I had no idea you were the one who picked it up, Mr. Bennett. I appreciate you returning it."

With that, she extended her hand to take it.

Andrew lifted the phone just enough to prevent her from reaching it.

"An unidentified woman entered my hotel room yesterday evening. Then, this morning, your phone turned up right outside my door." Andrew stepped closer, his piercing gaze making her uneasy. "Now, you still think it's a coincidence that I'm here?"