Chapter 2 – The Nameless Encounter

Iris was accustomed to being in control. As the Deputy CEO of Parker's Hospitality Company, she held a position of power and authority.

However, the events of the previous night had left her feeling humiliated, not only by her own father but also by strangers.

The humiliation she experienced was overwhelming, and it seemed as though she needed to redeem herself or risk succumbing to depression.

Just as the door was about to close, she couldn't hold back her emotions any longer and let out a desperate cry.

"I didn't drug you. I don't even know you. Maybe you were the one who drugged me because I can't recall much either," she pleaded, her voice trembling with tears.

Despite her vulnerability, she hoped that the man would understand that she was not to blame.

Unfortunately, her hopes were shattered when he turned back towards her, his expression filled with anger.

"Drug you? Do you honestly believe you're worth my time? For all I know, you've been spying on me. So, who put you up to this?" he spat, his voice rising with fury and his gaze burning into her.

Garvin's words cut deep, leaving Iris stunned and hurt. She was taken aback by the unexpected hostility from the man she had woken up next to on the same bed.

The encounter had taken an unexpected turn, leaving her with more questions than answers. Who was this man, and why did he believe she was involved in some sinister plot?

“What?" Iris's face drained of color, leaving her feeling numb. She regretted trying to defend herself.

She opened her mouth, but her throat felt swollen, preventing any words from escaping. The sound of retreating leather shoes was the only response she received.

She stared blankly at his well-defined muscular back, wishing he hadn't misunderstood her. She had no idea how she ended up here.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, landing on her exposed chest. She quickly wiped them away with the duvet.

She sat on the bed, staring at the red patches on the bed, unsure of how much time had passed.

The moisture on her face continued to fall, dampening her stomach and thighs.

When she attempted to stand, her legs wobbled with pain, and she felt soreness in her walls and muscles.

The man had taken her virginity and blamed her for it. She trembled with pain and hatred, struggling to catch her breath.

Frustration overwhelmed her, causing her to lash out at the item beside her. The bedside lamp came crashing down from the nightstand.

Shit! What had she done? This wasn't her mansion. It belonged to the man who had just insulted her, and she needed to leave immediately.

Grabbing her phone, guilt washed over her as she saw over 50 missed calls from friends and family, but her battery was already low.

***

Garvin summoned one of his closest friends to meet him at a local coffee shop for an important discussion.

"Garvin, we tried to contact you last night," Jake, one of his closest friends, spoke as soon as he settled down across from Garvin.

He had rushed to the coffee shop, sensing the urgency in Garvin's voice during their phone conversation.

Realizing that things hadn't gone according to plan, Garvin felt a mix of disappointment and curiosity.

He confronted Jake with a stern expression, suspecting that his friend had once again attempted to set him up with a woman.

“Jake, did you set me up with a woman last night?”

Guilt flickered in Jake's eyes as he prepared to explain himself, knowing that he had been caught in the act.

Although this was not the first time they had tried to play matchmaker for Garvin, their previous attempts had always ended in failure.

"Yes, we did try, but it didn't work out," Jake admitted.

Garvin's anger intensified, evident from the expression on his face, as confusion clouded his mind.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his tone serious.

Jake was accustomed to Garvin's cold demeanor, so he remained unfazed.

Despite being in his late twenties, Garvin often behaved like a grumpy old man, rarely smiling or cracking jokes. He always got straight to the point.

“Nothing happened between you and the girl I arranged for you. You drove her away and I got upset, so I decided to leave you alone," he waved at the waiter and said, "Two cups of black coffee," when the waiter arrived.

"So, which girl did I wake up with?" Garvin asked, after the waiter left. He was feeling conflicted about the whole situation.

Jake was taken aback by his question, realizing that Garvin must have slept with a woman for the first time in his life. Shock was evident in his voice.

"You woke up with a girl? Wait, is it the blonde?" Amusement laced his voice as he asked. Garvin replied thoughtfully,

"I knew it. She must be a spy or something."

Jake shook his head, not believing that the girl was a spy, although he was surprised that Garvin ended up in bed with her.

"That girl doesn't seem like the usual clubbing type. I saw you walking with her, but I didn't expect you two to end up in bed, especially since she was wearing a dinner dress."

Garvin didn't care about what the girl was wearing. He was just relieved that he had taken precautions to avoid any potential pregnancy. He knew that his enemies had sent the blonde girl.

“At least I made sure she took the morning-after pills. Those jerks wouldn't get the better of us."

"I agree, but which morning pills are you referring to?" Jake asked, wondering if it was the same one he had left in Garvin's drawer a few years ago when they set him up with a woman.

"The ones you gave me years ago," Garvin confirmed.

Jake burst into laughter. "Wait, so you actually gave her those? Did you check the expiration date?" Jake asked, not caring that Garvin glared at him as if he wanted to strangle him.

Garvin pursed his lips, his heart rate quickening, but he couldn't answer the question.

However, there was always a solution.

"Tell Mark that I want to know everything about her. If she's truly a pawn, I'll take care of her myself," he said seriously.

Jake nodded and grabbed his phone to inform Mark, their other best friend.

"No problem, so what's her name?" Jake asked, as Mark had requested when he ended the call.

Garvin froze.

"I don't know, but she's still in the villa. I'll get the pills for her and find out her identity," Garvin stood up and left. He wanted to make it in time before the blonde woman left his house.

Upon arriving home, he casually strolled into his bedroom, only to be taken aback by the sight before him.

Everything appeared to be in its rightful place, except for the absence of the sheets and the presence of shattered glass scattered across the floor. It became evident that the broken fragments were remnants of his bedside lamp.

Curiously, the duvet had been neatly folded at the foot of the bed. Confusion washed over him as he pondered why Luna, his housekeeper, had not tidied up his room.

Furthermore, he questioned whether the blonde woman had been responsible for the destruction of his lamp. The reasons behind her actions remained a mystery.

Considering the possibility that Luna had removed the bed linen for laundering purposes, he paused for a moment. However, he quickly dismissed this notion, as Luna was known for promptly replacing the linen.

Seeking answers, he inspected the laundry basket, only to find it empty. His search continued, leading him to the bin where he discovered the expired package of pills he had previously given to the blonde girl.

A wave of anger surged through him, causing his eyes to redden and his heart to race.

He felt an urgent need to locate the blonde woman and ensure she took the correct pills he had recently purchased since he did not use protection.

As he glanced at the nightstand, he noticed that the stack of cash remained untouched, accompanied by a note.

The note read,

‘Thank you, but I have no use for this money, as I mentioned before. Oh, and by the way, I had to borrow your shirt after tearing my dress. I cannot guarantee its return, so consider it compensation for ruining my attire.’

His fingers clenched tightly around the note, his frustration mounting.

"Hypocrite," he muttered under his breath.

He suspected that she had likely taken a larger sum of money from the safe. With a sense of urgency, he hastened to open the safe, only to find it locked.

The realization struck him that he had been the one to secure it since there was no way she would have known the code. It became clear that he had inadvertently locked it himself.

So, if she didn't want the money, how did they end up together?

Garvin couldn't help but wonder if everything that happened the previous night was just an accident, as she claimed.

He wanted to believe it and move on, but he couldn't shake off the nagging feeling.

It was their first time together, and he didn't want to admit that he may have taken advantage of her. Driven by curiosity, he decided to review the CCTV footage.

As Garvin watched the footage, he felt a strange sensation as the corners of his lips twitched.

Her small frame was engulfed by his oversized shirt, even with the sleeves folded. He also realized that his bed linen had gone missing. She conveniently forgot to mention that she had taken it too.

He couldn't fathom how she managed to use the linen as a makeshift hijab to cover her head, but it seemed excessive, almost as if she was trying to conceal her identity.

The word ‘spy’ suddenly crossed his mind, pricking at something deep inside him.

"Could she really be a spy? I didn't even catch her name."