Chapter 29

LARA VIA

I gingerly touched my throbbing head, feeling the unpleasant ache of a hangover settling in. With a slight shift, a sharp pain shot through my thighs, causing me to wince involuntarily. As I stirred, I realized with a growing sense of alarm that I was completely naked, the white sheets of the bed slipping off my chest in a careless manner. My eyes widened in disbelief as I took in the sight of my exposed body, vulnerable and laid bare.

"Oh god, what a stupid thing you did again, Lara Via!" I berated myself internally, frustration and regret bubbling up within me. "You're so careless! Stupid!"

The memories of the previous night flooded back in disjointed fragments, like pieces of a puzzle slowly coming together. I recalled the pulsating music, the dimly lit ambiance, and the enticing allure of forbidden desire that hung thick in the air. It was a scene straight out of a cliché romance novel, yet here I was, living it out in the most reckless of ways.

I had promised myself that