The Jilted Heiress Deals With The Devil

The next day, Alyssa grabbed the white dress from the floor and pulled it on with brisk, efficient movements. She didn't look back. With the cool composure of someone who had completed a mission, she walked out of the inner chamber of the presidential suite.

She leaned against the cold marble wall of the private foyer. Her legs were a little unsteady, but her mind was razor-sharp. She closed her eyes—not to escape, but to replay every detail of the previous night in her mind: his overwhelming strength, the cold precision of his movements, the way he had controlled everything from start to finish. A chill ran down her spine, but along with it came a reassuring certainty that her plan was proceeding exactly as intended.

She took a deep breath, forced herself to stand straight, smoothed the wrinkles from her dress, and tidied her disheveled hair. She knew that the time for deliberation was over; now was the time for action. She didn't need to slip back into the Saunders' house and pretend nothing had happened. On the contrary, she wanted to make sure everything was discovered.

She turned toward the elevator doors, her gaze steady, waiting for the confrontation to come.

Just as her finger touched the call button, a sharp ding announced the elevator's arrival. The doors slid open, and a figure rushed out.

Alyssa's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile.

It was her fiancé, Eddie.

His face was dark with rage. He had clearly been looking for her all night. He lunged forward, his hand clamping around her wrist like a pair of handcuffs. The pressure made her wince, but she didn't struggle. Instead, she met his gaze.

"Alyssa! Where the hell were you? Why didn't you answer your phone?" he hissed, his voice low and venomous, a beastly growl that twisted his handsome features into something ugly.

Alyssa showed no panic. She looked at him calmly, a hint of mockery in her eyes."Eddie? What are you doing here? I... I'm with a friend. My phone died."

She didn't try to pull her arm free; she let him hold it. "Friends? What friends? Staying here?" His gaze swept across the lavish foyer, thick with suspicion and naked jealousy. "Do you have any idea what this place is?"

Alyssa's eyes grew sharper. "Of course I know what this place is. I'm here so that you would know."

She didn't stammer. She spoke clearly: "My friend... is my new friend."

Eddie let out a harsh, disbelieving laugh. His trembling finger pointed at her neck. "What kind of friend leaves marks like that?"

Alyssa's gaze followed his fingertip, then she slowly raised her own hand and touched the faint red mark on the side of her neck. It wasn't a brand of shame; it was a badge of her defiance. She even made it more conspicuous, as if in provocation.

Her face didn't pale; instead, a cold smile formed on her lips.

At that moment, a soft click sounded behind her.

The door to the inner chamber she had just left slowly opened.

Ayaan stood there, a towel slung low around his hips, his bare torso still glistening from the shower. He leaned against the doorframe, water droplets dripping from his black hair onto his sculpted shoulders, watching the scene unfold with a detached, amused air.

Eddie's eyes widened, his jaw going slack. He didn't know who this man was, but the sheer, unguarded power radiating from him was instinctively intimidating.

Ayaan's gaze fell on Eddie's hand, still clamped around Alyssa's wrist. The amusement in his eyes vanished, replaced by a sudden, chilling coldness.

"Let her go."

His voice was soft, but carried the weight of absolute command.

Cowed by that presence, Eddie's grip loosened slightly.

Alyssa seized the moment, yanking her arm free and stumbling back, her heart pounding wildly in her chest—not from fear, but from the unexpected smoothness of her plan's progress. Ayaan's appearance was fuel on the fire, exactly what she had hoped for.

"Who are you?" Eddie demanded, his voice trying to sound aggressive but coming out thin and shrill.

Ayaan ignored him completely. His deep, perceptive eyes found Alyssa's. A slow, wicked smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "What's the matter? Your 'friend' has already found you?" He savored the word "friend," turning it into an insult.

That taunt hit like a blow, confirming Eddie's worst fears.

But Alyssa felt no anger; she thought Ayaan's cooperation was perfectly timed. She didn't look away from him, but instead turned to Eddie, her tone calm and resolute. "There's nothing left to say between us, Eddie."

She didn't reach for Eddie's arm; instead, she crossed her arms and stood her ground, a hint of relief in her eyes. She no longer wanted to end the confrontation—she wanted it to explode fully.

But Ayaan wasn't finished. He pushed off the doorframe and closed the distance in two silent steps.

Then he turned his gaze to Eddie, his expression one of utter contempt.

"Listen," he said, his voice low and cutting, with a drawling edge. "She was with me last night. Now take your questions and get the hell out of my sight."

Eddie's face cycled through shades of red and white. He looked at Ayaan's imposing figure, then at Alyssa's calm, faintly triumphant face. Shame and fury warred in his chest, choking the words in his throat.

Finally, he gave Alyssa one last vicious glare, then spun around and stormed into the waiting elevator.

The foyer fell silent. Just the two of them left. Alyssa let out a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing, a rush of relief washing over her. She looked up at Ayaan, a hint of curiosity and gratitude in her gaze.

He met her complex, knowing look and found it unexpectedly amusing. The noise had been annoying. And it had interfered with a potential "asset" of his. He leaned in close, his voice a whisper at her ear. "Don't look at me like that. I just don't like people shouting outside my door. As compensation... next Wednesday, same time, come to my office."