Chapter 2

There was no way for her to run now—Anthony Donovan was already at the door. She spun around quickly, grabbed a glass ashtray from the coffee table, and silently hid behind the door, trying her best to keep the panic at bay. With a click, the door opened, and Anthony walked in. "Hey there, pretty girl. Daddy’s here..." He peeked in with that greasy grin. Ew. The fact that he actually said that? Revolting. In her mind, Denise was tearing him a new one. The moment he got close, she didn’t even hesitate—she swung the ashtray hard at his head. Smash! The ashtray hit the floor. Anthony stared at her, blood already dripping down from his scalp. “You little bitch, you actually hit me?!” Without missing a beat, Denise darted out the door. Anthony staggered to the door, holding his head and yelling for help. Denise had no idea where she was headed, she just kept running. But his bodyguards soon caught on and started chasing. The sound of footsteps closing in made her tremble. At the sight of a nearby room, she quickly yanked the door open, slipped inside, and locked it. Finally able to breathe, she slumped for a second—until a man’s face suddenly popped into view. She nearly screamed. "Who the hell are you?! You scared the hell out of me!" Denise clutched her chest, trying to calm down. The man gave her a once-over with narrowed eyes, his voice low and calm. "More like, who are you? Want me to toss you out right now?" Only then did she realize she’d barged into someone else’s room. But the drug in her system was kicking in hard—sweat collected on her forehead, and her throat felt like it was on fire. Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed the front of the man's pristine white shirt. “Please... please help me...” “Why should I?” Jason Harrington had a pretty good guess of what was going on just from experience—someone was clearly after her. “I’ll do anything, just help me,” she begged, the fear of Mr. Donovan catching her overriding all else. Pounding started on the door, loud and urgent. "Please, I'm begging you, don’t let them take me!" she pleaded, voice shaking. Without waiting for his answer, she dashed into the bedroom. Her body felt weaker by the second. She tried making it to the bathroom to splash some cold water on herself, but before she got far, she collapsed to the floor. The heat inside her was unbearable. "So hot... it’s too hot..." Her mind was a blur. She kept tugging at her sheer nightgown, trying to cool down. After Jason dealt with whoever was outside, he walked back in and froze. There she was, lying on the carpet, her clothes half-scrambled. The way her body showed through the fabric... it was impossible to ignore. “Hey! This isn’t a hotel. Get the hell out!” Jason barked, thinking this was just another attention-seeking stunt. But no matter how many times he called her, Denise didn’t respond. He reached out to touch her forehead—burning hot. She’s been drugged! That would explain why she clung to him like that, her whole demeanor completely changed, full of sultry desperation. "Please... don't leave..." she murmured, slipping into a dream where her mother was walking away from her.