Chapter 13

Rachel knew going to the hospital wasn’t an option.

What if the media caught sight of her like this–disheveled, drugged, with Tyler, William’s biggest rival, of all people? The scandal would spread through their circles before midnight.

It didn’t matter that Howard had spiked her drink. That spoiled heir would twist the story, claiming she had seduced him. And the Lewis family? They would gladly throw her to the wolves rather than clash with the equally powerful Ziegler family.

Slumped in the bathtub, Rachel shuddered. The icy water bit into her skin but did nothing to douse the fire raging inside her. If anything, it made it worse–the cold sharpening her awareness of every unbearable inch of heat. Her head spun; her body ached. She knew exactly how desperate her situation had become.

If it were Howard, she would rather drag them both to hell than surrender.

But if it was Tyler…

He was… tolerable. Better than the headlines screaming “Socialite Found Dead After Overdose”. Just the thought of that happening was terrifying.

Two warring voices battled in her mind, one telling her to ask Tyler for help, while the other told her no.

Tyler seemed impervious to women–all cold detachment and sharp suits. What if he really preferred men? Yet, compared to the other outcomes… one night with him was the simplest solution.

Rachel’s marriage to William had been a hollow shell for years. She wasn’t some blushing virgin clinging to virtue–not when he had shattered their vows first.

After thinking it through, Rachel slowly turned towards Tyler, who was sitting on the sofa outside and looking at his phone. “Mr. Hunt, could you help me?”

Rachel didn’t need a mirror to know how pathetic she looked right now. She was actually begging a man to sleep with her. But compared to William or Howard, she would rather it be Tyler. At least he didn’t seem like the type to cling to her afterward.

For a split second, surprise flickered in his dark eyes. He paused, the cigarette in his fingers hovering near the table as the overhead light cast shadows over his sharp features.

“Help you with what?” he asked.

Rachel met his gaze, embarrassed. Was a grown man like him really playing innocent?

Her nails dug into her palms as she awkwardly said, “You know… help me with this.”

Tyler rested his chin on his hand, watching her with dark, unreadable eyes. There she was–flushed, desperate, barely holding herself together in the bathtub–while he looked completely at ease, like a spectator enjoying the show.

The contrast was almost laughable.

Then, as if he hadn’t heard her clearly, he tilted his head and asked louder, “Help you with what?”

For a brief moment, Rachel wanted to slap herself.

Howard was vile, but Tyler wasn’t any better. One was a spoiled heir who trampled over people because his family enabled him, while the other was an impenetrable fortress–cold, calculating, and utterly controlled.

The drug’s effects kept growing stronger, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she fought to maintain composure. She refused to completely fall apart in front of Tyler. She was sure if that happened, he would only mock her.

Finally, her pride won out, and her tense body relaxed slightly. “Never mind. Just lend me your phone. I’ll call someone.”

+25 BONUS

At this point, anyone would do.

Instead of handing it over, Tyler raised an eyebrow and asked, “Who? William? I doubt he has the strength to help you with this now.”

“No. I can ask Caleb for help.”

Tyler let out a derisive laugh. “Great plan. Have William’s best friend ‘help‘ you, then watch them beat each other bloody later. One dead, one hospitalized. Perfect.”

Rachel frowned. Caleb wasn’t like that at all. Unlike William’s other friends, he actually respected her–no ulterior motives, just genuine friendship.

Caleb had connections. He could probably find her someone safe. She needed relief, yes, but she also needed to survive this night. If only Tyler wasn’t being so difficult, she wouldn’t need to be going through so much trouble.

“If you’re worried about the Lewis family causing problems, I… I can pay you,” she said.

Rachel understood his hesitation. After all, Tyler’s company and William’s were bitter rivals in the business world. If word of this got out, Rachel wasn’t the only one who would be in trouble. The Lewis family would make Tyler their target and use this scandal against him.

Tyler’s expression darkened, his dominant presence filling the room until the air itself felt charged. Rachel tensed; she was poking a sleeping lion here.

“Fine,” he said abruptly. “But my rates are quite high, Mrs. Lewis. Can you afford me?”

Rachel mentally calculated her bank balance before asking, “What’s your price?”

A man like Tyler didn’t come cheap. If he ever sold his services, he would be the most expensive escort in the city.

“How much do you have?” he countered without hesitation.

“Two million?”

She’d recently sold the wedding dress William designed for her, which helped her recover a bit financially. For one night, two million was beyond generous. It was top-tier escort pricing.

Tyler’s lips curled in amusement. “That’s all?”

Rachel’s mouth fell open slightly.

What did he think he was made of? Solid gold?

The effect of the drugs had reached their peak, making her thoughts turn murky and her body burn with need. Every nerve screamed for contact. Right now, she would probably react to any man like a beached fish finally reaching water.

Too exhausted to keep negotiating, Rachel gripped the bathtub’s edge and hauled herself up. If he wouldn’t help, she would find someone else–anyone. The hallway outside probably had someone; they would do.

Her shaky hand barely turned the doorknob when an arm hooked around her waist, yanking her back. Tyler pulled her flush against his chest with one arm while stubbing out his cigarette with the other.

His dark eyes scanned her flushed face as he said, “We were in the middle of negotiating. Who taught you to quit before closing the deal?”

Rachel barely processed his words. The moment their bodies touched, every nerve in her body lit up with desperate need. But what surprised her more was the heat radiating from him–a raw, masculine energy that seemed to resonate with her own.

She looked up at him in surprise. “You…?”

“Congratulations. You win,” he said, his voice dropping to a rough whisper.

2/3 Chapter 13

Rachel’s brows knitted together. “I was just discussing prices. I wasn’t seducing you.”

+25 BONUS

His arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer. “We’ve agreed on the price. Why are you playing innocent now? Are you doing this on purpose?”

Rachel’s cheeks burned.

“Your price… was too high. I can’t afford it,” she breathed, the words barely audible.

The mixture of innocence and frustration in her voice amused him. “Fine. I’ll give you a discount.”

Her eyes flickered with hope. “How much?”

“Depends on your performance,” he said, fingers already working open his shirt buttons.

Rachel’s gaze snagged on his throat, watching his sharp Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. Something about it was unbearably erotic.

This was her first time being so close to a near-stranger, and her nerves were firing wildly. Tyler’s body was undeniably impressive. He had defined muscles and eight-pack abs–everything about him radiated raw masculinity.

But then, a sliver of doubt sliced through the haze of her mind. She opened her mouth to say she had changed her mind-

Knock. Knock.

Tyler’s gaze darkened at the sound.

Rachel was confused, then she heard someone shouting from outside.

“Rachel!”

Her mind went blank with a sudden jolt–that voice…

It was William!