Room 7207, GK Dongfang International Hotel.
A sliver of morning light slipped through the heavy velvet curtains, sketching out the silhouette of a woman sprawled across the king-sized bed.
She was out cold, lying there peacefully. The silky quilt had slipped down to her waist, revealing her upper body—smooth and pale like polished jade, glistening slightly under the light.
Buzz... Buzz...
The sudden vibration broke the silence.
Dora Watson frowned slightly but didn’t bother opening her eyes. Her right hand fumbled around beside the pillow until it landed on her phone, swiping at the screen without even looking.
This was her daily ritual—snooze the alarm and cling to bed for another twenty minutes.
When the alarm buzzed again, Dora rolled over and yawned as she stretched lazily, finally cracking open her eyes.
Warm orange lights glowed from the ceiling’s recessed strip lighting. As her gaze moved down, she saw European-style furniture, plush white carpet—classy and luxurious.
She blinked a few times, and reality finally hit.
This flashy and elegant room was definitely not her tiny, worn-out rented apartment!
She shot up instantly. The silky quilt fell off in one swoop, and—
Holy crap, she was stark naked!
Clutching the blanket to her chest, Dora’s brain went into meltdown mode. Her mind was screaming with panic.
What the hell happened?!
Just then, the phone buzzed again. Dora answered it on instinct.
“Dora, you up yet? The new boss arrives today, don’t be late! I’m already heading out!”
It was her bestie—and coworker too. Dora was just about to fire back, but the line cut off before she could get a word in.
No time to stress. She pulled herself together in a hurry and bolted out the door.
As she entered the elevator, the one across from hers slid open too. Out stepped a man clad in a bespoke Armani suit, tall and ridiculously good-looking.
He walked to Room 7207, opened the door, and glanced at the empty bed. The corners of his lips curved into a smile, deep and hard to read.
On the bus, Dora slouched against the window. The reflection on the glass was blurry, her long hair covering half her pale face, making her look even more out of it.
Her head was pounding—like something inside her skull was hammering to get out.
She tried to recall last night.
She went with her bestie to a reunion party. Everyone drank a bit too much. She remembered going to the bathroom, and maybe accidentally bumping into a guy… and puking on him?
Groaning, Dora massaged her temples, trying to piece the rest together.
There were flickering neon lights in the KTV room, chaotic shouting, and loud music.
Outside the restroom, one dim spotlight stretched the man’s shadow long on the floor.
She remembered a subtle lemony scent clinging to him—clean and soothing, like a warm breeze in early spring.
His body was toned, firm under her hands, and his embrace felt warm. He had to be good-looking, right?
Was he the one who brought her back to the hotel?
Just thinking that made Dora panic even more.
She’d never even had a legit boyfriend in over twenty years, and now her brain jumped straight to... getting a hotel room?
Get it together. It’s not like she didn’t know how things worked just because she hadn’t done it before.
Besides, nothing hurt. No marks, no blood on the sheets—it didn’t look like anything actually went down.
Damn alcohol.Dora Watson let out a sigh, her feelings all jumbled up. She glanced down at her well-shaped figure, not sure whether to feel lucky or embarrassed.
In the heart of GK City stood the towering headquarters of Huanyu International Group, a high-rise of shimmering glass panels that gleamed under the sun—just like how dominant Huanyu’s position was in the city. Always the brightest, always the center.
Dora had joined Huanyu after graduating last year, just an unknown little employee in the massive company.
Calling her a white-collar worker sounded nice. In reality? Just someone in a suit doing errands.
Thinking of her manager’s hormone-ravaged face, Dora unconsciously picked up her pace.
Oddly enough, the usual pressure in their cubicle jungle was gone today. Instead, everyone was whispering, clearly excited about something.
Dora slid into her chair, and her best friend immediately leaned over. "Finally! You're here."
"Where is he?"
Dora placed her stuff down and dug out her lipstick in a hurry—the company had a strict ‘makeup required’ policy.
"Right? You see everyone buzzing? It’s way past starting time and the new boss is still a no-show.”
Only then did she realize the whole office was gossiping about the new boss being late, everyone guessing what kind of person he might be.
She felt a pang of relief, which quickly turned into a frown. Turning to her friend, she asked, "So... what time did you all leave last night?"
Her friend’s face dropped immediately. "Are you seriously asking me that? When did you even disappear? I dragged you there and still had to get a ride home from our senior."
With her friend throwing that back at her, Dora had no comeback.
"Spill it. Where'd you vanish to last night, huh?" Her friend leaned in closer and gave her a suspicious look. "Wait... did you even change clothes? Don’t tell me you didn’t go home?"
"You’re the one who didn’t go home!" Dora blurted out, her voice loud, and she actually stood up from how flustered she got.
Right then, someone walked into the office.
Tall—gotta be at least 6'1". Clean-cut short hair. Sharp, chiseled features.
Thick, dark brows gave him a striking look. His narrow eyes had a slight upward tilt at the ends—not soft, though, just intense. A strong, straight nose and firm lips. Classic handsome, almost unfair.
But what really stood out was the cold aura he carried, making everyone tense up without knowing why. And threading through that chill? A faint lemony scent that drifted with him, soft but arresting.
Their eyes met for a split second, and something flickered in Liam Anderson’s gaze.
Dora’s heart skipped a beat.
Oh crap.
What had she done?!
This guy... he was the one from last night!
Just the thought of that ridiculously comfy hotel bed and her completely naked self lying in it made Dora’s heart thump like crazy. Scenes she couldn’t even remember started to replay in her head, all steamy and blurred from booze.
Her face turned redder by the second. She quickly dropped her gaze.
The buzzing office went dead quiet.
After who knows how long, their manager's screechy voice sliced through the silence. “Dora Watson, do you want more of your pay docked or what?!”
But before anything else, Liam Anderson’s voice cut cleanly through, “Dora Watson?”
The manager froze, her face flipping instantly to sycophantic. "Mr. Anderson, this Dora Watson, I’ve been planning to fire her anyway. I’ll have her gone right away!"
Dora didn’t hear a single word. All her attention was on her toes.
She’d slept with the CEO.
She’d actually gone to bed with her new boss!
That realization hit her like a bolt of lightning.
Then came the steady sound of footsteps—the kind you couldn’t ignore—heading right for her.
