"Mmm..."

A soft groan came from the girl curled up under a silky white summer blanket. She stretched her arms lazily... then paused.

"Huh?"

Why did it feel... totally naked?

What the hell?!

Ava Anderson suddenly sobered up.

Her head was pounding from the hangover, everything spinning. "Damn it, what the heck happened? Why the hell am I here?"

Still muttering to herself, she froze the moment a voice came from the side—one that clearly didn’t belong to her.

“Oh my God—”

She bolted upright and jumped off the bed in a panic—and yeah, she was completely naked.

“Can you not be so noisy?”

From under the blanket came a lazy, deep voice—definitely a guy’s!

As he slowly cracked one eye open...

"Aahhh—!"

Ava shrieked and yanked the entire blanket off the bed, clutching it to her chest. What the hell?! She spent the night with a stranger?!

Meanwhile, the guy’s expression instantly darkened. With the blanket gone, well, nothing was left to the imagination. Ava’s eyes widened like saucers.

She didn’t remember his face, but wow, thisAva Anderson tried hard to remember something—anything—but her mind was a total blank. She leaned forward just a little, hoping that move would jog her memory. The thin summer blanket slipped off her shoulders, revealing her bare skin underneath. The curve of her chest peeked out between the covers, her collarbones catching the morning light with a gentle slope. The whole scene quietly screamed "awkward."

The man across from her stared in that half-grinning, half-smirking way, clearly holding all the cards.

"Wait... don't tell me I slept with you?" Ava asked, pointing at him with a confused frown. Hang on, did she actually spend the night with some male escort? "Um, do you, like… charge for this kind of thing?"

Sleep with her? Charge?

Bert Lee immediately understood she’d gotten the wrong idea, but he didn’t bother correcting her. Instead, he rolled with it. “Well then, how much are you planning to pay me?”

Ava bit her lip. “Thing is, I don’t really know your rates… Not sure how you guys usually charge…”

Mid-sentence, her eyes scanned the unclothed Greek god of a man in front of her—zero shame about the situation. Seriously, with that face and body? He had to be the top-tier kind.

“So, here’s the deal, I only have three hundred in cash right now, but I can transfer the rest. How much do you want?”

Bert leaned back against the headboard, arms crossed, looking completely at ease as he watched her squirm.

“You probably couldn’t afford it,” he said, his tone steady and calm, with just enough weight to feel… intimidating.

Ava laughed awkwardly. Afford it? What was this guy even on?

“Just name the price. I can handle one night’s cost.”

Bert’s devilishly handsome face twisted into a mocking smile, one that looked indecently good and just a little too charming.

Confident, huh? He’d play along.

“Ten million.”

He said it lightly, like he was offering her a cup of coffee.

Ava’s face dropped.

What the hell? A one-night stand costs ten freaking million? Should she switch careers?

“Come on, that’s insane,” she snapped, biting down on her lip. “Ten million? Are you kidding me? That’s robbery.”

Sure, she might’ve been in the wrong to some degree, but this guy was clearly trying to scam her.

Bert didn’t change his tone or expression. “Ten million. Not a cent less.”

Her jaw might as well have hit the floor.

Was this guy serious?

“I’m not paying that,” she shot back. Okay, maybe she couldn’t even if she wanted to. And even if she could, there’s no way in hell she'd drop that much on some pretty face. No matter how good that body was.

“Oh? So you’re just gonna bail?” Bert asked, still completely unfazed. Watching her pale from anger or embarrassment—maybe both—his mood unexpectedly lifted.

“I… I was drunk last night,” Ava mumbled. “I don’t even know for sure if we actually did anything. I’m not giving you money for something I don’t even remember.”"Doesn’t matter. Consider this one on the house—interested in a free trial?"

Ava Anderson: "..."

"Anyway! There's no way I'm giving you that kind of money! Ten million for one night? If that were real, I’d sign up myself!"

Fuming, Ava plopped down onto the springy mattress, fists clenched in frustration.

Bert Lee leaned forward slightly, his calm gaze fixed on her as his hand slid slowly along the silky sheets, fingers brushing her smooth, creamy back.

His warm breath tickled her face, and the intimate vibe in the air instantly cranked up the temperature. Something about this felt seriously off.

"Fine. Ten million. I’ll buy your night."

The man's voice from behind was low and full of authority, leaving no room for argument.

Ava felt her face flush instantly, and honestly, she probably looked like a mess. Was this guy for real? What kind of line was that?

Ten million... wait, ten million!?

Seriously? A gigolo with that kind of money? No way she was buying that story.

"♪ ‘The one who loves you most is me…’ ♪"

Her phone suddenly rang.

"Hello?"

"Ava Anderson, if you don’t pay the breach fee soon, get ready for a lawsuit!"

At the worst possible time, her ex-company’s boss called to collect debt. Just perfect.

"Hey! Wait—"

The call dropped, leaving her holding the phone in stunned silence.

Bert casually pulled the blanket up to his waist, covering his well-defined abs. A faint smile played on his lips.

Gritting her teeth, Ava held up one finger in front of him. "Ten million. One night. You serious?"

Screw it. She was all in.

Bert's eyes stayed cold as ever, meeting hers without blinking. "Ten million. One night," he repeated slowly.

"Deal."

"Hold up."

Apparently, earning money from Bert Lee wasn’t going to be that easy?

"What now? You’re not backing out, are you? A man should stick to his word. Otherwise, good luck finding any more female clients."

"Relax. Ten million’s not worth fussing over. But we do this my way. You follow all my rules. If not, the deal’s off—and you owe me double. Got it?"

Ava looked at him again. Whoa—this guy sure came with a lot of strings. Was he about to pull out handcuffs and hot sauce or something? Wait... surely not?

Seeing her pause, Bert said calmly, "Don’t worry. It’s not what you’re imagining."

What?! How did he know what she was thinking? Was she that easy to read?

"Whatever! One night it is! Ten million—you said it! If you back out... turtle!"

At the word "turtle," Bert’s sharp expression cracked into a barely-suppressed smirk.

What a clueless woman.