Chapter 1
It was midnight, the prime time for the bar scene.
On the neon-lit dance floor, Janice Ludwig moved with the pulse of the deafening music. Her hips swayed, and her heels tapped intricate steps that mesmerized onlookers. Her moves accentuated her curves, drawing every pair of eyes in the room.
Amid the deafening cheers and whistles, she ran a hand through her damp hair and peeled off her cropped jacket with the other, tossing it into the crowd. The energy in the bar exploded, sending the place into a frenzy.
Janice ended her performance with a jaw-dropping move on the pole, arching her back before sliding down gracefully. She barely had time to catch her breath before someone eagerly approached her.
“Hey, miss, here alone? Do you want some company?”
Janice gave a sly smile and was about to reply when her gaze locked onto a familiar figure in the distance.
“Sorry, not tonight. I’ve got plans,” she said breezily, brushing past the young man in her towering heels.
“Mr. Gomez, fancy seeing you here.”
In a shadowy corner of the bar, the man stood out in a tailored black suit. The dim light softened his chiseled features, highlighting only the sharp angles of his face. His cold, aloof demeanor made him seem completely out of place in the chaotic bar scene.
Janice had always been drawn to that face.
Malcolm Gomez was a man whose every detail aligned perfectly with her tastes. The first time she saw him, the attraction had been instant. Fueled by a few too many drinks, she had marched right up to him and asked if he was interested in “getting to know each other better”.
At the time, her boyfriend had just fallen head over heels for her scheming stepsister, and the two of them had the nerve to send her a video of their escapades.
Janice, disgusted to her core, dumped her scumbag boyfriend with a slap, then stormed off to the nearest bar. After chugging a pitcher of beer, she found Malcolm.
What she thought would be a one-night stand turned into something that lasted over two years—much to her own surprise.
Even though she barely knew anything about Malcolm beyond his name, she didn’t care. She wasn’t interested in his background. For Janice, as long as they clicked, that was all that mattered.
Without hesitation, she leaned in, looping her slender arm around his neck.
Malcolm had just returned from a business trip abroad, his scent carrying a hint of travel and fatigue. With a tug on her waist, he pulled her closer.
“If I hadn’t shown up, were you planning on finding someone else tonight?” he asked, his voice low and raspy.
Janice chuckled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Now, Mr. Gomez, don’t sell yourself short. Nobody can beat you in bed.”
She kissed him again, a playful challenge. After two years together, Malcolm knew her body like the back of his hand.
The second half of their night shifted to a nearby hotel.
By the time they were done, Janice was utterly spent. It took all her energy to drag herself into the shower.
Malcolm was already dressed when she emerged, his polished demeanor back in place. He stood by the window, a cigarette between his fingers. Hearing her footsteps, he turned, his expression cool and detached.
Janice raised an eyebrow and teased, “All dressed already? Don’t you want to go another round?”
Instead of answering, Malcolm tossed a check onto the table.
She glanced at it and whistled. “Wow. One million?”
“I’m getting engaged,” he said flatly.
Janice froze for a moment, then twirled the check between her fingers. “So, this is my breakup fee?”
Malcolm neither confirmed nor denied it. His voice remained calm. “Don’t contact me again.”
Janice snorted. “Relax. I’m not the clingy type.”
With a wry smile, she added, “Congrats on the engagement, Mr. Gomez. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness.”
Malcolm’s eyes flicked to her face.
Janice’s pale skin contrasted sharply with her dark eyes, the corners tinted with a natural flush. In bed, her eyes would glisten with unshed tears, an utterly irresistible sight.
But now, those same eyes betrayed no emotion.
Malcolm had always known that Janice was the kind of woman who guarded her heart. No matter how passionate or affectionate she seemed in the moment, she could shut it off as easily as flipping a switch.
It suited him just fine. No strings meant no complications.
He stubbed out his cigarette and left without another word.
Janice lay back on the bed, holding the check in her hands. She counted the zeroes again and again, a grin spreading across her face.
Satisfied, she slept like a baby, only to be jolted awake the next morning by her phone ringing.
The call was from the cemetery.
“Hello,” she muttered groggily, still half-asleep. However, the panicked voice on the other end snapped her awake.
“Ms. Ludwig? We’ve got a problem! A group of people showed up this morning saying they’re here to move the grave you asked us to take care of!”
“What?” Janice shot up, her tone icy.
“I told them that moving a grave requires approval from the cemetery manager, so I managed to stall them for now. But you’d better come down here fast!”
Janice’s expression turned cold. That grave belonged to her mother.
Years ago, when her mother, Serena Weston, passed away from a terminal illness, Janice had drained every penny she had trying to cover the medical bills and funeral costs. She’d even racked up massive debts just to afford a burial plot. She had nearly sold her blood to make ends meet.
Those days were some of the darkest in her life. Now that her finances had stabilized and her alternative medicine clinic was thriving, she’d saved enough to replace her mother’s headstone and pay someone to maintain the grave regularly.
Her voice was sharp as she asked, “Did they say who sent them?”
“Yes! The guy in charge said they were acting on orders from the Ludwig family!”
