Third Person Pov.
Raymond Black woke to find the beauty still lying beside him. He took his time studying her face, as though etching every delicate feature into his memory.
A dangerous glint passed through his eyes as he recalled her calling another man's name the night before—a memory that had only driven him to be rougher, more possessive.
Before anger could rise again, his gaze fell on the red stain on the bedsheet, unmistakable proof that it had been her first time.
Seeing the marks he had left on her body filled him with dark satisfaction. From this moment on, he believed, he was the only one allowed to bully her this way. Gently, almost tenderly, he pulled the duvet over her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Kitten," he murmured softly, "where have you been all my life? I can't let you go after today. You can only be mine."
He headed into the bathroom to clean up. When he returned, the bed was empty.
A smile curved his lips as he picked up his phone and made a call. "Come upstairs. Immediately."
Raymond sat on the edge of the bed until his personal assistant arrived. Then, in a casual tone that belied his tension, he asked, "Who was the girl you sent to my room last night? I want every detail about her."
Liam stiffened in shock. "Sir, I didn't send any woman to your room last night. I would never repeat that mistake. The last time I did, you almost transferred me to the East Africa branch."
Raymond exhaled sharply. Liam was telling the truth.
He had slept with a complete stranger.
The realization sent unease crawling up his spine. "Get me every piece of CCTV footage from this hotel, especially the one for this room. Immediately."
"Yes, sir." Liam hurried out, silently praying he wouldn't be the one fired today.
Raymond paced the room, restless and furious with himself. How could I be so careless?
What if she had been sent by his enemies? Was this a trap? A scheme to get pregnant and tie him down?
Lost in thought, he barely noticed when Liam returned with a laptop, and the hotel's general manager.
"Sir," Liam called, louder this time.
"Yes?" Raymond snapped.
"Did you get what I asked for?"
"Yes, sir." Liam swallowed hard and handed him the laptop.
Raymond opened it and began reviewing the footage, eyes narrowing with every passing second.
Carefully, Liam began to explain. "Sir, may I clarify who the woman is and how she ended up in your room?"
Raymond didn't look up. "Proceed."
"Her name is Lena Smith. She's the CEO of Oasis Enterprise, daughter of Magnus and the late Hailey Smith. Her father has remarried, and she's currently engaged to Evans Rings."
Raymond's head snapped up. "What kind of name is that?"
Before Liam could answer, Raymond exploded. "She has a fiancé? What sort of woman tricks another man into sleeping with her when she's engaged?"
Rage burned through him. "I want to see this audacious woman. I'll teach her a lesson she'll never forget."
Liam was sweating now, but he forced himself to continue. "Sir, there's more you need to know."
"Then speak."
"She didn't trick you," Liam said carefully. "Her fiancé and her best friend drugged her. They planned to take compromising photos and blackmail her into handing over her company."
Raymond's fists clenched.
"Her father and stepmother were also involved," Liam added. "They wanted to destroy her."
"That still doesn't explain how she ended up in my bed," Raymond growled.
"The men hired to take her to her fiancé's hotel room brought her to the wrong one, yours. When the man returned later, she wasn't there. He got drunk and passed out. He left this morning."
A vein pulsed at Raymond's temple.
"Do you have her address?" he asked quietly.
Liam nodded.
The hotel manager, who had been hiding near the door, was trembling uncontrollably. Everyone in X City knew the legend of Mr. Black—the ruthless billionaire who never forgave and never forgot. Those who crossed him rarely lived to speak of it.
Raymond stood, letting the laptop fall onto the bed. He slipped on his jacket and turned to Liam. "When we bring my kitten home, take two men from the Tiger Squad. Find the man who was hired to ruin her."
His voice was ice-cold. "I'll deal with him personally, before I feed him to my dogs."
The manager collapsed, wetting himself in terror.
Raymond turned to him. "I'll deal with you later. This happened under your watch. Is this what I pay you for?"
The manager begged, pressing his head to the floor. "I accept my punishment, sir. Please forgive me."
Raymond didn't respond. He simply walked out.
In the garage, they climbed into his black Maybach and drove off.
The silence in the car was heavy.
Why am I this angry? Raymond wondered. Why do I care so much?
Her face flashed through his mind, and his fury surged.
"How dare they bully my kitten," he snarled. "Drive faster."
Liam smiled faintly. "We're already here, sir."
Raymond looked up as they pulled in front of a massive house. "This is it?"
"Yes."
They stepped out. Liam raised his hand to knock, but Raymond stopped him.
"Wait. Let's listen first."
After a moment, Raymond spoke again. "Call the Pride Team. Give them this address. I want them here in twenty minutes."
He paused. "Use the helicopters."
"Yes, sir."
As Liam moved away to make the call, Raymond pushed the door open and stepped inside.