Have we met another time?
Ariana's POV
I woke up with a throbbing headache, remaining on the bed as I stared blankly at the ceiling, exhaustion clouding my face.
My head pounded, making me feel like I would pass out any minute.
I pulled up the duvet, covering my face to hinder the rays of sunlight that filtered through the window, painting the room with a soft golden hue.
Once the throbbing subsided, I sat up, yawning softly and stretching my tensed muscles, but I suddenly froze. I was taken aback by my strange surroundings.
I wasn't in my room. Instead, I found myself in a strange room with almost every piece of furniture made of black.
"What am I doing here?" I groaned, holding my head as I slowly pulled off the duvet from my legs.
"How did I end up here? Did I sleepwalk into my neighbor's room? No, this can't be any of my neighbor's rooms."
Thoughts raced through my mind, fear and sickness overwhelming me.
Weak and disoriented, I struggled to think clearly.
Standing up from the bed, I slowly walked towards the window and gazed outside.
It was morning already, and the realization of what had happened last night flooded back into my mind.
"Oh my God!" I gasped, my hands covering my mouth.
"I knew it. I knew he was a rapist!" I complained in annoyance, remembering how he had almost raped me. But then my face turned pale.
"Where am I?" I asked myself, my voice quivering.
The memory of someone grabbing me, a handkerchief laced with chloroform covering my face, and then losing consciousness flashed before my eyes.
"So that's why I'm still feeling dizzy. I'm not safe."
If I had to guess, I was on the eighth floor of a building, and the thought of jumping from such a height was only a death wish that sent chills down my spine. I would surely die instantly.
I paced around the room, my eyes wandering around as I cleaned off lines of tears voluntarily leaving my eyes against my will. It was a result of how dizzy I felt.
I sat on the floor, sobbing silently as I soothed the pain I felt from Jade and Lucas's hits last night.
With my hands still on my throbbing head, I stood up and approached the door of the room, my whole body aching.
But just as I was about to touch the doorknob, it suddenly flew open, narrowly missing my face.
Startled, I flinched backward as the person responsible for almost injuring me walked in, but I ended up falling to the floor.
"Have you lost it!" I began to yell before I realized who was standing in front of me.
My voice trailed off as I locked eyes with him.
He—the mysterious guy I had encountered on the road.
He stared down at me with his captivating hazel eyes, before he turned away and walked towards a table as though he hadn't just seen me fall.
"What? W.. what are you doing here?" I asked with a shaky voice.
It then dawned on me that I was the odd one here, so I rephrased my question.
"What am I doing here!" I half-yelled, standing up to my feet.
Glancing down at myself, I realized I was only covered in a towel.
"Why are my clothes off?" I stared at him with wide eyes, but he simply walked towards the bed.
"You're supposed to be asking your brother that question, not me," his cold voice resonated in my ears. It felt familiar as if I had heard it before.
When we encountered each other on the road, we didn't exchange a single word.
So have we met another time?
"Okay," I replied, intending to leave the room, now embarrassed.
But he suddenly grabbed my arms, pulling me back inside the room behind him before locking the door and pocketing the key.
Then he turned and walked away, hands in his pockets.
I couldn't help but gape at him as I stared at his back.
He looked like a demigod or a model, exuding masculinity that was visible even through his loosely fitted shirt.
The way he moved gracefully, his muscular arms, his broad shoulders, his abs... he was the epitome of a demigod himself.
His demeanor commanded respect and submission, and I fought the urge to bow down before him.
However, his demeanor reminded me of the thug I encountered in the supermarket and his black messy hair...
"Oh my god!" I exclaimed, my hands flying to cover my mouth.
His sudden turn towards me caught me off guard.
Slowly, I approached him, seized the documents from his hands, and raised them to his face, using them to cover his eyes, hair, and most of his face.
I desperately tried to piece together the connection between him and the thug from the supermarket.
But before I could conclude, he suddenly leaned forward, bringing us inches apart.
At that moment, he snatched the documents back from my hand and stood upright.
"Ariana!" he called my name with his cold voice, causing me to flinch.
How did he know my name? The shock on my face was evident as I questioned him.
"How do you know my name?" I asked, my voice filled with a mixture of surprise and fear.
But he ignored my question, continuing as if I hadn't spoken.
"Take a look at these," he said, placing the documents on the table.
I frowned, studying the file in front of me, my confusion deepening with each passing moment.
Could it be that the man standing before me was the one who forcefully marked me?
A surge of bile rose within me as I locked eyes with him, and without thinking, I slapped him across the face.
I didn't care about the consequences anymore—I was enraged.
A glint of surprise flickered in his eyes, but he didn't even flinch the slightest bit, and his handsome face remained cold, while I glared at him.
"I don't care whoever you are, but one thing you need to know is that you don't kiss or mark a lady without her permission, and mostly when you aren't her mate, pervert!" I said angrily and saw him clench and unclench his jaws.
He turned away from me and acted as though nothing had happened between us.
"Go ahead and examine the documents," he said calmly, which made me avert my eyes from him to the document as I wondered how he could act as though I haven't just slapped his face.
Confusion still clouded my mind as I reluctantly began flipping through the pages, but I was stunned by the shocking details they revealed, and I began coughing.