Chapter 1: The Divorce and the Encounter

"Looking for a one-night stand?"

Outside the bar, Clara Ye walked up to the man smoking under the streetlight.

He had short, neat hair and sharp, handsome features. His jawline was chiseled, and his entire being radiated a rugged, masculine intensity.

Watching him tilt his head back to exhale smoke was like witnessing a concentrated burst of pure testosterone.

His dark, narrow eyes swept over Clara as his thin lips coldly uttered a single phrase, "Not interested."

Clara was wearing a high-slit slip dress that accentuated her long legs and slender waist. She was tall and curvy, with skin so pale it seemed to glow under the lights.

Her amber curls cascaded over her shoulders, framing a delicate face with strikingly beautiful features.

Undaunted by his rejection, she curled her red lips into an enchanting smile. "Then, lend me a light."

She bit down on a slim lady’s cigarette, stood on her tiptoes, and leaned in close to him.

The man was tall and muscular, dressed in a black T-shirt, cargo pants, and tactical boots. He looked every bit the elite soldier.

Amidst the glowing embers, he lowered his gaze to watch the woman lighting her cigarette against his.

Her long lashes were cast down, her red lips parted slightly, and the corners of her eyes tilted upward in a naturally seductive manner.

The moment their eyes met, Leo Sterling’s lean jawline tightened, and his sharp, sexy Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.

"Captain Sterling, am I beautiful?"

Once her cigarette was lit, Clara blew a cloud of smoke directly into his stern, rugged face.

Observing her bold and wild provocation, Leo’s brows darkened. "You know me?"

Clara’s slender, pale fingers—still holding the cigarette—lightly tapped his rock-hard chest. Before she could speak, her fingertips were firmly caught in his large hand.

His grip was warm and calloused.

"Don't touch what you shouldn't."

Leo squeezed her fingers hard enough to cause a faint sting.

She raised an eyebrow slightly, the beauty mark at the corner of her eye looking dangerously alluring. "My husband cheated on me with your fiancée. Now, tell me, who do you think I am?"

Leo’s dark eyes narrowed. "You’re Mrs. Foster."

Clara pulled her fingers back and flicked the ash. Her smile turned cold and elegant. "No. As of this morning, I signed the papers with Sebastian Foster. I’m a single woman now."

Leo’s gaze shifted, becoming deep and complex.

Through the haze of pale smoke, Clara stared back at him unblinkingly.

He was the polar opposite of Sebastian. Sebastian was refined, elegant, and gentle, whereas the man before her possessed a rugged charm that felt both untouchable and weathered by life.

"I once heard your fiancée tell my ex on a dashcam recording that you were poor and useless. She said you hadn't touched her once since the engagement—that you were a pathetic failure who couldn't even perform."

Clara stubbed out her half-finished cigarette and tossed it into the trash. She stepped even closer to him.

She wrapped her slender, white arms around his neck, pressing her red lips close to his ear. Her smile was sultry and teasing. "Are you really... useless?"

Her breath brushed against his ear like a faint electric current—tingling and intoxicating.

Leo’s large, cold frame stiffened instantly.

He intended to push her away, but the subtle, lingering fragrance from her skin drifted into his nose.

It was like a dark poppy, carrying a lethal temptation.

He looked down at her. Her peach-blossom eyes flitted with a natural, overflowing charm.

Every expression, every smile, was a masterclass in seduction.

In that moment, only one word flashed through his mind.

Lethal.

"You’re drunk," he said, his deep voice sounding incredibly raspy.

Clara had indeed had a lot to drink that night, but she wasn't so far gone that she lacked reason.

She knew exactly what she was doing.

Bianca White had slept with her ex-husband.

Now, she was going to sleep with Bianca’s ex-fiancé.

"Leo Sterling, do you have the guts to do it with me?"

Clara’s fingertips lightly traced his sexy Adam's apple.

Leo grabbed her wandering hand and squeezed it into his palm.

His dark eyes searched hers. "Why me?"

Clara’s smile was wicked. "Don't you think the two of us sleeping together would be... exhilarating?"

Leo pressed his tongue against his back teeth. "You want to get back at your ex?"

Clara tilted her head. "Don't you want to get back at Bianca? Or are you truly the useless failure she said you were..."

Before she could finish, Leo hoisted her slender body directly onto his shoulder.

The impact of his shoulder against her stomach nearly made her gag.

"Leo! What are you doing?"

He tossed her into his car and stared directly into her dark eyes. "Weren't we going to do it?"

Clara glanced at their surroundings. "You aren't planning on doing it in the car, are you?"

Leo’s thin lips pressed into a hard line. "Do you have your ID?"

The Banting Hotel.

The moment they entered the room, Leo pinned Clara against the foyer cabinet.

He gripped her soft waist with one hand and tilted her chin up with the other.

"Are you sure you want this?"

In the past, Clara had never liked this type of rugged man.

She always thought they were too rough.

But now, pressed tightly against Leo, with her nose filled with his powerful, masculine pheromones, her heart actually began to race.

She had to admit—he was incredibly intense.

She raised her hand to stroke his handsome, cold face. "How about I show you instead of telling you?"

With that, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her red lips against his.

Leo’s body went rigid, and his breathing suddenly grew heavy.

As she kissed him, Clara slid her fingers under the hem of his T-shirt.

Her fingertips brushed over his well-defined abs.

A perfect build, long legs...

He looked like he would have no trouble performing.

In his twenty-eight years of life, Leo had never met a woman so bold.

She was provocative, wild, and sensual—like a midnight succubus.

He had always been indifferent to women, as cold and hard as a rock, but right now, his proud defenses were crumbling inch by inch.

After kissing him, seeing that he still hadn't moved, Clara raised an eyebrow. Her smile was mocking. "It seems Bianca was right. You really are useless."

She moved to push him away and leave.

But in the next second, he caught her hand.

He slammed her back against the doorframe.

Then, his kisses rained down on her, overwhelming and absolute.