Samira rushed inside her home, straight into her room without even looking back at her mother. She locked the door and went inside the washroom. In the hotel she didn’t take a bath, so her body felt heavy, sticky, and restless. That’s why now she was desperate to take a bath.

She removed her clothes slowly, her hands trembling. The moment her dress fell to the floor, she stood in front of the mirror. For a second she couldn’t breathe. Her whole body was covered with bite marks, red and purple, on her neck, her chest, her shoulders, even her thighs.

She touched one mark carefully. The pain stabbed inside her. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She tried to think back — last night, what happened? But her memory was like broken pieces of glass. She could remember the feel of lips kissing her softly, then biting harder, sometimes tender, sometimes wild. She could feel strong hands touching her body, the warmth, the hunger. Every touch was still alive on her skin. But no face. No name. Just the shadows of a stranger.

Her eyes filled with tears completely. She held her face with both hands and started crying. “Why… why all this come to my life?” she whispered. “Why my dad leave me like this? Why I lost my virginity with a stranger? Why my boyfriend and best friend cheat on me? Why did they betrayed me?” Her voice broke into the empty room.

For long minutes she cried until her heart became dry. At last she wiped her face, stepped into the shower, and let the water fall over her, washing away the sweat and the tears. But no water could erase the bite marks. They were truth written on her skin.

When she came out of the washroom, wrapped in towel, also cover her neck another towel. her mother was waiting in the room. She had brought hot coffee. “Drink, Samira,” her mother said gently. Samira sat on the bed, holding the cup with shaking hands. Her mother took the towel and started drying her wet hair.

“What happened to Lyra?” her mother asked suddenly. “Sam said she met with an accident, admit in hospital. You are the one take care of her. How is she now?”

At the sound of those names — Sam and Lyra — Samira felt like somebody poured petrol into fire. Her chest burned. She wanted to scream, to tell the truth, but she forced a fake smile. “She is okay, mummy. Now she went home.” She lied with soft voice.

Her mother believed her words and nodded. But inside, Samira’s heart screamed. Sam and Lyra, the two people she trusted most, they betrayed her for money. And they didn’t even know her truth from last night. They only cared for their own plan.

The phone rang again. It was Sam calling. Samira didn’t want to answer. Her stomach twisted. But her mother was sitting next to her. She couldn’t ignore. Slowly, with no interest, she picked up.

“Hey Sami, where are you?” Sam’s voice was nervous.

Before he could continue, she covered the phone with her hand and told her mother, “Mummy, I feel sleepy. After I talk to Sam, I will sleep little while.” Her mother smiled, kissed her forehead, and left the room.

Now Samira was alone. She pressed the phone to her ear. Her voice turned soft and innocent, like nothing happened. “Sam, yesterday night I searched everywhere for you and Lyra. But I couldn't find. My body felt strange, like stomach pain. I went to hotel room and slept. Morning only I woke. I saw many missed calls. Then mummy told me about Lyra in hospital. That time I was with her. Now I am okay, don’t worry.”

Sam believed her lie. He felt relieved. “Yesterday I met a financier. He is okay to give money. But you were not there. He ask us to come later.”

Samira’s blood boiled. She wanted to shout, but she bit her lip, hiding the anger. “Okay… but the first time failed. We don’t want to try again. I will try some other way.”

“Why?” Sam sounded shocked. “Within seven days we have to settle money for house. We must try again.”

Samira’s voice turned cold. “No, Sam. I don’t interest. We will see. I feel sleepy. Call you later.” Without waiting for his answer, she cut the call.

Sam sat frozen, staring at the phone. “Why Samira suddenly change? Always she obey me. Why is she different?” He called Lyra and told her. Both of them felt confused. But they didn’t know their evil plan was already exposed to Samira.

Meanwhile, in the city, Lucian’s grandfather was sitting on the hospital bed, happy tears in his eyes. He had heard the news — Lucian agreed to marriage. Before he could talk more, the doctor came and said, “He need some rest now, please leave.” So Lucian and others walked outside quietly.

As soon as they stepped out, Lucian’s close friend Roy pulled him aside into a VIP room. He looked straight into Lucian’s eyes. “Hey, are you sure? You really agree to marriage? How? How can you accept so fast?”

Lucian smiled calmly. “Because God gave me only one woman. She is mine.”

Roy shook his head, not understanding. Then Lucian leaned closer. “I must tell you something. Yesterday night… I met one girl. She came into my room. Everything changed.”

Roy’s eyes went wide. “What? You serious?”

Lucian told him everything about last night — the girl who entered, the kisses, the bites, the way she was innocent yet passionate. “She was a virgin,” Lucian whispered. “First time she lost herself with me.”

Roy laughed nervously. “Then you too, Lucian. You also virgin, no? You also lost for the first time.”

Lucian kicked him playfully in the stomach. “Don’t joke. God is grateful. This truth I cannot share with anyone. Only you know. We must go back to that village. Finish our business, and then find her.”

Roy frowned. “But you don’t know her name. How to search?”

“I don’t know,” Lucian admitted. “But I have hope. I will find her. She is mine.”

Roy saw the fire in his friend’s eyes and nodded. “Okay. We go together.”

Next morning they planned their journey back to the village.

In her home, Samira lay awake on her bed. Her heart is heavy with many fears. She worried for her house, for her mother, for the truth she couldn’t share. The memory of last night wouldn’t leave her. Every touch, every kiss still alive. But she forced herself to think — how to save her house?

Suddenly her phone rang again. It was her father’s old friend. She answered.

“My dear, I heard about your house problem,” the man said kindly. “I wish I could help, but I don’t have money now. But listen — one billionaire businessman has come to our village. He is starting big projects here. We can ask him for help.”

Samira hesitated. Already strangers brought her pain. Already people she trusted betrayed her. Could she trust again?

“Don’t worry,” the uncle said warmly. “You are like my daughter. I will talk to him first. Then you and your mother will come with me. Together we ask for help.”

Her eyes filled with tears again, but this time of relief. “Okay, uncle. Please help me. We have only five days.”

“Yes,” he promised. “We will try.”

But fate was already moving its own way. The same billionaire was Lucian. The same stranger from last night. And soon, through her father’s friend, Samira and Lucian would meet again.

And when they meet, truth will rise like fire.