Blood Ties: Beyond The Night

Different colors of beautiful light flashed in the environment as loud K-pop music kept banging from the five speakers arranged on the stage. Thousands of people filled the concert, and the touch of light from their phones gave the scene a vibrant aura.

Five beautiful ladies who were dressed as security agents kept shaking their bodies on stage as their main vocalist, a man in his late twenties, sang the chorus of the K-pop the pianists were playing. While many people supported this glorious beat, a few kept booing the song, yelling they were bored with K-pop and wanted to listen to something else.

…..

Annabella's Point of View:

I'd just finished my performance on stage a few minutes ago and felt exhausted and spent. My back ached from hours of dancing and singing, and all I craved was a soothing massage and a cup of cold soda.

I ran to my dressing room, hoping to have a quiet moment. However, I couldn't escape the shouting of my adoring fans, who were waiting for me in large numbers, calling out my name. They were supposed to be listening to the K-pop music a popular artist was playing, but they decided to skip it and torture me with their loud screaming instead.

“I love you, slay queen! Will you marry me?”

“Give me your autograph!”

“Sign my clothes!”

“Kiss my lips!”

“Are you dating the Korean idol, Lee Eul? Or the Thai sugar boy, P’Nuttarat?”

Hundreds of fans kept shouting and asking me questions at once, eager to get closer to me.

“I will answer your questions later; I'm exhausted now! Thank you for your love and dedication. I love you guys, I love you so much!” I screamed at them happily, waving my little fingers, hoping they would back down in their pursuit, but they didn't stop shouting my name, and this bothered me because I was desperate for fresh air.

"Hey, babe, don't faint here, or else I will feed your flesh to the vultures,” Eden, my song director, whispered into my ears, and I quickly rested on his broad body.

With a silent plea, I signaled to my manager to handle my fans and secretly slipped out through the back door, thanks to one of my good friends’ distraction.

The heels I wore were torture, causing me to wobble awkwardly as I tried to find my way to my car. I searched the parking lot but couldn’t find my car. I quickly called my driver, who informed me that he parked it in the VIP section. I was frustrated, but quickly headed to the VIP section, unfortunately, on getting there, I hit my foot against a stone, causing me to lose my balance. Just when I thought I would stumble, a strong hand gently held my waist. I looked up in surprise, my breath catching as I met the gaze of my savior. His smile was gentle, and his striking features left me in awe.

His hair was raven-black, and his eyes were as red as red wine. His nose was straight, and his lips, oh my, those lips were like temptation incarnate. I couldn't help but notice his well-defined chest, visible through his partially unbuttoned shirt; he had eight-pack abs, and I drooled at his chest.

My initial embarrassment melted into something else as I found myself caught in his gaze. ‘Is this man the devil's eldest son? Is he the Prince of darkness?’ I wondered, my mind racing with numerous questions.

"Hello! Are you alright?" His gentle voice, tinged with concern, quickly snapped me back to reality.

“Hum,” I blinked my long eyelashes at him, and my eyes found their way to his tempting red lips. Unable to control my lustful desires, I leaned in, pushing my lips forward. "Kiss me handsome, and do it now." I thought I was imagining it in my head, but I said it out with a seductive voice, practically throwing myself at him.

He was shocked by my words and raised his brows as he regarded me with disdain.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" His sudden, stern voice brought me back to reality, and I hastily removed myself from his grasp.

"That was weird," he commented as he took a step closer, his eyes lingering on my heels.

I instinctively stepped back and folded my arms.

"Are you alright?" He repeated with a calm voice, and he attempted to touch my shoulder.

"What's your problem? I never said I was unwell! Why are you being so offensive?" I yelled at him, irritation obvious in my voice. I felt ashamed of drooling at him, and I needed someone to vent my frustration to.

"That's not a friendly way to speak to your savior," he scolded me, a deep frown settling on his handsome face.

"Okay. Thank you, Mr. Savior," I replied curtly, my face red due to embarrassment. The man smiled broadly at me, and a thousand butterflies filled my belly. I quickly turned to leave out of fear that I might do something stupid.

"Hey, Miss Kiss me.” He began with a seductive, low voice. I paused and clutched onto my short gown, thinking he meant I should kiss him.

“...you forgot your phone!" He teased me, holding up my expensive phone.

I was shocked and quickly checked my small pocket, only to realize my phone was gone. Panicking, I whirled back to him, my leg shaking funnily as I moved.

"Give that back! It belongs to me!" I yelled with a loud, shrill voice and tried to drag my phone from him, but my legs missed, and I ended up hugging him out of fear I would fall. My strange savior, who was taller than me, bent his head to look at me and scowled.

“I see what you are doing... You are using style to get closer to me, aren't you?” He asked with a cunning smirk on his lip, and I quickly shifted from his side.

“In your dreams, thief! Now, give me back my phone!” I demanded as a deep frown settled on my face.

"Why should I?" He asked with arched brows and raised his long hands up, so I wouldn't be able to collect the phone from him.

"Well, because it belongs to me! It's not yours. Act like a real gentleman, and return it." I replied, angrily stomping my foot on the floor. The frustration I felt was out of this world. To me, my day was going badly; I was tired and hungry, yet a total stranger decided to tease me!

"Oh, that's right, it's not mine. But what will I get in return? I mean, I found the phone, didn't I?" He asked, his lips curling into a cunning smile as his eyes roamed over me.

A few girls passed, giggling when they saw us.

"Hey, don't look at me like that; I'm not interested in guys like you," I boasted and scowled, hiding my true lustful feelings.

"What do you mean by ‘guys like me?” He asked with an angry voice. “I don't sleep with just anyone." He continued, downplaying my worth with his gaze.

I cleared my throat, embarrassed, as his words hit my vulnerable side.

‘Just anyone? Did he just call me anyone?’ I thought, and I pouted my lips. No man had ever talked to me like that. In fact, they would do just about anything to have me in their bed.

"You can't talk to a woman like that; it's rude and uncultured!" I gnawed at him, trying to preserve my last shred of pride.

“I didn't mean to be rude, but I strictly follow my words! I don't sleep with just any girl." He continued with a stubborn voice and raised his brows, scanning my slay queen outfit.

"Just any girl?" I hissed loudly and shook my head. "Do you even know who I am?" I asked, my anger bubbling.

"Who are you, young lady?" He raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance.

"I am Annabella Kashin, also known as the Queen of the entertainment industry! I've received tons of awards, including Best Model, Most Beautiful Woman, People's Choice, Voice of the Nation, and a lot more. I'm also a popular musician, and the entertainment industry respects and loves me," I boasted proudly, a hint of arrogance in my voice.

He rolled his eyes at my self-absorbed introduction and hissed, "I have heard of you. But your kind of 'respect' is questionable, to say the least. Do you think you are imparting positivity to your fans? What are you teaching the younger generations? Are you teaching them this slaying lifestyle of yours?" He scrutinized my outfit and shook his head pitifully.

My gown was very short, and the top was revealing some parts of my chest. "Are you judging me?" I snapped at him, my ego wounded.

"Of course not," he replied with false remorse. "I would never do that to a young lady... at night."

"You are judging me, right? Is it because I am alone at night? Or because my guards aren't here? What gives you the right to do that?" I shouted at him, irritated by the way he was addressing me.

"Pretty girl, I'm not judging you. I'm just sharing my thoughts on your influence," he tried to clarify, attempting to ease the tension. "By the way, I think you're cool and fun to be with." He said with a fake smile, which I easily read.

Suddenly, a cunning idea came to my mind. I smirked, raised my short legs, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him roughly.

‘If he wants to act like a saint, then I will prove to him that no one can resist me!’ I was determined on my mission and I poured my soul into the kiss. Funny enough, my strange savior didn't hold back; he kissed me passionately.

The last thing I remembered before passing out was kissing his lips, and the rest of the night was history.

THE NEXT MORNING.

I slowly awoke, my body was weak and my thighs sore. As my eyelids reluctantly parted, the harsh morning light passed through the curtains, piercing my sensitive eyes like a thousand sharp knives. The room seemed to spin around me as I failed at my second attempt to turn my head to the other side.

My mouth was parched, and the taste of alcohol clung to my tongue. Something else was tasting in my mouth, but I just couldn't figure out what it was.

Confusion clouded my mind as I wondered where I was. ‘Where am I? How did I end up here? Why is my beneath sore?’ Those questions kept echoing in my head.

I couldn't remember what happened the previous night, and it was quite difficult to place together the events that had led to this unfamiliar room. Taking a deep breath, I turned my body to the other side of the bed and froze. A handsome man lay asleep beside me; his eyes were shut, and his lips were swollen.

I winced as the memories of the night before suddenly became clearer, his blurred face and the shameful events that had transpired between us.

"Oh no!" I whispered under my breath and quickly removed the blanket, covering my body. I was naked, and the truth became painfully clear as last night's event fully replayed in my head.

I closed my eyes in shame. Yesterday, I kept spouting nonsense. I kissed the strange man with the intention of proving that no man could resist me, but things got out of hand. The man wanted to drop me off at my place, but I forced him to take me to a hotel. I got drunk, and I forced him to have intimacy with me.

‘Ahhhh!’ I growled, irritated by my action. A sharp pain passed through my private area, and I whined. My mother will be so disappointed, and my father will be embarrassed of me! I’ve made a mockery of my family's name.

‘I've made a fool of myself; I've proved the world right that indeed I'm a lowlife model.’ I cried out, ashamed of myself.

All my life, my dream was to get accepted by my family. I just wanted them to realize that I was capable of making my own decisions. I wanted to prove to my fans that they could trust me, but every time I keep ruining things! My goal was to become an idol who wasn't mocked and intimidated by others, but I just didn't know how to go about it.

“I have failed them once again. They will surely seize all the benefits assigned to me,” I whispered under my breath.

“What if cameras are installed in this room?” I thought, and I quickly looked around the room, looking for CCTV cameras that didn't exist. I had to do something fast, but the more I thought of a way out, the slower I became.

As I was looking around the room, my eyes landed on the business card beside the bed, and I saw the name General Adriel Lupa printed on it. The man in the photo on the card was identical to the one sleeping beside me.

Suddenly, it drew on me: the man I had a one-night stand with was General Adriel Lupa, the most powerful, influential, and feared soldier in our country and beyond.

Annabella's Point of View:

“I had a one-night stand with the most powerful man in the country!” I shuddered in fear. “Oh no! This will ruin my reputation and bring more stigma upon me! What if it's a planned scandal?” I thought to myself.

‘Why did I leave the concert without my driver? I should have endured my fans' adorable screams." I cried out like a baby and bit my fingers in regret. Fear loomed in my heart. It wasn't just because of the man in the room, but the fear of what my family, fans, sisters, and manager would say.

"The consequences of my reckless night will be too much for me to bear if it gets out!” I thought to myself. 'Who will want to be part of a fandom where the superstar sleeps with every man she meets at night? My reputation will be ruined, and my career will suffer.'

As I tried to think, it was as though thousands of people were drumming on my head because it hurt badly. My mouth was also tasting bitter. At that moment, I needed to taste