FIRST NIGHT

Ayana froze.

She turned her head, eyes meeting the man next to her. Their faces were just inches apart. She could feel the warmth of his breath brush against her cheek.

Handsome, she thought.

There was a mature kind of sharpness to his features—something she had never seen in boys her age. Even the younger man sitting at the far end of the couch, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, couldn't hold a candle to him.

Ayana swallowed hard.

The man turned his attention away and resumed his conversation with the others, as if nothing had happened.

Ayana didn't know how long time had passed. Her body felt both drained and tense—stiff whenever he touched her, but oddly relaxed whenever he didn't move. His hand never left her waist, as if it belonged there.

Suddenly, everyone stood up.

Danni rose too.

"Let's go," the man beside her said, gently guiding Ayana to stand.

After bidding brief farewells, the man led Ayana toward the elevator. She watched as he pressed the button for the third floor.

"What's your name?" he asked, letting go of her once they were inside the lift. He leaned casually against the wall, arms folded across his chest.

"Aya—Violet."

"Aya Violet?"

"…Violet."

He smirked, then nodded.

"And what should I call you?" she asked hesitantly.

"Sir? Boss? …Uncle?"

Each guess made the man raise a brow, his expression somewhere between amused and disapproving. His subtle reactions only made him look even more attractive.

Ayana's throat went dry.

"…Daddy?" she tried weakly.

He gave a small smile. Ayana let out a quiet breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"My name's Leo," he said smoothly. "You're new?"

"Tonight's my first night."

"Need a new phone? A luxury bag?"

Ayana shook her head, not ready to explain her reasons to someone she'd just met.

The elevator stopped. They stepped out.

Leo walked ahead and unlocked the door to one of the rooms, holding it open for her.

"I'm going to take a shower."

He didn't even glance at her before stepping into the bathroom—its frosted glass door barely concealing his silhouette.

Ayana caught sight of him undressing.

She looked away immediately, heat rising in her cheeks.

Grabbing a bottle of water from near the TV, she drank it all in one go and sat down on the sofa. Everything about tonight still felt unreal.

She was deep in thought when Leo emerged from the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist.

Startled, she darted into the bathroom without a word.

Closing the door behind her, she searched for a lock—there was none.

She stared at the frosted glass. From outside, he could probably see her silhouette, but she couldn't see anything from within.

"Hurry up in there!"

Leo's voice echoed through the door, snapping her out of her daze.

He had been watching her. She was sure of it.

Hesitantly, she began to undress. The tight dress slid down her body. She hung it neatly on a hook and stepped into the shower.

Usually, Ayana showered quickly. But tonight, every movement felt painfully slow, like her body was stalling for time.

Then came his voice again—low, teasing, and dangerous.

"Do you want me to come in there and wash you myself?"

Ayana flinched at the voice calling out from outside the bathroom.

"I-I'm almost done!" she called back.

"Don't make me wait," Leo snapped.

"Y-yes."

Ayana wasn't the type to scare easily. Ever since she was little, she had to be tough—a pretty girl from a poor family, thrust into a world that never went easy on her.

She used to sneak into taekwondo classes, mimicking the moves she saw from the shadows. One day, the instructor caught her watching but, out of pity, let her train. He even gave her a secondhand uniform.

Unexpectedly, Ayana turned out to have talent. She joined a few local competitions and actually won. But the demands of survival left her no time to pursue it. After school, she worked—every single day.

Still, all that strength… couldn't help her now.

She stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a bathrobe—at least more modest than the dress she wore before.

"Come here," Leo said, impatience thick in his voice.

Ayana took slow steps toward the bed, but before she could react, Leo yanked her forward roughly.

"Ah—!"

In a blur, she was pinned beneath him on the bed. He open the robe, revealing her trembling body.

Frozen. Her mind blank.

Leo kissed her—hungrily, almost aggressively. Ayana had never kissed anyone before, and his demanding mouth overwhelmed her.

That night… was long.

Ayana stepped into a world she had never known before. And Leo… indulged himself to satisfaction.

...

Morning came.

Ayana woke up with soreness creeping through every inch of her body. The bed beside her was empty. No Leo. No trace of his clothes.

She slowly sat up.

A crimson stain marked the center of the bed—the undeniable evidence of her first time.

The ache still lingered between her legs. Ayana forced herself to stand, walking with a careful, sluggish gait toward the bathroom. As she passed the small table near the TV, something caught her eye.

A stack of bills tucked beneath a water bottle.

"A tip?" she murmured.

Next to the money, a small note sat folded.

"Bonus, because you pleased me."

Ayana counted the bills with shaky fingers.

"Five thousand?!"

She counted again, just to be sure.

Still five thousand DNR.

In her entire life, Ayana had never held that much money at once. Her usual paycheck was barely two thousand—and it always vanished on the same day she received it. She had no savings. Not even spare change sometimes.

She stared at the cash, stunned. Then quietly, carefully, she folded it and place it behind big vase.

In the bathroom, Ayana tried to clean herself up, but every touch on her skin triggered memories from last night.

She didn't exactly hate it.

Leo had been rough, yes—but there was a strange sense of pleasure woven between his touches and kisses. Her body still tingled when she remembered it.

She noticed her nipples had become swollen, hypersensitive to even the slightest brush. Her skin was hot. Her breath shaky.

She had never felt like this before.

...