A Night Stand With The CEO

03

Serena's POV

The shrill beeping of my phone jolted me awake, and I groaned, pressing my hand to my forehead to block out the blinding sunlight streaming in through the window.

I blinked against the brightness, disoriented as I tried to piece together where I was and what had happened the night before.

The bar. The handsome stranger. And then…oh God. My cheeks flushed as fragmented memories surfaced. The kiss, the way I’d throw myself at him.

He’d stopped me before I made a complete fool of myself, hadn’t he? The ache in my head reminded me I’d had too much to drink, but my mind raced over last night’s messy details, trying to understand what had happened after that.

My phone chimed again, yanking me back to the present. Groaning, I rolled over, my hand sliding off the bed and landing on my pants, shirt, and everything else I’d tossed onto the floor.

I grabbed my phone and squinted at the screen, heart sinking as I read the notification: over a hundred missed calls. Most of them were from my mother.

An icy dread crept over me as I scrolled through the messages she’d sent. They were relentless, her desperation in each one palpable. But one message stopped me cold:

“If this wedding doesn't happen, the Rosewoods will take everything from us and have me jailed. I spent part of your dowry already, Serena. If this wedding doesn’t come through, it will be your worst regret.”

I stared at the words, my heart thudding painfully. So this was why she’d sold me off so hastily. She was desperate, indebted to the Rosewoods, a family known for their wealth, and their ruthlessness.

And I was the price, packaged and traded to save her from whatever debt she’d gotten herself tangled up in.

The wedding was today. I had no time to think, no room to refuse. If I didn’t go through with it, my mother would lose everything, and I couldn’t shake the threat in her words.

I had no idea what she’d meant by “worst regret,” but I wasn’t about to risk finding out.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, feeling the chill of the hardwood floor against my bare feet as I gathered my clothes.

My fingers shook as I buttoned my shirt, glancing around the room for any sign of the man from last night. But the room was empty; he’d disappeared without a trace, leaving me to my own embarrassment.

Just as I was about to leave, I spotted something on the table by the bed. A thick stack of cash. My heart twisted as I realized what it meant, the stranger must have thought I was a call girl, some desperate woman looking to be paid for her time.

I felt a surge of shame, my cheeks burning as I stuffed the cash back down on the table. I didn’t need his pity, didn’t need to be reminded of how low I’d sunk.

Last night had been a mistake, a wild, desperate attempt to cling to some semblance of control. And now, I had to go through with the wedding, the one thing I had tried to escape.

I slipped out of the hotel room, pulling on my shoes and throwing my jacket over my shoulder, praying I could make it in time.

The ride back home felt like a blur, my mind racing as I replayed everything my mother had texted me.

She’d spent the dowry money already, had she ever even planned to give me a choice? She’d left me with nothing but pressure and guilt, knowing I couldn’t bear the thought of her losing everything or, worse, seeing her thrown in jail. My stomach churned at the thought.

By the time we reached the house, I felt like I could barely breathe. I forced myself to step out, clutching my bag, and made my way to the front door, only to find it flung open before I could knock. My mother stood there, her eyes bloodshot, face pale but determined.

“Serena, where have you been?” she hissed, looking over her shoulder as if expecting someone to catch us. “The Rosewoods are already waiting. Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you’ve caused?”

I tried to speak, but no words came out. Instead, I swallowed, gripping the strap of my bag until my knuckles turned white.

“I…”I began, but she cut me off.

“There’s no time for this. Go get dressed. They’re expecting you in half an hour,” she said, her voice strained but unyielding. There was a desperation there I’d never seen before, and it twisted something inside me.

I let her push me inside, watching numbly as she led me to my room where a wedding dress lay sprawled across my bed, elegant and simple, like something from a fairy tale. It should have felt like a dream, but instead, it felt like a cage.

With a heavy sigh, I changed into the dress, its soft fabric brushing against my skin like an accusation.

This wasn’t a wedding I had chosen, and it certainly wasn’t a marriage I wanted. Yet here I was, in a gown, about to be marched down the aisle to marry a stranger because my family had no other choice.

A few minutes later, my mother entered, her gaze scanning me with approval as she nodded, forcing a tight smile. “You look beautiful,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

I glanced in the mirror, barely recognizing the woman staring back at me. “You’ve left me no choice,” I said softly, meeting her gaze in the reflection.

She faltered, looking away, a flicker of guilt crossing her face before she pushed it aside. “It’s for the best, Serena. You’ll see.”

I didn’t have the energy to argue, not now. I followed her out, each step down the hallway feeling heavier than the last, until we reached the small chapel they’d arranged for the ceremony.

My stomach clenched as I walked in, spotting a handful of people sitting in the pews, all of them strangers, except for one.

At the end of the aisle, dressed in a sleek suit, was the man I was supposed to marry. He was stuck in a wheelchair, his back facing me as I watched him have a conversation with a man who looked like his father.

Unfortunately for me, I knew the rosewoods, my parents worked in their company as mere staff. I had never seen them in my life but I heard a lot about their arrogance from my parents.

My heart thudded painfully as I took in his face, feeling a strange mix of nerves and disbelief.

My mother held my hands gently, looking at me in the eyes like she had done something good for me.

“You don't have to be sacred. They are not so bad.” She assured me while staring at the only two people in the chapel. They had not noticed our presence yet. Until I yanked my hands off from my mum's hold.

“The Moores are here.” The man standing noticed our presence now, his dentals showing through his smile which seemed like a ruse.

It was all a ruse, everything about this marriage was nothing but a ruse.

“Call the officiant already. We are all ready for the wedding.” I heard Mr Rosewood order one of his men in black and White.

“Are you okay, Julian?” Mr Rosewood asked the man on the wheelchair. My patient was beginning to run out, was he also an imbecile? Why wasn't he facing us? Was he ugly too?

“I'm very much okay, Dad.” he responded, his baritone voice caught me off guard. The voice reminded me of someone…but before I could think of it. He turned his wheelchair around.

It was the stranger, my one night stand man!

“s**t!” I cussed under my breath, my heart beating too fast. Faster than it did last night when I was repeatedly struck by his groyne and kissed all over by him.

“What the hell?” He was shocked too, I saw it in his eyes.

“Is everything alright with you, Julian?” Mr Rosewood asked.

“Nothing, dad. My wife is just so beautiful.” Julian responded.

“Beautiful indeed. What the hell are you hiding? You freak!” I said within me, my hands clenched by my side