CHAPTER 1: CHAPTER 1: OFFERING HERSELF AS COMPENSATION

A cave on a deserted island.

"Hot... so hot!"

Summer Monroe unbuttoned two buttons on her chest, staring at the handsome man’s muscular chest and V-line on the ground, she couldn’t help but swallow.

It was fine before she looked, but once she did, her whole body felt like it was on fire.

Something’s wrong, she’s not feeling right.

She was always detached and had never even held a man’s hand, yet now she wanted to pounce on the man who saved her from the coast.

Summer struggled to maintain her last bit of sanity, closing her eyes and checking her pulse, then abruptly opened them—

She was poisoned!

She recognized this poison called "Spring," which evokes one’s deepest desires.

The poison "Spring" doesn’t act immediately, but as soon as one sees a man, the effects begin.

She had been separated from her family for ten years, finally finding the Stanton Family to uncover the truth about her mother’s death and her abduction. However, she was assassinated by someone claiming to take her home before she could return.

She fought back successfully, but the cruise ship took on water, and she drifted to this deserted island. On the seventh day, she accidentally saved the man who washed ashore and realized she was poisoned.

The poison’s name is "Spring," taking effect on the seventh day, inciting the most primal desires.

No, she must calm down!

Just then, the man groaned in discomfort.

When she picked this man up, he had a high fever, but after taking the medicine she found on the island, the fever subsided, and the man slowly regained consciousness.

That sound, though soft, drilled sharply into her mind, igniting desire throughout her body, burning like countless ants crawling over her skin.

"Damn it!"

Summer cursed, her consciousness hazy, she crawled clumsily over to the man’s side.

"Hey!"

With her shout, the man slowly opened his eyes, his jet-black eyes unfathomable yet strikingly handsome.

Her gaze involuntarily slid down to his perfect eight-pack abs.

Below the abs was the enticing V-line, and she couldn’t resist, reaching out to touch it.

"Woman! What do you think you’re doing?" Damian Knight angrily scolded, attempting to push away the woman who had saved him, but he was weak beyond belief, his hand barely moving her.

Summer’s deep eyes fixed on the man, her voice hoarse: "I saved you, now it’s time to repay me with your body!"

Damian Knight blinked in astonishment.

This woman... she’s unbelievable!

It’s true she saved him, but who would have thought this woman was a wolf in sheep’s clothing!

"Get off..." Damian Knight muttered from between clenched teeth, his voice barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz.

He was too weak!

Yet the next instant, the woman leaned down and kissed his chest.

It was less a kiss, more a bite.

She clearly lacked experience in this regard, her movements awkward and rough.

"Let go of me..." Damian Knight exhaled heavily, though he was weak, that part of him was fiercely responding, his rationality muddled by the woman’s chaotic actions.

He had a cleanliness obsession about these matters; if he didn’t love, he’d never engage in them.

"Let go, or you’ll die miserably!"

Damian Knight warned in a low voice, but the woman seemed enchanted, her actions not stopping, instead growing more intense.

He struggled to break free, hearing a "snap" as the belt was undone.

"Stop!"

Damian Knight summoned all his strength to grasp the woman’s wrist.

Summer couldn’t believe that she, a lifelong bachelor, was about to assault a stranger.

But at this moment, driven by the drug, she was totally unlike herself.

She furrowed her brow, warning: "Cooperate a bit! Either we die together, or I sleep with you, pick one!"

Summer sleeping with him, making him her antidote, was this man’s honor!

Damian Knight was stunned, never before had anyone dared speak to him this way.

He, the esteemed CEO of Knight Group, was being forced by a woman on this deserted island!

More infuriating, he lacked the strength to resist!

However, looking at the woman’s face so close, despite being covered in dirt, it couldn’t hide her beautiful, alluring features—a beauty not ordinary, exceedingly aggressive, no man could resist this face.

Feeling her hand touch a certain place, Damian Knight let out a muffled "hmm," a indescribable sensation spreading from his lower abdomen throughout his body.

Suddenly, Damian Knight thought, maybe being slept by this woman wasn’t so bad.

Summer’s mind was a chaotic mess; hearing this, her awareness suddenly cleared.

She saw herself stripped at some point, her mind instantly blank.

Yet the man hadn’t noticed her change, still staring directly at her.

Summer, enraged, reached out and slapped the man’s face.

"Pa—" a crisp slap echoed in the cave, stunning Damian Knight.

"You hit me?" He couldn’t believe his eyes.

Summer sneered, "Lewd dog of a man! Who else would I hit if not you? I’m poisoned, and you didn’t help me stop it, instead taking advantage of my situation—shameless!"

"You..."

Damian Knight was at a loss for words, finally understanding why this woman was abnormal.

Summer wanted to continue cursing, but the drug’s effect hit her again.

"No..."

Reason told her that if she sleep with this stranger, she wouldn’t be whole anymore, and the culprit behind the poisoning would succeed.

Yet her body continually urged: Want...

Want this man...

Summer Monroe shook her head vigorously, but it only made her dizzier.

"No! You can’t!" Summer Monroe growled.

However, the next moment, her body compelled her to speak again: "I saved you once, you save me once, we’re both adults, nobody loses out!"

Damian Knight furrowed his brow: "You are really..."

Before he finished speaking, he saw the woman’s originally clear eyes seemed to again be covered by a layer of white mist.

Summer Monroe leaned over to kiss his lips.

But in the next moment, Summer’s peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a rock not too far away.

A flash of insight passed through her mind, the white mist slightly dissipated, and she regained her reason.

In the next second, she gritted her teeth, grabbed the rock, and smashed it into the back of her own head—

She only felt a surge of pain, her vision went black for a moment, and she lost consciousness.

Damian Knight was surprised at the woman’s actions, then she collapsed onto him like a fallen autumn leaf.

Everything happened so suddenly, Damian Knight’s mind went blank for a moment.

The situation was intense, his pants were off, and at the critical moment, she actually knocked herself out?

What’s going on...

But Damian Knight only felt annoyed for two seconds before regaining clarity.

He was also hazy from the fever, and actually thought that continuing like that seemed fine.

However, from the girl’s words, it seemed like it was all because of some poison.

Annoyance and confusion swirled in his brain, finally turning into a self-mocking chuckle.

Forget it, let’s just pretend nothing happened.

Damian Knight struggled for a while, his physical strength was also running low.

With his remaining strength, he pulled the woman to his side.

The night wind on the sea was cold, both of them covered only with jackets, fell into a deep sleep together.

...

The next day came in the blink of an eye.

Upon waking again, Summer Monroe only heard the sound of water dripping onto the ground. Her consciousness immediately cleared, and scenes of the effect of last night’s drug flashed through her mind.

"Damn..."

She felt both annoyed and grateful, fortunately, she didn’t take the last step and knocked herself out at the last moment, otherwise she really wouldn’t be able to face anyone today.

Summer Monroe checked her pulse again, the "Spring" drug’s effects lasted for one night, but she was unconscious for one night, now the effects had dissipated completely.

Forget it, just pretend nothing happened last night and try to forget it.

At this moment, there was a noisy sound of footsteps and talking outside the cave.

Someone?

She immediately sat up, noticing the man from last night was nowhere to be found, and instead, she was covered with the man’s jacket.

Summer Monroe quickly put on her own clothes and cautiously walked towards the cave entrance.

Not sure if it’s the man from before, or the people hunting her.

If it’s the people hunting her, then... well, thank them for being so dedicated.

However, as Summer Monroe reached the cave entrance, she discovered a row of black-clad bodyguards standing there, a helicopter not far away, and the leading bodyguard was respectfully speaking to a man.

They weren’t the ones hunting her, but the man from last night.

Upon hearing her footsteps, the man turned to look at her from the side.

For the first time, Summer Monroe saw the man’s face in the sunlight, his features were handsome, eyes deep and black, with a powerful aura, apart from his paleness, he was no different from a normal person.

This man’s physical fitness was much better than that of a normal person.

Summer Monroe didn’t know how to face him for a while.

"You..."

Before Summer could speak, the man interrupted her, asking, "What do you want?"

"Huh?" She didn’t catch on.

The man said expressionlessly, "You saved me, I can grant you one wish."

Is this attitude reminding her of last night or intending to forget it?

Summer Monroe’s mind raced, and she finally decided to play dumb, slightly lifting her chin: "You’re really rude, I saved you, is it so hard to say thank you?"

As soon as Summer finished speaking, she saw all the bodyguards looking at her in shock, as if she’d said something strange.

Contrarily, the man’s expression didn’t change at all, and in an unsurprised manner, he said, "You’ll regret missing this chance."

Summer was infuriated, but... the wooden boat she made on the island over seven days might not hold up until she reaches land.

She gritted her teeth hard, choosing to ignore last night’s happenings, and said, "My wish is, take me home."

This time it was the man’s turn to show a surprised expression.

"Just that?"

"What else?"

Right now, her only wish was to leave this damn uninhabited island, then save whomever ordered her assassination and drugged her with "Spring"!

The man gave her a look as if she were an idiot, then turned to walk towards the helicopter.

Three hours later, the helicopter hovered over the skies of Crestfall.

"Is it that place?" the man pointed to a villa in the manor below.

"It should be..." Summer had no memory of her childhood, but she had looked up the Stanton Family before returning to Cathaysia.

What originally should bear her Monroe surname was now her bio father’s business, who hadn’t looked for her in ten years since she went missing.

Whatever happened in between, she had to find out, which was one of her reasons for hiding her identity as the richest person in the world and returning to Cathaysia.

"Let’s go down." The man stiffly commanded, and the pilot immediately responded, "Yes."