Chapter 5 Different Body

• Accompanied by the sound of her torn skirt, her smooth tan skin took on a soft pink hue, while droplets of water from her long, straight brunette hair rolled down, falling back into the bathtub.
• It wasn’t that Alexander had never been tempted by a woman before, but seeing Natalia move so skillfully, he found himself curious about this young woman.
• “Darling, let me love you...”
• At the sound of Natalia’s seductive words, Alexander froze, standing still.
• She embraced him, and her wet red lips lightly kissed his, trying to soothe the restlessness stirring within her.
• Alexander’s practiced kiss and gentle touch quickly elicited a response from Natalia. She opened her blurred eyes and, without hesitation, licked his lips.
• Unable to resist any longer, Alexander gave in to the temptation, and they spent the night together. But just as he reached the height of pleasure, he heard her, in sadness, call out another man’s name.
• “Elan... Elan...”
• ...
• When Natalia woke up, her body felt as if it had been hit by a truck. She tried to turn, but couldn’t move, feeling something heavy pressing down on her. Thirsty and uncomfortable, she opened her eyes to find the room dark, the curtains drawn tightly.
• Gradually, her mind cleared, and she felt a warmth on her back. She glanced down and saw a man’s arm reaching around her waist, his large hand holding her close.
• Natalia's eyes widened in shock.
• But her surprise and fear weren’t just because of the man's large, possessive hand, or the fact that she couldn’t clearly see his face. It was because of the strange birthmark on her left chest.
• A reddish-brown mole, about the size of a fingernail, shaped like a heart.
• When had she gotten this birthmark?
• Had she been drugged and assaulted by that disgusting old man the night before?
• No...
• Natalia quickly realized her assumption was wrong. This body wasn’t hers. The skin was smooth like satin, and the chest fuller than hers had ever been. She had always envied a body like this, believing it was the perfect gift from the heavens.
• Was this a dream? This definitely wasn’t her body!
• As if to confirm her suspicions, the large hand tightened around her waist, and Natalia instinctively groaned in response. How could she react this way if it wasn’t her body?
• Hearing her sound, the man behind her leaned in closer, his warm breath brushing her ear, his voice low and seductive. “Baby, are you awake?”
• His voice was magnetic, different from how she remembered it. But when Natalia heard his words, she turned in shock.
• Seeing her half-turned, staring at him with wide eyes, as though seeing a ghost, Alexander’s lips curled into a smile. “Babe, your body’s quite flexible, and your waist is so slim. Did you learn to dance?”
• He asked casually, not waiting for an answer, simply turning her fully toward him.
• “You...” Natalia instinctively reacted, her shock evident.
• She opened her eyes wide, gripping his broad shoulders tightly, staring at him without blinking, as if trying to see through him.
• But as she looked, her vision began to blur, and the man above her seemed to dissolve into a haze. Was this a dream? Or was it reality?
• “Baby, why are you crying? Are you in pain?” Alexander lowered his head, his breath close to her, warm air grazing Natalia’s face.
• She thought she must be crazy. Why was she dreaming of her first night with Alexander Cross again?
• This man, Alexander Cross, was someone Natalia could never forget. Over the years, she had dreamed about him countless times, but never so clearly as she did now.
• “Baby, what’s wrong?” Alexander’s handsome face moved closer to hers before pulling back again. Sweat dripped from his face onto hers, his lips brushing her neck and cheek—sometimes kissing, sometimes nibbling—entirely at his whim.
• “Baby, don’t cry.” Alexander gently kissed the tear that rolled down Natalia’s cheek. His smile was soft and mesmerizing, easily stirring any woman's heart.
• Natalia trembled, clutching the sheets tightly, her fists loosening and tightening as her face buried into the soft pillow.
• In her dream, Alexander had become like an animal, just as Natalia had been ruined. Alexander, who had once been innocent, was now skilled in bed.
• When Alexander finally seemed satisfied, he held her trembling body and whispered hoarsely in her ear, “I hate women who cry in bed…”
• Natalia stared blankly at the headboard, every sense sharpened, the intensity of the pleasure and pain so real it felt like she was awake. She could even hear Alexander’s words clearly.
• “I hate women who cry in bed.”
• Natalia let out a bitter laugh inside. Did Alexander still remember her?
• Suddenly, the phone rang.
• “Darling, answer your phone.” Seeing that Natalia was still in a daze, Alexander grabbed the phone from the nightstand and tossed it to her. He stood up without hesitation, rotated his neck, and walked toward the bathroom.
• Natalia didn’t answer the phone. Instead, she turned her gaze toward the bathroom.
• Suddenly, there was a "click," and the bathroom door opened. Natalia was startled, gripping the phone tightly and staring at Alexander’s eyes without blinking.
• Alexander leaned half his body through the door. Water droplets slid down his bronze, muscular chest, and foam clung to his chin. His deep, captivating eyes seemed cold, full of impatience. “Darling, don’t let me hear that disgusting ringtone again!”
• He slammed the bathroom door shut again.
• Even in his impatience, he still called her “Darling.” Alexander did it, and so did Dante. Men were truly extraordinary beings.
• On the phone screen, the name “Meena” was still flashing. Just as Natalia was about to answer, the ringtone stopped, and the call had already ended.
• She didn’t know who it was.
• Natalia tried to get up, but her body burned with pain. She had been overwhelmed by Alexander’s relentless passion, and there were clear marks on her thighs, like something had stabbed into her, leaving fresh scabs—similar in size to the mole on her chest.
• The mole?
• Natalia suddenly looked down at her chest. The heart-shaped birthmark was still there. She reached out, and her hands were slender and beautiful, but her nails were unusually long. Natalia had always been into fashion design and usually kept her nails short. She’d even worn a short hairstyle for the past three years.
• She wanted to investigate further, but she couldn’t recognize any part of her body.
• Clutching the blanket around her, Natalia walked toward the full-length mirror. When she saw her reflection, her eyes widened in horror. Who was the person in the mirror?
• Not only was her body different, but her face was too. The woman in the mirror had beautiful, sword-like eyebrows, a perfect, flawless figure, stunning features, and radiant skin. The only flaw was that her face looked a little too youthful—almost babyish—but that only made her beauty even more striking.
• A sharp pain lingered in her lower abdomen. Natalia furrowed her brow, reached down to touch it, and the person in the mirror mimicked her movements exactly. Suddenly, as if hallucinating, Natalia seemed to see blood-red flowers blooming in her lower abdomen. The blood grew larger, slowly drowning her whole body, filling her nose with the scent of blood and burning, mixed with the taste of 1982 Lafite...
• With a loud "BANG," Natalia fell sideways and collided with the cabinet. She braced herself against it to stand, pinching herself hard. It hurt. It hurt so much. This wasn’t a dream...
• Her body slowly slipped, and she collapsed onto the floor. If this wasn’t a dream, then what about her parents?
• The sound of water stopped in the bathroom. Alexander opened the door and walked out, a white towel wrapped around his lower body. He didn’t care that Natalia was sitting on the floor. He simply walked over to the sofa, dried his hair, and turned on the TV.
• He carelessly pressed the remote control and said toward Natalia, “Even though I saved you from those nasty old men, I had a great time last night, and this morning was enjoyable too. According to the rules, take the check on the table.”
• When Natalia heard this, she turned to look at him.
• Amused by her confused stare, Alexander dropped the remote, leaned back on the sofa, stretched out his long arms, and asked, “What? Are you stupid? I haven’t heard you say a word since this morning. Aren’t you good at speaking? If you think it’s too little, just tell me.”
• He handed her the check.
• A thin piece of paper landed at Natalia’s feet.
• She stared at the number written in familiar handwriting and suddenly smiled slightly. It was a lot of money—enough to buy her.
• She took the check, stared at it without blinking, and said slowly, “You’re really generous. Thank you for the gift.”
• The words came from Natalia, but she was surprised by how soft her voice sounded. It was uncharacteristic for a seventeen-year-old girl, and if someone listened closely, they would hear a slight tremor, a hoarse undertone.
• At that moment, the phone rang again. Alexander, sitting nearby, glanced up and saw a name appear on the screen. It seemed as though all his doubts had been answered, and he smiled. Then he said, “Jolan… Elan... you kept calling this name last night. Is he your boyfriend?”
• ***