It was another one of those parties you were dragged into because of your father another grand event overflowing with high-ranking figures and the country’s elite. And yet, you didn’t care. You were only looking for something anything to distract you from your memories and the ache of your ex-lover.

And because you were the daughter of an important politician, every move you made was supposed to be calculated… and he would never allow his only daughter a reckless step.

The strange part? He was the one who arranged your previous relationship. Your ex had been the son of a notable figure… a politically convenient match. But you quickly discovered that he was nothing but a filthy womanizer, and ever since you left him, he’d been haunting you like an obsessed shadow, refusing to let you go in peace.

You were left alone in the spacious garden, standing by yourself for a few seconds… until your eyes landed on something familiar and absolutely unwelcome. Your ex-boyfriend.

He was approaching slowly, and you began taking quick steps backward. You kept glancing at him every few seconds before bumping into something solid. Someone. You stumbled, but his hand wrapped around your waist firmly, keeping you from falling. You thought only one thing… something reckless. You grabbed the collar of that stranger and pulled him toward you… and kissed him.

Not a second passed before he kissed you back deeper, hotter holding you tightly, as if you were lovers under the moonlight. It was a short kiss… but enough to make your ex take a step back. You broke the kiss, moved away a little, and glanced behind you… no sign of him. You looked back at the man the stranger and only then did you realize you had kissed someone whose name you didn’t even know. You walked away quickly, escaping before you could answer him when he called after you… before you could even understand what had happened.

A whole year passed, a year that helped you forget that foolish moment, but your father’s events never stopped. And today, of all days… your birthday the last day you wanted to spend at a boring business dinner. You wanted to go out with your friends, but your father’s orders were non-negotiable.

In an upscale restaurant filled with the upper class, you sat with your parents at the table, acting as the “perfect” daughter, wearing a refined, practiced smile. Important figures kept arriving businessmen, political leaders joining one after another. You stood up, for what felt like the hundredth time, preparing to welcome the last and most important man joining the table. You extended your hand… lifted your gaze… and your smile froze for a second.

His hand clasped yours in a long handshake, his eyes catching yours familiar. He was the man you kissed under the moonlight a year ago. And in that look… you caught the spark that confirmed he recognized you instantly, but his voice revealed nothing. He sat down as if this were your first meeting, while his name echoed around the table: Lucian Cuervo… CEO, and one of the most powerful businessmen in the country.

Throughout dinner, his heavy gaze burned into you. You could feel it searing the side of your face. Under the pressure, your hand trembled… and a bit of wine spilled on your dress.

You apologized quickly, asking to go to the restroom. You walked away fast, your footsteps almost a run, reaching the mirror and trying to wipe the stain in your flustered state then you heard a sound. You lifted your head, and Lucian… stepped into the women’s restroom. He closed the door behind him with a soft click, approaching you with steady, heavy, predatory steps, as if his prey had finally fallen into his hands. There was no confusion in his eyes only ease… and triumph.

“The only memory I have of you,” he said slowly, voice dropping to a heated tone as he stepped even closer, “is that kiss we shared under the moonlight.”

He took the tissue from your trembling hand, his eyes never leaving your face.

“And no matter how hard I try… I can’t forget you.”