The Diplomat's Payback: Dumped, Framed, And Married Up

Kiera Miller nudged the door open, wincing at the sharp creak. A thick, sweet scent hung in the air, and the entire room was swallowed by shadows.

"Danna? Danna, where are you?" She called out to her adopted sister, Danna Miller, but the silence was her only answer.

"Danna? Didn't you say you needed a change of clothes? Where are you?"

As her eyes strained against the darkness, she tripped over something and nearly lost her balance.

A jolt of panic shot through her. "Who's there?"

Before Kiera could step back, a hand—hot and unyielding—latched onto her ankle. Her scream echoed through the room.

"Who are you? Let go of me!" Kiera's words tumbled out as she fought to break free. The stranger's grip held firm, like she was caught in a vice.

"Help me, and you can have whatever you want." The voice that answered sounded rough, desperate.

Kiera jerked her leg, her voice sharp. "Get off me!"

The man ignored her plea. Instead, he lifted her effortlessly.

Her cries faded as his lips claimed hers, her protest lost in the heated kiss while her breath slowly slipped away.

Long after the night dragged on, the man finally wore himself out and slipped into a heavy sleep.

Kiera forced herself upright on the rumpled bed, steadying her breath as she fought to stay composed.

With shaking hands, she picked up the shredded pieces scattered across the floor and dressed herself with what little fabric remained.

The idea of calling the police crossed her mind for a fleeting second. But she pushed it away just as quickly.

Her future left no room for mistakes. As a rising diplomat, any hint of scandal would destroy everything she had worked for and end her career on the spot.

On top of that, the Miller family would never accept a daughter who brought disgrace to their name.

If the truth ever surfaced, she would lose far more than her reputation. Her place within the family and her future would all collapse together.

Right now, the immediate priority was to get through tomorrow's wedding.

She refused to stir chaos and turn herself into a source of ridicule.

As for the man who had taken her virginity by force... Kiera curled her hands into tight fists, her nails pressing painfully into her skin. She promised herself that one day, he would answer for what he had done.

Pulling her clothes close to hide the marks left behind, Kiera slipped out of the hotel in silence, carefully steering clear of every security camera on her way out.

What she didn't know was that the moment she was gone, Danna emerged from wherever she had been hiding and quietly entered the same room.

...

The drive home felt reckless, with Kiera tearing through one red light after another as the city blurred past her windshield.

She could not wrap her mind around it. After guarding her virginity for twenty years, it had been taken from her by