The night stretched on like a blanket of silence, the darkness wrapping around me as I lay in the cool sheets of my bed. I hadn't fallen asleep yet—not truly. My mind buzzed with the chaos of the evening, the sting on my cheek, the anger in Laura's eyes, and Regina's cold venom.
But I was tired. So tired.
My phone, sitting on the bedside table, buzzed sharply, pulling me from my thoughts. I groaned, half-opening my eyes, blinking at the light that cut through the room as my phone illuminated the space in front of me.
A call. From an unknown number.
I hesitated. Was it another twist of fate, another nightmare from the past making its way into my present? Or maybe it was someone else trying to drag me back into the world I was fighting to escape. Either way, I didn't want to pick it up.
But the phone kept buzzing, the vibration almost rhythmic now, pounding against my skull, until I could no longer ignore it. I sighed, reached for the phone, and answered, my voice still thick with sleep.
"Hello?"
A breathy silence on the other end—then, the voice.
Commanding. Authoritative. Familiar.
"Solar Night Club. Meet me 12 AM."
I sat up immediately, the fog of sleep clearing in an instant. The message was simple, direct. It was like a shock to my system.
"Who is this?" I croaked, still struggling to shake off the drowsiness in my voice.
But before I could get another word out, the line went dead. The sudden silence after the abrupt hang-up was deafening. My heart was racing as I stared at the blank screen, my pulse thumping in my ears.
Lucian.
I didn't need to hear his name to recognize the command. The tone of it, the way he spoke like there was no other option but obedience, it was unmistakable. He wanted me at Solar Night Club. At midnight.
A rush of adrenaline shot through me. My hands were trembling slightly as I set the phone back down, my mind reeling. The nightclub wasn't far. I could make it there in less than half an hour, but that wasn't the point. The point was that he was calling me. He had the power to pull me back into his orbit, and somehow, I couldn't resist.
I stood up, my body moving on its own, already starting to pull clothes from my closet. I couldn't waste any more time. It was as if a switch had flipped inside me, and now, nothing mattered except getting to him.
There would be no turning back.
It wasn't until I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror that I remembered the bruising slap on my cheek. I ran my fingers lightly over the sting, the heat from the touch pulsing through me, before forcing myself to turn away. The mark would only fuel my determination.
*******
The hum of the club's beat faded as I approached the VIP entrance, my heart pounding louder than the music that reverberated through the walls. I glanced at the sleek, imposing man who had escorted me here. He was silent now, his hands tucked into his pockets as he simply waited for me to step into the unknown.
A strange mix of excitement and nerves twisted in my stomach as I smoothed my hands down the tight black leather skirt that hugged my hips like a second skin. My top—a deep, blood-red silk that clung to my every curve—dipped daringly low, the fabric shimmering under the dim light. It was a risky choice, one that had drawn eyes all night. But this wasn't about fitting in. It was about standing out. And I knew Lucian would notice. He always noticed.
The door to the VIP lounge loomed before me, sleek and black, a silent guard to whatever lay beyond. The man beside me gave a small nod, and without another word, he pushed the door open.
The air inside was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and aged whiskey. The bass from the main club was muted now, replaced by the hum of quiet conversation and the clink of glasses. My eyes were immediately drawn to the center of the room.
Lucian.
He sat with his back to the wall, surrounded by plush leather chairs and low, marble tables. But it wasn't just him that caught my attention.
Two women knelt before him, their bodies naked and glistening in the dim light. The scene was intimate, almost surreal. One woman had long, auburn hair that cascaded down her back, the other a platinum blonde whose hands were steady as they moved over him. The rhythm of their actions was slow, deliberate.
I froze at the door, my breath catching in my throat. My face flushed with embarrassment, my pulse racing as I forced myself to look away.
Lucian's gaze, however, never wavered. He was watching me, his eyes cold and predatory, a small, amused smile pulling at the corner of his lips as if he knew exactly what was running through my head.
For a moment, I didn't know what to do. The room felt suddenly too warm, too intimate, like I was intruding on something that wasn't meant for me. But then, a cool calm settled over me. I wasn't about to let him see me flinch. I wasn't about to show weakness or act like some virgin Mary, not here, not in front of him.
I took a steady breath, pushing my shoulders back. I walked further into the room, heels clicking on the smooth floor as I made my way toward him. My skin tingled under his gaze, but I didn't let it show.
Lucian's voice cut through the quiet, as sharp and cold as ice. "You're late."
I didn't flinch at his words, though my stomach fluttered with the tiniest hint of nervousness. But I kept my composure. "I wasn't exactly prepared when you called," I said, my voice steady, despite the heat still rising to my cheeks.
He didn't react to my excuse, his eyes never leaving me. But I could see the way he examined me, taking in every inch of my outfit, every curve of my body that the silk top and tight skirt revealed.
The women in front of him didn't seem to mind my presence; they continued their actions, their bodies undisturbed by my arrival. But I couldn't help but feel my face heat up, the sight of them both kneeling in front of him doing nothing to quell the swirl of discomfort in my gut.
Still, I didn't look away. I couldn't give him that satisfaction.
I finally reached the edge of the couch where Lucian was sitting, trying to ignore the scene in front of me. I stood tall, my breath coming a little faster than I liked. I kept my gaze focused on his—cold, calculating, unreadable.
"Do you mind what you've walked into?" Lucian asked, his voice low, but there was a definite edge to it. A dangerous, unsettling one.
My breath shook and I found my jumbled mind looking for the right reply. it came almost immediately to be and I decided to act like I was cool with it even though my heart was screaming.
I raised an eyebrow, my lips curling into a faint, knowing smile. A smile that is suppose to cover my real reaction. "Them mouth fucking you? I do mind but you don't see me complaining, do you?" " Or should I leave".
His lips quirked upward, and for a moment, the amusement was clear in his eyes. "Stay, Lia."
There was something about the way he said my name that made my chest tighten. It wasn't just a statement—it was an order. An implication that my presence here wasn't a matter of choice.
Before I could respond, one of the women, the platinum blonde, straightened up and looked at Lucian. Her expression was blank, but the way she held his gaze suggested something far more intimate, as if they shared a bond far beyond this fleeting moment.
Lucian turned his head to her, his eyes cold but not unkind. "You're finished," he said, his voice devoid of any emotion.
The blonde nodded, stood, and stepped away from him. She didn't look at me as she walked past, but the silence that followed her departure felt thick with unspoken tension.
I shifted on my feet, my gaze flicking between Lucian and the remaining woman, who had also stopped what she was doing. Lucian's attention returned to me, his eyes still dark, calculating, a faint flicker of something dangerous lurking beneath the surface.
His hand moved to the side, and the remaining woman stood, casting one last look at me before she walked out of the room, leaving the two of us alone.
Now, it was just Lucian and me. The air between us was electric, charged with an intensity I hadn't expected. He was waiting for something—waiting for me to react, waiting to see how far I'd go to prove myself.
"You came, you shouldn't be toying with fire," Lucian said finally, his voice softer but no less commanding.
I raised an eyebrow, my heart beating widely in my chest, but I didn't falter.
"Maybe I shouldn't have," I said, my voice low, filled with something I didn't fully understand. "But toying with fire happened to be my favorite sport." Where in hell did that come from???
He stared at me for a long moment, his gaze unwavering, before a slow smile spread across his face. It was cold, calculating—but there was something else there, something I couldn't quite place.
He approached, his movements slow and deliberate as he zip up his zipper, the sound sharp in the quiet room. My gaze stayed locked on his eyes, unwilling to let myself glance downward. Inside, a wave of fear hit me, but I forced it down, not allowing him to see it. My breath caught, but I didn't show it, standing tall despite the tension building between us.
He stopped just in front of me, his breath brushing my skin. "You think you're in control," he murmured, his lips barely grazing mine, "And that amuses me."