"Why aren't you saying anything?Mom asked Dad, her voice sharp.
"My mother is… stubborn. I can't convince her," he muttered, gripping her wrist gently.
"Are you happy seeing your daughter go on dates with different men while she loves another guy?"
"If she loves him… then he should come," he said, his voice low, almost pained.
Mom's eyes narrowed. "Your mom has taken over the company. She built the foundation. You put her name on it, and now she controls it. And you… you can't let this go? Your family legacy comes before your own daughter?"
He sighed deeply.
"Where is the man I married? Where is the father who would fight for his daughter? Your mother never attended our wedding, our child's first birthday, her graduation… not even her wedding. And now you question me?"
Mom's voice cracked. "And you choose your mother over her… over Calliah?"
"Honey, don't you understand? If she doesn't marry someone influential, the company will crumble. All the love, the castle, the future we built it will vanish. And I can't let that happen."
Mom's eyes went wide. "Is that what you truly think?"
He opened his mouth, but she stormed off before he could respond.
******
Raven Peak Bar
The neon lights flickered over the dark interior, the bass thumping through the crowded space. Justin Bieber's Lonely played somewhere in the background, faint under the chatter and laughter.
Calliah slid into the seat across from Gavin a tall, striking man with curly hair, piercing blue eyes, and small lips. He had that "dangerously charming" aura that seemed too practiced to be natural.
"Your name?" he asked, leaning closer.
"Calliah," she said, arching an eyebrow. "And you are?"
"Gavin," he replied, flashing a smile that made her stomach twist.
"This place has… a weird vibe. Can we go somewhere else?" she asked, wary of the flashing lights and the girls gyrating around the poles.
"Of course," he said smoothly, and soon they were in his car.
"Royal Dragon… Slut House?" Calliah read the neon sign aloud, eyebrows raised.
"One of the most popular spots in the state," Gavin replied, his hand brushing hers. "Can I hold your hand?"
"Uh…" she said, and let him take it.
This club never changes
Inside, the scene was chaotic girls dancing on poles, boys spraying money, bodies pressed together in reckless abandon.
The VIP chairs were occupied as usual, but no one dared touch him.
He led her to one vip chair and sat close.
"So… what's your deal?" he asked, pouring two glasses of drink.
Calliah sipped, memory flashes from last night clouding her mind. Axel… Axel…
"My father owns the biggest company in California," she said, trying to distract herself.
"Mine's the biggest in the state. Second biggest overall," Gavin countered, smirking.
"You're so funny," she giggled, even as the drink hit her harder than she expected.
After a few rounds, her words slurred slightly. "I… I like you," she murmured.
"I like you too," he said, leaning closer. "Let's go somewhere more private."
He guided her to a quieter corner, pulsating with the bass
A room for sex
Where different girls had sex without minding other people staring at them
. But as his hand slid toward her, pressing into her side kissing and touching her, Calliah froze.
"Stop!" she yelled, shoving him.
"You like me, right?" Gavin pressed, ignoring her protests.
"As a friend, you perv!" she spat, pushing him again.
But before he could advance, an invisible force like a gust of wind hurled him backward against the wall. He stumbled, eyes wide, trying to regain his balance.
Calliah's heart pounded. What just happened?