The clock inside the club ticked past ten as the music mellowed, the crowd thinning little by little. Lila wiped down the last table she was assigned, her body aching from standing on her feet all day. The tray she had carried felt like a boulder now, her shoulders stiff, but at least she had survived her first night at the club.
Sliding into a chair beside Clara for a moment, she let out a tired breath. "I could sleep right here," she murmured.
Clara laughed softly, tossing her long ponytail back. "You'll get used to it. The pay makes the sore feet worth it, trust me."
Lila managed a small smile. She knew Clara was right, but the weight of her father's medication bills and the endless debts waiting at home pressed heavier than the ache in her legs. This wasn't about comfort. This was survival.
Before she could catch her breath fully, the owner's gruff voice called across the floor.
"Lila, you can go now."
Her head snapped up. "Go home?"
"Yes. You've done enough for tonight."
Relief swept through her like cool water. She grabbed her small bag from under the counter, said a quick goodnight to Clara, and slipped toward the back exit.
---
Outside, the air was cooler, brushing against her skin as though the night itself was trying to soothe her exhaustion. She adjusted the strap of her bag and exhaled.
But the moment she stepped onto the dimly lit pavement, she froze.
Parked near the curb was a sleek black car, the kind of expensive machine that didn't belong in front of her struggling workplace. Through the tinted window, she thought she caught a glimpse of the man from the VIP—the same sharp gaze that had unsettled her hours ago.
Her chest tightened.
Beside the car stood another man—tall, well-dressed, his posture straight but not threatening. He was staring at her.
Lila instantly looked away, pretending not to notice. She started walking, her pace brisk, her tired feet dragging against the rough pavement.
The man stepped forward quickly. "Hello, ma."
She stopped, turned reluctantly.
Nathan gave a polite nod. "My boss would like to talk to you."
For a moment, Lila's mind whirled. If it was another guy, I would have walked away, she thought firmly. But this wasn't just another guy. This was Adrian Blackwood—the man who had been sitting in the VIP like he owned the world, the man whose eyes had followed her every move. Something in her gut told her she couldn't just dismiss this so easily.
With a small breath, she nodded. "Alright."
---
Nathan gestured toward the car. The back door opened, and there he was—Adrian Blackwood himself, sitting with an elegance that looked effortless yet commanding. The interior light illuminated his face, sharp lines softened slightly by the warm glow.
"Please," Nathan said quietly.
Lila approached slowly, her nerves dancing beneath her skin. She stopped just short of the car, her fingers tightening on her bag strap.
Adrian's gaze lifted to meet hers. Up close, his eyes were even more intense, gray like storm clouds that refused to break. He studied her quietly for a few seconds before speaking.
"You've had a long day." His voice was deep, smooth, but carried a weight that made it less a question and more a statement.
Lila hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, sir."
He gestured lightly to the empty seat beside him. "Sit. Just for a moment."
She wanted to refuse, wanted to say she was fine standing, but something about his calm assurance left her with little room. Against her better judgment, she slid into the car.
The door shut softly, enclosing them in quiet.
---
Adrian leaned back, watching her. "What's your name?"
"Lila," she replied carefully.
"Lila," he repeated, as though testing the sound on his tongue. "Pretty name."
She shifted, uncomfortable with the way he said it, like he had known it long before she answered.
"Do you often work this late?" he asked next.
She nodded. "It's… part of the job."
"And before the club?"
She swallowed. He was sharp. Too sharp. "I have another job during the day."
Adrian's lips curved faintly, not quite a smile. "Two jobs. You must be working very hard for something."
Lila pressed her lips together, refusing to answer. Her father's illness, the debts, the weight she carried—those weren't things she was willing to share with a stranger, no matter how rich or powerful he looked.
Sensing her silence, Adrian didn't push. He respected the wall she kept up, but his eyes never left her face.
Nathan, sitting quietly in the front, glanced at them through the rearview mirror but said nothing.
---
Minutes stretched, filled with an odd calm. Their words were simple, casual even, but beneath it all was a current Lila couldn't explain. It was as if he knew her beyond tonight, as if this conversation wasn't the first between them.
When at last she shifted, clearly restless, Adrian spoke again.
"I'll have Nathan drive you home."
Her eyes widened. "No, it's fine. I can walk—"
"It's late," he cut in gently but firmly. "And you look exhausted."
"I don't want to trouble—"
"It's no trouble," Adrian said, finality in his tone. "Nathan."
"Yes, sir." Nathan started the engine without waiting for Lila's protest.
She sighed, sinking back into the seat, her heart racing.
---
The car moved smoothly through the quiet streets, headlights slicing through the night. Adrian remained silent for most of the ride, though his gaze occasionally shifted toward her, observing, memorizing.
Lila stared out the window, chewing on her thoughts. Who was this man, really? She'd heard whispers about billionaires, about CEOs who lived in a world so far above hers they might as well be on another planet. And now, one of them sat beside her, offering her a ride like it was the most natural thing in the world.
When the car slowed near her neighborhood, she finally turned to him. "Thank you… for the ride."
Adrian's eyes softened just slightly. "Get some rest, Lila."
She nodded quickly, opening the door before her nerves betrayed her further.
As she stepped out, the night air wrapped around her again, cool and grounding. She hurried toward her small home, refusing to look back.
But in the car, Adrian watched until she disappeared inside, his expression unreadable.
Nathan finally asked, "What now, sir?"
Adrian leaned back, his gaze still fixed on the memory of her face. "Now," he said quietly, "we wait. She won't slip away again."
The car pulled off into the night, leaving only silence behind.