t space pulsed with energy, a kaleidoscope of strobe lights and bodies moving to the rhythm. She clutched Mel

e here," Ava muttered, raising he

with excitement. "You'll thank m

he was used to. She couldn't help but feel out of place among the sea of glamo

down the bartender with practiced ease. "Two m

m. The crowd was a mix of the city's elite and those pretending to belong, their

handing her a glass. "You lo

the drink, the tartness making her li

You're always working, always worrying

f her depth. Her gaze wandered to the dance floor, where couples swayed and sp

al. "You know, this is the kind of place

t. Like any of these guy

underestimating yourself. You look amaz

nder, taking in the opulence of the club. The sleek, modern décor, the glittering chandeli

Mel dragged her onto the dance floor, and though Ava's movements were awkward at first

me in a long tim

flushed and her hair tousled from dancing. Mel had disappea

e moment of solitude, sipping her second

ickling sensation at the back of h

saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just the usual crowd, laughi

n she s

ly obscured by the shadows. He was dressed in a tailored suit, his d

g about his gaze intense, almost predatory. It sent a

wa

person beside him, a tall, broad-shouldered man with a scar running down the side of his face

instinct screamed at her to leave. She set her glass down and slipped of

es disorienting her. She could hear her pulse roaring in her e

s away, her heels clicking against the pave

ned, but one thing was clear, this