I should have known the moment Angela said the word party that my night was already doomed.
By evening she was already blowing up my phone with messages.
Wear something nice.Not boring nice. Actually nice.And don't say you're tired.
I stared at my phone from the edge of my bed.
Maybe I could pretend to be asleep.
But Angela knew where I lived.
And she was the kind of person who would absolutely show up at the mansion gates if I ignored her.
So eventually, I gave up.
I changed into a simple black dress that hugged my waist just enough to look decent but not like I was trying too hard. I tied my hair back loosely and added a little makeup.
Nothing dramatic.
Just enough to look alive.
When I walked downstairs, Charles happened to be passing through the hall.
He paused slightly.
"You're going out tonight, Miss Evie?"
"Yes," I said.
"With Angela."
He gave a small knowing nod.
"I see."
Something about that tone made me suspicious.
"What does that mean?"
Charles smiled politely.
"Miss Angela has a… reputation for lively evenings."
Great.
That definitely wasn't reassuring.
Still, I grabbed my coat and left.
Angela was already waiting outside in a taxi when I arrived at the street corner.
The moment she saw me, she leaned out the window dramatically.
"Finally!"
I slid into the car beside her.
"You're dramatic."
"You're slow."
The taxi driver laughed quietly as he started driving.
Angela immediately started inspecting my outfit like a fashion critic.
"Okay," she said.
"You look good. But you still look responsible."
"What does that even mean?"
"It means tonight we're fixing that."
I sighed.
"I already regret this."
The club was across town in a busy district where the streets were full of neon lights and loud music pouring from every doorway.
The line outside the club wrapped around the building.
Angela grinned.
"Perfect."
"How is this perfect?" I asked.
"There's like a hundred people here."
"Exactly."
Before I could protest further, she grabbed my wrist and dragged me toward the entrance.
Somehow she knew the bouncer.
Of course she did.
Within seconds we were inside.
The sound hit me first.
Heavy bass thumped through the floor so strongly I could feel it vibrating in my chest. Lights flashed in every direction—purple, blue, red—blurring the crowd into moving shadows.
People were everywhere.
Dancing.
Laughing.
Drinking.
Shouting over the music.
Angela looked like she had just arrived in paradise.
"This," she shouted over the music, "is what fun looks like!"
I leaned closer.
"This is chaos!"
She laughed and dragged me to the bar.
Two drinks appeared in front of us within seconds.
I stared at the glass suspiciously.
"What is this?"
"Something strong."
"That's not reassuring."
Angela already threw hers back in one quick gulp.
"Come on!" she said.
"Live a little."
Normally I would refuse.
Normally I was always in control.
But tonight…
Something felt different.
Maybe it was the stress of the past weeks.
Maybe it was Aaron showing up and leaving again.
Maybe it was Alexander being distant lately.
Whatever it was…
I picked up the drink.
And drank it.
Angela cheered.
"That's the spirit!"
The night moved quickly after that.
People came and went around us. Angela seemed to know half the club, introducing me to random strangers whose names I instantly forgot.
There was a group of college students celebrating something.
A businessman who wouldn't stop talking about stocks.
A woman with bright pink hair who insisted we dance with her.
At some point Angela dragged me to the dance floor.
Normally I hated dancing in public.
But the music was loud, the lights were blinding, and the alcohol made everything feel strangely lighter.
For once…
I stopped thinking.
We danced.
We laughed.
We drank more.
And slowly, the careful control I always maintained over myself started slipping away.
Angela noticed first.
She leaned close to my ear.
"Oh wow."
"What?" I asked.
"You're actually having fun."
"I hate you."
She laughed loudly.
"You love me."
Another drink appeared in my hand.
I wasn't even sure who ordered it.
The room spun slightly when I drank it.
"Okay," I muttered.
"That one was strong."
Angela looked extremely pleased with herself.
"Mission successful."
"What mission?"
"Getting you to relax."
I leaned against the bar.
"I think I might be drunk."
"Good."
"That wasn't the goal."
"It absolutely was."
She rested her chin on her hand and studied me mischievously.
"You know what would be funny?"
"What?"
"Let's play a game."
That sentence should have been a warning.
"What kind of game?" I asked cautiously.
Angela grabbed my phone from the counter.
"Simple."
"Angela—"
"We call the first person in your contacts."
I immediately reached for the phone.
"Nope."
But she was faster.
"Too late."
She tapped the screen.
The phone started ringing.
My brain processed what she had just done.
Slowly.
Then suddenly.
My heart stopped.
The name on the screen appeared.
Alexander.
"Oh no."
Angela's eyes widened.
"OHHH this is good."
I tried to grab the phone back.
But it was already ringing.
And then…
He answered.