Chapter One: The Night That Shattered Everything
Talia POV
The moment I stepped into the club, something unfamiliar wrapped around me.
Not just the music, though it throbbed through my chest like a second heartbeat but the scent. A layered mix of alcohol, smoke, expensive cologne, and something darker I couldn't name. It clung to my skin, thick and invasive.
People crowded the space in polished confidence.
Men in tailored suits lounged around low tables, laughing too loudly.
Women in sleek dresses leaned close, fingers grazing arms, lips brushing cheeks.
Glasses clinked. Shisha smoke curled lazily toward the ceiling. Somewhere near the bar, a couple was kissing without shame
I felt painfully out of place.
"Talia!" Ash's voice cut through the noise. "What are you doing just standing there? Come here."
"Okay," I said, forcing a smile as I threaded my way toward her.
She looked exactly where she belonged. The black dress hugged her curves like it had been sewn onto her body. Confidence rolled off her in waves.
She flagged down a waiter, took two glasses from his tray, and pressed one into my hand.
"You should relax and enjoy yourself for once," she said.
I stared at the drink. Clear. Innocent-looking. I lifted it, inhaled. The scent meant nothing to me.
"What kind of drink is this?" I asked.
Ash laughed. "Right. I almost forgot you don't belong in places like this." She leaned in, eyes bright with something I mistook for excitement. "Don't worry, little sis. Enjoy yourself. I've got you."
I hesitated, the glass cold against my palm. This wasn't me. I didn't drink. Didn't club. Didn't let loose.
But Ash was watching me with that familiar mix of amusement and impatience, the look that said I was being uptight again. Boring again. The responsible sister who never knew how to have fun.
Maybe she was right. Maybe one night wouldn't hurt.
Besides, I trusted her. She was my sister.
"Okay," I said finally. "Please take care of me."
I took a cautious sip.
The burn startled me, sharp and hot against my tongue. I swallowed quickly, eyes watering. The second sip didn't sting as much. By the third, it was almost… pleasant.
The first liquor of my twenty-three years.
Minutes passed. Or maybe just seconds. Time felt strange.
The music seemed louder now, each beat vibrating through my chest with startling clarity. The lights blurred at the edges, painting trails across my vision when I turned my head.
"You okay?" Ash asked.
"Yeah," I said, surprised to find it was true. My body felt lighter, untethered. The anxiety that usually coiled in my chest had loosened. "I feel... good, actually."
She grinned. "See? Told you."
The room had transformed. What felt suffocating before now felt vibrant. Electric. The crowd no longer intimidated me...it beckoned.
When had I started swaying?
I didn't remember deciding to move, but my hips rocked to the rhythm, my shoulders loose. The heat from the alcohol spread through my limbs, turning inhibition into something fluid.
"Yeah," I murmured, scanning the room.
A man near the corner caught my eye. He winked, slow, deliberate, then licked his lips as if tasting something sweet.
My stomach tightened. I shot him a glare sharp enough to cut.
Ash laughed. "What? Feeling shy?" She nudged me. "You don't even have a man."
I took another sip, partly to steady myself. "I don't like guys who live in clubs," I said. "You know I wouldn't be here if you didn't insist."
"Abeg. You need to enjoy your life."
"I came because you said I'd meet high-profile people," I reminded her. "People we could introduce the business to. Where are they?"
"Relax," she said smoothly. "Tonight is for fun."
"And you know I don't do anything just for fun."
Before she could reply, a familiar voice slid between us.
"Hey, girls."
Michael.
Ash's boyfriend.
The man I'd rejected three months ago, before he'd turned his attention to my sister.
He approached with a lazy smile, eyes dragging over me in a way that made my skin prickle.
"Well, look who decided to come out," he drawled.
I shifted, tugging at the hem of the glossy black dress Ash had insisted I wear. It clung everywhere, rode too high on my thighs, dipped too low at my chest. I suddenly felt exposed. Seen.
"See what you've been hiding," he said, gaze lingering far too long.
"Babe," Ash cut in sharply.
"Oh.. my beautiful baby." He turned, pulled her into a hug, kissed her deeply.
But even as his mouth was on hers, his eyes slid back to me for just a heartbeat.
Something cold flickered across Ash's expression, there and gone so fast I thought I'd imagined it.
She pulled back from the kiss, her smile too bright. "Let's get drinks. Strong ones."
The way she said it felt pointed, deliberate. Like she was proving something.
Then he looked back at me. "What are you drinking? Let's get something strong and hit the dance floor."
He returned with tequila shots. I shook my head at first, but they laughed, teased, insisted.
I caved.
The third shot burned less than the first. Heat unfurled in my chest, sliding lower, loosening something tight inside me. The room felt closer. Warmer. Alive.
I found myself moving without thinking.
On the dance floor, the music took over. My body responded before my mind could catch up.
I started twerking, slow at first, then bolder. I didn't care about the eyes anymore. I didn't care about anything.
After dancing for awhile, I returned to where Ash and Michael stood, still taken shot and she offer me another shot immediately I joined them
Each swallow burned less than the last. The heat stopped warning me and started inviting me instead.
I was laughing at something Michael said when the room tilted.
Just slightly. Just enough to make me grab Ash's arm for balance.
"Whoa," I breathed.
"You okay?" Ash asked, steadying me. Her voice softened in a way that felt practiced.
"Yeah, just... maybe I overdid it." I pressed my palm to my forehead. "I should probably slow down."
"Of course." She rubbed my back soothingly. "Here. This will help."
She pressed a different glass into my hand, something clear with ice. Water, I thought. Or maybe sprite.
"Drink this. It'll settle your stomach."
The gesture felt caring. Sisterly. I smiled gratefully.
"Thanks, Ash."
I didn't ask what it was. I just tilted my head back and swallowed.
It tasted slightly bitter, but I attributed that to the tequila still coating my tongue, with that I went back to dancing .
At first, I didn't notice anything unusual.
I was still dancing, still laughing, the room spinning pleasantly around me. But then a new warmth began spreading through my body, different from the alcohol buzz.
Lower. Deeper. Insistent.
I pressed my thighs together, confused by the sudden ache blooming between them. My skin felt oversensitive, every brush of fabric, every movement, sending sparks of something that wasn't quite pleasure but wasn't quite pain either.
"You okay?" Ash appeared beside me, her face a mask of concern.
"I... I'm really hot," I said, tugging at my dress. Sweat beaded at my temples.
"Maybe you need to splash some water on your face." She pointed down a hallway. "Restroom's that way."
"Should you come?" I asked
She glanced at Michael, then back at me. "You'll be fine. It's just down the hall."
Something in her tone felt off, but I couldn't focus enough to place it. The heat was building, wave after wave, making it hard to think.
"Okay," I mumbled.
I started walking.
Every step sent that strange ache deeper. My thoughts grew foggy, scattered. The hallway stretched impossibly long, door after door, but no restroom sign.
Where was I going again?
The heat intensified, pulsing between my legs in a rhythm that matched my racing heartbeat. I leaned against the wall, breathing hard.
Something was wrong. This wasn't dizziness. It was hunger, sharp, alien, and entirely wrong.
Panic fluttered weakly in my chest, but I couldn't hold onto it. The need was too strong, drowning out everything else.
Then three men appeared.
Too close. Too fast.
Hands grabbed my waist, my arms. My back hit the wall hard enough to knock the breath from my lungs.
"Let's have some fun, pretty damsel," one of them murmured.
I tried to scream. Nothing came out.
I fought, scratching, twisting but my body felt heavy, wrong, like it didn't belong to me anymore.
Please. Somebody. Anyone. I wish desperately
And then....
He was there.
Tall. Solid. Dressed in a dark suit that looked carved onto him. His presence shifted the air. Commanding. Dangerous.
I didn't see everything. Only heard the impact grunts, thuds, curses cut short.
When he lifted me, the men were crumpled on the floor, groaning.
He carried me effortlessly, steady and sure, as if my weight meant nothing.
A door opened. Soft lighting. A bed.
He laid me down gently, adjusted the pillow beneath my head, pulled the duvet over me with surprising care.
Then he turned to leave.
Panic surged, sharp and irrational.
No. Don't go.
The heat inside me had become unbearable, a living thing clawing beneath my skin. Every nerve screamed for contact, for relief, for something I'd never wanted before and couldn't name now.
This wasn't me. I didn't do this. I didn't need anyone.
But my hand shot out anyway, fisting his shirt, yanking him back with strength I didn't know I had.
Our mouths collided.
I kissed him like I was drowning, clumsy, frantic, and afraid of what would happen if he let go.
Somewhere in the back of my failing mind, I knew I'd hate myself for this.
Tomorrow.
But tonight, I couldn't stop.
...
Somewhere across the city, in a private room high above the chaos,
the man who would save me or ruin me was fighting his own battle.