The night refused to let her sleep.
Liora lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, the faint glow of Kolkata leaking through the curtains like a restless pulse. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him again.
Kael.
The way he had stood in her space like he owned it.
The way he had said her name… like it meant something.
"You."
Her chest tightened.
It didn't make sense.
Nothing about him did.
And yet—
She sat up abruptly.
Enough.
The club was already alive when she arrived.
Located near Camac Street, it was one of those places where the city's elite came to forget their reputations for a few hours. Music pounded through the walls, bass vibrating through her skin as soon as she stepped inside.
Lights flashed. Bodies moved. Laughter mixed with secrets.
This was her world.
Or at least—
The version of it she could control.
"Liora!"
Her friend Rhea appeared out of nowhere, grabbing her arm. "Finally! I thought you ditched again."
"Almost did," Liora replied, forcing a small smile.
Rhea's eyes narrowed playfully. "You look distracted. Engagement stress?"
Liora didn't answer.
Because that wasn't it.
Not even close.
She moved toward the bar, ordering something strong—something to quiet the noise in her head.
But it didn't work.
Because the moment she turned—
She felt it.
That same shift in the air.
That same quiet tension that didn't belong in a place this loud.
Her fingers tightened around the glass.
Slowly—
She looked up.
And there he was.
Kael leaned against the far wall, half-hidden in shadow despite the flashing lights. Like the darkness followed him, no matter where he stood.
Watching her.
Not surprised.
Not hesitant.
Like he knew she would come.
Her heart betrayed her instantly, beating faster.
She should walk away.
She didn't.
"You have a habit of showing up where you shouldn't," she said as she approached him.
Kael's lips curved slightly.
"You came to me this time."
Liora scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself."
"Not flattering," he said calmly. "Just observing."
The music dropped into a heavier beat, the bass echoing between them.
Too loud for normal conversation.
But somehow, their voices still felt clear.
Focused.
"You didn't answer my question," she said. "What do you want?"
Kael pushed himself off the wall, stepping closer.
Close enough that she could see the faint scar near his jaw now.
Close enough that everything else started to blur.
"You're still thinking about last night," he said instead.
Her jaw tightened.
"That's not an answer."
"It is," he replied softly. "You just don't like it."
Someone bumped into her from behind, forcing her a step forward—
Right into him.
For a split second, her hand pressed against his chest.
Warm.
Solid.
Too real.
Neither of them moved.
The world didn't stop—but it felt like it had.
"Careful," Kael murmured, his voice lower now. "You're getting closer again."
Liora pulled her hand back quickly.
"That wasn't intentional."
"Sure."
His tone said he didn't believe her.
And that annoyed her more than it should have.
"You think you know everything, don't you?"
"No," he said. "Just you."
Her breath caught.
"Liora!"
Arjun's voice cut through the moment like a blade.
She froze.
Of course.
Of all nights.
Of all places.
He walked toward them, confident, polished—every inch the man her world approved of.
His eyes flicked to Kael instantly.
And hardened.
"Who's this?" Arjun asked, his voice calm—but not friendly.
Liora hesitated.
And Kael noticed.
Of course he did.
"Does it matter?" Kael said before she could answer.
The tension shifted.
Sharp now.
Dangerous.
Arjun stepped closer. "It does when someone's talking to my fiancée."
The word felt heavy.
Wrong.
Kael's expression didn't change.
But something in his eyes did.
Something colder.
"She didn't look like she belonged to anyone," he said quietly.
Silence.
Thick.
Explosive.
Liora's heart pounded.
"Arjun, it's nothing," she said quickly, trying to defuse it. "Just someone I—"
"Just someone you what?" Arjun pressed.
She faltered.
And that was enough.
Kael stepped back then, slipping his hands into his pockets like none of this mattered.
But his gaze stayed on hers.
Not on Arjun.
Only her.
"Enjoy your night, Liora," he said softly.
Not dramatic.
Not loud.
But final.
And then—
He walked away.
Disappearing into the crowd just like before.
Like he was never meant to stay.
"Who was that?" Arjun asked sharply.
Liora stared at the place Kael had vanished from.
Her pulse still racing.
Her thoughts still tangled.
"I don't know," she said.
And for the first time—
It wasn't entirely a lie.
Later that night, as she stood outside the club, the noise fading behind her, the cool air hit her skin.
She should feel relieved.
She didn't.
Because something had changed.
Irreversibly.
She looked out at the glowing stretch of Park Street, the city alive with endless possibilities.
And somewhere out there—
Kael was part of it.
Part of a world she didn't understand.
A world she was already stepping into.
Without realizing how deep it would pull her.