Chapter 5

Suddenly, something felt off, and her expression slowly darkened.

Her friend Maureen, who had just finished flirting with the cute bartender, turned around and sighed with relief.

"Serena, you just went to the restroom. What took you so long?"

"There's a guy with gold-rimmed glasses next to Damien. Maureen, can you check him out for me?"

"Why?"

"

He looks familiar, but I can't place him."

"Okay." Maureen blinked, her long, dark false eyelashes fluttering.

"By the way, Serena, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"Hmm?" Xenia asked, ordering another drink from the bartender.

Before she could take a second sip, she heard...

"Did you know? Brad is back."

"......"

It was as if a switch had been flipped in her heart.

Serena's wine glass slipped from her hand, shattering on the floor with a sound that was both haunting and fragmented.

In the open booth on the second floor, there were three people.

Damien held a cigarette between his fingers, leisurely reviewing the contract on his lap.

Lucas Graham, a man with gold-rimmed glasses, looked across at an old classmate he hadn't seen in ages, his gaze eventually settling on the cane by the man's side.

Brad's demeanor was still gentle and composed, just like back in high school—polite and reserved.

Unlike the rest of them, who frequented bars and chased girls in packs, he was always the model student.

No one expected that after entering college, they'd suddenly hear that the most upright and gentle boy from back then had been in a car accident because of a woman and would rely on a cane for the rest of his life.

"Lucas, if you're so interested in my cane, should I just give it to you?"

"Uh... sorry, I was just wondering what happened back then that made you rush into the road so recklessly," Lucas said, adjusting his glasses. "In high school, you seemed to only like one girl and then you lost touch, right?"

Brad lowered his eyes, smiling without saying a word.

Damien finished reading the contract, tossed it aside and through the swirling smoke, noticed a hint of bitterness at the corner of Brad's mouth.

"Looks like you're troubled by love?"

Damien's tone carried a faint hint of mockery and disdain.

Love, what kind of thing is it, anyway?

Some people are foolish enough to play such silly games, even risking breaking a leg in theprocess...

The contract with the Keasan Group was still under consideration by Damien and Brad wasn't rushing him.

After discussing business, they started chatting about their personal lives.

"Damien, I heard you got married? When are you going to introduce your wife?" Brad, having just returned to the country, asked casually, unaware of the details.

Damien shrugged and smiled, neither confirming nor denying.

In the middle of the conversation, Lucas excused himself to the restroom.

When he returned, he looked a bit flustered, as if he had something to say but was hesitant.

Brad had taken a phone call earlier and had already left. The spacious private room now only had Damien in it. He sat on the sofa, legs crossed, sipping his drink leisurely.

“Damien, you should go take a look outside! It's quite a scene out there..." Lucas urged.

"What does that have to do with me?" Damien replied, indifferent.

"Your new wife is on stage and, well, she's putting on quite a wild show..."

Sure enough, Damien's eyes shot up immediately. In the dim light, his face was sharply defined, his gaze deep and intense.

On the other side, on the bar's stage, Serena's eyes were hazy. She had been chatting with Maureen for a while and as she listened, the alcohol began to take over.

Her mind felt like it was stuffed with cotton, stuck and restless... She suddenly wanted to do something to let it all out.

She placed her hand on the pole and the girl in the bunny costume next to her stepped aside. Serena signaled to the handsome DJ.

Soon, a new dance track started playing.

As the music began, she moved to the beat, letting her body flow with the rhythm.

Her curvy figure was accentuated as she shrugged off her small jacket, leaving only a tight black slip dress.

Her long, dark hair cascaded like seaweed and the chaotic lights layered in the mist.

She seemed like a mythical enchantress stepping out from a distant legend.

Visually, she was unstoppable.

First, she was a sight to behold, then she captured the hearts of the men around her. Most of the onlookers were men.

They whistled excitedly, waving their arms, their bold gazes lingering on Serena's swaying hips and legs.

With her fiery red lips, Serena appeared to be the queen of the night, controlling everything and holding the men in the palm of her hand.

Until she saw Damien's stern face appear…She didn't know when he had jumped onto the stage.

Amidst the wild crowd, he stood tall and graceful, walking towards her with a dark expression.

"Serena Vale."

Amidst the pulsating music, her alluring smile followed the rhythm of his moving lips.

In the next moment, she launched herself at Damien, you haven't left yet? Are you waiting for your wife?" Serena asked, her voice sweet and childlike, made even more so by the alcohol.

Damien looked at the woman with the radiant smile before him. Her upper body was almost pressed against him and besides the scent of alcohol, there was an enchanting allure about her.

He let out a small laugh and grabbed Serena's arm, leading her off the stage.

They stumbled past Lucas, whose expression was a mix of emotions and she was pulled into a dark, empty private room down the hallway.

In the pitch-black room, Serena felt a chill run down her spine as she sensed the man's proximity and the increasing grip on her wrist.

"Mr. Kade, you're hurting me..."

"Being my wife means behaving yourself," Damien said, towering over her. In the moonlight, he could just make out her face, which was as innocent and cunning as a kitten's.

Their breaths mingled in the air, which seemed to be filled with a sticky, intimate tension.

"What's the matter? It's just... a dance," Serena said, her drunkenness giving her a fearless playfulness.

Her fingers lazily twirled around his tie and from her rosy lips, she softly uttered two words, "Just playing... mmph!"