Chapter 1: The Night That Changes Everything

The rain hammered down on the pavement, a relentless curtain of cold that soaked through Elena Devereaux’s thin coat. She pulled the fabric tighter around herself, her breath visible in the chilly night air as she hurried toward Inferno. The club stood like a beacon of temptation and sin against the darkened street, its glowing red neon sign casting eerie reflections on the wet asphalt.

Her heels splashed through puddles as she quickened her pace. She was already late. Draco’s asthma attack had come out of nowhere, forcing her to cradle her son until his small body finally relaxed. The hospital bills were piling up again, and this job was the only thing standing between them and financial ruin.

With a deep breath, she pushed open the heavy employee entrance door and stepped inside.

Heat and noise swallowed her whole. The air inside was thick with the scent of expensive cologne, alcohol, and desperation. Strobe lights flashed over a writhing crowd of bodies on the dance floor, illuminating faces twisted with wild abandon.

The atmosphere was suffocating.

"Elena!"

Her manager’s sharp voice cut through the noise.

Tony, a stocky man with a permanent scowl, stood behind the bar, drying a glass with more aggression than necessary. He didn't bother hiding his irritation.

“Table three. VIPs. Keep them happy, or don’t bother showing up tomorrow.”

Elena nodded, biting the inside of her cheek. She didn’t need the reminder. The VIP section meant big tips, but it also meant dealing with entitled men who thought they owned the world—and everyone in it.

She grabbed a tray of drinks and weaved through the crowd, her black dress clinging to her damp skin. The dress was standard for Inferno’s waitresses—tight enough to invite lingering stares but just modest enough to avoid outright scandal.

She hated it.

But pride wouldn’t put food on the table or pay for Draco’s medicine.

Reaching table three, she forced a polite smile. A group of men in expensive suits turned to look at her. One of them—a burly man with slicked-back hair and a gold chain gleaming against his tan skin—grinned lazily, his eyes dragging over her body with slow deliberation.

"Hey there, sweetheart," he drawled, his voice slurred with alcohol. "Been waitin’ for you all night."

Elena set the drinks down with practiced composure. "Here you go. Enjoy your night."

"Not so fast."

His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. His grip was firm—too firm.

“Why don’t you sit with us for a bit?”

Elena’s stomach twisted. "I’m working," she said, trying to pull her hand free.

The man’s grip tightened. "I wasn’t askin’."

His friends laughed, their amusement fueling his bravado.

Elena’s pulse spiked. She had seen situations like this before—ones that ended badly for the girl involved. She needed to get out of this.

“I said no,” she said, steel lacing her voice.

The man’s grin darkened. “Maybe you need a lesson in manners.”

And then—

A blur of motion.

The man was ripped from his seat and slammed against the table with enough force to send glasses crashing to the floor. The club’s music thundered on, but the immediate vicinity fell into a stunned silence.

Elena’s breath caught in her throat.

She didn’t need to look to know who had intervened.

Damien Moretti.

He stood like a predator surveying his territory, his tailored black suit immaculate despite the chaos. His dark hair was slicked back, highlighting the sharp angles of his face. But it was his eyes—intense, gleaming with lethal promise—that sent a shiver down Elena’s spine.

Damien’s grip on the man’s collar was unyielding. "Touch her again," he said, his voice low and dangerous, "and I'll break every bone in your hand."

The man paled, his bravado evaporating. "I-I didn’t mean—"

"Get out," Damien ordered.

The man stumbled to his feet, dragging his friends with him as they disappeared into the crowd.

Elena's knees felt weak as the adrenaline drained from her body. She wanted to thank Damien, but the words caught in her throat. Memories surged forward—memories of heated nights, whispered promises, and the devastating betrayal that had shattered her world.

Damien turned to her, his gaze burning into hers. “We need to talk.”

Elena swallowed hard. “I’m working.”

"Not anymore."

Before she could protest, he grasped her wrist, his touch sending an electric jolt through her skin. His grip was firm but not painful—commanding, as if he had never lost the right to touch her.

He led her through the club, his presence cutting through the crowd like a blade. No one dared to stop him.

They ascended a private staircase to a sleek, dimly lit suite overlooking the dance floor. The glass walls provided a panoramic view of the chaos below, but up here, it was quiet—intimate.

Damien finally released her.

"You shouldn't be working in a place like this," he said, his voice rough.

Elena crossed her arms. "What do you care?"

His jaw tightened. "You know why."

"No, I don’t." Her voice cracked. "It’s been six years, Damien. You don’t get to act like you still have a say in my life."

He took a step closer, his presence overwhelming. “I never stopped thinking about you.”

Her breath hitched. "Don't do this."

“Do what? Tell the truth?” His gaze softened, but there was still a raw intensity beneath it. “Why are you here, Elena? Why this place?”

“I needed a job,” she said tightly. “It’s that simple.”

His eyes darkened. “Bullshit.”

“You don’t know anything about my life anymore.”

“I know enough to see you’re struggling,” he said, his voice low. “And I know I can fix it.”

Elena’s chest tightened. “I don’t need your help.”

Damien stepped closer, his scent—a mix of cedar and danger—wrapping around her. “You’ve always been stubborn,” he murmured, “but I’ve always been patient.”

Her heart pounded as he cupped her face, his thumb brushing over her cheek. The touch was tender, a stark contrast to the storm raging between them.

"You shouldn’t have come back," she whispered.

"I never left," he said, his voice rough. "Not really."

Before she could respond, his lips crashed against hers.

The kiss was fierce, desperate—a collision of years of longing and anger. Her body betrayed her, melting into him as heat surged through her veins. His hands gripped her waist, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them.

Elena’s fingers tangled in his hair, and a soft moan escaped her lips. The sound seemed to ignite something in Damien, and the kiss deepened, turning wild and consuming.

Reality blurred, leaving only the sensation of his lips, his touch, and the fire that burned between them.

But then—

The door burst open, shattering the moment.

"Boss," one of Damien’s men said urgently, his face grim. "We have a problem downstairs."

Damien’s eyes blazed with frustration, but he pulled back, his breathing ragged. "Stay here," he ordered Elena.

As he strode out, tension crackling in his wake, Elena pressed her fingers to her swollen lips, her heart racing.

Damien Moretti was back in her life.

And nothing would ever be the same again.