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CHAPTER 5: The test
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-05-03 04:39:49The club pulsed with an energy that was both exhilarating and suffocating. The dim, golden lights cast elongated shadows along the velvet-lined walls, and the scent of expensive cologne mingled with the faint trace of cigar smoke.
The applicants sat stiffly on the leather couches, each one shifting uneasily, their eyes darting toward the large mahogany doors at the end of the room.
Elena stood among them, her fingers clenched tightly around the strap of her purse. Her stomach churned with unease, her chest fell heavily like a massive rock was placed on it, but she masked it with indifference, keeping her expression smooth and her face calm. She had been in worse situations. This was just another role to play.
Except the stakes were higher than ever.
She had researched every detail about Inferno, the crown jewel of Adrian Moretti’s empire. Everything about it screamed exclusivity, power, and danger. It wasn’t just a place to drink and dance—it was where secrets were exchanged, deals were made, and alliances were either formed or shattered. The kind of men she saw lined up at the entrance weren’t common men, they were men in control of the city. Gaining access to the club meant getting close to Adrian. And getting close to Adrian meant unearthing the truth about her father’s murder.
But right now, she wasn’t Detective Elena Carter.
She was Elena Romano, a desperate woman looking for work. A woman who had been arrested severally for petty crimes.
The applicants around her whispered among themselves, sizing each other up. Some were women dressed in barely-there dresses, their makeup immaculate, their eyes gleaming with ambition. Others were men, their expressions cocky, their posture relaxed—trying to act like they belonged.
Elena wasn’t sure which of them would be hired, but she knew one thing—this wasn’t an ordinary job interview.
The air shifted.
The atmosphere in the room, once filled with nervous chatter, fell into a tense silence immediately Adrian Moretti arrived.
The heavy doors at the end of the room swung open, and in walked a man who commanded attention with nothing more than his presence.
Adrian was a force of nature—tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a black button-up and dark slacks that fit him like they had been tailored to perfection. His presence was both calculated and effortless, exuding power without the need for theatrics.
But it was his eyes that held Elena still.
Dark. Unreadable. Cold. the aura around him was something thatr even the greatest writer in the world would not know the words suitable to describe it.
The applicants straightened, some shrinking back, others eager to impress. A few women adjusted their dresses, flashing flirtatious smiles in his direction. The men either stiffened under his gaze or smirked, trying to act unbothered.
Adrian said nothing at first, simply surveying the room with an impassive expression. Then, his gaze flicked to his men, and one of them—tall, built like a brick wall—stepped forward.
"You’re here because you think you deserve to work at Inferno," the man announced, voice sharp and stern. "Most of you are wrong."
A few applicants exchanged glances, different thoughts obviously racing through their minds, just as it did in Elena’s.
"If you’re here for a paycheck, leave," the man continued. "If you are here looking for how to enrich your pockets, then you have the oppourtunity to back out now. This isn’t some bar where you flirt for tips and pocket cash on the side. This is Adrian Moretti’s club, and we don’t tolerate incompetence."
No one moved.
“Incompetence, dishonesty will be delt in ways you can’t possibly imagine”
Elena kept her shoulders squared, her expression unreadable.
Adrian’s gaze lingered on each applicant, his scrutiny sharp and unwavering. Then, he spoke, his voice smooth but devoid of warmth.
"Step forward if you think you’re worth my time."
A few hesitated before moving. Others stepped up with too much confidence.
Elena waited a beat, then stepped forward.
Adrian’s gaze flicked to her, and for a second—just a second—his brows furrowed.
But then it was gone.
One by one, the applicants were questioned.
Adrian was ruthless.
A woman with an expensive-looking dress and too much perfume stepped up, flashing a confident smile. "I’ve worked at high-end clubs before," she purred. "I know how to handle VIPs."
Adrian studied her. "Where?"
"Uh—" she faltered. "A few places—"
"Name them."
She hesitated.
Adrian didn’t look amused.
"You’re lying," he said bluntly. "Leave."
Her face turned pale.
Another man stepped up, grinning. "I used to run security at—"
"Not interested."
The man barely had time to react before Adrian’s men were already ushering him out.
Each interview was quick, brutal, and merciless.
Elena was the last one.
She stepped forward, meeting his gaze head-on.
"Name," Adrian said.
"Elena Romano."
"Experience?"
"I bartended at The Red Lantern for two years."
Adrian tilted his head slightly. "The Red Lantern?"
She nodded. "It’s in—"
"I know where it is," he interrupted, his expression unreadable.
Elena held his gaze, refusing to fidget under his scrutiny.
"Why do you want this job?"
"I need it."
A flicker of something unreadable crossed his face. "Need it for what?"
Elena hesitated. "To survive."
Silence.
Adrian studied her, his dark eyes boring into hers, as if trying to peel away every layer of her until she had nowhere to hide.
Then, he leaned back slightly.
"We’ll get back to you later."
Elena felt her heart sink.
She had heard those words before. Every time she had tried to get a real job, it was the same. We’ll get back to you. A polite way of saying no.
Panic crept in.
She needed this job.
This wasn’t just about making money. This was a vital step in getting closer to Adrian Moretti. Closer to his world. Closer to the truth. If she lost this opportunity, she might never get another chance to infiltrate his organization.
No. She couldn’t let that happen.
Before she could think twice, she did something entirely out of character.
She turned back around.
"I—I can do this job," she blurted.
Adrian’s gaze flicked to her, unreadable.
Elena felt the weight of every pair of eyes in the room on her, but she didn’t stop. "I’m good at it. I know how to handle customers, I know how to mix drinks, I—I don’t want to go back to stealing."
Her voice cracked slightly, but she pressed on.
"I need this job. I can’t—I won’t go back to what I was." Her throat tightened. "Please."
For a moment, Adrian just stared at her.
Then, the corner of his lips twitched—barely a movement, but there.
A long pause.
Then—
Hands grabbed her arms.
Elena barely had time to react before she was yanked back.
"What—?"
The bouncers were already dragging her toward the door.
Panic flared in her chest.
"No—wait! I—"
She was shoved out.
The doors slammed shut behind her.
The cold night air hit her like a slap, and Elena stumbled forward, catching herself on the pavement.
She stared at the heavy doors of Inferno, heart hammering.
This was her only chance to get close to Adrian. To uncover the truth.
And she had just blown it.
Her fingers clenched into fists as she swallowed the bitter taste of failure.
Then, she exhaled.
And laughed bitterly.
So much for justice.
Bab terkait
HER LOVER - HER ENEMY CHAPTER 6: Invitation
The street outside Inferno was slick with rain, the neon lights from the club's marquee casting an eerie red glow across the puddles. Elena hit the pavement hard, knees scraping, breath catching in her throat as the bouncers released her. The club doors slammed shut behind her, muffling the pulse of music and laughter within.She sat there for a moment, stunned—her coat twisted beneath her, palms burning from the rough landing. People on the street walked past without a second glance. Just another scene in a city that didn’t care.She wasn’t sure what stung more: the humiliation, or the sound of Adrian’s voice in her ears, cold and dismissive, echoing over and over. "We’ll get back to you."It wasn’t a maybe. It was a no. It was a never. And she had known it the moment he said it, but still—still—she had gone back, begging.Elena pushed herself to her feet, her knees aching, hair falling into her face. She brushed it away and kept walking. The chill in the air seeped through her coat
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-05-03HER LOVER - HER ENEMY CHAPTER 7: Ashes of the Past
The night was suffocating—thick with fog, the air saturated with the scent of rain and gasoline. Neon signs bled across the slick alley walls, casting ghostly glows in hues of crimson and blue. Footsteps echoed.Rapid. Uneven. Urgent.Elena’s tiny fingers clutched the rough fabric of her father's coat, struggling to match his long strides. She was just a child again—eight years old, confused, terrified, breath puffing white in the freezing air.“Daddy?” she whispered, her voice small against the storm of his panic.Michael Carter didn’t answer. His eyes were scanning—constantly. The gun holstered at his hip bounced slightly with each step. The alley stretched ahead like a tunnel with no end. Every puddle they passed mirrored their distorted reflections, trembling.A flicker of movement.From the shadows, they emerged.Four men—blurred and faceless, except one.The man with the cigarette.He stood with an infuriating calmness, the ember of his smoke blinking like an eye in the dark. Hi
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-05-04HER LOVER - HER ENEMY Chapter Eight – Shattered Echoes
The kettle screamed from the kitchen, but Marissa Carter didn’t move.She sat curled on the living room couch, staring at the dusty photograph on the mantle—Carter’s arm around her shoulders, Elena nestled between them, grinning with missing teeth. A different time. A different life. Before the blood. Before the silence.Her fingers trembled as she reached for the edges of the knit shawl wrapped around her frail body. The room was cold. Or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe the cold lived inside her now—burrowed into her chest the day they brought Elena home with blood on her hands and her husband's badge in a plastic bag.She had been folding laundry when the knock came. A young officer stood there, face pale, hat clutched tight in nervous fingers. Behind him, Elena—eight years old, shivering, wrapped in a too-large jacket. Her daughter’s eyes were blank. Hollow.That was the last clear thing Marissa remembered before her world went black.The doctors said it was shock. Her body had simply… shut
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-05-06HER LOVER - HER ENEMY Chapter One: The Night That Changed Everything
The night smelled of rain and gasoline.A storm loomed over the city, thick clouds rolling in to smother the distant glow of streetlights. The wind howled between buildings, carrying the sharp scent of damp asphalt and something metallic—something Elena Carter, at only eight years old, did not yet understand.Her father’s grip on her hand tightened as they hurried down the nearly empty street. His fingers, warm and calloused, trembled slightly around her much smaller ones. He was walking too fast—almost running. His heavy boots splashed through puddles, but Elena struggled to keep up, her own rain boots sloshing through the water, her breath coming in quick, frightened gasps."Daddy, slow down," she panted, her small fingers digging into his palm.He didn’t slow.His eyes—sharp, darting, afraid—kept scanning the darkened alleys they passed. His free hand hovered near his holster. Every few steps, he looked over his shoulder, his face drawn in tight lines she had never seen before.Som
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-30HER LOVER - HER ENEMY Chapter Two: A New Identity
The past never truly fades. It lingers like a scar, a shadow stretching long behind every step forward. Fifteen years had passed since that night—the night her world was drenched in blood and the sound of gunfire. Elena Carter had spent every single one of those years preparing for this moment. Studying and training her ass off to be here.Tonight, she was no longer that helpless little girl. Tonight, she was a detective. And she was going to bring the Mafia to its knees. **The Briefing Room** The Organized Crime Unit was exactly as she had imagined it—loud, chaotic, and filled with the scent of stale coffee and cigarette smoke that clung to the air like an old memory. Elena walked through the precinct, her polished boots clicking against the floor, her uniform perfectly pressed. She carried herself with confidence, but the murmurs still followed her. *"Carter’s daughter."* *"Think she’s ready for this?"* *"She won’t last a week."* She heard it all. But It
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-30HER LOVER - HER ENEMY Chapter Three: A Lesson in Betrayal
The warehouse smelled of damp metal, motor oil, and something darker—fear. The kind that clung to the air, thick and suffocating, crawling under the skin of the men who stood waiting. A single bulb flickered above, casting long, restless shadows on the cold concrete floor.Adrian Moretti stood at the center of it all, silent as a grave.The air around him was still, heavy, and dangerous. His presence alone was enough to silence a room. His dark eyes, sharp as broken glass, flickered to the man kneeling before him—Luca Romano.Luca trembled, his breaths coming in ragged, uneven gasps. His face was already a mess, swollen from the beating his own brothers had given him before Adrian arrived. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, painting his chin in sticky red. His hands—his traitorous hands—were bound behind his back, the rope biting into his wrists.He was breathing too fast. He knew what was coming.Adrian adjusted the sleeves of his black shirt, slow and deliberate. No need t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-30HER LOVER - HER ENEMY Chapter Four: Into the lions den
Elena stood before the mirror, fastening the delicate silver chain around her neck. The cool metal brushed against her collarbone, a stark contrast to the warmth of her skin. Her reflection stared back at her—sharp cheekbones, deep-set blue eyes, and a carefully neutral expression that she had perfected over the years. She smoothed out the imaginary wrinkles in her blouse, taking a deep breath. Today was important. Today, she would take the first real step into Moretti’s world.But first, she had to get through the morning.The apartment was eerily quiet, save for the distant hum of the city beyond the windows. Sunlight seeped through the sheer curtains, casting golden patterns across the wooden floor. The air was thick with the scent of lavender, a desperate attempt to cover the ever-present medicinal smell that clung to the walls.Elena turned away from the mirror, her heels clicking against the floor as she made her way down the short hallway. She paused outside a door—the only one
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-30
Bab terbaru
HER LOVER - HER ENEMY Chapter Eight – Shattered Echoes
The kettle screamed from the kitchen, but Marissa Carter didn’t move.She sat curled on the living room couch, staring at the dusty photograph on the mantle—Carter’s arm around her shoulders, Elena nestled between them, grinning with missing teeth. A different time. A different life. Before the blood. Before the silence.Her fingers trembled as she reached for the edges of the knit shawl wrapped around her frail body. The room was cold. Or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe the cold lived inside her now—burrowed into her chest the day they brought Elena home with blood on her hands and her husband's badge in a plastic bag.She had been folding laundry when the knock came. A young officer stood there, face pale, hat clutched tight in nervous fingers. Behind him, Elena—eight years old, shivering, wrapped in a too-large jacket. Her daughter’s eyes were blank. Hollow.That was the last clear thing Marissa remembered before her world went black.The doctors said it was shock. Her body had simply… shut
HER LOVER - HER ENEMY CHAPTER 7: Ashes of the Past
The night was suffocating—thick with fog, the air saturated with the scent of rain and gasoline. Neon signs bled across the slick alley walls, casting ghostly glows in hues of crimson and blue. Footsteps echoed.Rapid. Uneven. Urgent.Elena’s tiny fingers clutched the rough fabric of her father's coat, struggling to match his long strides. She was just a child again—eight years old, confused, terrified, breath puffing white in the freezing air.“Daddy?” she whispered, her voice small against the storm of his panic.Michael Carter didn’t answer. His eyes were scanning—constantly. The gun holstered at his hip bounced slightly with each step. The alley stretched ahead like a tunnel with no end. Every puddle they passed mirrored their distorted reflections, trembling.A flicker of movement.From the shadows, they emerged.Four men—blurred and faceless, except one.The man with the cigarette.He stood with an infuriating calmness, the ember of his smoke blinking like an eye in the dark. Hi
HER LOVER - HER ENEMY CHAPTER 6: Invitation
The street outside Inferno was slick with rain, the neon lights from the club's marquee casting an eerie red glow across the puddles. Elena hit the pavement hard, knees scraping, breath catching in her throat as the bouncers released her. The club doors slammed shut behind her, muffling the pulse of music and laughter within.She sat there for a moment, stunned—her coat twisted beneath her, palms burning from the rough landing. People on the street walked past without a second glance. Just another scene in a city that didn’t care.She wasn’t sure what stung more: the humiliation, or the sound of Adrian’s voice in her ears, cold and dismissive, echoing over and over. "We’ll get back to you."It wasn’t a maybe. It was a no. It was a never. And she had known it the moment he said it, but still—still—she had gone back, begging.Elena pushed herself to her feet, her knees aching, hair falling into her face. She brushed it away and kept walking. The chill in the air seeped through her coat
HER LOVER - HER ENEMY CHAPTER 5: The test
The club pulsed with an energy that was both exhilarating and suffocating. The dim, golden lights cast elongated shadows along the velvet-lined walls, and the scent of expensive cologne mingled with the faint trace of cigar smoke. The applicants sat stiffly on the leather couches, each one shifting uneasily, their eyes darting toward the large mahogany doors at the end of the room.Elena stood among them, her fingers clenched tightly around the strap of her purse. Her stomach churned with unease, her chest fell heavily like a massive rock was placed on it, but she masked it with indifference, keeping her expression smooth and her face calm. She had been in worse situations. This was just another role to play. Except the stakes were higher than ever.She had researched every detail about Inferno, the crown jewel of Adrian Moretti’s empire. Everything about it screamed exclusivity, power, and danger. It wasn’t just a place to drink and dance—it was where secrets were exchanged, deals
HER LOVER - HER ENEMY Chapter Four: Into the lions den
Elena stood before the mirror, fastening the delicate silver chain around her neck. The cool metal brushed against her collarbone, a stark contrast to the warmth of her skin. Her reflection stared back at her—sharp cheekbones, deep-set blue eyes, and a carefully neutral expression that she had perfected over the years. She smoothed out the imaginary wrinkles in her blouse, taking a deep breath. Today was important. Today, she would take the first real step into Moretti’s world.But first, she had to get through the morning.The apartment was eerily quiet, save for the distant hum of the city beyond the windows. Sunlight seeped through the sheer curtains, casting golden patterns across the wooden floor. The air was thick with the scent of lavender, a desperate attempt to cover the ever-present medicinal smell that clung to the walls.Elena turned away from the mirror, her heels clicking against the floor as she made her way down the short hallway. She paused outside a door—the only one
HER LOVER - HER ENEMY Chapter Three: A Lesson in Betrayal
The warehouse smelled of damp metal, motor oil, and something darker—fear. The kind that clung to the air, thick and suffocating, crawling under the skin of the men who stood waiting. A single bulb flickered above, casting long, restless shadows on the cold concrete floor.Adrian Moretti stood at the center of it all, silent as a grave.The air around him was still, heavy, and dangerous. His presence alone was enough to silence a room. His dark eyes, sharp as broken glass, flickered to the man kneeling before him—Luca Romano.Luca trembled, his breaths coming in ragged, uneven gasps. His face was already a mess, swollen from the beating his own brothers had given him before Adrian arrived. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, painting his chin in sticky red. His hands—his traitorous hands—were bound behind his back, the rope biting into his wrists.He was breathing too fast. He knew what was coming.Adrian adjusted the sleeves of his black shirt, slow and deliberate. No need t
HER LOVER - HER ENEMY Chapter Two: A New Identity
The past never truly fades. It lingers like a scar, a shadow stretching long behind every step forward. Fifteen years had passed since that night—the night her world was drenched in blood and the sound of gunfire. Elena Carter had spent every single one of those years preparing for this moment. Studying and training her ass off to be here.Tonight, she was no longer that helpless little girl. Tonight, she was a detective. And she was going to bring the Mafia to its knees. **The Briefing Room** The Organized Crime Unit was exactly as she had imagined it—loud, chaotic, and filled with the scent of stale coffee and cigarette smoke that clung to the air like an old memory. Elena walked through the precinct, her polished boots clicking against the floor, her uniform perfectly pressed. She carried herself with confidence, but the murmurs still followed her. *"Carter’s daughter."* *"Think she’s ready for this?"* *"She won’t last a week."* She heard it all. But It
HER LOVER - HER ENEMY Chapter One: The Night That Changed Everything
The night smelled of rain and gasoline.A storm loomed over the city, thick clouds rolling in to smother the distant glow of streetlights. The wind howled between buildings, carrying the sharp scent of damp asphalt and something metallic—something Elena Carter, at only eight years old, did not yet understand.Her father’s grip on her hand tightened as they hurried down the nearly empty street. His fingers, warm and calloused, trembled slightly around her much smaller ones. He was walking too fast—almost running. His heavy boots splashed through puddles, but Elena struggled to keep up, her own rain boots sloshing through the water, her breath coming in quick, frightened gasps."Daddy, slow down," she panted, her small fingers digging into his palm.He didn’t slow.His eyes—sharp, darting, afraid—kept scanning the darkened alleys they passed. His free hand hovered near his holster. Every few steps, he looked over his shoulder, his face drawn in tight lines she had never seen before.Som
