Chapter four

Club Hollow

“Dance for me,” Daniel said, patting his thigh.

 “On my lap.”

Serena’s playful smirk vanished instantly. She stepped off the pole, her heels clicking against the polished floor as she stopped just out of reach.

“That’s not what I do,” she said, her voice husky and edged with a defiance that made something twitch inside him.

It wasn’t just the words that stirred him, it was the way she said them. Her tone drew a line he was forbidden to cross, and that made it all the more tempting. Suddenly, Daniel stood, drawn to her like a moth to flame, his tall frame closing the distance between them.

Serena didn’t retreat, but her body tensed. Her breath hitched as he stopped just inches away. The air between them crackled, thick with tension. He could smell her jasmine, laced with rebellion. It was intoxicating.

He lifted a hand, almost instinctively, reaching for hers.

“Don’t,” Serena warned, her voice low and firm as she stepped back. Daniel’s pulse raced, not from anger, but from the thrill of her resistance.

'Denial is foreign to me, and it’s electrifying,' he thought.

“Then let me kiss you,” he murmured, leaning closer, his lips hovering near hers.

Serena’s breath caught. She wanted to run, but her body wouldn’t move. Her lips parted slightly, full and tempting. When Daniel finally kissed her, it was like tasting the forbidden, sweet, plum-like, and utterly addictive. For a moment, everything else faded.

Then she pulled back, breaking the spell, her eyes unreadable and her posture sharp with defiance.

“My time’s up,” she whispered, stepping back. Her voice was steady, despite the faint tremble. She turned toward the door, her hips swaying with maddening confidence.

Daniel stood frozen. One second she let him kiss her, the next, she was trying to flee.

Before he could stop himself, he moved towards her.

“Wait,” he called out, his hand brushing her wrist. She froze, her body going rigid under his touch.

“Stay. Name your price,” he bargained, desperation leaking into his tone.

He’d always gotten what he wanted. Money, power, women. Everything came easy, but her? She was the first person to ever tell him no. And he hated how much he his heart and body needed her to say yes.

Serena gently but firmly pulled her wrist free, glancing over her shoulder.

“You can’t afford me,” she said, her words sharp and deliberate.

“Excuse me?” Daniel blinked, his brows lifted. He knew she was playing hard to get, but rejecting his money? That cut deep. His ego flared. His fists clenched.

“You heard me,” she repeated coolly.

A dark thought flickered through Daniel’s mind.

'if she thinks she can walk away that easily… She'd better try harder.' Daniel thought inwardly.

His smirk returned, then he grabbed her arm, pulling her against him so her chest pressed into his. Every part of him ached to rip off her clothes and bury himself in her right then and there.

“Bet you're just as tight as you're stubborn,” he growled.

“What?!” She jeered, but he didn’t let her finish. He crashed his lips onto hers, kissing her hard, his hand gripping her ass.

The kiss lasted a full minute before Serena shoved him off.

“You bastard! H..how dare you!” she snapped, her eyes blazing with fury and confusion.

“Well,” Daniel said smugly, “You kissed me back. Don’t make a fuss now.”

He smirked, knowing her body had betrayed her. No matter how hard she tried to resist, she wanted him. He saw it, he felt it how she had responded to his kiss with the same passion.

'How dare he? Why did I let him? Why did it feel like I wanted it even if I didn't? Damn it, Serene get it together.' Serena fumed inwardly. She stood frozen, her mind racing to process what had just happened. His arrogant smirk made her want to rip his face apart, but she couldn’t afford to lose her job. So instead, she huffed, turned on her heel, and stormed out angrily.

~

Serena stepped out, heart pounding, clutching her chest.

“That bastard stole my first kiss… and I let him,” she snarled, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment.

After changing and glancing at the time, panic flooded her. “Shit!” She was late. Mia would be worried sick. If only she’d known that psychopath was going to delay her, she would’ve called Mia sooner.

Except for now, her phone was dead.

Frustrated, she shoved it back in her bag and hurried toward the club’s exit. But as luck would have it, the first person her eyes landed on was Victor, leaning casually beside the club, flanked by his men.

Serena froze, blood draining from her face. Her heart thudded wildly as panic set in.

He hadn’t seen her yet.

'Run,' her mind screamed.

She spun on her heel, clutching her bag tightly, ready to escape, but one of Victor’s men spotted her.

“Boss! She’s running!” he shouted.

Victor looked up and saw her bolting.

“Get her!” he bellowed, breaking into a run.

Serena didn’t know where she was going. Her legs were aching, her lungs burning, but she kept running. Ten minutes had passed. Her pace slowed, her energy fading.

She looked back, Victor and his men were gaining on her.

Turning sharply, she ran straight into a car. Her heart nearly stopped. It could’ve run her over.

Frozen in place, she looked behind. Victor and his men were just feet away.

Without thinking, she yanked the car door open and dove inside.

“Please drive! Please help me!” she pleaded desperately, not registering who she was talking to. All she wanted was to get away.

“Why should I help you?” a familiar voice asked.

She froze.

Slowly, Serena turned to see who sat beside her.

Daniel.

Her heart sank. Her eyes widened in horror as realization crashed down on her.

'What the hell had she just done?' She thought, panic rising.

She ran from the fire, only to leap straight into hell.

"Why is the universe so cruel to me." Serena lamented inwardly.