Chapter three

Marcus jolted upright as the door creaked open and Daniel stepped inside.

Without a word, Daniel walked over to the couch opposite Marcus, grabbed the bottle of vodka, and poured himself a glass. He downed it in one go.

Marcus blinked in surprise.

"Wait... I thought you left me for that dancer. How come you're back so soon?"

Daniel set the glass down with a dull thud.

"I wanted to ask for her name, but she vanished within minutes."

He poured another shot, his expression unreadable. But his mind was still there, in that dim room. Her hips swaying, that intoxicating confidence in every move.

The way she danced... the way she moved her waist, seductive and fluid, like she didn’t even need to try. 'She stirred something in me. She’s different,' Daniel thought.

Marcus tilted his head, watching him closely.

"Oh, I see... You know, I can help you get her," he offered, crossing one leg over the other.

Daniel’s gaze met his.

"And why would you do that? We both know nothing between us comes free."

Marcus smirked.

"Of course. Moreover, nothing good comes for free."

Daniel leaned forward, his voice cool.

"One million." He offered.

Marcus gawked.

"Are you serious right now?"

Even though he knew Daniel had money to burn, this wasn’t like him, not unless something, or someone, had truly captured his interest.

He studied his friend’s face again. Daniel was dead serious.

"Okay, deal," Marcus finally said, grabbing his phone. "I’ll call the club owner."

He dialed, and the call was picked up immediately.

"Hello? I want you to send over the girl from earlier. She’s needed again," Marcus said directly. He knew Daniel wasn't the patient type.

There was a brief pause. The man on the other end cleared his throat.

"Oh, you mean Serena? She left a few minutes ago. But we have other girls just as good. Should I send one of them instead?"

Daniel’s eyes narrowed. 'Serena.' He made a mental note of her name.

Marcus covered the phone’s speaker and looked at Daniel.

"What do I tell him?"

"Book her for tomorrow. Same time. Same place," Daniel said as he stood up, picked up his shirt, and headed for the door.

"Wait... What about the money?" Marcus called after him.

"I’ll have Rico send it to you," Daniel replied coolly, without looking back.

~

Outside...

Serena stepped out of the club, and let out a breath of relief.

'That went well,' she thought.

Except for the man who had stared at her the entire time like he wanted to devour her alive. She shivered, remembering the intensity of his gaze.

"But at least they didn’t try to touch me," she whispered to herself.

She changed out of her costume, packed her bag, and left the building. Her mind was already racing.

She was worried about Mia. This was the first time she was coming home this late, and she knew her sister would be panicking.

When she reached their small apartment, she opened the door quietly, hoping to sneak in without waking her. But it was too late.

"Serena? Is that you?" Mia’s voice called out from the hallway.

Serena froze. Busted.

She forced a smile and stepped inside.

"Yeah, it’s me."

Mia appeared at the doorway, arms folded.

"Do you know what time it is? I tried calling you, but your phone was off!" she scolded, then threw her arms around Serena in a tight hug.

Serena blinked in surprise. She wasn’t expecting that. Slowly, she returned the hug, patting her sister’s back.

"I’m sorry. Work ran late. I’ll make sure to keep you updated next time. I promise."

Mia pulled away, grumbling,

"You better. I was starting to freak out."

Without waiting, she turned and stormed off to her room.

Serena chuckled softly.

'Typical Mia. Hugs you one second, walks off the next. She sucks at expressing how she feels,' she thought with affection.

~

The Next Day

The day passed in a blur.

Serena dressed and got ready to leave. Before going, she told Mia she might be home late again and promised to text if she would be late. She kissed her sister on the cheek, closed the door behind her, and left.

When she arrived at work, the first thing she saw was Lila and Dante bickering at the bar like cats and dogs. She was just about to jump into their conversation when a voice interrupted.

"Serena, boss wants to see you."

"Okay, I’ll be right there," she replied, making her way to Mr. Shawn’s office.

She knocked patiently.

"Come in," came the gruff reply.

She entered and stepped inside slowly.

"Good evening, sir. You called for me?"

Mr. Shawn sat behind the desk, his expression softening as he looked up at her.

"The clients from last night? They were impressed. They’ve requested you again. Same time, same place."

Serena’s eyes widened. She wasn’t expecting that. In fact, she had been planning to ask if there were other jobs she could take on, maybe something more stable. But this... this was unexpected luck.

He raised a brow.

"So, what do you say? If you’re not..."

"I’m available, sir!" she blurted before he could finish. "Thank you. I’ll go get ready."

She left the office, a smile tugging at her lips.

Double pay, no creepy demands and weird touching. Just dancing.

And for some reason, she didn’t mind dancing for that client again, as long as she got paid.

~

Hawthorne Mansion

Daniel was in the mansion, getting ready to leave the house, when he received a call from Marcus. He paused and answered.

"Hello," Daniel uttered coldly.

"That's no way to treat your best friend. Daniel!" Marcus mumbled pitifully.

"I don't have all the time in the world. Why are you calling me in the middle of the night?" Daniel asked, eager to get dressed and head to the club.

"Relax, man. Well, the thing is... I wanted to ask if I could come with you to the club. You know, that girl was quite a dancer and..."

Before he could finish, Daniel’s cold and harsh voice cut him off.

"No."

Then he ended the call and went back to what he was doing.

Once he was dressed, he headed for the car and drove straight to the club.

When he arrived, he drove through the gates, stepped out, tossed his keys to one of the security guards, and headed straight inside.

~

Club Hollow

The room was quiet. Daniel sat in the VIP lounge, sipping vodka, when Serena stepped in, just like the night before. Her presence dominated the room.

Serena was surprised when she entered and saw only one person. If not for the fact that she recognized Daniel from last night, she would’ve thought she stepped into the wrong room.

Regardless, she stepped further inside with poise. The music boomed, and she began to move to the rhythm.

The music shifted to a sultry beat, as if crafted just for her. She glided toward the pole at the center of the room. Daniel’s pulse quickened as he set his glass down, his eyes locked on her.

She gripped the pole with one hand, her movements smooth and intentional, like she was casting a spell. Her hips swayed, slow and teasing. She spun, her body arching, legs wrapping around the pole in a blend of grace and raw seduction.

Daniel was engrossed, captivated by how her curves caught the light, how her confidence radiated like a flame. His body stirred, a deep heat igniting.

But it was more than lust. 'There’s something about her. She looks untouchable, like she’s dancing for herself, and not for him.' He pondered inwardly.

He was used to women begging for his attention, greedy for his wealth, power, and approval. But this one? She was different. She didn’t bow to him like the rest. And that defiance set Daniel's blood ablaze.

He wanted her. Not just her body, but her fire, her secrets, her sou. Her everything.

"Come here," Daniel uttered, his voice low and commanding, slicing through the music.

She paused, one hand on the pole. Serena didn’t move. She just tilted her head slightly, as if deciding whether he was really talking to her.

To Daniel, that moment of pause seems like she’s defying him.

 'She even had the audacity to defy Daniel Hawthorne.' he thought to himself. Heat curling in his gut.

But instead of getting mad. That only fueled his desire.