Chapter 1

_Danica’s POV_

The music vibrated through the floorboards of the hotel and I tried my best to remain calm. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be here.

“Come on, Dani! Loosen up!” Freya shrieked over the dining, her hand clamped around my wrist as she pulled me further into the hotel. Apparently, our class president was having a party and Freya being extra social was definitely on the invite list and felt the need to bring me along. It felt more like an impending headache.

“I don't know, Freya. It's a lot harder than you think,” I clutch my purse tighter, the velvet slipping against my sweaty palms. I wasn't used to attending parties or having fun like this, not to mention how intimidating the interior of this hotel was.

It reeked of money, the kind of money I didn't have.

It was overwhelming to say the least and I was afraid to make a mistake. A stream of excited classmates walked past us, heading for the main hall.

“Aren't you coming, Freya?” One of the girls asked, totally ignoring my presence.

“We'll be right there with you,” Freya smiled and they moved ahead. She had always been rather popular and loved by all.

“I feel like a misfit here,” I sighed. Most of the students here came from prestigious families, well, I wasn't much of an exemption but my case was rather different. My affiliation with my family's prominence was only on paper…so to say.

“Don't say that,” Freya frowned. “Look, we just came to have fun so let nothing else matter, okay?” She placed both hands on my shoulders.

“I told you it's a lot to take in. I don't think you get,” I folded my arms.

Freya rolled her eyes before letting out a sigh. “That’s the point, silly! ‘A lot’ is exactly what you need. You’ve been cooped up studying for weeks.”

Before I could even protest, she somehow snatched a glass of champagne from a waiter's tray and shoved it into my hand. "Here. Drink up. It'll help."

“How so?” I asked with raised brows despite sipping from the flute.

“What better way is there to loosen up than taking alcohol?” She smirked, wrapping an arm around my neck.

“By not being where you're not needed?” I answered like I was stating the obvious. I was.

“You really have a long way to go,” she sighed nearly like she had given up. “Anyway, for tonight alcohol should be the solution.”

I took another sip from the champagne. It was sweet, way too sweet, with this weird, tangy aftertaste. My stomach churned a bit; I wasn't used to anything stronger than lukewarm tea. But Freya was already dragging me away, her laughter echoing over the music.

The party was a sensory overload, at least for me. Flashing strobe lights painted fleeting patterns on all the dancing bodies, making it hard to tell anyone apart. The music continued to boom at full volume and I was left genuinely wondering what made parties like this interesting to attend. My ears were about to explode and the lights made me a bit dizzy. Meanwhile, Freya was having the time of her life on the dance floor.

“I envy you sometimes,” I smiled as I watched her do her thing. I did envy how she got along with everyone and how she was very confident.

“What do you think you're doing spacing out in a party, Bookie?” She pulled me by the arm and dragged me on to the dance floor. She tried to teach me some steps but even in my head, I knew I couldn't move like that.

“You're too stiff!” She yelled, leaning close.

“That's because I'm not exactly a good dancer,” I answered, trying to ignore the eyes on us.

“Liar. You've never even tried so how can you know,” she continued to dance around me to get me in the groove which of course wasn't working. “You need to relax, Dani. Have another,” she skillfully whisked away another glass of champagne whilst still dancing and pressed it into my hand. I continued to drink what she gave me, mostly to drown my social anxiety and soon the music started to sound less like a threat and more like a lullaby. The flashing lights became less jarring and for once, I thought that this wasn't so bad.

I didn't mind the time right now or how long we had spent in this party. I laughed at almost everything and I felt surprisingly good and at peace. Freya’s face began to waver, her features blurring.

“Is this…is this the power of alcohol?” I hiccupped, wondering why I felt so happy and at peace.

"Okay," she slurred, her voice a little garbled, "I think you’ve had enough, even for you." She giggled. "I booked a room. Just in case. I had a feeling this moment would come." She leaned in conspiratorially, her breath warm against my ear. "Fifty-seventh floor. Room 572. Go take a little rest, Dani. You look like you’re about to sprout wings and fly."

The idea of a quiet, dark room was suddenly the most appealing thing in the world. My head was spinning, the room tilting alarmingly. I nodded, a monumental effort.

"Okay… okay."

Navigating through the throng of people felt like pushing through thick mud. I should be grateful that I'm still a bit sober to move, any more drinks than what I had and I would have been wasted.

I stumbled inside the elevator once its doors opened up. I leaned heavily against the cool metal wall. I recounted Freya’s room number. Fifty…seventy… I squinted at the panel, my fingers fumbling.

The numbers swam before my eyes. My thumb, sluggish and uncooperative, pressed. Beep. The doors sighed shut.

The elevator ascended quietly, a comforting vibration against my back. When it chimed and the doors slid open, I blinked in the sudden quiet of the hallway. It was much quieter here than downstairs, almost eerily so. The plush carpet absorbed any sound, and the elegance felt miles away from the loud party, nearly like it wasn't in the same hotel.

At the far end of the corridor, two hulking figures stood outside a grand double door. Guards. They looked intimidating even through my blurry vision. As I wobbled uncertainly from the elevator, their heads snapped up. They exchanged a quick glance that sent a tiny shiver down my spine. Did everyone on this floor have huge men guarding them? I wondered.

“Erm…Can I…” the men in black suits grabbed me before I could ask my question. Their strong hands seized my arms roughly and pulled me forward.

"Hey!" I slurred, trying to yank free, but their grip was like iron. They dragged me towards the double doors despite how I whispered in panic. They didn’t say a word, just exchanged another glance and then, without any warning, I was propelled forward, through the grand doors, and into a dimly lit room.

Before I could even register the unfamiliar surroundings, a man from nowhere appeared and grabbed me by the arm, not as rough as I expected.

“Where are you taking me?” I hiccupped. I couldn't make out his face in this dimly lit room, not to mention how blurry my vision was already.

“I don't have all night to waste here,” he pulled me closer to himself, his voice as charming as his silhouette. I felt his lips against mine and I found myself drowning in his kisses. Was it because I was drunk that I let a stranger touch and kiss me as he pleased?