Chapter 2 - The Nightclub Chaos

(POV Anna)

The tray in my hands trembled, but I tightened my grip, forcing it to steady. Dominic Moretti. Of all the people in the world, of all the places in the city, he was sitting in the VIP booth of Club Lux.

I could feel his eyes on me, sharp and assessing, like he could peel away the years and the secrets I had buried between us. My heart pounded so hard it hurt, but I forced myself to push through the haze of shock. I had a job to do.

“Keep moving,” I muttered under my breath, biting the inside of my cheek to anchor myself. The strobe lights flickered over the club, their relentless rhythm casting Dominic’s silhouette into sharp relief. I didn’t look at him again. I couldn’t.

Instead, I pasted on my professional smile and did what I always did: worked.

I made my way to another table, dodging swaying bodies and ignoring the drunken shouts of patrons who thought yelling my name was the best way to summon me. At table three, a group of women in glittering dresses waved me over, their voices blending into the pulsing music.

“Another round of Cosmos, please,” one of them said, her diamond bracelet catching the light.

“Right away,” I replied, jotting down the order.

As I turned to head back to the bar, I caught Dominic out of the corner of my eye. He was leaning back in his seat, one arm draped over the booth, his gaze still locked on me. His expression was unreadable, but there was something about the way he watched me that sent a shiver down my spine.

Focus, Anna, I told myself. You can’t afford to get distracted. Not by him. Not by anyone.

Dominic Moretti was part of a past I had left behind—a past I couldn’t afford to revisit, no matter how many questions his presence stirred in my mind.

By the time I made it back to the bar, my legs ached, and my feet throbbed in the too-high heels the club insisted we wear. I grabbed the Cosmos order from the bartender and carried it back to the women, my smile never faltering.

“Here you go,” I said, setting the glasses down carefully.

One of them tipped me with a hundred-dollar bill, and I had to resist the urge to sigh in relief. Every dollar counted, especially now.

As I moved through the club, my thoughts drifted to Lily. My daughter’s face flashed in my mind—her big brown eyes and gap-toothed smile, the way she laughed even when she was hooked up to monitors and IVs.

Lily’s hospital room had become her home. The walls were covered in crayon drawings of princesses and animals, and her bed was piled with stuffed toys I’d brought her over the months. She deserved so much more than a life tethered to machines and cold hospital walls, but this was the reality we’d been given.

Every night after work, I visited her. Sometimes she’d be awake, her tiny hand gripping mine as we whispered about her favorite cartoons. Other nights, I’d find her sleeping, her little chest rising and falling in uneven rhythms. I stayed anyway, sitting in the chair beside her bed or sneaking into the bed to hold her close until a nurse shooed me out.

Lily was the reason I worked grueling shifts in a place like this. She was the reason I endured the leers, the rude comments, the constant exhaustion. I didn’t have the luxury of breaking down or feeling sorry for myself. Not when her life depended on it.

“Hey, sweetheart!”

The voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to see a group of men at one of the back tables waving me over, their voices loud and slurred. They were the same group that had given me trouble earlier—Gold Chain and his rowdy friends.

I hesitated for a moment, but Callie’s voice echoed in my head: “Smile, laugh, let them flirt. Do your damn job.”

With a deep breath, I approached their table. “What can I get you?” I asked, keeping my tone polite but detached.

Gold Chain grinned, leaning forward with a lecherous look. “How about a smile, sweetheart? A real one this time.”

I forced a tight smile. “Another round?”

“Yeah, but only if you deliver it with a little enthusiasm,” he said, his voice dripping with condescension. His friends laughed, their eyes following me like vultures circling prey.

I turned to leave, but one of them grabbed my arm. His grip was tight, and my stomach twisted in a sickening knot.

“Don’t be like that,” he said, pulling me closer. “We’re just having a little fun.”

“Let go,” I said, my voice firmer now.

Instead of releasing me, he tightened his hold, his smirk widening. His friends hooted and hollered, egging him on.

My pulse raced as panic set in. The noise of the club seemed to fade, replaced by the blood rushing in my ears.

“Let. Me. Go,” I said through clenched teeth, trying to yank my arm free.

Before I could process what was happening, I felt them dragging me toward the backroom. My heart leaped into my throat, and I struggled against their grip, but it was no use.

“Relax,” Gold Chain said, his grin widening. “We just want to talk.”

Terror gripped me as they pulled me into the backroom and shut the door. The noise of the club was muffled now, replaced by the sound of my own ragged breathing.

“What do you want?” I demanded, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to sound strong.

Gold Chain stepped closer, his smile turning predatory. “Just you, sweetheart. Don’t act like you don’t know how this works.”

I backed away until my back hit the wall. My mind raced, desperate for a way out, but the room was small, and they were blocking the only exit.

I can't let anything happen to me. I have to take care of my daughter. If I hit him in his sack, it can maybe buy me sme time to escape. But what will I do with the rest of his gang blocking the path?

Should I shout? Who will listen with all this music? Screw this! This will be another "common" scenes of these bars!

Just when I has almost lost hope, I heard his voice.

“Let her go.”

It was calm and low, but it carried enough authority to freeze everyone in the room.

I looked up, my breath catching in my throat. Dominic stood in the doorway, his expression cold and unreadable.

The men turned to face him, their earlier bravado faltering. Gold Chain narrowed his eyes. “Who the hell are you?”

Dominic stepped into the room, his presence filling the space. “The man who’s about to ruin your night,” he said, his tone almost bored.

Gold Chain laughed, though it was shaky. “Look, man, we’re just—”

Dominic didn’t let him finish. In one swift motion, he grabbed Gold Chain by the front of his shirt and slammed him against the wall.

The sound made me jump, and the other men stumbled back, their confidence crumbling under Dominic’s glare.

“You don’t touch her,” Dominic said, his voice low and dangerous.

Gold Chain stammered something incoherent, his face pale.

Dominic let him go, and he crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath.

“Anyone else want to try?” Dominic asked, his icy gaze sweeping over the rest of the group.

They shook their heads, muttering apologies as they scrambled to leave the room.

When the door slammed shut behind them, silence fell.

When the door slammed shut behind them, silence fell.

I stood frozen, my back still pressed against the wall, my heart racing. The tension in the room was suffocating, the air thick with the aftermath of what had just happened.

Dominic turned to face me fully, and my chest tightened. It had been over five years since I’d last seen him, but the sight of him now hit me like a wrecking ball. He was sharper, harder, every edge of him honed to dangerous perfection. His tailored suit was immaculate, but it was his expression—or lack thereof—that sent a chill through me. The Dominic I’d once known had been passionate, fire and fury wrapped in a protective shell. This man in front of me was ice.

His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, unreadable. I wanted to look away, to break the connection, but I couldn’t.

“You’re still reckless,” he said finally, his tone calm but edged with something that made me flinch.

I swallowed hard, the words lodging in my throat. “I—”

“You shouldn’t be working here.” He cut me off, his voice low, almost detached. “What are you doing in a place like this, Anna?”

The sound of my name on his lips sent a jolt through me, but there was no warmth in it. No affection. Just cold observation, as though he were cataloging every mistake I’d made since the day I left.

“I’m doing what I have to,” I said, forcing my voice to steady.

A muscle ticked in his jaw, but his expression didn’t waver. “Clearly.”

The word was clipped, dismissive, and it stung more than it should have. I clenched my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms.

“Why are you here, Dominic?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

His gaze flickered, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped closer, and I pressed harder against the wall. He stopped just short of invading my space, his presence overwhelming even from a few feet away.

“I should be asking you that,” he said, his tone soft but unyielding. “Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you to be here?”

I bristled, my fear momentarily giving way to anger. “I don’t have a choice.”

He stared at me for a long moment, his eyes narrowing slightly. Then, without another word, he turned and walked toward the door.

For a brief second, I thought he might leave without looking back. But as his hand rested on the doorframe, he paused.

“Stay out of trouble,” he said, his voice void of emotion, as though it were an afterthought.

And then he was gone.

I let out a shaky breath, my legs threatening to give out beneath me. The Dominic I had known—the man who once held me like I was his entire world—was gone. What was left was someone else entirely.

And I wasn’t sure I was ready to face him.