Chapter 7

“Come with me,” he said, his voice steady but laced with something she couldn’t quite place.

“Where?” she asked, arching a brow.

“To get out of here.”

She hesitated, glancing at the door “And go where?”

A small smirk tugged at his lips. “Anywhere but here. A club, maybe. Unless you’ve forgotten how to let loose?”

Hezekiah crossed her arms, half-annoyed and half-amused. “You think I can’t keep up?”

His smirk deepened. “Prove me wrong.”

Before she could overthink it, she found herself walking beside him, the music from the party fading as they slipped into the cool night air. A sleek car waited for them, and within minutes, they were speeding through the neon-lit streets of New York.

The club was alive with energy, the bass vibrating through the floor as they stepped inside. Colored lights danced across the walls, and the air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and sweat.

Hezekiah hadn’t been to a club in years, and the intensity of it all was overwhelming at first. But Darius seemed to navigate it effortlessly, weaving through the crowd until they reached a private section overlooking the dance floor.

“You don’t strike me as the clubbing type,” she said, raising her voice over the music as they sat down.

He poured them both a drink, his movements calm despite the chaos around them. “I’m not,” he admitted. “But sometimes, you need noise to drown out the silence.”

She took the glass he offered, her fingers brushing against his. “Is that what this is? A distraction?”

His gaze met hers, intense even in the dim light. “Maybe. But if it is, I couldn’t think of better company.”

Heat rose to her cheeks, and she looked away, focusing on the dance floor below. People moved in rhythm, lost in the music, and for a moment, she envied their carefree abandon.

“Come on,” Darius said suddenly, standing and extending a hand to her.

“What?” she asked, taken aback.

“Dance with me.”

She hesitated, staring at his outstretched hand. “You’re serious?”

“Dead serious,” he said, his tone challenging. “Or are you going to let me outdo you again?”

She rolled her eyes but stood, placing her hand in his. “Fine. But if you embarrass me out there, I’m leaving you to fend for yourself.”

He chuckled as he led her down to the dance floor. The music seemed to pulse through her veins as they joined the crowd, and for the first time in a long time, Hezekiah let herself get lost in the moment.

Darius wasn’t as stiff as she’d expected. He moved with surprising ease, his usual guarded demeanor melting away under the flashing lights. She found herself laughing, genuinely, as he spun her around.

For a while, there was no tension, no past haunting them, no future weighing them down. It was just them, two people sharing a fleeting moment in the heart of New York City.

As the song ended, Darius leaned in close, his breath warm against her ear. “See? Told you you could keep up.”

She rolled her eyes again but couldn’t hide her smile. “You got lucky, Mr. Hedalgo.”

He smirked, his dark eyes glinting. “Maybe. Or maybe this is just the beginning.”

For once, Hezekiah didn’t feel the need to respond. Instead, she let herself enjoy the spark between them, wondering what other surprises the night might hold.

Hezekiah's brows raised as to why Darius chose the private room, but later on she remembered she was with the millionaire and her boss.

The song ended, and Darius guided her back to the private section, where a fresh round of drinks awaited. He poured another glass for each of them, but this time, he didn’t hand it to her immediately.

“You’re full of surprises tonight,” she murmured, her voice just audible over the music.

“So are you,” he replied, his eyes never leaving hers. “I didn’t think you’d agree to come here.”

“I didn’t think you’d ask,” she countered.

He chuckled softly, his lips twitching into a small smile. “Maybe I just wanted to see you like this—relaxed, having fun.”

She arched a brow, though her cheeks warmed at his words. “Don’t get used to it.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said, his tone playful but his gaze serious.

“Why did you really agree to come tonight?” he asked, his voice quieter now, the intensity in his eyes returning.

Hezekiah hesitated, tracing the rim of her glass with her finger. “Maybe I just needed a distraction, too.”

“From what?”

She looked at him, her dark eyes holding a vulnerability she rarely let show. “Everything. The past, the present...you .”

Her honesty caught him off guard, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to say. He ran a hand through his hair, leaning back in his seat as he studied her.

“I didn’t mean to make things harder for you,” he said finally, his voice softer. “

She let out a shaky laugh, shaking her head. “You have a funny way of showing it, Darius. One minute you’re distant and cold, the next you’re dragging me to a club. You are an overbearing boss”

"Wow, I'm sorry, okay, fine. I know. I heard a lot of employees gossiping about it, but I'm not surprised.

As they drank, the energy of the club surged around them, but their focus remained on each other. For the first time in a long time, Hezekiah felt something other than fear or guilt. It was dangerous, intoxicating, and impossible to ignore.

They stayed at the club longer than either of them had planned, losing track of time as they talked and danced, their guarded walls slowly crumbling. By the time they left, the city was quiet, the streets bathed in the soft glow of early morning light."

Come on, I think I'm drunk. We still have work tomorrow," Hezekiah said.

Darius just smirked and replied, "I'm the boss here, but I think. I am also drunk. Darius drags her again, which makes her almost throw up, but her boss just laughs at her.

"Where are we going?" Hezekiah asked as they entered a building.

"To my penthouse," he just said.

"What? I'm not sleeping with you." She straightforwardly said, but still she's amused how his boss has a penthouse in this area.

"I don't want to sleep with you too. I already instructed the driver to put our things there as I know we can't go home in this state. Don't worry; I have 3 rooms there, so we are not sleeping together," he said.

"Ah, it's better. I am really sleepy," she said just to break the shyness she felt.