All Chapters of Guilty Pleasure #2: Chapter 1 - Chapter 4

The bass of the music pulsed through the floor of Club Noire, the most exclusive, and notorious club in the city. Neon lights flashed like heartbeats in the dark, slow and sultry, coating every surface in red and violet, the air thick with sweat, alcohol, and something darker, something sinful. This was not the kind of club where girls like her were meant to be.“Elena, come on!” Paris shrieked over the music, tugging her arm with the force of a hurricane. “This is the real deal! Look at this place!”Elena Carter clutched her fake ID tighter in her palm as her best friend, Paris, yanked her through the pulsing crowd. She stumbled in, still gripping her fake ID with guilt-laced fingers. The bouncer hadn’t even blinked at it as he’d scanned the card, glanced at her legs in that dangerously short black dress, and waved her in. She felt sick to her stomach."I can't believe we actually got in!" Killian shrieked over the music, his dark eyes glittering with mischief.“This place is for twe

The Carter estate sat like a monument to old money and ambition. Elena stepped into the sun-drenched kitchen, adjusting the collar of her sweater higher, hiding the fading marks on her neck. The scent of freshly brewed coffee hit her, bitter and grounding.Her father, Mike Carter, stood by the island counter, his phone balanced between his shoulder and ear, voice clipped and assertive.“I don’t care what he said, if the suppliers aren’t meeting the deadline, pull out and find someone else. Tell Mitchell I don’t pay him to screw up.”Elena leaned against the counter, eyes heavy from lack of sleep and thoughts she couldn’t shake. Her father hadn’t noticed her yet.“Yeah, tell him the merger paperwork has to be signed by Monday. No excuses. Got it?”He hung up the call and turned his attention to her. “Elena?” He narrowed his eyes slightly, taking in her oversized hoodie and the way she kept her head down.She cleared her throat and gave him a smile she didn’t feel. “Morning.”“You’re up