Chapter 1:The Weight of the Neon sky
(Leo's POV)
The alarm on my phone buzzes at exactly five o’clock in the morning. I don't open my eyes immediately. Instead, I lie flat on my back in my tiny, cramped apartment, listening to the familiar sounds of Manila waking up—the distant rumble of jeepneys, the shouting of street vendors, and the heavy humidity pressing down through my open window. My body feels like lead, every muscle aching from a night spent standing on high heels, smiling until my cheeks felt numb.
To the world outside this room, I am Hannah. I am a twenty-one-year-old college student, a quiet girl who sits in the middle row of the lecture hall, always wearing oversized sweaters and a pair of simple glasses. My professors know me as a dedicated student who submits her papers on time. My classmates think I’m just shy, perhaps a bit antisocial, because I always rush out of the campus gates the moment the final bell rings. They think my life is entirely academic, defined by library books, highlighter pens, and the pursuit of a degree that will hopefully pull me out of poverty.
They don't see the darkside I hide when the sun goes down.
By noon, I am sitting in the chaotic student lounge, trying to keep my heavy eyelids open over a cold cup of coffee.
"Hannah, look at me. You look like a literal zombie," Betty says, waving a hand in front of my face. Betty has been my best friend since freshman year. She is loud, intensely loyal, and completely oblivious to the real reason why my eyes are always bloodshot and my face is pale.
"I'm fine, Betts. Just studying late," I lie automatically, offering her a weak, practiced smile. It breaks my heart to keep secrets from her, but she believes I spend my nights buried in research papers.
"Studying late my foot," Gerick scoffs, sliding into the seat next to me and dropping a heavy stack of political science textbooks onto the table. Gerick is the third piece of our trio—our protective, older-brother figure who always makes sure we get to class on time. He leans in closer, his brow furrowing with genuine concern. "You’re pushing yourself too hard, Han. Working those insane night shifts at that 24-hour convenience store just to pay your tuition... it’s going to break you. You can't keep destroying your health for minimum wage."
I look down at my coffee, guilt tightening my throat. *A convenience store.* That is the lie I fabricated to protect them. They truly believe I am scanning barcodes and stocking shelves in a brightly lit grocery store at night. They have absolutely no idea that when the sun sets, I actually trade my sneakers for five-inch stilettos, put on a tight, revealing dress, and work as a GRO in a high-end VIP club.
"I don't have a choice, Gerick," I whisper, keeping the lie alive. "When my parents passed away, the money stopped. If I don't work at night, Hannah the student doesn't get to sit in these classrooms by day. I can handle it, I promise."
Betty sighs, squeezing my hand tightly. "We just worry about you, Han. Working the graveyard shift in Manila is dangerous. You never know what kind of sketchy people walk in at three in the morning."
I nod, letting her believe her own words. If they knew the truth—if they knew the kind of dark, wealthy, and dangerous world I navigated every single night—they would look at me differently. They would be terrified for me. To me, the nightlife was strictly survival. Men were just walking wallets, temporary transactions that ended the moment the club lights turned off.
Until the night it *stopped* being just business.
My mind involuntarily drifts back to that fateful Friday night. The VIP club was suffocatingly crowded, the bass-heavy music vibrating through my chest. My manager had run up to me, his face pale and sweating, his voice trembling as he gripped my shoulder. He told me a VIP of unimaginable power had just arrived—Leo, one of the wealthiest billionaires in the Philippines. He was a titan who owned half the skyscrapers in the city, possessing a reputation so fierce and a muscular build so massive that he looked exactly like a mafia boss straight out of a movie.
The moment I stepped into his private luxury suite, the air in the room felt instantly heavy. Leo sat in the center of the leather couch, a glass of dark whiskey in his hand. He was older, strikingly handsome, with sharp, chiseled features and silver-streaked hair that added to his lethal, mature charm. When his dark, intense eyes lifted to meet mine, my breath caught completely in my throat.
That night, everything I thought I knew about myself dissolved. For the first time in my life, my job didn't feel like a transaction. A dormant, burning passion ignited inside my body the moment Leo’s hands touched my skin. I was utterly captivated by his dominance, left breathless by the intense heat of his presence and the absolute mastery of his movements. It was an intoxicating storm that swept us both away. For one unforgettable night, I forgot about my textbooks, my debts, and my fears. I was just a woman entirely consumed by Leo.
But when the pale light of dawn broke through the heavy curtains, the reality of my life came rushing back. I looked at Leo’s sleeping, handsome face and panicked. Deep down, a spark of genuine affection had formed in my heart, but I forced myself to be rational. I reminded myself that a man of his immense stature was entirely out of my reach. I told myself that it was only a fleeting physical attraction—that I was just a girl who was captivated by **his body**, his power, and nothing more. I was convinced he was just a wealthy client meant to be forgotten, someone whose path I would never cross again.
So, I gathered my clothes, slipped out of the room, and vanished into the morning mist, thinking it was a clean escape.
