Chapter3
1003 Words
Strangers At Midnight
Serena’s POV
The moment we stepped into the club, everything crashed over me at once.
Flashing colored lights sliced through the darkness, shifting from red to blue to violet in rapid bursts. The music was loud enough to rattle my chest, the bass vibrating through the floor and straight into my bones. Bodies filled the dance floor, people laughing, shouting, moving without care, showing off their best moves as if the world outside didn’t exist.
It’s not that bad after all, I thought.
A man near the entrance greeted us with a practiced smile. “Good evening, ladies. Do you have a reservation?”
“Oh yes,” Alia said confidently. “A table under Alia.”
I blinked as we were led inside. “You rented a table? How much did that cost?”
She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “If we’re going to enjoy the night, we should enjoy it properly. And yes, it’s expensive, but I can rely on you next month, Miss High-Level Personal Assistant.”
I laughed. “Alright. I’ll be benevolent enough to take you out once I get my first paycheck.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” she said dramatically. “Your generosity knows no bounds.”
We were guided to a small table, not VVIP, but far enough from the crowd to breathe. The moment we sat down, Alia waved at the bartender.
“Shots. Keep them coming.”
I stared as ten glasses were placed neatly in front of us. “Alia… you’re a regular here, right?”
She hesitated. “Um. No. I rubbed my forehead. “Then why do they already know your preferences?”
She avoided my eyes. “They’re just… observant.”
I sighed. “You’re impossible.”
“Relax,” she said, pushing a glass toward me. “Tonight’s plan is simple. We drink, we dance, and maybe we get you a boyfriend. Or at least a fun story.”
“No,” I said firmly. “And I start work tomorrow at eight.”
“I hear you,” she replied, already lifting her shot. “For now.”
After a few rounds, the music pulled us to the dance floor. I moved without thinking, laughing, letting the beat guide me. For the first time in a long while, I wasn’t overthinking everything.
Still, I felt it.
Eyes on me.
Watching.
I tried to ignore it.
After several trips between the table and the dance floor, a group of men approached us.
“Hey, girls,” one said smoothly. “Why don’t you join us in the VVIP section?”
“No, thanks,” Alia replied without hesitation.
They didn’t back off.
One stepped closer. Another grabbed my arm. Panic shot through me.
“Let go,” I said sharply.
Before I could react further, Alia smashed a bottle over one man’s head. Shouts erupted. The situation spiraled fast.
Then a man stepped forward.
“You’re causing trouble,” he said coldly. “Leave. Now.”
The men tried to protest—until they noticed someone standing at the top of the stairs.
A man in a full-face mask.
Black wavy hair framed his face. His presence alone commanded silence. When he looked down, I caught a glimpse of eyes that felt… familiar. Brown, but with the faintest hint of gold beneath, as if something was hidden.
One glare was enough.
The men fled.
“Thank you,” Alia and I said together.
We didn’t wait. We left the club immediately.
A few meters away, laughter echoed behind us.
The same men.
“You left the club’s territory,” one sneered. “No one’s protecting you now.”
My heart slammed painfully. I grabbed Alia’s hand. “Run.”
“I’m not leaving you,” she protested.
“Go!” I shoved her forward. “Get help.”
She hesitated, then ran.
I turned and sprinted the other way, ducking into a narrow alley. My breath burned as footsteps followed. I stumbled, nearly falling.
Then a shadow moved.
A man stepped out of the darkness.
He wore a mask, different from the one in the club. This one was simpler. His eyes were bright blue, sharp and alert. His build was broad, powerful, filling the alley effortlessly.
“Evening,” he said lightly, cracking his knuckles. “I believe these ladies already said no.”
The men froze.
“You don’t want this,” one muttered.
The masked man tilted his head. “Funny. I was thinking the same thing.”
The confrontation ended fast. Too fast. When it was over, the alley was silent.
He turned to me. “You okay, pretty damsel?”
I let out a shaky laugh. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“It usually does,” he said with a grin I could hear in his voice. “Any injuries?”
“No. Just… shaken.”
“Understandable.” He glanced down the alley. “Your friend?”
“She ran to get help.”
“Smart girl.”
He flagged down a cab and opened the door for me.
“Home?” he asked.
I nodded, still trying to steady my breathing. “Thank you,” I said softly. “For… everything.”
“Anytime,” he replied easily. “Try not to make a habit of dangerous nights.”
I let out a small laugh and slid into the cab. As the door closed and the vehicle pulled away, I glanced back at him one last time. He was already stepping back into the shadows, his figure blending with the darkness as if he belonged there.
Something warm stirred inside my chest.
A strange pull. Familiar. Unsettling.
The same sensation I had felt the first day at the company, when I had bumped into that rude snob with the golden eyes.
The cab continued down the road, the city lights blurring past my window.
I couldn’t stop wondering who he was.
- Writer
