beyond the Bar

chapter6

(Rosa :POV)

"Student?” he repeated, his voice sharp with disbelief.

His eyes dragged over me slowly, like he was trying to piece something together — like I was a puzzle that didn’t quite make sense.

He pushed the sheets aside and stood, wearing only a pair of shorts. My breath hitched. The sunlight caught the lines of his abs, making them look carved, dangerous, real.

Each step he took toward me felt deliberate — slow, heavy, claiming the air between us. When he stopped, we were only inches apart. His breath brushed against my skin as he leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper that sent a chill down my spine.

“Don’t tell me,” he murmured, “that you’re a minor, Miss Rosa.”

His breath brushed against my skin before his words did.

He leaned in so close that I forgot how to breathe. His eyes burned into mine, heavy and unblinking, the kind of gaze that made your heartbeat lose its rhythm. Words tangled somewhere in my throat — useless, trapped.

I turned my face away, my cheek grazing the tip of his nose. The contact sent a shiver down my spine. I faked a cough, desperate to break the silence.

“No… no,” I stammered. “I’m not a minor. I’m an adult.”

He clutched his chest dramatically, as if I’d just saved his life.

“Thank heavens,” he said with mock relief. “For a second there, I thought I’d ruined my life. Jail isn’t part of my weekend plans.”

Then his tone changed — teasing, darkly amused.

“Anyway, Miss Rosa… how did a sweet student like you end up in my bed?”

The smirk that followed made it worse. His voice was silk, but his eyes held danger — and I couldn’t decide which was deadlier. He pulled on his trousers, every movement confident, unhurried.

“It was fate,” I lied quickly, coughing again to hide my nerves. “Now please, help me get out of here. I need to find my friends before they do something crazy — or worse, tell my aunt. They’ll think you kidnapped me or… did something to me. Please, Mr. Irish.”

He smiled at the way I said his name — slowly, playfully — like I didn’t mean to. Then he slipped a shirt over his shoulders, the sunlight catching the lines of his chest before fabric covered them.

I swallowed hard. He was sin in human form — every movement a temptation I couldn’t afford. The light pouring through the window made him glow, and for a ridiculous second, I thought: If I could trade my studies for him, I would. I’d study every inch of his face for the rest of my life instead of books.

“Miss Rosa…”

His voice snapped me out of my thoughts. He was waving his hand in front of my face, eyebrows raised in amusement.

“s**t,” I muttered under my breath, realizing I’d been caught daydreaming again.

“I’ve been calling your name for ages,” he said. “You seemed lost in another world. Care to share what you were thinking?”

My cheeks burned. I looked down, playing with my fingers. “Nothing. I was just… thinking what’ll happen if my aunt finds out I skipped class today.”

He handed me my dress, his smirk fading into something unreadable. “Nothing will happen. I already took care of everything.”

I froze halfway through pulling the dress over my head.

“What do you mean?”

He leaned back against the wall, watching me. “Your friends came this morning — making a scene. Said if you didn’t come out, they’d call the police. And if that didn’t work, they’d call your aunt. I laughed, of course. I told them, ‘Did I force her?’ Because if your aunt asked me that, it would all be over for you, not me.”

My stomach dropped. I couldn’t even be mad — we’d promised each other that if one of us ever disappeared with a man and didn’t come back by morning, the others would find her. But still… it was three in the afternoon. They must’ve panicked.

As I fastened my shoes, I asked, “Why didn’t you wake me up when they came? I was supposed to attend class.”

He walked ahead, hands in his pockets, his steps calm — too calm. “I have my reasons. Now shut up, Miss Rosa. I’m thinking.”

“But Irish—”

“Shut the f**k up, Miss Rosa.” His voice was sharp this time, slicing through the air. “Your friends broke into my property. They’re at the police station right now. If you want to go back to campus, we need to get them out — but you’ll have to pay for the damages. So, think of a way. I need my property fixed.”

I stopped walking, my pulse hammering. “What?”

He didn’t look back. His tone was low and final. “My property’s worth thousands. And as far as I know, I didn’t invite anyone to my bed — you came on your own, remember? So, if you don’t want a criminal record for your friends, find a way to pay for it.”

A chill crawled down my spine. My throat tightened. This couldn’t be happening.

I followed him, desperate for an explanation, until we reached the top of the stairs — and then my breath caught.

The bar below was destroyed. Tables overturned. Glass shattered. Wine pooled like blood across the floor. The scent of alcohol and smoke hung in the air.

My legs went weak. “I’m sorry… is there anything I can do?”

He didn’t even glance at me.

“When it comes to business, I don’t reason with anyone. I don’t compromise — not even for you. Your friends should’ve known better. It’s not like I forced you, is it? My guards didn’t even know you were here, so what gave them the right to destroy everything?”

He started walking again, each step echoing down the stairs.

“We’re going to the police station. Bail will cost ten thousand dollars each. So think, Miss Rosa. Think fast.”

The world tilted around me. The air felt heavy, cruel. My heartbeat echoed in my ears.

Everything — my future, my freedom, my reputation — was falling apart.

Everything was a disaster.