Heart Thief

0006 Dance Club

Lily furrowed her brow, clearly uncomfortable with the crowd around her. She carefully maintained her distance from those pressing close, while her eyes scanned the dance floor for any sign of Skye.

"If you don't join in soon, your Lily might end up in trouble," Jake smirked, nudging Will as they watched Lily struggle to fend off the attention from their corner of the bar.

Will had been watching Lily's group since they entered. He never expected to see her in a place like this. Seeing her struggle to handle the situation, his face darkened as he started to rise.

"Wait, look over there," Sam, sprawled over the back of the sofa facing away from Lily, grabbed Will's arm and jerked his chin towards her.

"Come on, Lily, have a drink. Just one to show you're a good sport," one of the guys said, offering her a glass.

Lily looked at the two men holding out drinks with obvious reluctance. She bit her lip and took the glass. At this point, refusing seemed too impolite. She failed to notice the glint in the men's eyes behind their friendly smiles.

"I'm parched," a slender hand suddenly took the glass from Lily before it reached her lips, downing it in one go. Lily's face lit up when she saw who it was. "Too strong for you? Want some ice water instead?"

Skye grinned, standing in front of Lily. She turned to the two men, "Sorry for stealing your toast."

The pair exchanged glances, then laughed. "No problem, we're glad you enjoyed it."

"What an i***t. Doesn't she know better than to drink whatever she's handed?" Jake scowled from their corner, rising to his feet and striding towards Skye. Sam and Will exchanged a look, eyebrows raised.

"I thought you were smart, but you're just an i***t," Jake's cold voice cut through the noise of the club.

Skye's brow furrowed as she turned to the group of guys. "You dare mess with one of mine?"

The men shared a look, then smiled suggestively. "We didn't do anything to her. But Jake, looks like we did you a favor."

"Who exactly were you planning to mess with?" A stern voice interrupted. Will now stood beside Lily.

Seeing this, the guys quickly backpedaled. "Sorry, we didn't realize they were spoken for. Will, hope you have a good night." They made to leave.

"Why the rush? Since we're all out together, we should make the most of it," Skye blocked their path. It was clear Jake and Will had some clout if these trust fund kids were so eager to please. That meant they probably wouldn't dare leave abruptly. Sure enough, after exchanging glances and eyeing the stone-faced Will and frowning Jake, the group reluctantly stepped back, forcing awkward smiles at Skye.

Skye smiled and made a gesture. Instantly, several prepared drinks were brought over. With a sly grin, she said, "Thanks for your help today. Lily's not much of a drinker, so I'll toast on her behalf." She picked up a glass and downed it in one go.

The guys looked at each other, then smiled and took their drinks, exchanging pleasantries as they drank. Skye's lips curled into a crafty smile. Once they finished, she ignored them. Taking the hint, the group laughed nervously and slipped away into the crowd on the dance floor.

Though Skye had her back turned, she seemed acutely aware of everything happening. She whispered instructions to a waitress, who nodded enthusiastically and retreated with a pleased expression.

"Skye, you're ruthless," Sam emerged from his hidden spot by the bar, eyeing Skye with a mix of amusement and admiration. He'd chosen a perfect vantage point to observe without being seen, catching every word of Skye's instructions.

Skye shrugged nonchalantly when she saw Sam had overheard. Jake couldn't resist asking, "What's going on?"

Seeing Skye wasn't trying to hide anything, Sam explained with a grin. Apparently, Skye had spotted those guys pressuring Lily to drink from the dance floor. As someone who'd been navigating international waters since her teens, she immediately smelled a rat. She'd prepared a countermove.

The drinks she'd given those guys were spiked, much stronger than what she'd had herself. In a high-end club like this, there was no shortage of escorts. To avoid collateral damage, it was best not to interfere with their business. As for how much money they'd extort or what diseases they might catch, that wasn't Skye's concern. It's often the experienced swimmers who drown, as the saying goes. Who could say when they might have picked something up? So Skye had simply provided a subtle reminder. Jake raised an eyebrow at Skye after hearing this. This woman was clearly no fool, and her mind was as sharp as it was devious. Will stroked his chin thoughtfully, standing silently beside Lily.

"Skye, what about you?" Lily asked anxiously, understanding dawning on her face.

Seeing Lily's worry and regret, Skye raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Only fools rush in where angels fear to tread." Though she'd grown up abroad, she knew a few local idioms. Charging headlong into danger was the act of an i***t or a madman. If she dared to drink, she obviously had a way to handle it. The idea of sacrificing herself for others was out of the question. And in the chaotic, noisy club, no one noticed the small puddle of liquid by Skye's feet.

"Hey, isn't that Jake? Jake, where have you been? Why haven't you called me?" A sickeningly sweet voice cut through the air, making everyone cringe.

Skye, Lily, and the others looked up to see a sultry cougar extricating herself from her companion's arms. With a look of exaggerated delight, she squeezed through the crowd towards Jake, latching onto his arm. "Jake, I've missed you so much! You never come to see me, you bad boy." Skye felt her skin crawl. This woman was way over the top, like a Kardashian trying to play the ingenue. It was almost comical. Skye couldn't help but judge Jake's taste. She shifted on her barstool, trying to put some distance between herself and Jake.

Glancing around, she saw Lily and Will wearing identical expressions of disgust, turning away to drink. Only Sam leaned against the bar, grinning as he watched the show unfold.

Jake looked at the woman hanging on his arm. She was attractive, sure, but he honestly couldn't remember who she was. The parade of beautiful women in his life was like a constantly changing wardrobe - who could keep track? Jake raised an eyebrow slightly, maintaining the poise and gentlemanly demeanor expected of a playboy. "Well, hello there-"

"Jake? Jake, is that really you? Oh my God, I've been looking everywhere for you! Running into you tonight must be fate!" Jake's words were cut off as another bombshell rocketed towards him, latching onto his other arm.