Chapter 1

Hazel pov

I sat quietly on the chair, watching the party bubble with people as music blasted through the nightclub. My heart beat fast against my chest. I had done something I had never done before—escaped from home just to come to a nightclub with my friend.

Olivia had practically forced me into attending, giving me countless reasons why I should come. Honestly, I had wanted to go too, but I knew my parents would never allow it, so arguing with her had felt pointless. In the end, she came up with a way for us to sneak out. Even though I declined at first, a part of me still wanted to spend my last high school party with her.

I sighed and picked up my phone, checking the time.

3:00 AM.

Since arriving at midnight, I had barely moved from my seat. Different guys had approached me throughout the night, but Olivia always found a way to chase them off before things became uncomfortable. The problem was that she was no longer beside me.

She was somewhere in the crowd, half drunk and swaying carelessly with random boys on the dance floor.

I looked around again, searching for her among the flashing lights and moving bodies. It was already late, and I needed to leave before my parents noticed I was gone.

Standing up from my seat, I slowly made my way toward the crowded dance floor, hoping to spot Olivia.

“Hello, pretty. Want to dance?”

A guy suddenly grabbed my waist, pulling me toward him.

Startled, I quickly pushed him away and stepped back.

“I’m not interested,” I said before walking off.

I could hear him cursing under his breath behind me, but I ignored him and continued searching for Olivia. After a few minutes of looking around without finding her, I returned to my seat.

Just as I reached for my phone to call her, I suddenly felt the urge to pee.

I immediately headed toward the hallway, hoping to find the restroom. The club was much bigger than I expected, and with the loud music echoing through the building, it almost felt like a maze.

I considered asking someone for directions, but most of the people passing by looked too drunk to answer properly. And for some reason, I didn’t feel comfortable approaching any of the men alone.

I decided to follow the signboards as I walked upstairs. By the time I reached the first floor, I finally spotted a restroom sign and immediately hurried toward it, too desperate to pay proper attention to where I was entering.

The restroom was surprisingly empty.

I sighed in relief and quickly walked into one of the stalls. After spending hours surrounded by loud music and drunk strangers, the silence felt strangely comforting.

When I finished and stepped out, I realized someone else was already inside.

I walked toward the sink to wash my hands, my attention drifting to the figure standing near the door with his back facing me. Smoke curled lazily through the air from the cigarette between his fingers.

At first, I didn’t bother looking properly. All I wanted was to leave.

But the moment he turned around, my breath caught in my throat.

Standing before me was a tall man dressed in a perfectly fitted black suit. His sharp jawline, deep blue eyes, and pale skin almost looked unreal beneath the dim restroom lights. He was easily the most beautiful man I had ever seen up close, the kind of face that looked too perfect to exist in real life.

“Are you done staring?” he asked casually.

His voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

Embarrassed, I quickly looked away and reached for my bag.

“What are you doing in the women’s bathroom?” I asked, staring at him suspiciously. No matter how attractive he looked, fine men could still be complete weirdos.

“I should be asking you that question,” he replied.

A smirk slowly appeared on his face as he began walking toward me.

For some reason, the closer he got, the more intimidating he became.

Confused, I glanced upward and finally noticed the sign hanging above the door.

VIP Restroom — Men Only.

My eyes widened slightly.

How had I not seen that earlier?

“How did you get in here?” he asked, now standing directly in front of me as his gaze slowly traveled over my appearance.

The way he looked at me made me suddenly aware of how short and revealing my dress was. Olivia had practically forced me to wear it tonight, insisting I looked “hot.”

At that moment, I regretted agreeing.

I instinctively pulled the fabric down with my hands.

“How much for one night?” he asked casually, the smirk never leaving his face.

For a second, I simply stared at him in disbelief.

I had already assumed he was a pervert, but hearing those words come out of his mouth still shocked me.

“Fuck off,” I snapped.

I tried pushing past him, but he suddenly grabbed my shoulder, stopping me before I could move. The amused look on his face faded slightly, almost as if my reaction had surprised him.

“Let go of me, you pervert,” I said angrily before raising my hand and slapping him across the face.

The sound echoed through the restroom.

For a brief second, he looked stunned.

The moment his grip loosened, I immediately pulled away and ran out of the restroom before he could stop me again.

Even while rushing down the stairs, I could still remember the shocked expression on his face.

A small part of me almost regretted slapping someone that handsome.

Almost.

But the irritation boiling inside me quickly erased the thought. What exactly did he think I was?

I sighed heavily as I finally returned to the crowded ballroom.

This time, I quickly spotted Olivia among the flashing lights, dancing recklessly against some random guy.

“Excuse me, I need to take her,” I said firmly as I grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the dance floor toward the entrance.

Hey, chill. I was just having fun,” Olivia whined like a child as I dragged her toward the exit.

“Olivia, can you stop this? My mom is going to kill me today,” I said nervously.

The moment I mentioned my mother, the drunken smile on Olivia’s face disappeared.

“Oh my gosh… what time is it, Hazel?” she asked quickly, pulling out her phone.

“3:30 AM.”

“We can still make it before your mom wakes up. Come on, let’s go. Let me grab my bag first.”

Before either of us could move, a loud gunshot suddenly echoed through the club.

Both of us froze instantly.

If I had been nervous before, now I was terrified.

“What was that?” I whispered, staring at Olivia in panic.

“Let’s go,” she said immediately, grabbing my hand as we rushed outside toward her car.

“What about your bag?” I asked breathlessly.

“Forget the bag.”

She hurried into the driver’s seat and started the engine. More gunshots rang out from inside the club, followed by terrified screams and people running in every direction.

My heart pounded violently inside my chest as Olivia sped out of the area.

At that moment, all I could think was how grateful I was that I had dragged her out before things got worse.