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Chapter 3 - Smoke and Shadows

Selene woke up with a pounding head and a dry mouth. Morning light streamed through the sheer curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. She blinked groggily, the memories of last night flickering back like a vivid movie reel. Her face flushed red, but a strange excitement fluttered in her chest.

She quickly went through her morning routine, brushing her teeth and splashing cold water on her face. After getting dressed in a loose tee and shorts, she brought her laptop to the living room. The rich scent of bacon and eggs greeted her—along with something savory and warm.

Kade stood at the stove, flipping eggs with a calm efficiency. Beside the plate of bacon and eggs was a steaming bowl of hangover soup—garlic, scallions, and a deep broth.

He wore the same casual black shirt from last night, paired with new gray shorts. His hair was slightly messy, like he had just rolled out of bed.

"Good morning," Selene chirped, walking over.

"Morning," he replied without looking back.

She smirked. "You said you wouldn't be cooking for me."

No response.

With a teasing grin, she tilted her head. "Hey, did something happen last night?"

Kade slid eggs onto a plate. "Nothing serious."

Her brow furrowed, clearly unsatisfied with the vague response. Still, she turned to her laptop and started working on her homeschool assignments.

A few minutes later, he called her to the dining table. She took her time standing up, leaving her laptop on the coffee table.

"I'm going out tonight," she said between bites of bacon and bread.

Kade barely glanced at her. "Where?"

"Lander's Club."

He didn't reply.

-----------------

That night, Selene stepped out of her room dressed to tempt fate. She wore a shimmering silver-gray club dress that hugged her every curve, backless and with a plunging neckline that teased the line between elegance and danger. A slit ran high on one thigh, and a pair of strappy high heels added inches to her already confident posture.

Kade stood by the door. His eyes swept over her but said nothing. Without a word, he opened the door.

Lander's Club was luxury wrapped glass walls, velvet booths, chandeliers suspended like frozen rain, and a dance floor that pulsed with lights and bodies. The air was thick with perfume, alcohol, and secrets.

Kade leaned against a dark wall, dressed in all black, eyes constantly scanning. Selene, on the other hand, was the center of attention. She danced, laughed, and drank, never too far from Kade's sight.

---------------

Across the city, a phone vibrated.

A man in a dim-lit room checked the message: "Lander's Club."

He narrowed his eyes, stood from his chair, and opened a black duffel bag—inside were canisters of accelerant, a lighter, gloves, and a mask.

He zipped it shut and disappeared into the night.

---------------

Back at the club, Selene swayed to the music, letting herself get lost in the beat. A suave approached her, placing his hand lightly on her waist. Selene allowed it, shooting a glance toward Kade. His face was unreadable.

The man leaned in to whisper something in her ear, his lips brushing her neck. She giggled, still staring at Kade. The man offered her a drink, and just as she brought it to her lips—

Kade was suddenly there. In one swift motion, he slapped the drink out of her hand, sending it flying across the floor.

"That's enough."

Selene's eyes widened in disbelief. "What the hell? It's not like there's a threat. You're overreacting."

But then came the blaring alarms. Smoke began to crawl across the ceiling like living shadows. Red lights flickered. Screams echoed. Chaos unraveled within seconds.

From a far corner, fire burst into view.

Kade grabbed her wrist. "Move."

The crowd surged toward the main entrance. Selene yelped. "Wait—my foot!" Her heel had snapped and someone had stepped on her bare toes.

Without hesitation, Kade threw her over his shoulder and pushed through the frenzied mob. He ducked into a side corridor and slipped into the restroom, where the air was clearer. He soaked a cloth in cold water and pressed it to her nose and mouth.

"Cover your face."

Then he pulled a sleek matte-black pistol from under his jacket, its silencer gleaming. Aiming at the fire exit's padlock, he fired. The lock shattered with a sharp crack.

He threw the door open, revealing a narrow stairwell lit by flickering emergency lights.

They descended swiftly, but heavy footsteps echoed below.

Four masked men burst into view, knives glinting in the dim.

Kade pushed Selene behind him.

The first man lunged with a snarl, only for Kade to sidestep, seize his wrist, and smash his face against the concrete wall wiith blood splattered.

The second came at him from the left—Kade caught the blade mid-swing, twisted it from his grip, and drove it into the attacker's thigh with brutal precision.

A third backed away, trying to flee. Kade raised his gun and shot him in the leg, dropping him with a scream.

The fourth came at full charge, blade raised. Kade ducked under the slash, lifted his weapon, and fired twice into the man's chest. He collapsed in a heap.

A sharp crack of gunfire echoed from the landing above. Kade flinched as a bullet grazed his shoulder.

He pushed Selene into cover behind the stairwell's wall. "Stay."

Sliding into the smoke, he became a shadow. Two muffled gunshots rang out, followed by silence.

Moments later, Kade returned, blood on his sleeve and smoke in his breath. They raced through the emergency exit, bursting into a shadowed alley.

A sleek black car was already waiting—different from the one they had arrived in.

Without missing a beat, Kade opened the door and shoved Selene inside. He followed and slammed the door shut behind him.

Kade started the engine and reached across Selene to quietly buckle her seatbelt before she could say a word.

She turned to him, eyes wide. "You're bleeding."

"It's just a graze. Not that deep," Kade muttered, wincing as he adjusted his seat.

He glanced at her pale face. "I thought you said you're not afraid of dying."

"I'm not! I just don't want to die ugly because of fire," she snapped back, crossing her arms—though inside, her heart was still racing.

"You're still going out after today?"

Selene rolled her eyes and looked out the window. In the side mirror, she watched Lander's Club burn.

When they arrived back at the house, Kade didn't let her walk. He carried her inside despite her protests.

"Hey! I can walk now," she protested, squirming.

He didn't answer.

He set her gently on the living room couch, his brows furrowing as he scanned her legs and arms.

No grazes. No blood. Just shaken.

He tossed off his suit jacket, now stained.

Selene looked at him, concerned. "You're bleeding more. Let me dress it."

"I can do it myself—"

"Shut up," she cut him off, grabbing his arm and pulling him down to sit.

She unbuttoned his shirt carefully. Her eyes trailed down from the fresh wound on his shoulder to the hard lines of his abs and chest. She paused.

"You done staring?" he asked flatly.

She blinked, snapped back into focus. "Yeah, yeah."

She grabbed the emergency kit, cleaned the wound with antiseptic, and pressed a gauze pad against the graze. "Thankfully, it's not that deep. You were lucky."

Once the gauze was taped in place, she tossed the bloody cotton into the trash and turned back to him.

"Try to rest a bit, okay?" she said

Kade stayed quiet.

He tilted her head, studying her. "Did you piss off someone important?"

Selene raised an eyebrow before she answered.

"The hell—I did not."

He sighed, eyes narrowing. "Go change your clothes first. I can almost see your soul."

She gave him a glare and stormed off to her room, muttering under her breath.

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