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The private room in the back of the Neon Underground was a sharp contrast to the dance floor. The walls were padded with charcoal velvet, and a single dim lamp hung over a heavy mahogany table draped in a thick, floor-length curtain. It felt like a place where secrets came to die.
The Discovery
Ajax and Dona stood huddled over the table, their shadows stretching long against the wall. Dona looked stunning in her midnight-blue dress, but her hands were shaking. On the tabletop lay a single, cold medical injection, the clear liquid inside shimmering dangerously.
Ajax narrowed his eyes. "What kind of medicine is in that thing?"
Dona picked it up, her brow furrowing as she studied the label. "It's... something strange. I've never seen this packaging before."
Ajax raised an eyebrow, a mocking smirk playing on his lips. "Aren't you a medical student? Don't you know every drug in the book?"
Dona hesitated, her face flushing. "That doesn't mean I have to memorize every chemical name under the sun! Hold on, let me check ChatGPT..."
Before she could pull out her phone, the heavy sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway.
"Someone's coming!" Ajax hissed.
Dona dropped the injection back on the table, and they both dove under the long velvet curtain just as the door creaked open. They were pressed together in the cramped, dark space. In the rush to hide, their faces ended up inches apart.
Suddenly, their lips touched—a soft, accidental collision that made the world stop. Ajax could feel Dona's shaky breath against his skin; Dona could feel the radiating warmth of his body. For a second, the revenge and the danger faded into a surge of raw, confusing emotion.
Panicked, they both turned their heads in opposite directions, their hearts drumming against their ribs like trapped birds.
From above them, Raina's sharp, cold voice sliced through the silence.
"Is the shipment ready?" Raina asked.
"Yes," a man replied. "The pure stuff."
"Good," Raina hissed. "Place the drugs in Gabriella's car. I'll handle the police tip-off. By tomorrow morning, she'll be rotting in a cell just like I was. But first..." she tapped the table. "Use the injection. I want her weak before she's arrested."
Under the table, Ajax and Dona looked at each other, their eyes wide with horror. A drug frame-up. They weren't just trying to hurt Gabriella; they were trying to bury her life.
Dona quickly searched her phone for the drug name they had seen. Her face went pale. "Ajax... it's a high-potency sedative. They aren't just framing her... they're planning to shoot her up with it so she can't fight back when they plant the drugs."
"Did you take the injection?" Ajax whispered urgently.
"No! They walked in before I could grab it!" Dona whispered back.
Ajax's expression turned grim. "Change of plans. You stay here. Steal that injection the moment they turn their backs. I'm going to the parking lot to handle the drugs in her car."
As Ajax prepared to crawl out, Dona reached out and grabbed his sleeve, her eyes filled with a deep, lingering worry. "Wait... please, just be careful."
Ajax's gaze softened. He reached out and gently tapped Dona on the head, a rare, tender gesture that made her heart melt. He nodded once and slipped out into the shadows, following Raina's men like a ghost.
Dona waited until the room went silent. Her pulse was racing as she finally crawled out from under the curtain. She reached for the mahogany table, her fingers searching for the cold glass of the syringe.
She froze. The table was empty.
She checked the floor, the chairs, the shadows—the injection was gone.
Did Raina take it with her? Or was there someone else in the room with them the whole time?
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The Rhythm of Revenge
The center of the Neon Underground was a swirling vortex of heat and sound. The bass dropped, sending a physical vibration through the floorboards. Violet lasers cut through the hazy air, reflecting off the sequins and silk of the elite crowd.
Gabriella stood on the edge of the dance floor, her emerald silk dress glowing under the strobe lights. The thin straps dug slightly into her shoulders as she gripped her empty glass, watching the world move without her.
"Don't you want to join them?" a low, velvet voice asked behind her.
It was Felix. He looked devastatingly handsome, the shadows of the club accentuating his sharp jawline. Gabriella let out a hollow chuckle. "No. What about you? The 'King of the Night' is standing still?"
Felix gave her a mocking smile. "I don't have a partner who can keep up with me."
"There are plenty of girls here, Felix," she said, gesturing to the crowd. "You could find your type in seconds."
Felix stepped closer, his presence suddenly overwhelming. He looked deep into Gabriella's eyes—a look so serious and intense it felt like he was reading her soul. Gabriella felt a shiver run down her spine. She snapped her fingers in front of his face to break the spell.
He smiled, but his eyes shifted. Gabriella followed his gaze and felt her heart drop. Jake was on the floor, his hands on Elisabeth, moving to the beat as if he hadn't destroyed Gabriella's life just weeks ago.
Without a word, Gabriella grabbed a full glass from a passing waiter and downed the drink in one shot. The burn in her throat matched the fire in her chest. She turned back to Felix, her eyes flashing with a dangerous light.
"Shall I dance with you?" she asked.
Felix narrowed his eyes, glancing at Jake and Elisabeth. A slow, curved smile spread across his face. "Really? Then let's give them a show."
Felix's hand slid firmly around Gabriella's waist, pulling her flush against him. They moved onto the floor, and the crowd seemed to part for them. They danced flawlessly, their bodies moving in a synchronized, high-tension rhythm.
Every time Felix spun her or pulled her back into his chest, the air between them grew hotter. The moves became intense, their faces inches apart as they moved through the crowd like a single flame.
Jake stopped dead in his tracks. His hands dropped from Elisabeth as he watched Gabriella move with Felix. Elisabeth's face twisted in outrage. "Gabriella... you bitch," she hissed under her breath.
"You're dancing well," Felix whispered into Gabriella's ear, his breath tickling her skin.
"Of course," she chuckled breathlessly. "I was trained for this."
"You succeeded," Felix grinned, his eyes darting to Jake. "Look at your ex's face. He looks like he's about to explode."
Gabriella glanced over. Jake's fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white. But then, Jake did something she didn't expect. He turned swiftly, grabbed Elisabeth, and kissed her passionately right in the middle of the floor.
Gabriella froze. The music seemed to fade into a dull hum. Pain, sharp and cold, sliced through her, followed by a wave of pure, unadulterated fury. She turned to Felix, her eyes shimmering with tears and rage.
"You were right earlier," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Can you... can you play along with me?"
Felix looked clueless for a split second, but before he could ask what she meant, Gabriella reached up, grabbed his jacket, and pulled him down into a kiss.
It was a desperate, angry kiss at first. Felix didn't move, his body tensing in shock. Gabriella pulled away, whispering against his lips, "Sorry... if I crossed the limit—"
She started to turn away, but Felix's hand shot out. He spun her back into his arms, his grip like iron. He leaned into her face, his eyes dark with a hunger she hadn't seen before.
"No," he whispered, his voice a deep growl. "I haven't even started yet."
He leaned in and crushed his lips against hers in a super intense, romantic kiss. This wasn't for show. Gabriella's heart raced at a terrifying speed as Felix's hands roamed from her hip to the back of her neck, his fingers tangling in her hair. She melted into him, kissing him back with a passion that burned away every memory of Jake.
Jake stopped his kiss with Elisabeth, his eyes widening in pure, jealous shock. Felix, even while kissing Gabriella, looked over her shoulder and smirked directly at Jake.
Defeated and humiliated, Jake turned and walked out of the club. Elisabeth stood there, realizing the truth. "He only kissed me because he was jealous of her..." she whispered, her face red with fury as she stormed out after him.
Finally, their lips parted. Both were breathing heavily, their foreheads resting against each other as the strobe lights flickered around them. The heat between them was undeniable, no longer a game, no longer just revenge.
Felix looked at her, his expression raw and honest for the first time.
"Gabriella," he said, his voice husky. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
Gabriella's heart stopped. She stared at him, her mind spinning.
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To be Continued....
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