---------
The private room was a world away from the thumping bass of the club. It was silent, lit by dim golden lamps that cast long, flickering shadows against the velvet walls. But the silence wasn't peaceful—it was suffocating.
Han stood by the window, his reflection ghostly against the glass. He was dressed in a sharp black button-down that made his pale features look even more serious. His phone vibrated. It was Roselette, Gabriella's mother.
"Han? Is Gabriella with you?" Roselette's voice was thin with worry. "She left without telling me where she was going. I've had a bad feeling all night."
Han hesitated. He knew Gabriella was somewhere. But he couldn't let her mother panic.
"Yes, Auntie," Han lied, his voice steady. "She's right here with me. Don't worry."
"Oh, thank goodness," Roselette exhaled. "I'm glad she's with you. Bring her home early, okay?"
"I will," Han promised, his heart sinking as he hung up.
He immediately dialed Gabriella's number. Pick up, Gabby. Please pick up. It rang and rang until it hit voicemail. Han's jaw tightened. The tension in his chest was becoming unbearable.
The door clicked open, and Selina walked back in after a trip to the restroom. She looked stunning in a glittery silver mini-dress, but her eyes were darting around nervously.
Han didn't wait. He grabbed her hand, his grip firm but not hurting her. "Selina, tell me the truth. Are you guys planning something against Gabriella right now?"
His eyes were a storm of cold fury and deep, protective care for the his sister.
"No!" Selina lied, her voice pitching higher. "Why do you always doubt me and Raina? We're just trying to move on!"
Han's gaze sharpened. "I didn't even mention Raina's name."
He took a slow, menacing step forward. Selina took a step back, her heels clicking nervously against the hardwood. "Is Gabriella here? Did Raina invite her?"
"Why... why would she invite her?" Selina's voice trembled.
Han closed his eyes, a wave of anger washing over him. He knew that tremor. He knew that look. Gabriella was in the building, and she was in trouble.
"I'm finding her," Han growled. He turned his back on Selina, his hand reaching for the heavy brass handle of the private room's door. He was going to save Gabriella, no matter what it took.
CRACK.
A sudden, sickening thud echoed in the small room.
Han's hand slipped from the doorknob. His vision blurred as a white-hot pain exploded at the back of his head. He groaned, his knees buckling, before he collapsed onto the floor, unconscious.
Selina stood over him, gasping for air, her hands shaking so violently she almost dropped the heavy glass bottle she had grabbed from the side table. It was a split-second reaction—a moment of pure, terrified panic to keep him from leaving the room.
"Oh no... oh no," Selina whispered, dropping to her knees beside him. She tapped his face frantically, tears welling in her eyes. "Han? Han, wake up! What have I done? Who on earth hits their own boyfriend with a bottle?"
She was terrified. She had wanted to help Raina, but she hadn't wanted to break Han. The guilt crashed over her like a tidal wave.
"Guards! Help!" Selina screamed, her voice breaking.
Two large men in suits burst into the room. "Get him to the hospital! Now!" she sobbed, clutching Han's limp hand.
As they lifted Han's body, Selina's phone buzzed on the table. It was a text from Raina:
"The trap is set. Is Han out of the way?"
Selina looked at the text, then at the blood on her hands. She realized too late that by saving Raina's plan, she might have just lost the only person who truly loved her.
-----------
The Heart's Cold Armor
The center of the dance floor was a kaleidoscope of flashing lights and heavy beats, but for Gabriella and Felix, time had ground to a halt. The air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and the lingering heat of their intense kiss.
Gabriella stood wrapped in her emerald silk dress, the fabric shimmering like a serpent's scales under the violet strobes. Her heart was racing—not from the dance, but from the question that still hung in the air.
"Will you be my girlfriend?" Felix asked again, his voice steady even amidst the club's chaos.
For a split second, Gabriella's defenses crumbled. Her eyes softened, reflecting the raw vulnerability of a girl who just wanted to be loved. But then, the memory of Jake's betrayal flashed in her mind like a jagged blade. Her expression shifted, freezing into a mask of beautiful, icy stone.
"No," she said, her voice sharp and clear. "I can't."
She stood tall, pulling her shoulders back. The romance that had filled the air just moments ago evaporated, replaced by a suffocating tension.
Felix's face darkened. "Why? Are you still into Jake? After everything he did?"
Gabriella began to turn away, but Felix's hand shot out, his fingers firm and warm around her wrist. She spun back to face him, her eyes flashing with a mix of pain and fury.
"I've already been betrayed by the person I trusted most," she said, her voice trembling with deep emotion. "How could I possibly believe another? How do I know you aren't just another lie?"
Felix looked at her, his face devoid of its usual playfulness. He was deadly serious. "Not all boys are the same, Gabriella."
Gabriella shoved his hand away, her breath hitching. "Felix, be honest. Can you really move so easily from one girl to another? First Raina, now me?"
"I already told you," Felix said, his tone low and dangerous. "Raina was an act. A business arrangement. What I feel right now... this isn't an act."
Gabriella let out a bitter, hollow smirk. "Maybe. But I can't do this. You don't know me, Felix. You don't know the darkness I'm carrying." Her face hardened, her jaw setting in a line of pure steel. She leaned in, whispering a word so quiet only the wind could hear it: "Revenge."
She stepped back, her eyes fixed on his. "I don't have time for love. I have something much more important to do—I have to take down everyone who tried to bring me and my father down."
Without waiting for his response, Gabriella turned on her silver heels and walked away, her emerald dress trailing behind her like a fading dream. She disappeared into the shifting crowd, a girl on a mission, leaving the warmth of the dance floor for the cold reality of her war.
Felix stood alone in the center of the lights, watching her retreating figure. He didn't chase her. He didn't shout. He simply adjusted his blazer, his eyes unreadable as he watched the girl he loved walk back into the flames of her own anger.
"I know you, Gabriella," Felix whispered to the empty space she had left behind. "I know you better than anyone else... which is why I know exactly where you're going next."
----------
The Parking Lot Brawl
The underground parking garage was a cold, concrete maze lit by flickering fluorescent lights that buzzed like angry hornets. The air smelled of gasoline and damp stone. It was the kind of place where secrets were buried—and today, it was the perfect stage for a setup.
Ajax moved through the shadows, his expensive leather boots silent against the pavement. He spotted Gabriella's car—a sleek, midnight-black sedan parked under a dim light. Two men in hooded jackets were hovering near the trunk, their movements twitchy and nervous. One of them held a heavy plastic bag filled with white powder.
Ajax leaned against a concrete pillar and smirked. "So, this is Raina's big plan? Planting drugs to send Gabby back to a cell? How unoriginal."
He reached into his pocket, popped a piece of minty gum into his mouth, and gave a playful wink to the empty air. He rolled his shoulders, feeling the tension in his muscles. He was wearing a tailored navy-blue overcoat over a white shirt—a look that screamed "elite," but he was about to get his hands very dirty.
"Hey, boys!" Ajax called out, his voice echoing through the hollow garage. "Looking for a spare tire, or just looking for trouble?"
The two men spun around, their eyes wide with panic. They didn't speak; they lunged.
Ajax didn't flinch. He moved with the precision of a trained fighter. He dodged a wild swing from the first man and countered with a sharp blow to the ribs. But the second man was faster—he lunged forward and grabbed Ajax's collar, the sound of ripping fabric echoing in the quiet space.
Ajax froze. He looked down at the long tear in his expensive coat, and his playful expression vanished. A wave of cold, sharp anger washed over him.
"You have no idea how much this coat cost," Ajax hissed.
He grabbed the man by the throat and delivered a devastating punch straight to the mouth. The man's head snapped back, and he hit the concrete floor with a heavy thud, knocked out cold. The first man tried to scramble away, but Ajax was on him in seconds. A flurry of strikes later, the second man fainted right next to his partner.
Ajax stood over them, breathing slightly hard. He reached up and wiped a small streak of blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb. He looked at the fainted thugs, then at the bag of drugs lying on the floor.
He looked at the back of Gabriella's car, his mind racing. "Now, where should I throw this little gift?" he whispered to himself.
A slow, mischievous smirk spread across his face. He remembered seeing a very specific car parked just two rows away—a bright red sports car belonging to someone who truly deserved a taste of their own medicine.
"I've got it," he whispered playfully.
-----------
The Venomous Crown
The second-floor hall of the club was a long, haunting stretch of cold marble and dim, amber lighting. The air was thick with the scent of expensive cigarettes and a metallic tang of danger. Shadows stretched across the walls, making the grand hallway feel like a gilded cage.
The Confrontation
Raina stood in the center of the hall, flanked by her mountain-sized bodyguards. She looked like a dark queen in her blood-red bandage dress, her eyes shimmering with a cold, manic light.
Gabriella stepped into the light, her emerald silk dress torn slightly at the hem, but her posture was as straight as a blade. She stopped, her heels clicking once against the marble.
Raina approached her, a chilling smile on her lips. "You are bold, Gabriella. Coming here alone... don't you fear me?" Raina began to circle her like a predator.
Gabriella smirked, her eyes following Raina's shadow. "Fear you? No. You're just a ghost from a past I've already buried."
Raina's eyes darkened. "I see myself in you, Gabriella. We aren't so different."
"I am nothing like you," Gabriella said, her voice like ice. "Never."
Raina snapped. She lunged forward, her fingers like iron claws grabbing Gabriella's throat. "You tricked me! You put me in that cage! How dare you!"
Gabriella didn't flinch. Even as her air began to thin, she forced a small, mocking smile. This only fueled Raina's rage. She gripped tighter. "Smile now, Gabriella! Smile while you still can!"
Raina suddenly let go, shoving Gabriella back. She snapped her fingers, her voice dripping with venom. "Look at me. I'm free. You failed, Gabriella. Your little revenge was for nothing. You can't do anything to me."
Gabriella took a deep breath, her hand grazing her bruised neck. "I put you in jail for a week, Raina. I'm proud of that. My only shame is that I couldn't keep a killer like you behind bars longer."
"You are getting on my nerves," Raina hissed. "But not after today."
At a signal from Raina, the men moved in. Gabriella didn't wait. She moved like a whirlwind, her fighting style beautiful yet brutal. She swung, kicked, and struck with effortless grace. CRACK. She broke a hip. SNAP. She shattered a leg.
In the middle of the chaos, Gabriella rolled her head, dodging a fist, and landed a devastating punch to a guard's face. She showed no mercy. Within minutes, five men were lying in broken heaps on the floor.
Gabriella stood straight, her chest heaving, her eyes burning. Raina was sitting calmly in a velvet chair, sipping juice.
"Is this it?" Gabriella scoffed, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. "Next time, bring stronger men, Raina."
Raina stood up slowly, a horrible, triumphant smile spreading across her face. "Who said they were the plan?"
Suddenly, Gabriella's knees buckled. She hit the floor, her strength evaporating. Raina laughed, approaching her and looking at the back of Gabriella's neck.
Gabriella reached back. Her fingers came away red. A small cut. "A knife?" she whispered.
"Not just a knife," Raina smirked, checking her smartwatch. "I applied a special drug to that blade. It's already in your blood, Gabriella. In twenty minutes, you'll lose your mind. It's a highly addictive, brain-rotting toxin. You're going to face exactly what I felt in prison—total helplessness."
Gabriella tried to stand, but her legs felt like lead. Raina grabbed her chin, forcing Gabriella to look at her. "You are so weak. Look at you. You can't even stand."
Raina bit her lip, laughing as she turned to leave Gabriella to her fate.
"It's not enough for her!" a sharp voice cried out.
Elisabeth stepped forward, a silver syringe glinting in her hand. She lunged toward Gabriella's shoulder, ready to strike—but a glass plate flew through the air like a disc, slamming into Elisabeth's wrist.
"AH!" Elisabeth screamed, the injection flying across the floor.
Gabriella looked up, her vision blurring. Standing at the end of the hall was Felix. His eyes were no longer playful; they were furious and cold, like a winter storm.
"Did I not tell you?" Felix said, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "Do not come across my path."
Elisabeth scrambled on the floor, searching for the injection, while Felix walked straight toward Raina. The air in the room seemed to freeze. He stopped inches from her face, his expression deadly serious.
"I don't slap girls," Felix whispered, his voice vibrating with power. "Don't make me start today."
Raina's face turned a brilliant shade of outrage, but she stayed silent.
Gabriella, her mind slipping into the haze of the drug, could only focus on one thing. She looked at Felix—his protective stance, his cold, beautiful eyes—and for the first time, the revenge in her heart felt small compared to the man standing in front of her.
-----------
To be Continued.....
------------