The night air still clung coldly as Reina stepped into her apartment. Her mind was tangled with thoughts of Ryuu, of Daniel, and of how her life seemed to be shifting without her even realizing it.
She tossed her bag onto the sofa and collapsed onto her bed. Her eyes stared at the ceiling, but her thoughts kept circling back to Ryuu's final words.
'Your boyfriend… he likes to control you, doesn't he?'
Why did he say that? How could he possibly know? Was he just guessing? Or…
Reina bit her lower lip. No. Ryuu couldn't possibly know much about Daniel.
Or maybe…
She quickly shook her head, brushing the thought aside. She was too tired. The best thing she could do was sleep and forget it all.
But before she could drift off, her phone buzzed on the nightstand.
Buzzz… Buzzz…
Daniel. That name again.
Reina's heart raced as she stared at the screen. She wanted to ignore it, but she knew that would only make things worse.
With a heavy sigh, she finally answered.
"Hello, Daniel?"
"You home yet?" His voice was calmer than before, but the sharp edge was still there.
"Yeah… I just got back."
Silence.
"You came home alone? Or with someone?"
Reina's stomach dropped. Her nails dug into her palm as her pulse quickened.
"I… i walked home alone," she said quickly.
Daniel didn't respond right away. Somehow, the silence was worse than his anger.
Then came a short, cold laugh.
"Don't lie to me, Reina."
Her blood ran cold.
"W-what do you mean? I'm telling you the truth, Daniel—"
"I know you got a ride."
Her whole body stiffened.
"W-who told you that? T-that's not true…"
"Doesn't matter who told me." His voice turned sarcastic, almost mocking. "I just want to remind you—don't make me angry, Reina."
"I—fine, yes. Mr. Ryuu gave me a ride. But only because you didn't pick me up! It's a long walk from the lounge to my apartment, and there were drunk thugs on the corner—"
"You could've walked. I was busy. Stop being so dramatic."
CLICK.
The line went dead.
Reina stared at her phone with trembling hands, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her heart pounded—not just from fear, but from the creeping dread that Daniel somehow knew too much.
'How could he possibly know?' she muttered.
---
The next morning came too soon. Reina forced herself into her routine as a college student. Exhausted from her night shift, she still dragged herself to class.
Sitting in the middle row, she tried to focus on the lecture. But her mind kept drifting back to Ryuu… and to Daniel.
"Ryuu treats me differently…" she muttered softly.
"Hey, Rein! Why are you daydreaming so much lately?"
Reina snapped out of her thoughts. Yuki—her friend and neighbor—was staring at her suspiciously.
"It's nothing, Yuki.. Just thinking about assignments," Reina lied.
Yuki rolled her eyes. "Assignments, or your boyfriend?"
Reina quickly looked away. "It's got nothing to do with him."
"Oh please," Yuki scoffed. "Daniel's like a ghost haunting you. He even asked me about you yesterday."
Reina frowned. "Asked what?"
"He wanted to know who you came home with. Oh, and by the way, weird that you didn't ask me to walk with you."
THUD.
Reina's chest tightened. So Daniel wasn't just watching her—he was asking around, too.
"Rein…" Yuki's voice turned serious. "Are you sure you want to stay with him?"
Reina stayed quiet. Deep down, she knew the truth—her relationship with Daniel was toxic.
---
That night, Reina returned to her shift at the lounge.
As she cleared a tray of glasses, Leon leaned in with a teasing grin. "You've got a devoted fan, you know."
"Huft…" She sighed. She already knew where this was going.
"He's here again?"
"Of course. VIP table. Usual spot."
Reina glanced over—and sure enough, Ryuu Lancaster sat where he always did.
Their eyes met briefly. Just long enough to make her heart stumble.
After a moment of hesitation, she approached the VIP table.
"You came again, sir," she greeted, trying to sound casual even as her nerves sparked.
Ryuu raised his glass. "This place is comfortable."
"Um… sure. You're not here just because of me, are you?" she teased with a shy chuckle.
Ryuu's lips curved in a faint smirk. "You're getting bolder, aren't you?"
Reina huffed, but before she could respond, Ryuu set his glass down and leaned in slightly, his expression sharpening.
"I'm curious."
Reina blinked. "About what?"
"Your boyfriend."
Her heart lurched. "W-why? Why bring him up now…?"
His finger tapped the table. "Daniel. That's his name, isn't it?"
Her eyes widened. Slowly, she nodded. How could Ryuu possibly know? She had never mentioned Daniel at the lounge.
"H-how do you know that, sir?"
Ryuu's gaze pinned her. "He once worked with me."
Reina's breath hitched. "W-what do you mean you two…?"
"We were involved in a business project," Ryuu interrupted smoothly. "But it didn't end well."
Reina swallowed hard. "What happened?" She slid into the seat across from him, needing to know more.
Ryuu didn't answer right away. He only looked at her with that unreadable expression.
"He's not the kind of man i can trust in business, Reina."
A chill crawled down her spine.
Because deep down, she already knew Ryuu might be right. She had seen Daniel with another woman before, and that memory still tore at her.
---
Later that night, as the lounge buzzed with late customers, Reina set down her tray—only to freeze at the sound of a deep baritone behind her.
"Reina."
She turned—and Ryuu stood right behind her, close enough that his presence seemed to swallow the space. Even her pelvis almost touches her butts.
From this distance, his aura was overwhelming. His face, calm yet unreadable. His eyes—studying her as though she were a puzzle.
"What time are you getting off work?" he asked bluntly.
Reina blinked, thrown by the directness. "Um… why?"
Ryuu glanced at his watch, then back at her. "If you need a ride, I'll be here for a few more moments. Just find me."
Her throat tightened. She should refuse. But after last night with Daniel, the thought of walking home alone sent a shiver down her spine.
As if sensing her thoughts, Ryuu arched a brow. "I won't bite, you know."
Reina laughed nervously. "I never said you would…"
His smirk returned, subtle and dangerous. "Then finish your shift. I'll be waiting in the parking lot. You remember my car, right?"
Before she could reply, he walked away.
Later, when she finally stepped outside, his sleek black car was already there.