Chapter 13

Anna's eyes snapped open. She blinked, scanning her surroundings in confusion. Desks, books... and the teacher up front looking like she was about to explode. Damn it! She was in class! This was bad—really bad. Before Anna could even stammer out an excuse, the teacher stormed over. "Anna, not only do you zone out in class, but you also forget to silence your phone before taking a nap? Get out!" Clutching her cheaply bought backup phone, Anna grabbed her bag and walked out, giving a textbook example of "getting out" without protest. She muttered something under her breath about her menopausal teacher and cussed the guy who had just appeared in her dream, cheeks flushing red as she answered the call. "Mom..." On the other end, her mom's voice trembled before choking up, "Anna... something happened at home." ... Night Charm—one of the most infamous hotspots in the capital. The golden doors opened to flashing lights and wild music spilling out. Two handsome boys in tailcoats stood by like they were born to be there. Socialites, beauties, big shots of all industries walked in and out like it cost nothing to breathe lavishness. With so much glam going on, Anna, in her jeans and a plain T-shirt, stood out like a green weed among red roses—awkward, yet oddly eye-catching. Clutching the hem of her shirt with sweaty palms, she stood stiffly under all those stares that clearly said she didn't belong. She was here for one person—Ethan. Their family's construction project crashed, they owed three million dollars, her dad bailed with her sister, and her mom landed in the hospital from the shock. Like something straight out of a melodrama—except it was her reality. Everything about it felt off. And when she was running out of options and Sophia casually asked, "Did you piss someone off?"—Ethan's words from before came rushing back. He'd said, "Anna, you'll be back." Anna didn't know many powerful people. And her dad, while not a saint, wasn't the kind to mess with someone who could wipe out three million like it was lint. By process of elimination, the only one with that kind of pull—was Ethan. She never thought he'd stoop this low. Tightening her jaw, Anna thought of the sky-high debt and her bedridden mom. Taking a shaky breath, she stepped inside Night Charm. From the outside, the place already looked over the top, but the interior? It was next level. She'd never been in a place like this, so she couldn't help looking around—but what she saw made her freeze. Several couples were getting... really cozy on the couches. Some didn't even care they were basically hooking up right there, in public. This was the main hall—seriously?! Eyes down, eyes forward. Muttering that to herself a few times, Anna shuffled in, awkward as hell. The deeper she went, the fewer people she saw. Hallways lined with sleek private rooms stretched forever. It hit her then—Ethan only told her to meet at Night Charm, but never said which room. She stopped, frowning, and fished her phone out of her pocket to call. "The wireless customer you are calling is not available at this time. Please try your call again later." The robotic voice seemed even louder in the empty hallway. No way he wasn't picking up. Refusing to quit, Anna tried again—and got the same message. ... Meanwhile, in one of Night Charm's private lounges, a phone flashed on a leather sofa. The screen lit up again and again with one name: "Anna."