Chapter 8

The music inside the bar thumped like a heartbeat, heavy and relentless, but Lily no longer felt the rhythm. The moment she caught David's cold gaze from across the dance floor, something inside her deflated. Her steps faltered, the song fading in her ears even though it was still playing loud and fast. There, standing just a few feet away near the entrance, was David. And beside him, arm-in-arm and looking as smug as ever, was Marina. David's eyes found hers almost instantly. His expression didn't change—calm, cold, unreadable. Lily stepped back, bumping into another dancer. Her heart hammered against her ribs. A thousand thoughts collided. Why were they here? She and Noa had specifically chosen a place off his usual circuit. Had Marina brought him here on purpose? David didn’t approach. He simply stood there, watching her like a predator sizing up its prey. Once, a look like that would have made her look away, made her knees melt. In their dynamic, she had always been the one to yield. But she wasn't that woman anymore. He wasn’t her husband. He wasn’t her boss. He was just a stranger she was determined to forget. With that realization, her spine straightened. Why should she be the one to shrink away? She was a paying customer here. She had every right to this space. If anyone should leave, it was them. She refused to be intimidated by his presence. She lifted her chin a fraction, deliberately breaking their eye contact. When a handsome stranger on the dance floor flashed her a smile and held out a hand, she accepted it with one of her own. The music shifted, becoming sultrier, and Lily lost herself in it once more. Her movements grew sharper, freer, more defiant. Her smile was a dazzling, unapologetic thing. She was acutely aware of David’s darkening expression across the room, and it only fueled her. He no longer held her leash. As the song ended, Lily made her way back to the bar, her skin still buzzing with adrenaline. She leaned against the polished wood, catching her breath. Noa returned moments later with fresh drinks, two martini glasses glinting under the club lights. “Holy hell, girl, you were on fire! Half the dance floor is watching you right now. You should have done this years ago.” Lily took a slow sip of her cocktail, a genuine, if tired, smile touching her lips. “Yeah. Funny how I spent so long locking myself up for a man who wasn’t worth it.” Noa nudged her with an elbow. “That’s the spirit. You should have seen David’s face—it looked like a thundercloud. And Marina was practically glued to his arm, a human leech terrified he might actually look your way. Thank god they retreated to the VIP section. Honestly, you should pick the hottest guy here and have some fun for once—” “I think I need the restroom,” Lily interjected, gently cutting off Noa’s enthusiastic spiral. The brief, defiant thrill had been enough; she wasn’t looking for more drama. “You want me to come—?” “No, this is your favorite song. Go, I’ll find you later,” she said softly, slipping away from the bar and weaving through the crowd toward the corridor. The restroom was cooler, quieter—a pocket of stillness in the chaos. Lily splashed cold water on her face, meeting her own gaze in the mirror. She looked different tonight. Noa’s makeup was bolder, her features sharper, the dress she wore less reserved. She liked it. She liked the woman staring back at her. She gave her reflection a small, encouraging smile. Even if David was blocking her career path, she would find a way. Turning her back to the mirror, she dried her hands and stepped out. She didn’t expect him to be there when she turned down the corridor—leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching her with the focus of a lion watching its prey. She had come here to breathe, to remind herself that life existed beyond David. Yet here he was, a shadow she couldn’t seem to shake. No. She would shake him. She moved to walk past, but he broke the silence first this time. “Never expected to see you here, Lily,” he murmured, his tone laced with mockery. “Is this your new gig? Trying to land a job—or a bed—on the dance floor?” Lily stopped, blinking. The insult hit harder than she expected. “Excuse me?” David tilted his head, a cold smirk playing on his lips. “The way you were dancing just now… it looked desperate. Makes me wonder—are you hoping some wealthy patron will offer you a position… or just a place to spend the night?” Her cheeks flushed, not with shame, but with fury. “First of all, I wasn’t ‘landing’ anything. Second, if you hadn’t blacklisted me from every decent company in the city, maybe I wouldn’t be here trying to forget my horrible ex-boss in the first place!” David’s smile didn’t fade; it sharpened. “Did you really think I’d let the asset I trained from the ground up walk away, potentially to a competitor with everything she knows?” He took a step closer, the air between them crackling. “Did you think I was that stupid?” “You’re not stupid,” Lily hissed. “You’re cruel.” He leaned in, his face now dangerously close to hers. “No,” he rasped, his voice low and intimate in the dim light. “I trained you. Every report, every file, every coffee order—flawless. And even… in bed… you thought that was just part of the job? You think I didn’t notice how close you’d stand? The way you’d bite your lip when you were nervous? How your voice would soften when you said my name?” She drew in a sharp breath, and he didn't stop. “What made you think you could walk away from me before I was done with you?” The sheer arrogance of his words ignited a fire in her. Before she could think, her hand flew out, striking his cheek with a sharp, echoing crack. His head snapped to the side from the force, his eyes blazing with fury, jaw clenched in rage. His hand shot out, catching her wrist before she could pull away. In one swift, powerful motion, he spun her and pinned her against the wall, his body caging hers. "You've got guts, don't you?" he growled, his breath hot against her cheek. "Twice now. Do I strike you as a man who tolerates being hit—twice?" Lily struggled, but as his body pressed against hers, a different kind of heat ignited between them. Her chest rose and fell rapidly against his, the scent of him—expensive and musky—filling her senses. His grip was not just painful; it was possessive, demanding, a physical assertion of dominance. His gaze locked with hers, no longer just furious, but blazing, searching, and scorching. Her heart hammered against her ribs. "I don't owe you anything," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You always did push my limits," he murmured, his lips so close she could feel them hovering over hers. "You..." she began, but the words died in her throat. He released her wrist, his hand sliding up to cup her jaw instead. "Did you think I'd let my investment walk away?" he said darkly. His thumb brushed her cheek, his body still pinning hers. Their breaths mingled, the air thick with tension, as if the world might shatter if they moved an inch closer. Lily’s body trembled—not with fear, but with the raw current running beneath her skin. She hated him. She despised everything he’d done. But her body betrayed her—reacting to his touch, his proximity, the way he spoke as if he still had a claim on her. “I hate you,” she breathed out, the words shaking. “I know you do,” David murmured, his voice dropping to a velvety rasp. “But does it matter? It can't change anything.” He leaned closer still, until their noses almost touched. Her lips parted, caught between resistance and surrender, her breath shallow, her pulse a wild, chaotic drum in her ears.