Arya's POV

"Okay, spill." I said to Jules, plopping myself on her bed.

"So," she started, a blush creeping into her cheeks, "I met a guy at the club."

"Oh yes. The same guy that had his tongue down your throat?" I asked teasingly

.

"Oh shut up. His name is Nolan."

"Mmm Nolan." I repeated, smiling sheepishly.

"He's an entrepreneur..."

"Ouuu"

"He's rich..."

"Oh we love rich."

"And he's inviting us for a gala next week!"

I paused.

"Hold up now... us?" I asked, getting slightly confused.

"Yes, us. Well, he invited me but I said I couldn't go without you, obviously, so he invited you too."

"Woah."

"I know, I know. Our first rich people event!"

"Wait, what are we gonna wear? I have nothing in my wardrobe of that sort." I exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Calm your tits. Nolan has it sorted. In fact, the dresses should be coming in by today." She explained.

"Oh so he's rich rich." I teased, wiggling my eyebrows as she laughed.

"And you?" she asked.

"Me?"

"Oh please, drop the act. What happened with mystery man?" she asked, her eyes beaming with curiosity. "What was his name?"

"Uhh..." I stared blankly.

"Ari! You didn't ask his name?" She exclaimed in disbelief.

"Well he didn't ask for mine either!"

"Ugh, I can't believe you."

"I'm never gonna see him again anyway. It was just one night and he was a total douchebag."

We spent the next hour talking about what happened when we were apart. I glanced at the clock, it was time for my shift at the restaurant.

"Crap. I better get going," I said, grabbing my jacket and car keys. "Dinner rush."

"Love you!" Julia called out as I stepped out the door, blowing her a kiss.

I sat at my station, counting down the hours till the end of my shift. Time seemed to pass by rather slowly for some reason.

"Hey," I looked up to see my co-worker looking rather uncomfortable. "Get table nine for me please? I gotta use the restroom. I'll get you back I promise."

"Sure no worries." I replied with a nod.

I pulled out my pen and pad, heading over to table nine. Two men sat there, engrossed in a conversation. My eyes widened as I realised who one of them was. It was him.

He was dressed casually in a blue shirt and dress pants, twirling a ring on his finger while laughing at something his friend said. He looked effortlessly handsome, like he didn't even have to try.

My heart skipped. I looked around for anyone else who was free to attend to their table instead but everyone seemed to be occupied.

"Fuck." I cursed underneath my breath and made my way to the table.

"Good evening gentlemen, what can I get you?" I said, forcing a polite smile.

He looked up at me, recognition flashing in his grey eyes before he masked it. He certainly hadn't expected to see me as well.

He turned to talk to his friend who looked quite familiar but I couldn't really place it.

"We'll have the number one special." He said sharply. "He'll have that with bourbon and I'll have whisky. Neat."

"Coming right up." I turned on my heels, releasing a deep breath I didn't realise I was holding.

Their orders were ready a few minutes later as an idea popped up in my head.

"Here you are." I said, setting up the table and making a move to leave.

"I ordered this neat." He says flatly, staring at the glass in his hand.

I blinked, "Did you?"

"Yes."

"My apologies, one moment." I said, taking the glass from him and walking back to the bar at a rather slow pace.

I returned a few minutes later with the correct drink order.

"Here you go..."

As I leaned forward to set it down, the cup tilted 'accidentally' as whisky splashed forward, directly onto him, wetting his shirt and dress pants.

"Oh my God!" I feigned innocence. "I'm so sorry that was completely my fault."

He stilled, eyes wide as his friend snickered, clearly finding the whole situation amusing. "Leave it."

"I'm so sorry." I repeated, dabbing a napkin on his shirt.

"I said leave it!" He snapped, catching the attention of other customers. He realises this the same time I did. His jaw tightened as he straightened himself in his seat.

"Just go." He said through gritted teeth.

"Well then, in the absence of a neat whisky," I said coolly, emphasising on 'neat', "enjoy your dinner."

I walked back to my station, smirking to myself. I felt a tiny bit of satisfaction.

My shift finally came to an end and I dragged my feet to my car, exhausted as ever. I sat there for a few minutes, collecting my thoughts before starting the engine.

I started it once. Twice. Thrice.

"Fuck. Not today please." I groaned, hitting my head against the steering wheel repeatedly.

I got down from the car and lifted the bonnet, examining the engine. Who was I fooling? I didn't know shit.

I got back in the car and tried again. After the tenth try, I gave up and decided to walk home.

I slipped into the narrow alley beside the restaurant, the noise of the street fading behind me. My eyes darted around, assessing my surroundings.

I notice a figure behind me. Clutching my purse tightly, I increased my pace.

"Hey," a voice called out.

I didn't turn around. I reached into my purse, fumbling for my phone.

"Shit." I muttered under my breath. My phone was dead.

"Relax," the voice drawled, "I just wanna talk."

"I'm not interested." I replied sharply.

"C'mon now baby, hear me out." He said, quickening his steps and closing the distance between us.

He pulled me from behind, pushing me against the brick wall. I winced. That was certainly going to leave a bruise.

I straightened myself, masking my fear. "Back off."

"Relax," he said for the second time. "I'm just being friendly."

Friendly? He had me against a brick wall in the middle of a dark alley. In what world was that friendly? "And I said I'm not interested. Move."

"She's got teeth," He gave a lazy smile, the kind that made my skin crawl. "Bet you could put them to better use."

He dragged his dark eyes over my body, making a move to touch me.

"Don't touch me." I warned.

"Or else what?" He challenged, grinning from ear to ear.

"Or else you'll regret it." A voice came from behind. Cold. Hard.

It was him. Again. Club guy.

He stood at the mouth of the alley, his posture relaxed, in contrast to the situation. He was still in the same clothes from earlier.

The man moved away instantly, annoyance written all over his face yet he still maintained the creepy smile. "My bad man. This your bitch?"

He didn't reply. He just took a step forward and that was enough to send the man scurrying. Really?

"You've got to be kidding me." I huffed, straightening my skirt and assessing my now scraped arm.

"You okay?" He asked.

Why would he care?

"I had it handled." I said lifting my chin.

He scoffed. "Sure you did."

I turned to leave.

"It's not safe, you know?" He spoke again, stopping me in my tracks.

I turned around to meet his gaze, unsure of what to say. I was scared, truthfully, but I was never going to admit that.

"The piece of junk parked outside the restaurant, is that yours?" He asked, amusement flickering across his face.

"Last I checked, it gets me where I need to go." I retorted.

"But it couldn't today?"

Dammit. He had me at a loss of words.

"Come, I'll drop you off." He said as he walked away.

I retained my position. Why was he being nice? Whatever he was trying to do, I wasn't falling for it.

"Don't be stubborn." He turned around to look at me, frustration etching in his voice.

"I don't even know your name. I'm not going anywhere with a stranger." I said plainly.

"Oh now you got your morals back?" He smirked. "I don't know yours either, yet I'm offering you a ride. Just take it."

I rolled my eyes, disappointed that he may have won this round. I moved my feet grudgingly as we walked to his car. It wasn't the same Porsche from last time. Just how rich was he?

"It's Kayden, by the way." He said quietly, eyes fixed on the road as he drove towards the address I had given him.

Kayden. Cute.

"Want me to beg for yours?" He asked, glancing at me briefly.

"That wouldn't be so bad" I said, a smile tugging at my lips. "Arya. Not nice to meet you."

"Definitely not nice to meet you too." He replied dryly, the corner of his mouth lifting as he turned his attention back to the road

Arya's POV

"And then he drove you home?!" Julia squealed "After you spilled whisky all over him?"

"Yes ma'am." I nodded, seated in front of my best friend's vanity as she curled my hair, running her through the events from the other night.

"Damn girl, don't let that man go." She said in a warning tone.

"Jules, please," I laughed. "Is everything a fairytale to you?"

"If he saves your ass from a scary man and drives you home after you ruined an outfit that probably costs more than what you earn in a month, then yeah baby, it's a fairytale."

I rolled my eyes at her. She was probably right, but every bit of attraction I felt towards Kayden had vanished into thin air after he humiliated me at his place the other night.

I didn't know why he was nice to me but I bet there was something attached. Men like him couldn't be trusted.

"Okay. Time for the main event." Jules sang, clapping her hands.

She had slayed my hair and makeup to perfection as usual.

She walked over to her wardrobe and brought out two large branded boxes.

"As promised, here you go." She said, handing me a box.

I opened the box and gasped immediately as I saw the dress.

"Oh my gosh," I gushed. "This is so pretty."

"I know right! I already took a peek when it came, I couldn't wait." Julia confessed as she put hers on.

"This must have cost a whole lot." I said, putting it on.

The dress clung to my frame perfectly. The black fabric shimmered subtly, hugging my waist before flowing down to floor length. A deep slit ran along the side, exposing the smooth skin of my thighs.

The top of the dress was built like a corset, snatching my waist and accentuating my boobs. It was paired with a stunning silver neck piece and matching earrings. I was mesmerised. I had never looked this good.

"Damn, girl," Julia said, twirling me around, her eyes sparkling. "Who gave you permission to look this good?"

"Excuse you?" I shot back, giving her an exaggerated once over. "You look absolutely lethal in that dress."

Julia's gown was emerald green, matching her green eyes. The silky fabric clung to her curves perfectly before trailing behind her like liquid jade.

From the front, it was elegant and deceptively modest but when she turned, the dress dipped low, very low, exposing her toned back and her spine tattoo, trailing all the way down to her waist.

"Okay, what's the idea for tonight?" I asked, sitting on the bed as Jules fastened the strap of my heels.

"Well it's kinda like a charity thing." She explained. "Nolan's best friend's dad is some big shot apparently."

"Oh," I tilted my head. "Who is he?"

She groaned, rolling her eyes. "Girl, same thing I asked. He flat out refused to tell me. He said I'll 'meet him there.'" She made air quotes.

"Hm," I narrowed my eyes. "Weird."

"I know right? I'm just gonna focus on trying not to embarrass myself."

"Oh," I raised a brow. "You two are like...serious now?"

"Well..." She said slowly, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she sat down beside me. "He hasn't actually asked me out yet, but I think he likes me."

"No shit Sherlock." I said in an unsurprised tone. "You bet your ass he does. No man spends this much money to buy a dress for a girl and her friend, if he doesn't."

She laughed, smacking my arm lightly. "Well, when you put it like that..."

Her phone rang, interrupting our conversation. I glanced at the clock. It was already past eight pm. I could feel the anxiety creeping through slowly.

"It's here!" Julia squealed, throwing her hands in the air excitedly.

"What's here?" I asked, confused.

"The limo, duh."

"Uh...sorry what now?"

"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" She screamed, bolting through the door without sparing me another glance.

I stood outside Julia's apartment gawking at the sleek black limousine parked by the curb.

"You're kidding," I murmured to myself.

The chauffeur opened the door for Julia and I got in after her, immediately welcoming the scent of pure luxurious leather.

The seats were plush, soft lights lined the ceiling, radiating a soft glow that made me feel like I was in a fairy tale.

I didn't realise the car had started moving till I saw the street lights blur past us through the tinted windows. The car moved so silently it felt like I was floating.

Julia and I kept sharing excited glances, it felt surreal.

There was an assortment of snacks spread out, with water and champagne sitting in ice. Julia helped herself to some chocolate truffles while I just had water to push down the nerves that were trying to choke me.

Soon, the car slowed, signifying that we had arrived. I took a deep breath, making a move to open the door but the chauffeur beat me to it.

"Thank you." I muttered shyly, stepping out of the car with Julia following behind me.

I immediately became hyper-aware of my surroundings.

Some people lingered around the entrance, laughing and engaging in different conversations.

There were cameras everywhere, flashing violently and repeatedly as guests walked the red carpet. They all looked so elegant and expensive.

I felt like a fake.

"Relax." Julia smiled, lifting my chin, no doubt sensing my nervousness. "We're way hotter."

I returned a smile, believing her words. She held my hand in comfort, squeezing it tightly as we stared at each other in silence.

"Where's he?" I breathed out, finally breaking the silence.

"Jules!" A voice called from behind us.

"Nolan!" Julia beamed hugging the man as they exchanged kisses on their cheeks.

"Thrilled you could make it." He said, throwing a seductive smile at her.

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "As if not."

They leaned in slowly, like they were about to kiss.

"Ahem..." I let out a fake cough, catching their attention.

"This is Arya," Jules said as she straightened herself, gesturing at me. "Arya, Nolan."

She stepped aside for us to meet.

My eyes widened in surprise as he came into full view. It was the same guy. The guy from the restaurant the other day, Kayden's friend.

"It's you." We both said at the same time, our expressions mirroring each other's shock.

"Uh... you guys know each other?" Julia asked, confused.

"No."

"Yes."

We spoke at the same time as Julia laughed. "Okay what is going on?"

"He's the guy from the restaurant the other night. Kayden's friend." I explained as she mouthed an 'oh'.

"And you're the girl from the club. Yeah I remember you now." He said grinning at me.

I knew I had seen his face somewhere before the restaurant. He was the guy Julia was making out with. I couldn't help but laugh a little, finding the situation rather unexpected.

"Wait...you're the girl from the club," He repeated, like he had just realised something.

"Yeah, we heard you the first time." I said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You and Kayden... ohhhh damn." He laughed, nodding in realisation. "That's what that was about huh? What has he done wrong this time?"

I mentally facepalmed myself, knowing that he had put two and two together.

"Okay it's high time I met this Kayden person." Julia said, crossing her arms.

"Yeah sure, let's go in shall we?" Nolan replied, leading us in through the crowd and into the hall.

My breath caught in my throat the moment we walked in.

Arya's POV

I tried not to gawk so I won't be discovered, but it was almost impossible not to.

The hall was insanely breathtaking. Crystal chandeliers adorned the ceiling like frozen fireworks. The entire room was quite literally covered in gold. The tables, chairs, silverware, everything.

Who the hell was Kayden's father and what did he do for a living?

The marble floors were polished to shine, such that you could see your reflection in it. White flowing curtains spilled from tall windows that revealed the city glittering in the distance.

Guests moved around in their flowing gowns and tailored suits, their laughter and conversation blending with the soft live music playing in the background.

I spotted a few famous faces. I wasn't much of a social person, but even I could recognise a few prominent ones. This was a gathering of high profile people. I couldn't be more out of place.

"What the fuck are we doing here Jules?" I whispered to Julia, pinching her arm lightly.

"Shut up and be in character." She replied through her teeth, faking a smile as Nolan returned to us with two glasses of champagne in hand.

"Thank you." I smiled at him, collecting a glass.

"If I may?" He said to me, grabbing Julia by the waist and leading her away from me.

I froze, wide eyed. Was I about to be left alone? In a den of wolves?

Julia glanced back at me, giving me an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry," she mouthed.

And when I blinked, she had disappeared into the crowd, whisked away by Nolan, leaving me in the middle of the giant hall.

"Fuck me," I huffed in frustration.

Drink in hand, I turned around, heading for the exit when I bumped into someone. I squeezed my eyes shut, silently praying it wasn't real, that I hadn't ruined some millionaire's perfectly tailored tux or spilled my drink all over him.

"Umm... hi?" A deep, masculine voice spoke.

My eyes shot open as I lifted my head slowly. I was met with a pair of blue eyes. My eyes dropped to his tux, examining it carefully to see if my drink had spilled on him. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that it didn't.

"Cat's got your tongue?" He spoke again as I caught the harsh smell of whisky from him. My brows shot up. The event was just starting, how could he be drunk already?

"I'm sorry," I apologised, stepping away from him.

"Woahh..." he drawled, blocking my way. "What's got you in a rush babe?"

"Uh..." I didn't know what to say. Did he just call me 'babe' or was I toned deaf?

"I'm Kai." He said, holding out a hand I had no desire to take. "What's your name pretty?"

I really wanted to get away from him, especially since his eyes kept lingering on my boobs, making my skin crawl. The sheer disrespect. Damn this corset.

"Arya." I replied curtly, taking a step back trying to put some distance between us.

"Sexy name for a very sexy girl." He muttered as he eyed me up and down, drooling just enough to make me want to throw up.

I had never felt so disgusted. How the hell was I supposed to leave without making a scene?

"Baby?" A tiny voice called from behind us. "What are you doing here? Come say hi to my uncle." She said dragging him away, not without throwing a dirty look my way.

I couldn't be more happy about that.

I stepped outside the hall, breathing a sigh of relief as the fresh air hit my face. The noise, the light, the overwhelming chatter, it all faded behind me.

The night had just begun and I was already over it. I couldn't help the disappointment that settled in my chest.

I had been looking forward to tonight, excited about getting a taste of what it felt like to be rich and powerful. But yet, here I was, standing outside, wishing I could disappear.

What was wrong with me? Julia had an effortless charm and seemed so at ease. She walked with grace and so much confidence, like she belonged here. Why couldn't I do that?

I sighed heavily and closed my eyes, letting the night air wash over me. My mind drifted to my mother.

I hated feeling like this, exposed and vulnerable, trapped in a world that wasn't made for me. For some reason, the discomfort always made my thoughts drift to her, to the memories I've dried to bury over the years. It made me think about whether she was struggling as much as I was.

And I hoped she was. The selfish and bitter part of me hoped she was suffering in ways I couldn't imagine.

A shiver ran through my spine and I hugged my arms around myself. I hated that she still had the power to make me feel like this, even after all these years.

I opened my eyes again, staring at the dark city lights in the distance. I knew I had to keep pushing, even if it meant wearing pretentious dresses and sitting through pretentious galas.

"Dammit Arya." I muttered to myself. "Pull yourself together."

After about thirty minutes of collecting my thoughts, I took a deep breath and went back inside the hall. I was surprised to see the majority of the guests on the dance floor, each with a partner as they moved gracefully to the rhythm of the music.

"Rich people." I scoffed under my breath, rolling my eyes. "Now where the fuck is Jules?"

I squinted my eyes, scanning the room, my gaze darting from one unfamiliar face to another trying to find a certain green eyed doll named Jules. Then I saw him. The same dude from before who kept gawking at my boobs shamelessly.

My face twisted in disgust as he smiled at me. He emptied the glass in his hand and started walking towards me.

"Oh fuck no."

I scanned the room frantically, unsure of what to do. I was definitely not going to endure another disturbing conversation with that man. My mind raced with options.

I could dart to the bar and pretend to get a drink? No, that would just make him more excited. Or I could scream as loud as I can till Julia came to rescue me? No, I would just look crazy.

The longer I stood there, the more I realised he was getting closer and I had to act. So without thinking, I did what I thought was my best option.

My heels clicked against the polished marble as I walked into the dance floor, hoping to lose him in the crowd, my heart beating rapidly in my chest.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Boy, was he persistent. He was now headed to the dance floor, a sick smile on his face. Why did I have the worst luck with men?

Panicking, I grabbed onto the figure who had his back turned to me. He stiffened, turning to face me slowly as his eyes locked on mine.

I felt the colour drain from my face.