Outside the bar, the night air was cold and sharp. Krystal had just stepped out of the opposite bar from Night Crash Bar 2020. Her heels clicked against the pavement, sharp and confident, as she walked toward the main street.

And then she stopped.

There, leaning against a dark black car, was the man from the football field.

The same hot guy who had been with Isabella. The same tall, broad shouldered, devastatingly handsome man who had ignored her completely while staring at Bella like she was the center of the universe.

He was injured now, bandages peeking from beneath his sleeves, his arm held stiffly at his side. But the injuries only made him look more dangerous. More untouchable.

Two other men stood with him. One had a sling on his arm and messy dark hair. The other was quieter, leaner, with gorgeous facial features and watchful blue eyes. They were all handsome, all powerful, all radiating an aura that made ordinary people cross to the other side of the street.

But Krystal’s gaze was stuck on Leo.

His aura was undeniable. He was handsome and powerful. The kind of man who walked into a room and everyone else became furniture. His jaw was sharp, his eyes cold, his body lean and muscular beneath his dark shirt. Even injured, he looked like he could kill someone with his bare hands.

Krystal’s mouth watered.

She smoothed her red mini dress, tight, low cut, hem grazing her thighs. She had worn it to catch attention, and it had worked. Men had stared all night. But none of them were him.

She decided to say hello.

"Hey!" She sauntered toward them, her hips swaying, her smile wide and practiced. Her red dress gleamed under the streetlights, and her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders in perfect waves. She looked sexy. She knew it.

Leo frowned.

Jay looked at her, his eyes narrowing. "Who are you?"

Krystal didn’t even glance at him. Her eyes were fixed on Leo. She stepped closer, close enough that he could smell her perfume, expensive, floral, designed to linger.

"Hello, sir," she said, her voice warm, inviting. "I’m Bella’s friend. I saw you with her last time. At the football field."

Leo’s expression didn’t change. His gray eyes remained cold, distant, uninterested.

Krystal’s smile faltered, just slightly.

"What’s your name?" Jay asked, his voice sharp, suspicious.

Krystal forced herself to look at him. "Krystal."

Jay’s eyes narrowed further. "Krystal?"

"Yes." She smiled again, trying to regain her confidence. "I’m one of Bella’s closest friends. She talks about me all the time, I’m sure."

Jay turned to Leo. "Bella never mentioned her."

Leo nodded. "No."

Krystal’s smile froze.

"I know all of Bella’s friends," Jay continued, his voice cold. "Mira, Karl, Lily, a few others. But I’ve never heard your name."

Krystal’s cheeks flushed. "Well, we’re new friends. We just recently—"

"She never mentioned you," Leo said. His voice was flat. Final.

The silence stretched.

Krystal stood there, her red dress suddenly feeling cheap, her confidence crumbling. She had thought her beauty would charm him. She had thought her body would make him look at her. But he didn’t. He just stood there, cold and distant, dismissing her without a word.

"Oh," she said, her voice small.

Jay crossed his arms. "Maybe you should go back inside. It’s cold out here."

Krystal nodded, her face burning. She turned and walked away, her heels clicking awkwardly on the pavement.

She didn’t look back.

Behind her, Jay snorted. "Bella’s friend, my *ss. She is clearly here to hit on bro."

Leo said nothing. His eyes were already fixed on the bar across the street, where Bella was waiting.

Krystal disappeared into the night, humiliated and furious. She had been dismissed. Ignored. Treated like nothing. And she hated Bella for it.

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

Finally

Bella noticed movement.

Her eyes flickered across the tablet screen, scanning the grid of security footage she had hacked. The main hall, the private booths, the back rooms, the alley. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

Then, a flash of movement in one of the VIP lounges on the second floor.

She zoomed in.

Jasper Ray had appeared. He was sitting on a leather couch, his leg bouncing, his fingers drumming on the armrest. He looked tense. Nervous. His eyes kept darting toward the door, as if he was waiting for someone.

Then that someone walked in.

A man in a dark suit. His hair was messy, falling across his forehead in unkempt waves. A black mask covered the lower half of his face, hiding his lips, his jaw, his identity. He moved with a strange familiarity, his gait, his posture, the way he held himself. Something about him tugged at Bella’s memory.

He looked familiar.

Her heart pounded.

She sat up straight, her muscles coiling, her eyes sharp. She pressed her earpiece. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Target is here. Second floor, VIP lounge. I’m moving into position."

"Copy," a voice responded. "We’re ready."

The meeting lasted thirty minutes. Long, agonizing minutes where Bella watched the two men talk, exchange something small and dark, a flash drive or a phone, and then shake hands. Jasper Ray left first, his shoulders slumped with relief. The masked man lingered, staring at the door, then stood and walked toward the back exit.

Bella was already moving.

She slipped through the crowd, her tablet tucked into her bag, her gun pressed against her hip. She reached the nearest exit, a dark hallway leading to the back alley, and pressed herself against the wall, waiting.

She could hear his footsteps approaching.

Her hand inched toward her weapon.

"What a pleasant surprise, Butterfly."

The voice came from behind her.

Bella’s eyes widened. She spun around, but he was faster. His body pressed her against the wall, his forearm across her chest, pinning her in place. Her bag fell to the floor. Her hands flew up, but he caught her wrists, holding them above her head.

She couldn’t move.

He was taller than her. Lean build, but strong. His mask was still in place, his messy hair falling over his forehead. His eyes, dark and gleaming, stared down at her.

"I can’t believe you came here to meet me," he said, his voice a low, disgusting purr. "Aww, baby. You shouldn’t have."

Bella’s blood boiled. Her skin crawled. She forced herself to stay calm, to breathe, to think.

"Let me go," she said, her voice steady.

"Let you go?" He laughed, soft and cruel. "But I just found you."

He leaned closer, his face inches from hers. His breath was warm against her mask.

"Such a soft butterfly," he murmured. "I’ve been waiting for this."

He reached up and tried to pull her mask down, his fingers brushing her cheek.