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Authoress Tyna's Library, Lagos (2026)

08/09/2025

❤️‍🔥🥀His Sweetest Obsession ❤️‍🩹🗡️

🔥(A Steamy Mafia Romance)🔥

🖊️ Written By:
© Tyna Williams 💕

📖Chapter 5📖

🥀NICOLA🥀

It had to have started sometime during the night. Maybe I'd taken a break and fallen asleep in the employee break room or maybe when that lady had hit me, I'd blacked out and hadn't woken up yet. Or maybe I'd never even come to Elysium and I was still at June's place, taking a little nap before work.

It was hard to pinpoint when exactly I could've fallen asleep and started dreaming up this entire experience but the answer had to be one of the three different instances that came to mind. Regardless of which it was, the bizarre night suddenly made sense. It'd all been a figment of my imagination. And it'd been a damn good one too.

Now that I knew it was a dream, I couldn't stop laughing. Since none of it was real, all the stress I felt as well as the tension in my shoulders melted away and all I could do was double over, clutch my stomach and laugh like I'd never laughed before.

If it gave it a little thought, it was definitely strange that I'd made the man who saved me from Bruce the day before the star of my dream but the mind worked in mysterious ways, not to mention that he had made quite the impression on me when we met. However, it was clear enough that my mind had played quite the trick on me.

I had no idea how long I laughed but it was long enough that when I finally stopped, my stomach hurt and I was practically wheezing when I tried to regulate my breathing. My face was also streaked with tears that had slipped out during my bout of laughter.

"So I take it you're done now?" “Enzo” asked, drawing my attention to him.

"If anyone's done, it's you. I'm tired of this dream and now I'm going to wake up," I retorted.

"Oh? Go ahead then. Wake up," he dared me, his eyes dancing with mirth.

I turned away from him and looked around the room nervously as I thought of what to do. How did one wake up from a dream they wanted to end? Didn't dreams usually end once you knew you were dreaming? If I wasn't waking up, did that mean—

No. No. This can't be real. I have to be dreaming. I just have to!

Wait, if I was dreaming, if I pinched myself, I should wake up, if the expression has any truth to it, that is.

I did just that, pinching my forearm hard enough to almost draw blood. It stung but as another expression went, no pain, no gain. This had to work.

Slowly, I opened my eyes but to my absolute horror, neither the room around me nor the amused man seating beside me had melted away. In fact, everything seemed rooted in place. It was real. It was all real.

No! No!! No!!!

My head whipped to the side. "Then— then you were being serious? You really meant what you said?!"

"I think the answer's as clear as day, Nicola. Or are you going to try and delude yourself into thinking that you're dreaming again?" he asked, a derisive edge to his words.

I cringed as the memory of me laughing and telling him this was all a dream flooded back. I was being delusional. Crazy too. I didn't think I'd ever live it down.

Desperate to regain some of my pride back — though if felt like that ship had long since sailed, I cleared my throat and sat up straight. "Even if this is not a dream, you have to be dreaming if you think I'll really agree to marry you."

"Why not? You haven't even asked me why I want to marry you."

"It doesn't matter. I don't know who you are and frankly, I don't want to know. Thank you for your help tonight but I hope this is the last time we have to see each other. Good night, Enzo." I stood up from the chair and started walking away. I half expected him to try and stop me or threaten me to stay which wouldn't have been out of character considering what he'd done but nothing happened as I made my way to the door.

However, just as I placed my hand on the doorknob, he finally spoke, "I picked you for a reason, Nicola and if there's one thing you should know about me is that I always get what I want. We'll be seeing each other again really soon."

I gripped the doorknob tight until my knuckles turned white with half a mind to turn around and tell him to stay the f**k away from me if he knew what was good for him. I managed to rein in my emotions and simply turned around to say, "Do have a lovely night, Sir."

The minute I was out of the room, I made a run for it and I didn't stop running until I was locked in one of the employee bathrooms downstairs, far far away from the VIP lounge. With my back pressed to the door, I slid to a heap on the floor and tried to collect my thoughts.

Tonight had been bizarre to say the least. A tiny part of me was still convinced this was all some elaborate dream but Enzo's derision had been very real. Enzo had been very real.

Enzo. The mere thought of him was enough to make me queasy. Our entire encounter had been very weird from start to finish and it left me with a sense of dread. I had no idea who he was but he knew who I was. And he wanted me to marry him which was by far the most bizarre thing that had happened tonight.

I had no intention of getting involved with him, much less getting married to him but from the little I'd seen tonight, Enzo was a very dangerous person and it wasn't going to be so easy to get rid of him.

"Damn it!" I groaned, burying my head in my hand unable to ignore the feeling of deja vu that threatened to overwhelm me. I was just so f**king unlucky.

* * *

"Fu***ng hell!" I cussed under my breath, my grip tight on the piece of paper in my hand. It was a letter that'd been delivered to June's place for me. The sender wasn't stated but the contents made it clear enough.

“Just in case you were thinking of quitting Elysium, you shouldn't seeing as you still owe me for yesterday.”

Attached to the letter was a drycleaning bill, likely the one for the dress I'd spilled wine on yesterday. I checked it and the amount was enough to make my jaw drop. It was absolutely ludicrous that anyone would pay that much to get their clothes dry cleaned.

Then again, seeing as the dress in question was expensive enough to buy me seven times over, I shouldn't have been so surprised the dry cleaning was so expensive.

Shaking my head, I balled up Enzo's letter and tossed it in a nearby trashcan. I slipped the drycleaning bill in my jacket pocket and continued to trudge the path towards June's apartment.

It was mid afternoon so I didn't expect her to be home. I wasn't supposed to be home either but my job search has been utterly futile.

After the whole craziness at Elysium last night, I'd decided that I couldn't keep working there. I hadn't officially quit yet but I had decided to look for another job, one that I'd be at during the daytime but given that I was an ex-con and I only had a high school diploma, I couldn't get any good paying jobs and even the low paying jobs were hesitant to hire me.

I didn't want to consider going back to Elysium but it really did seem like I was stuck there, especially with a hefty drycleaning bill now hanging on my neck.

Yeah, I wasn't having the best week.

I finally arrived at June's apartment and was about to open the door with the spare key she'd given me when I noticed that the door was slightly ajar. That was strange.

Stepping in, I called out, "June? You home?"

I heard nothing which was also very strange. I looked around the living room and though nothing was out of place, something felt very off. I'd been on edge after my apartment burned down and then running into Bruce and June had called me paranoid but something genuinely wasn't right.

If June wasn't home, then could it mean that someone has broken in? Were they still inside or had they left? It was quiet so maybe they'd left but I didn't want to take any chances.

My eyes scanned the room for something I could use as a weapon and I settled on an umbrella by the door. It wasn't very efficient but it would have to do. I grabbed the umbrella and began to slowly clear every room.

I checked each room carefully, which given the size of the apartment didn't take me long and soon only my room and June's were left. I checked mine first, approaching the room with shaky legs and clammy hands which I used to grip the umbrella tighter.

Thankfully, the room was empty but given the state of it, someone had definitely been in there. It didn't look like anything was missing but the room was messy like they'd ransacked the place. After a quick search to make sure that nothing was missing, I stepped out of the room and took out my phone to call the police.

I was on my way to the living room when I noticed the door to June's room was ajar. Realising that I'd forgotten to check it, I pushed the door open and what I saw was enough to bring me to my knees.

07/09/2025

❤️‍🔥🥀His Sweetest Obsession ❤️‍🩹🗡️

🔥(A Steamy Mafia Romance)🔥

🖊️ Written By:
© Tyna Williams 💕

📖Chapter 4📖

🥀NICOLA🥀

For a full minute after Enzo spoke, I didn't say a word or more accurately, I couldn't say a word. I basically forgot how to breathe, how to blink, how to think. All I did was stare at him, mouth slightly agape, waiting for him to burst out laughing and tell me he was just joking.

That didn't happen.

Eventually, I got over my shock and swallowed, thinking carefully about what my next words should be.

"I think I may have misheard you. Could you come again?" I eventually decided to say.

"It's pretty simple what I asked, Nicola. This man–" he pointed at Bruce's quivering form–"touched you, right?" I nodded and he went on. "And he's the same man from last night who cornered you in the bathroom. Obviously he hasn't learnt his lesson so it's up to you to choose how to punish him. Do you want me to have them break his fingers or cut off his fingers?"

He might as well have been discussing the weather going off the casualness with which he spoke. It was terrifying that he could sound like that while asking me if I wanted to cut off a man's fingers.

Beads of perspiration began to form on my forehead and a lump materialised in my throat that made breathing a little more difficult. I took a step back, pressing my back to the wall while trying not to break under his pointed gaze.

One perfectly groomed eyebrow arched ever so slightly and my knees buckled under the weight of the choice he'd presented me with.

He was waiting for an answer but what the f**k was I supposed to say?

My eyes darted to Bruce and we locked eyes. His eyes were wide with terror and I could practically see the words he was unable to say reflected in his fearful eyes. I looked away and down at my fingers which I'd started to wring.

Bruce was a piece of s**t. Regardless of what I chose, he deserved that and more. He definitely didn't deserve my sympathy but I didn't have it in me to deprive him of his hands or of the use of his fingers. I opened my mouth to tell him just that but the words got stuck in my throat as I stared at Enzo who looked so detached, so unaffected by the squirming man only a few feet away from him.

I had no idea who he was but anyone who could put fear in the hearts of Elysium's VIP was obviously not someone to mess with. What if I told him I didn't want to punish Bruce and he decided to punish me instead? That definitely wouldn't be ideal.

"Or should I just have them cut off his entire hand instead?"

My head snapped up with a swiftness that would've made me since if I wasn't so razor focused on the man sitting languidly on the couch in front of me, his impassive eyes fixed on me as he took a long puff of his cigar before exhaling. The lights of the room weren't lit too brightly but it was enough for me to see the look in his eyes which was nothing. There was nothing behind those dark eyes of his yet I got the terrifying sense that he meant every word he said. He would cut off Bruce's hand if I didn't give him an answer.

Bruce's screams were muffled by the gag but it was loud enough to send shivers down my spine. It was clear what he was asking for but I couldn't tear my eyes away from Roman to even look at him.

"B-break his fingers," I sighed, admitting defeat, breaking eye contact and looking down at my hands again. I was still staring down at my fingers when I heard the first sickening crunch. I shuddered, my fingers stilling. Bruce screamed and with every crunch that followed, his screams only grew louder. It was a guttural sound I knew I'd never forget for as long as I lived.

After they were done breaking the five fingers on his right hand, Bruce's screams gradually faded until they were just soft wails and whimpers.

"Take him out. That sound is so grating," Enzo groaned, pinching his temple.

The men swiftly obeyed his order and Bruce was carried of the room. Once the door closed, leaving both of us all alone, I started to shake like a leaf caught in a rainstorm, all too aware of the fact that I was now alone in the room with a certified psychopath.

"I really thought you'd be able to stomach more than that, Nicola. But you look like you're about to faint." He sounded amused, a fact I noted morbidly. "Come over and sit."

"No. No. I'm fine. I just–" I trailed, realisation dawning on me. "Why would you think I'd be able to stomach that after just one interaction?"

His eyes flickered up. Amusement shone in them as he levelled a stare at me.

"Intuition." He shrugged, taking another drag of his cigar.

"You said that too yesterday. You know me, don't you? I don't think we've met before but you know me. How long have you been keeping tabs on me and why? What's your game plan?" I fired off question after question, hoping to regain some control of the situation after what'd just happened. However, I found myself coming to a stop when he smiled. He didn't just smile. He full-on grinned at me.

It was the most emotion I'd seen him display since I'd met him yesterday and it threw me off guard. There was something almost sinister behind his grin that unnerved me.

"It's nice to see that your tongue has loosened, Nicola. Okay, I'll bite." He put out his cigar on an ashtray in front of him and leaned back on the couch. "You were right about one thing. Prior to last night, we haven't met before. But I do know you. And I have a proposition for you."

My heart skipped a beat. That couldn't be good. "What's your proposition?" I asked, in spite of the growing unease in the pit of my stomach.

"You should sit down first. Let's have a drink together." He hadn't threatened me. He'd just offered me a drink. Yet, my legs moved towards the couch of their own accord even while my knees started to quake. I sank down on the couch just as he took out a bottle of whiskey from the mini fridge and slid a glass to me.

I held out my glass while he filled it up and watched as he filled his glass.

"Drink up," he said after taking a sip of his.

I nodded and lifted the glass up to my lips. I intended to only drink a bit but the minute I tasted it, I couldn't stop and downed half of the glass in one go. Maybe it was the stress of the whole evening, the fact that I hadn't had alcohol in months, Enzo's proposition looming over my head or all three but I desperately needed the whiskey.

"What do you want from me, Enzo? Who are you even?"

"You'll find out who I am in due time, Nicola. And as for what I want, it's rather simple, you see. I just want you to marry me."

I blinked once. Then I blinked again. And again. And again. And again.

Then I burst out laughing. It all made sense now. I was f**king dreaming.

05/09/2025

🥀His Sweetest Obsession ❤️‍🩹🗡️

🔥(A Steamy Mafia Romance)🔥

🖊️ Written By:
© Tyna Williams 💕

📖Chapter 3📖

🥀NICOLA🥀

"Oh, if I catch that Bruce, I'm so going to—" June's coffee poured out of the cup, spilling on her hand on account of how tightly she'd been squeezing it. "Oww! It's hot."

I laughed indulgently as I passed her a tissue paper and took the battered coffee cup out of her hand, tossing it into a nearby trash can.

"As much as I appreciate the murderous energy, I'd be much happier if you looked after yourself first before trying to fight my battles for me, J."

"Still, it's just not fair!" June protested, tossing the damp tissue away. I watched it land on the grass a few feet away and get carried away by a gust of wind.

"Well, life's not fair," I mused, looking down at the swirling dark brew I had in my hand.

"He literally attacked you. Why would she put you on probation instead of banning him or something?"

Even as she spoke, I saw in her eyes that she already knew the answer. Yes, Bruce might've followed me to the bathroom and made a move on me but in a place with a clientele as powerful and as exclusive as Elysium, the word of the staff had almost zero worth next to that of a patron. Bruce would have had to do more than “leer at me” (as my manager has put it) to face actual consequences.

And as luck would have it, there was no video evidence that he'd even done anything so it was just my word against his. I never stood a chance. I was actually lucky to get off with only probation. My manager had almost fired me when she heard another patron had had to intervene. Bruce had been the one to tell her it didn't need to go that far. He'd had a panicked look in his eyes that really made me wonder what my saviour had said to him.

"I'll be fine, J. It's not the most ideal situation but I can handle it." I flashed her a smile to reassure her but she seemed to be thinking about something else. "What is it?"

"Have you reconsidered quitting and leaving New York?"

"June—"

" I know. You don't want to run away and you shouldn't have to but Nicola, you know it's only a matter of time before he approaches you. He's definitely been keeping tabs on you and when Bruce tells him he saw you, he'll make a move sooner or later. I just want you to be safe."

"I know you do and I appreciate it..." I waited for a moment before I spoke, "I'll think about it, June. I promise."

"And that's fine by me." She had a huge grin on her face and after everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours, that made me feel better than ever.

I wasn't lying when I said I'd think about it. As much as I didn't want to quit and run away, last night's events and the repercussions they could have had given me a lot to think about.

I leaned back on the bench, tilted my head up and stared at the clear blue sky, wishing things would just get easier.

* * *

"You're going to be working at the VIP lounge today."

"Huh? How come?" I asked, thinking I'd heard her wrong.

Working at the VIP lounge at Elysium was considered a privilege because it paid more and tips were usually given generously. I'd only worked a shift there once and I'd made roughly the same amount I earned in a week on my regular shift.

"Someone requested it," Tammy said. She looked slightly annoyed but I couldn't stop myself from asking, "And they asked for me? You know, by name?"

"Yes. Keep in mind that this doesn't mean you're no longer on probation. Just work tonight's shift at the lounge and try not to cause a scene." The last part was accompanied with a pointed look and I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from mouthing off at her.

It wasn't all her fault. That was just how things worked here...

"Well, thank you for letting me work the shift regardless. And I apologise once again for yesterday."

"Whatever. You're dismissed."

I stepped out of her office and promptly made my way to the VIP lounge to start my shift. The VIP lounge was located on the highest floor in the building and had this otherworldly feel to it. Despite only being a floor higher than the general club area, it felt completely detached and was almost suffocating with all its glitz and glamour.

Elysium took great care in its appearance but the VIP lounge took it a step further and I got the feeling that every single thing around me was worth my entire existence and more. But beyond the fancy decor, the people here scared me more than anything else.

Entry to the lounge was by membership only. Every single member had to fulfil several requirements and be approved by a board before they were granted membership. So every single person I'd be serving tonight was probably rich beyond comprehension and very influential. Members ranged from A-list actors to the country's top leaders in various fields of business to those who ruled the city's less appealing side.

Besides the members, while every employee was trained to work at the VIP lounge after they were given the job, only a selected few who were efficient and had proved their worth and loyalty went on to work there.

Having only been here for a short period of time, I shouldn't have gotten to work here so soon. The first time I had, someone had missed their shift and Tammy decided to give it to me on a whim. I shouldn't have stood a chance at getting to work there after last night's disaster but it made sense that a member's request carried enough weight to override that.

As grateful as I was for another chance to work at the VIP lounge, I also had many questions about it. Who made a request that I work a shift at the lounge and what could have prompted them to do so?

I didn't get more time to contemplate that as the minute I got up there, I was thrown into a flurry of activities that kept me on my toes for hours. Patrons at the lounge were far more demanding than the patrons I served in the general area and I was also constantly reminded of the fact that a mistake might just ruin my life.

Thankfully, my night went better and about an hour to the end of my shift, I had enough tips to help June cover at least half the rent.

Then, as the pattern was in my life, everything started to go horribly wrong.

It started after I'd just finished attending to a patron who had been very particular about what they wanted but ended up being very generous. I was on my way back to the counter when someone suddenly palmed my ass, bringing me to a halt.

My natural instinct was to go off on whoever had touched me but I was quickly reminded of where I was and what that could mean so I took a deep breath before turning around. Then I saw who it'd been and my resolve to stay calm went up in flames.

"I thought that was you, Nikki. Never did see a finer piece of ass," Bruce smacked his lips. My eyes twitched, my grip on my composure slipping.

"What are you doing here, Bruce? There's no way you're a VIP member." I made sure to keep my voice level so as not to attract any attention but the mockery in my words was apparent.

Bruce appeared unruffled by my words though, responding haughtily, "I have friends in high places. One of them invited me."

"I'm sure this must be a momentous occasion for you then." His smile dropped, mine grew a little. "In any case, I'm very busy so if you don't mind... Sir, I'll be leaving now." I turned to leave again but Bruce grabbed my wrist and pulled me back so forcefully I ended up on my knees in front of him.

"We didn't get to finish our business yesterday and I think now's a good time as any to do so." Then without warning, with my wrist still in his grip, he moved my hand to his crotch and palmed himself with my hand.

His eyes glazed over and he moaned softly, a sound that made my skin crawl. I knew that I'd have nightmares where that sound was the only thing I heard for hours on end.

As quickly as it'd happened, I was up on my feet and pulled my hand out of his grip before he could do worse. I was panting heavily, my anger and disgust too much to put into words while I tried to think of what to do next.

My eyes fell on the half full bottle of red wine that was right in front of him which probably cost more than my pay for the entire year. Before I could stop myself, I grabbed it and tipped the whole bottle on his head.

The people gathered at his table as well as those seated at nearby tables went silent, finally paying us attention. I became aware of the amount of eyes scrutinizing me and I got the sense that I'd made a huge mistake.

"Ahhh! My dress!"

My eyes widened and my heart rate took a nosedive when the lady seated beside Bruce let out a guttural scream which got everyone's attention now.

"You– you ruined my dress!!!" she screamed again, her bloodshot eyes fixed on me as she drew closer.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm s–"

I was cut off by a slap so hard my head reared to the side and my knees trembled. I barely got a chance to recover when she grabbed my ponytail and yanked on it, hard enough to draw tears.

"Do you know how expensive this dress is? Think about what your entire existence would cost and multiply that by seven!! I should skin you alive for this!"

"But you're not going to," someone said coolly.

Her head spun in the direction the voice had come from and I saw her eyes widen ever so slightly. A quick glance at the table behind her and I saw that they too had turned their head in the direction of the voice, their faces a mix of shock, awe and fear.

Curious, I followed their gaze and my eyes fell on a figure making his way through the crowd to where I was standing. A figure who looked very much like the man who'd saved me from Bruce yesterday. But there was something different about him. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but he felt different.

When he finally reached where I was, I could swear the air turned a few degrees colder.

At first, he didn't even acknowledge me. Instead, his eyes were on the lady holding me who squirmed under his cold gaze.

"I– I didn't really mean what I said. I was just acting in the heat of the moment!" she explained quickly and anxiously, all signs of her earlier anger gone.

He ordered in a clipped voice, "Let go of her."

She did so immediately and I stumbled back, my head still swimming from the impact of the slap. She was stronger than she looked, I'll give her that.

"Since she messed up, I'll take responsibility and pay for your drycleaning. But this better not happen again." His eyes narrowed, forming sharp slits.

Her head bobbed up and down. "Of course! Of course! I understand, Enzo!" She wasted no time in grabbing her purse from the table and leaving the lounge's restaurant in a hurry.

After she left, “Enzo” turned his attention to Bruce who withered under his gaze and almost jumped out of his skin when he spoke to him.

"You're coming with me." Then his black eyes flickered to me. "You too."

As he turned around and began to walk away, two burly men appeared seemingly out of the shadows and grabbed Bruce by his arms, dragging him to his feet and taking him with them. My legs started moving and I found myself trailing behind them, even as I wondered what the hell was going on.

I followed them out of the restaurant and into the area that held the rooms available to VIPs who wanted to indulge in some wanton pleasures privately. The men went into one of them and in spite of the alarms going off in my head, I followed them in.

I watched as Enzo settled down on a large leather couch at the farthest end of the room. He lit a cigar amd puffed on it while the men worked on restraining Bruce. Soon, his hand and feet were bound and he was gagged.

I stayed close to the door, hoping to make a run for it if things got weird but I realised how futile it was since the men could easily come after me if I ran. Still, being close to the door helped to calm my thumping heart a bit.

"He touched you, didn't he?"

Enzo had spoken so suddenly, his deep voice filling up the enclosed space. His question had also taken me by surprise that all I could utter was, "Huh?"

My eyes darted to Bruce who was staring at me with fearful eyes then back to Enzo whose eyes gave nothing away. I gulped and forced the words out. "Yes, he did. But I don't get why—"

"Would you rather his fingers be broken or cut off instead? The choice is yours."
..am I f**king dreaming?

04/09/2025

❤️‍🔥🥀His Sweetest Obsession ❤️‍🩹🗡️

🔥(A Steamy Mafia Romance)🔥

🖊️ Written By:
© Tyna Williams 💕

📖Chapter 2📖

NICOLA🥀

Running into my one of my ex-boyfriend's friends at my place of work wasn't an ideal situation. Hiding behind a random patron who'd walked on to the scene when I worked at one of the most exclusive clubs in the city made the situation even worse. But I was out of options.

Bruce had been unrelenting in his advances and I was completely at his mercy until he appeared— my knight in an Armani suit.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" he demanded in a clipped voice.

For a second, I feared he was talking to me but one look up at him put my fears to rest. His eyes were fixed on Bruce who had attempted to reach through the small gap beside him to try and grab me.

"Hey, this is between me and the lady so you should just—"

In a move I wasn't expecting, the mysterious man grabbed Bruce's wrist, twisted it and shoved him face first into the wall. My eyes widened and I watched slack jawed as he advanced towards Bruce who was now lying on the floor, nursing a possibly broken nose, crouched and told him something I didn't catch. Whatever it was, it clearly affected Bruce because he looked unsettled and struggled to get up to his feet, eyeing Mystery Man the entire time with a wary look. Eventually he was up on his feet and walked away, glancing back repeatedly like he was scared something was going to appear behind him. He soon turned a corner and disappeared out of sight.

I exhaled deeply once he was gone and leaned back against the wall. I pressed my hand to my chest and counted backwards from 10 until my heart rate returned to normal.

Once I'd regained my composure, I cautiously locked eyes with my saviour who was on his feet now and staring at me impassively with arms crossed. I was finally able to get a good look at him and I realised how lucky I'd been to run into him.

He stood at an impressive height of at least 6 foot 4, with a build that filled out his suit and made him appear imposing without even trying. His outfit down to his shiny black shoes bespoke luxury, even more than I was used to after being at Elysium for two months now. His features from his sharp jawline to his high cheekbones to his perfectly sculpted aquiline nose were striking with a face that would shame any model.

His most stunning feature, however, were his eyes. I'd never seen eyes so black before.

Dark wasn't apt enough to describe them. They were like two orbs of onyx— pretty, rare and enchanting. Even with the detached look on his face and the faint air of danger radiating of him, the longer I stared at his eyes, the more I felt drawn to them.

Before my thoughts could wander any further and I'd do something insane like try and touch him, I cleared my throat and plastered a wide smile on my face. "Thank you for all your help, Sir. I apologise for any distress I might've caused you." I bowed at a ninety degree angle, holding it for a few seconds before I rose to my full height and tried to leave. I took a few steps before I stopped and turned to face him again. "And if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you maybe not tell my boss about any of this? Please?"

I paused for one awkward moment to gauge his reaction to my request— he had none— before bowing again and making a break for it as fast as I could. There was no point running after he'd helped me and already gotten a good look at my face but I didn't think I could just walk away, not when he was still looking at me with those eyes of his.

I made my way back to my station and apologised to Emma for taking so long.

"It's no big deal. I'm going on my own break now so hold the fort down." She walked out of the bar and in the direction of the employee bathroom.

After everything that had happened, I was more than happy to plop on to my stool and rest my head on the bar's counter. On any other day, the lights and music coming from the dance floor which the bar was directly next to would have made it impossible for me to relax but this wasn't any other day.

Running into Bruce had rattled me, reminding that I could never truly escape my past. Then again, it wasn't like I'd tried to escape. I'd moved from New York City to Manhattan but I was still in New York. As long as I was still in New York, I was bound to run into Wayne's acquaintances, friends, partners and maybe someday, even him. If I'd really wanted to escape, I'd have moved to another state entirely and gone off the grid.

That was what June wanted me to do but I'd convinced myself that leaving New York would be tantamount to running away and I didn't want to run away, not from him. Today's events had me start to question my decision. If running into Bruce who I'd only met a few times shook me this much, what would happen to me when I ran into his close friends or worse, him? Could I handle that? Was this one of those scenarios where running away was actually the brave— and smart thing to do?

A rap on the counter close to my head brought my train of thoughts to an abrupt end and I quickly sat up, an apology on my lips for whoever had come to the bar and thought I was sleeping. The apology died on my lips when my gaze fell on a familiar face and eyes darker than ink, which pulsed and flickered with the lights flashing on the dance floor.

"Hello again!" I squeaked and almost slapped myself for how stupid that sounded. Get a grip, Nicola.

"I'll have a Midnight Manhattan," he spoke, his tone as impassive as the way he looked at me. It was as though we'd never met before and he was just another customer ordering a drink, which was exactly as it should be.

I flashed him my best smile and nodded. "Of course, Sir. Coming right up."

I got started on mixing his drink and slid it across the bar to him once I was done. Afterwards, I began cleaning and tidying my workspace, trying my possible best not to look at him or his eyes... It wasn't the easiest thing.

"So do you plan on telling me what exactly happened back there or do I have to beg?" he drawled, startling me.

"Huh?" I stared blankly at him, my hand frozen on the cup I was cleaning.

"I need to know what you got me involved in, Nicola," he spoke cooly, his eyes giving nothing away.

"H-how do you know my name?" I asked, my heart hanging in my throat.

He said nothing and instead, stared pointedly at my face. No, lower. He was staring at my chest?

I followed his gaze to my chest and my eyes stopped at the name tag pinned to my shirt.

Understanding dawned on me and I laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of my head. "Oh, right. Of course... As for your question," I cleared my throat and hoped he bought what I was about to say, "that guy asked for my number and wouldn't take no for an answer. When I rejected him again, he followed me to the bathroom to get back at me and that's when you came into the scene. I truly am sorry if I inconvenienced you in any way, Sir. I was just really desperate for a way out. I don't think he'll cause you any more trouble and I hope you don't hold it against me. But I'll understand if you choose to report me to the higher ups."

I had no idea if he'd bought all that but I'd spoken as earnestly as I could and I hoped it would be able to convince him.

"Interesting," he said, the ghost of a smile on his lips. He stared down at his drink before adding, "You're cute when you lie."

My jaw went slack for a second and I faltered for a second before collecting myself and asking, "What makes you think I'm lying?"

He gave a small shrug, looked up at me and stated matter of factly, "Intuition."

"So you're guessing?"

"You could say that but my instincts haven't failed me yet."

"Well, I have no reason to lie to you, Sir," I said with my most indulging smile.

The corners of his mouth quirked for a brief second but he said nothing and simply took another sip of his drink.

For whatever reason, I wasn't ready for our conversation to end and I wanted to ask him what he'd told Bruce that'd spooked him so much but before I could ask, a man approached the bar and made an order. I immediately snapped back into professional mode and got started on mixing his drink while still keeping my eyes on my saviour who wasn't focused on me anymore as he was busy on his phone. However, as I went about my work, I noticed that the man who'd ordered the drink seemed not to be very comfortable being beside him.

I couldn't tell if it was because they knew each other— which didn't seem likely because he didn't even seem to notice the other man's presence— or something entirely different like him having a notorious reputation. That wouldn't be out of the ordinary and he certainly looked the part.

The man looked more than relieved when I handed him his drink and he left in a haste.

I considered asking him if he knew why that man was so scared of him, then thought I might be overstepping my bounds and decided to ask him anyway.

"Um, Sir, do you happen to know why—"

"I have to go," he announced abruptly, getting off his stool. With his eyes still glued to his phone, he downed the rest of his scotch, left a few bills that were way too generous for a tip and walked away without so much as a backward glance. It was only after he was gone that I realised that I hadn't thought to ask his name.

"Good going, Nicola," I sighed, palming my forehead. I couldn't quite figure out why not knowing his name bothered me so much but it did. The most plausible reason was that I felt indebted to him and now I couldn't even put a name to his face... but that wasn't all there was to it.

I was still turning it over in my head and wondering if I'd be able to find him myself when Emma returned from her break.

"Nikki? The boss asked to see you in her office," she informed me as she rummaged through the cupboard beneath the counter.

"Really? What about?"

"No idea. She just said it was urgent."

My heart rate quickened but I told myself to calm down. The boss could be asking to see me for a lot of reasons. It didn't have to be connected to anything that had happened tonight.

"The leftover bottle of scotch is in the one below it, Em," I said as I walked past her on my way out.

She shot me a goofy grin as she retrieved it. "You're a lifesaver, Nikki." I flashed her a smile back and tried to focus on calming my nerves before I could got to the office of the manager, Tammy.

"Hi, Tammy. Em said you wanted to..." I trailed off on seeing the reason why I'd been summoned seated in a chair in front of Tammy's desk.

Oh, for the love of God. Could today get any worse?!

* * *

Updates will be made daily from now on, unless I absolutely can't help it.

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