Chapter 1: The underground enconter

The bass of the music thumped through the walls, a heartbeat pulsing in time with the flashing neon lights. Aria wasn’t supposed to be here. Well, technically, she never planned on it. But Mia had that look in her eyes—the one that meant no wasn’t an acceptable answer.

“Come on, Aria! You’re twenty now, let’s do something reckless for once!” Mia had practically dragged her through the entrance of The Hollow, an exclusive underground club hidden beneath the streets of the city.

Aria rolled her eyes but smiled. “I don’t do reckless. I do calculated risks.”

“Yeah, yeah. Consider this a calculated risk then.”

Inside, the air was thick with energy—people dancing, bodies moving in a hypnotic rhythm. The club had an almost illicit feel, the kind of place where secrets were whispered and inhibitions were left at the door. Aria had been to normal clubs before, but this was different.

She adjusted her tight black dress—Mia had picked it out, claiming Aria needed to “look like a sin waiting to happen.” Despite herself, Aria felt a little thrill at the attention she was getting. The usual version of her was all about control, discipline, and keeping her emotions in check. But tonight? Maybe she could loosen up.

Then she saw him.

He was leaning against the bar, a drink in one hand, the other casually tucked into his pocket. The kind of man you couldn’t ignore if you tried. Dark, brooding, and radiating an energy that made the air feel heavier. His black shirt stretched over broad shoulders, and his sharp jawline was framed by just the right amount of stubble. But it was his eyes that did her in—piercing, intense, as if he could see right through her.

Aria wasn’t the type to be easily flustered, but there was something about him that made her pulse race. She turned to Mia. “Who is that?”

Mia followed her gaze and let out a low whistle. “Damn. No idea, but you should definitely go talk to him.”

“I don’t do that.”

Mia rolled her eyes. “And yet you’re still staring.”

Aria huffed. Maybe it was the atmosphere. Maybe it was the way his gaze locked onto hers like a silent challenge. Either way, her feet moved before she could think twice.

By the time she reached the bar, he was still watching her, his lips quirking slightly—like he knew exactly what effect he had on her.

“Can I buy you a drink?” His voice was deep, smooth, effortlessly confident.

Aria arched a brow. “Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”

His smirk widened. “I don’t think you’ve ever used that line in your life.”

She bit back a laugh. “Fair point.”

He motioned for the bartender. “Vodka?”

“Whiskey.” She wasn’t the girly cocktail type.

That seemed to amuse him. “Interesting.”

They talked—well, mostly bantered. He was sharp, flirtatious, but there was something unreadable about him. Something dangerous.

“What’s your name?” she asked finally.

For the briefest moment, hesitation flickered in his eyes, but then he answered. “Lucian.”

Lucian. It suited him.

The next thing she knew, they were dancing. Close, too close. His hands on her waist, his breath against her ear. The club faded into the background—there was only him, only this moment.

And when he leaned in, when their lips finally met, Aria stopped thinking altogether.

Tonight, she could be reckless. Just this once.

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