Chapter 5

The cozy melody playing in the pub wrapped the room in calm, the kind of sound that could make anyone feel at peace.And yes tonight, I was working at Noir Lounge, where the elite came to disappear.

“Anna, take this to the VVIP room. Be careful and never interrupt them,” Linda said firmly.

“Okay, don’t worry, Miss,” she replied.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Anna entered the room with her head lowered, carrying the drinks.It was the unspoken protocol of Noir when entering a room reserved for the elite, you never looked at their faces. They were mysterious guests in this country. One mistake, and your head could fall to the ground without hesitation. She carefully placed the drinks on the table.Then she smelled something familiar.

Tobacco.

Her breath caught. Without thinking, she lifted her head and met a pair of ocean-blue eyes. Their gazes locked, no words spoken. In that brief moment, Anna felt her heartbeat shatter, dropping straight to the floor. She quickly looked away and continued her work. When she glanced up again, he was already gone without a single look back.

10:00 p.m.

The night air felt heavier than usual. The city’s noise faded beneath the soft rhythm of rain tapping against the pavement.Anna was on her way back to her room when a car suddenly stopped in front of her.

She froze.

The window slid down slowly.

“Get in,” a calm voice said.

She didn’t need to look.General Damien.

His presence alone carried authority controlled, dangerous, unquestionable. The kind of man people obeyed before realizing they had already agreed.

“I’m off duty,” Anna said carefully, forcing her voice to stay steady.

A faint, unreadable smile appeared on his lips.

“This won’t take long.”Every instinct told her to walk away. But in Noir, refusal was a luxury no one truly had.

The door opened.

Inside, the scent of tobacco lingered again stronger this time. The same scent from the VVIP room.

“Do you know why Noir exists?” Damien asked as the car began to move.Anna remained silent.

“It’s where secrets rest,” he said softly. “And tonight, you stepped into one.”Her fingers tightened around the edge of her coat.

“And once you’ve seen the faces,” he added, glancing at her, “there’s no turning back.”

The car moved in silence.Streetlights passed like shadows, briefly touching Damien’s face before disappearing again. He didn’t look at her. Didn’t ask questions.That silence felt heavier than any warning.

Anna shifted slightly.

“You said this wouldn’t take long.”

“It won’t,” he replied.Nothing more.The scent of tobacco lingered steady, controlled. Like him.The car slowed.

“Forget tonight,” Damien said at last.Anna frowned.

“And if I can’t?”

He turned then. Just once.“Then you won’t last,” he said calmly.No threat in his tone. No emotion.Just fact.

The car stopped.The door unlocked.

As Anna stepped out, his voice came again low, almost careless.

“You did well,” he said.She turned back.But the car was already moving, disappearing into the dark.Anna stood there, rain soaking into her coat, heart pounding for reasons she didn’t understand.He hadn’t promised protection.He hadn’t offered comfort.Yet somehow, she knew.That wasn’t the last time General Damien would appear in her life

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