The bar was dimly lit, warm amber lights glinting off crystal glasses as slow music humd softly through the air. It was the kind of place where laughter stayed low and the scent of liquor hung sweet and heady. Scarlett sat cross-legged on a velvet stool, swirling her glass of whiskey before downing it in one smooth motion.
Bella watched her with wide eyes, half amused and half awed. "You drink like you’ve done that since birth," she whispered, smiling softly as the golden liquid disappeared without Scarlett even flinching.
Scarlett set the glass down with a light clink and sighed. "They’re always late. n." Her red lips pursed in annoyance as she looked at the empty entrance again. "If they’re not here in ten minutes, I swear I’m taking you ho, Bella Bell. I didn’t get all dressed up just to babysit invisible hackers."
Bella imdiately panicked, tugging at Scarlett’s sleeve. "No, no! We should wait for them! What if they’re just stuck in traffic or... or downloading sothing?"
Scarlett raised an eyebrow, amused. "Downloading sothing? Bella, we’re in a bar, not a server room."
Bella blushed, giggling softly. "Still... I don’t want to go yet. The music’s nice." Her eyes darted toward the small dance floor where soft, romantic tunes played and a few couples swayed close together. "And the lights are so pretty..."
Scarlett’s expression softened as she followed Bella’s gaze. "You’re too easy to please, you know that?"
Bella smiled faintly, propping her chin on her hand. "I just like when things feel... peaceful."
Scarlett chuckled and ordered another round, shaking her head. "Peaceful, huh? Wait till the boys arrive—peace will vanish."
Bella laughed quietly, her eyes twinkling as the warm glow of the bar lights danced across her soft features. She didn’t notice the way a few n at another table were already watching her, whispering and nudging each other. But Scarlett did.
Her smile disappeared. She set her glass down with a sharp clink and narrowed her eyes. "They’d better look sowhere else," she muttered darkly.
Bella blinked, confused. "What?"
"Nothing, sweetheart," Scarlett said sweetly, twirling her glass again. "Just... if anyone cos here acting smart, I’ll throw my drink in their face. Classic, dramatic, and effective."
Bella giggled again, completely unaware that she’d already caught soone’s attention.
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
anwhile, on the VVIP floor above, Alan lounged back on a leather couch, a glass of bourbon in hand, half-listening to his friends’ loud chatter. He hadn’t planned to co out tonight at all, but after a week of tension at work, a drink had seed like a decent idea. The bar below glowed with golden light, laughter, and the faint haze of perfu drifting upward.
He swirled his drink idly until sothing caught his eye.
Through the glass partition below, he saw her.
Bella.
His breath hitched for a second. She was sitting in the VIP section with her friend, and for a mont, he thought maybe the dim light was tricking him. But no—it was her. The soft curve of her face, the gentle way she laughed, that familiar, glowing warmth around her—it could only be Bella.
His friends kept talking, their voices fading into aningless noise. Alan couldn’t look away. She was wearing a simple yet elegant dark dress that caught the light every ti she moved. Her hair frad her face softly, and when she smiled at sothing her friend said, his heart gave a small, unexpected twist.
What is she doing here? he thought, setting his glass down. And that friend beside her... oh. He recognized Scarlett from a distance—bold, sharp-eyed, definitely the protective type.
Still, that didn’t stop him.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he stood up abruptly. "Alan?" one of his friends called, confused.
"I’ll be back," Alan said shortly, already heading for the elevator.
"Bro, the bar downstairs? That’s Basic VIP only," another friend reminded him.
Alan smirked faintly, adjusting his jacket. "Good thing I’m Basic VIP, then."
Ignoring the curious looks that followed, he took the lift down. His mind was racing—not with panic, but sothing else entirely. It had been too long since he’d seen her.
The mont he stepped out onto the VIP floor, the air shifted. The crowd here was quieter, richer in scent and sound, the lighting softer. He spotted her instantly.
Bella.
Without thinking twice, he started walking toward her—past murmuring guests and clinking glasses—straight toward the girl who had unknowingly stolen every bit of his attention the mont he saw her again.
"Hey," Alan said as he slid into the seat beside her, his voice low and easy, though his heart was beating faster than he wanted to admit.
Bella blinked, a little surprised but polite as ever. "Hi," she said softly, her smile small but genuine. Scarlett gave a brief nod from across the table, already scanning him with sharp, assessing eyes, as if deciding whether he was a friend or a potential nuisance.
"Leo didn’t co with you?" Alan asked, trying to sound casual but failing to hide the curiosity in his tone.
"He’s busy," Bella said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I ca with my friend."
"Oh, I got it," he said with a faint smile. He was about to ask sothing else when a voice like nails on glass sliced through the air.
"Alan!"
Both Alan and Bella froze. Scarlett’s expression darkened instantly.
Bella turned her head and nearly groaned under her breath. Why is she here?
Alexa was strutting toward them, her designer heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. The smug smile on her face made it clear she wasn’t here by coincidence.
She was followed closely by another girl—shorter, slender, with long dark hair that shimred faintly under the lights. Her green eyes were wide and bright, her cheeks dotted with soft freckles that made her look sweet and out of place in a bar like this.
Bella’s eyes softened. She’s cute, she thought quietly, almost smiling.
The girl noticed her gaze and blinked, then offered a small, shy smile in return.
Scarlett caught the exchange and subtly shifted closer to Bella.
"Bella," she said quickly, standing up, "let’s go. I’ve booked one of those private lounges upstairs. We can relax there instead."
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