The city lights blinked on as night fell over the streets. The Lotus Club sat smack in the middle of downtown, right on the busiest block in town.
Allison had never set foot in a place like this. Before they left the house, Damian had practically forced her into a thin white gauze dress that left her feeling way too exposed.
The unfamiliar setting and the way the fabric barely covered her skin made her stomach twist with unease.
She spun around to leave, but Damian caught her wrist in a firm grip. "Where do you think you're going? Still want your mom's pendant back or not?"
He jerked his chin toward the hallway ahead. "Just get inside the private room and stop making a scene."
Allison dropped her gaze and walked in. The dim lights made everything blurry. Men and women tangled together in a hazy crowd, their faces impossible to make out clearly.
Bella had arrived early. She had traded her usual sweet-girl look for a skin-tight black dress that hugged every curve and dipped dangerously low at the neckline.
"Why did Allison show up?" A quick flash of jealousy crossed Bella's face before she forced a bright smile and turned to the group. "Everyone, this is my big sister Allison. She just got out of finishing school not long ago."
"Finishing school?" One guy looked Allison up and down with a mocking grin. "I heard girls who come out of there turn into total new people. Talented at everything, real modern-day ladies. So what tricks does your sister have up her sleeve?"
"My sister's an incredible dancer," Bella said in that fake-innocent voice. "Back in high school, she took first place in the national dance competition."
"Then let's see it!"
"Yeah, dance for us!"
Laughter rolled through the room like a wave.
Allison shot a desperate look at Damian. He tipped his head back and drained his glass in one swallow, then slung an arm around Bella's shoulders. His fingers toyed lazily with the pendant hanging at his throat.
The message was loud and clear. If she embarrassed him in front of all these people, she could forget about ever seeing that pendant again.
Allison squeezed her eyes shut, swallowed the burning shame, and let her body start to move.
She spun once, twice, three times, arching her back and lifting her legs in smooth circles. She felt like a fragile butterfly caught in the wind, light enough to float away at any second.
"Enough." Damian caught the hungry stares from the other men in the room and felt a sharp sting of jealousy twist in his chest.
Allison looked far too beautiful when she danced. He wanted to lock her away where no other eyes could reach her.
"Come on, let's drink." He grabbed fresh glasses and filled them to the brim.
Allison bit down hard on her lip. Thinking of her mother's pendant, she forced herself to gulp down a huge mouthful. The liquor scraped like fire down her throat. Her stomach cramped instantly. She clapped a hand over her mouth and bolted for the bathroom.
The second she burst out of the private room, loud laughter exploded behind her.
"Damian, your fiancée sure knows how to obey orders."
"What fiancée? She's just some regular friend," Damian answered with clear disdain.
"Regular friend, huh... Mind if I take a turn with her later? The way she danced just now—damn, it's got me all worked up."
Allison couldn't tell whose voice it was. The physical pain and the crushing humiliation hit her at once, and her eyes stung with tears she refused to let fall.
She staggered down the dim hallway and suddenly slammed straight into a man wearing a sharp suit.
"You blind i***t! Watch where the hell you're going!"
That voice hit her like a lightning strike. Allison's heart lurched hard in her chest.
Aksara