Dre's entire posture changed as Yu Bin and the mysterious guy stopped in front of us. His usual easygoing demeanor hardened just enough for me to notice.
"My goodness, what did you do?" Dre muttered under his breath.
"Nothing," I said quickly, though my heart was racing.
Dre didn't look convinced. "Let me handle it," he said, forcing a smile just as Yu Bin and the man came to a stop.
"Zhan," Yu Bin greeted me, his grin sharp. "I've been looking for you."
I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced a casual tone. "I've been busy with work."
Yu Bin didn't respond immediately. Instead, he glanced at the man beside him—the same man who had been watching me all night.
"Hi, Dre," the man said, his voice deep and smooth, like velvet brushing against silk. "Good to see you again."
Dre's smile tightened. "Wang. Good to see you too." His tone was polite, but I could hear the unease beneath it. Who was this guy?
Yu Bin shifted slightly, the amusement never leaving his face. "Zhan, this is my friend, Wang."
I barely nodded before Wang extended his hand toward me.
There was something deliberate about the way he moved—like he already knew I would take it. And, without thinking twice, I did.
The moment our palms met, I almost flinched. His hands were warm, softer than I expected, yet there was a strength beneath the surface that sent a shiver down my spine.
He stepped in just slightly, enough for me to catch the intoxicating scent of his cologne. It was unfair how good he smelled.
Then he spoke, his voice low and teasing. "I should arrest you for jumping into my compound."
My breath caught in my throat.
For a second, the world around me faded, the loud music, the drunken laughter, even Dre shifting uncomfortably beside me. All I could focus on was Wang.
Up close, he was even more unreal. His suit fit like it had been sewn onto him, his features sharp yet effortlessly elegant. But it was his eyes that held me captive, dark, intense, like they saw straight through me.
His grip was firm but warm, and his touch sent an unsettling shiver up my spine.
Then, he spoke again. "I should arrest you for jumping into my compound."
The words took a second to register.
My heart slammed against my ribs. What?
He moved back slightly, watching my reaction like he was waiting for something.
I swallowed hard, my mind racing. My fingers twitched in his grasp, but Wang didn't let go immediately. His eyes studied me with a quiet amusement, as if he was enjoying watching me connect the dots.
Dre stiffened beside me. "Wang, whatever it was, we can sort it."
My mouth opened, then closed. Had I ever—? No. That wasn't possible. I didn't go sneaking into people's compounds.
Did I?
The way Wang looked at me, like he already knew the answer, sent a shiver down my spine. His dark eyes held something unreadable, something that made my stomach twist.
"Are you sure you have the right person?" I finally managed, my voice steadier than I felt.
Wang tilted his head slightly, studying me. "I don't make mistakes."
Dre exhaled sharply. "Alright, Wang. If this is a joke, it's not funny."
Wang didn't look at him. His attention stayed on me, his gaze heavy. I felt like I was being measured, weighed, and found lacking all at once.
Yu Bin grinned. "Relax, Dre. We just wanted to say hello."
But I wasn't stupid. There was more to this—more to Wang—and I had just stepped into something I didn't understand.
I swallowed. "If you say so."
Wang tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering in his gaze. "Don't look so scared," he murmured. "If I really wanted to, I would've had you caught that night."
Yu Bin chuckled. "Oh, its nothing serious."
"I don't remember —" I started, my voice failing me. I wanted to shrink into the floor.
Wang let go of my hand, his touch lingering like an imprint on my skin. "I remember everything that happens in my space, Zhan," he said, my name rolling off his tongue too smoothly. "And now, you're here again. Interesting, don't you think?"
Wang's lips curved into a slight smile, as if he found this entire situation amusing. Then, without another word, he took a step back, his presence still suffocating.
I had no idea what to say.
Dre placed a casual hand on my back, but I could feel how rigid he was. "Alright, Wang. You've made your point. Let's not make a scene."
Wang tilted his head slightly, still watching me, unreadable. "Interesting."
The way he said it made something coil in my stomach. His voice—deep, smooth, dangerously calm—felt like a secret being whispered just for me.
I took a half-step back.
Yu Bin grinned. "No need to look so scared, Zhan. We're just here to talk."
Dre moved subtly in front of me, his posture tense. "Talk about what?"
Wang finally broke his gaze away from me and looked at Dre, as if he had only just remembered he was there.
"Business," he said simply. "But we can discuss that later." His eyes flicked back to me, lingering. "I just wanted to see him first."
My hands clenched at my sides. I didn't know whether to feel flattered or terrified.
Wang's lips curved into the slightest hint of a smirk. "We'll see each other again, Zhan."
It didn't sound like a hope. It sounded like a promise.
With that, he turned, and Yu Bin followed. But just before he disappeared into the crowd, he glanced over his shoulder, locking eyes with me one last time.
And then he was gone.
I exhaled sharply, realizing I had been holding my breath.
Dre cursed under his breath. "Zhan," he said slowly, turning to me. "What the hell did you get yourself into?"
I didn't have an answer.
Because for the life of me, I couldn't remember ever jumping into his compound.
And yet...
Why did it feel like Wang wasn't lying?
My hands were still clammy, my pulse racing even though Yu Bin and Wang were gone. My stomach was twisted into a tight knot, and I couldn't tell if it was from fear, curiosity, or something far more dangerous.
Wang.
His voice, his touch, the way he had looked at me, like he knew something I didn't. Like he had already decided something about me.
And the worst part? I wasn't sure I wanted to know what it was.
"Zhan," Dre's voice snapped me back. "Talk to me."
I shook my head, forcing a breath through my nose. "It's nothing," I muttered.
Dre gave me a look, the kind that said he wasn't buying my bullshit. But he didn't push. Instead, he exhaled and ran a hand over his buzzed hair.
"You don't want to get involved with them," he said finally.
My chest tightened. "I'm not."
Dre let out a dry chuckle. "You sure about that?"
I wasn't. Not when Wang had looked at me like that.
Not when a part of me had wanted to keep looking back.
I rubbed my arms, suddenly cold. "I need a drink," I muttered, walking off before Dre could say anything else.
I pushed through the crowd, making my way to the bar. The room was louder now, the music pounding against my skull. I barely even noticed the bartender as I slid onto a stool.
"Whiskey. Neat," I said.
The glass was in front of me within seconds, amber liquid shimmering under the dim lights. I gripped it, took a slow sip, and let the burn ground me.
I needed to forget about this. About Wang. About the way he had smirked at me, like he knew exactly what he was doing to me.
I was halfway through my drink when I felt it.
That stare.
Slowly, I turned my head.
And there he was.
Wang.
Leaning against the far end of the bar, one hand in his pocket, his gaze locked onto me like he had been watching the whole time.
My breath hitched.
For a second, neither of us moved.
Then, slowly, he smirked.
And I knew—this wasn't over.
Before I could take another sip, Dre grabbed my wrist and pulled me off the stool.
"Hey—"
"I just spoke with Yu Bin," Dre said, voice tight as he dragged me through the crowd. "He told me y'all went to the same school."
I stiffened. "So?"
Dre slowed his pace and turned to face me, his eyes scanning me up and down. "But you look poor," he said bluntly.
The words stung, even though they weren't untrue. My clothes weren't designer, my shoes were worn, and I didn't carry myself like someone with money.
I exhaled. "I am poor, Dre. I got a scholarship."
Something unreadable flickered in his expression before he sighed. "And he also told me about the day he saw you, how you ran away from him and jumped into someone's compound."
My stomach dropped.
Oh my god.
I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. "Was that... Wang's compound?"
I turned instinctively, my eyes darting toward where Wang had been standing just moments ago.
But he was gone.
The unease in my chest tightened into something more suffocating.
Dre's grip on my wrist loosened slightly. "I don't know what's going on between all of you," he said, his voice lower, more serious. "But stay away from Yu Bin."
I frowned. "Why?"
"I'm not saying he's bad," Dre admitted. "But everyone around him is. Especially his sister."
His words sent a chill down my spine.
The fear inside me spiked, climbing so high it was almost unbearable. My life had been getting better, no more debts, no more running, no more chaos. I had found a rhythm, a peace.
And now... this.
Everything felt like it was slipping through my fingers.
I took a shaky breath. "Can we leave?" I asked, my voice quieter than I wanted it to be.
Dre hesitated, then nodded. "Sure. But we'll head to my place first," he said, a slow smirk curling his lips. "I missed what you did to me."
I wasn't having it. Not now. Not when my mind was spinning, my fear pressing in from all sides.
I pulled my wrist from his grasp. "Not tonight, Dre." His smirk faltered, replaced by something unreadable.
For once, he didn't argue.
Without another word, we walked out of the building.
But even as we stepped into the night, I couldn't shake the feeling that Wang was still watching me.
The air outside was thick with humidity, the distant sound of traffic humming in the background. But even out here, away from the suffocating heat of the club, I still felt watched.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Dre asked, glancing at me.
I wasn't.
But I nodded anyway. "Yeah."
Dre didn't push, but I could tell he didn't believe me.
We walked in silence for a while until we reached his apartment complex. The elevator ride up felt longer than usual, the tension between us thick.
When we stepped into his place, I exhaled sharply, finally letting myself breathe. Dre tossed his keys onto the counter and leaned against the wall, watching me.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," he muttered.
It felt like I had.
Wang's stare, Yu Bin's smirk, the way Dre had warned me about his sister, it was all too much.
I rubbed my hands over my face. "I don't know what's happening, Dre. One minute, I'm just trying to survive, and the next—" I paused, shaking my head. "It's like I've stepped into something I don't understand."
Dre studied me for a long moment before sighing. "You don't have to understand it. Just stay the hell away from them, Zhan."
I dropped my hands and met his gaze. "You keep saying that. But why?"
His jaw tensed. "You don't want to know."
A chill ran down my spine.
"Does she have something to do with Wang?" I asked carefully.
Dre's expression darkened. "I said you don't want to know."
Which only made me want to know more.
I crossed my arms, feeling a familiar frustration rise inside me. "Dre, if you know something, tell me. Don't just—"
He cut me off with a sharp look. "I don't know everything, but I know enough. And I know that once you're in their world, there's no getting out clean."
The words hit me harder than I expected.
No getting out clean.
I looked away, my fingers tightening around my sleeves. I didn't want to be involved in whatever this was. I had spent so much time crawling out of my mother's mess, out of debt, out of everything—I wasn't about to fall into another hole.
But the problem was...
I was already in it.
And I didn't know how to climb back out.
Dre sighed again and pushed off the wall. "Look, just stay the night here. Clear your head."
I shook my head. "No, I need to go home."
He frowned. "You sure?"
"Yeah," I said, already moving toward the door. "I just need to sleep."
Dre didn't argue this time. He just watched me, something unreadable in his eyes, before nodding.
"Alright," he murmured. "Be careful, Zhan."
"I'll see you tomorrow before I go to work," I said, adjusting my jacket.
Dre studied me for a moment, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of bills. Without a word, he placed it in my hand.
My fingers curled around the money instinctively.
For a second, I just stared at it.
"You earned it," Dre said, his voice unreadable.
I nodded slowly, stuffing the cash into my pocket. "Thanks."
I turned to leave, but Dre called after me.
"Zhan." let my driver drop you off.
I glanced back but shake my head. I'll be fine, thank.
He hesitated, then sighed. "Just... Be careful, alright?"
Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist.
But I didn't let it show. Instead, I forced a small smile and nodded before walking away.
As I made my way down the quiet street, the city lights casting long shadows, I felt the weight of the night settle on me.
I should have felt relieved, the money was in my pocket, I was heading home, and the night was over.
But instead, all I could think about was Wang's lingering stare, Yu Bin's knowing smirk, and Dre's warning that kept replaying in my head.
No getting out clean.
I shook the thought away and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.
By the time I got home, the apartment was dark except for the faint glow of the streetlights filtering through the window. Quiet. Safe. Normal.
I exhaled slowly and locked the door behind me.
Grandma was asleep, curled under her blanket on the small bed. Her soft snores were steady, a reminder that at least one part of my life wasn't falling apart.
I pulled out the money Dre gave me. Five thousand dollars. I ran my fingers over the crisp bills, the weight of it heavier than it should have been.
I should feel happy. I should feel relieved.
But all I felt was exhaustion.
I shoved the money into my drawer, grabbed my charger, and plugged in my broken phone. It was still barely functioning, but at least it could hold some power.
I changed into a clean t-shirt and shorts, then spread my duvet on the floor.
As I lay down, staring at the ceiling, everything from tonight came rushing back—
And most of all, the way my stomach had twisted when I realized the house I had jumped into that evening belonged to Wang.
I turned onto my side, shutting my eyes tightly. I didn't want to think about him.
But it was too late.
His voice, his presence, his scent—they clung to me like something I couldn't shake off.
I hated it.
I hated how much I noticed him.
With a frustrated sigh, I pulled the blanket over my head.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I'd wake up, go to work, and act like none of this ever happened.
At least, that was the plan.
But something in my gut told me that Wang wasn't done with me yet.