Finaaaaally this chapter has come. I wrote this and the next chapter moonths ago and it has finally come together.

Happy readingg 

---

Manhattan, NY, United States - April 10th, 2021

Finally, on the second Friday evening in April, Ines, Aiden, and I have plans to go to the club. When they announced club reopenings of up to 33% capacity a couple of weeks ago, we scrambled to find ticekts to the best clubs they knew. Last weekend was already completely booked by the time we met to decide on a location, so today is the day we're going back to civilization.

There's a party at a new club that just opened that's meant to be exclusive, which is just code for overpriced drinks with expensive-looking decorum.

Sometimes I miss the club nights at RedLight, where everyone would just be there and no one bothered to check for IDs. The drinks were fairly priced and I felt safe with so many bodyguards everywhere.

Not that my personal appointmed bodyguard won't be joining us anyway. Alexander's been lurking in the shadows ever since the day I became aware of him. From the moment I leave my apartment to go to work in the morning to the time I go to sleep. I'm not sure when he sleeps himself, but I wouldn't put it past my father to buy the apartment across the road and equip it with a telescope and laser microphones.

Ines and Aiden knock on my door at 9pm sharp. We drink a bottle of wine as we get ready, and I'm enjoying listening to them plan how they're going to spot the men that will get us free drinks at the bar based on what they're wearing.

"What about you? Who are you going to look for?" Ines asks me, her face almost squished against the mirror as she applies mascara.

"I don't know."

"Oh come on, you must get free drinks all the time."

"Not really, no."

She pulls away from the mirror so she can look at me with pursed lips and annoyed disbelief.

"You have never had someone pay for your drinks?"

"I mean, sure, if it's someone's birthday and they're paying, or if it's someone's turn to buy the drinks-"

"You've never taken advantage of a man in a club because you know you're hot?" Aiden speaks from where he's sitting on my bed.

"No."

I have never thought about purposefully using someone to get free drinks. I have always been able to buy however many drinks I want for myself, and I also don't like the idea of using someone else's money (excluding my parents) to buy myself things.

Ines turns to Aiden. "We forgot she's a millionaire."

"My father is." I say, but I guess to them it's the same thing.

It is and it also isn't.

We take a taxi, of course, and I am horrified to see that the queue stretches around the building despite it only being 11pm.

We didn't get a table because it's just the three of us and the cheapest option was $1500 for three champagne bottles.

I use the fake ID Aleksi made me to get in, and as soon as we leave our coats and enter the club, I can't help but feel a little anxious despite the excitement.

The crowd, the loud music, and the flashing lights should feel familiar but it's different. I've never been anxious about going to the club before. It might be because I haven't been to an actual club night in over a year. And it might also be because a little part of my brain is wondering how many people have guns in here. That one little part of my brain that has become more aware of its surroundings ever since I was attacked in that station last year.

I look over my shoulder to see where Alexander is. He was still in the car by the time we went inside, and although I'm relieved to think that I can be fully myself, I also feel less safe than I do when I know he's around.

He is around. He's in the car, outside.

"Drinks first!" Aiden says to us and we get in line to weave through the crowd towards the bar.

As we push our way closer, the heat of the crowd grows heavier, and at the same time so does the realization of the world going back to normal.

The bar stretches across the far left of the club, across the room of the stairs leading to the VIP sections above.

It's the first club I've been to in New York that has multiple stories available to the public, and also one of the most expensive looking ones thanks to the gold accents, dark marble floors, and the paintings in the coatroom.

Damn right it's expensive, a drink is $28 and a shot is $15.

I've been trying to live strictly off the money I make from my job (which is a lot to begin with because I'm a nepo baby in the industry) and so far I have not succeeded on going through a month without help from my parents.

I get my Espresso Martini, because I need to wake up, then follow them in the middle of the crowd.

It's the first time I go to a proper club with them, and I'm not really surprised to see that their main purpose is not having fun but rather finding someone to take home tonight.

The air is thick with perfume and sweat, and I look around as I dance, trying to ignore Ines and Aiden, who are still talking about how they haven't seen any hot guys so far.

A guy bumps into me for what seems to be the fourth time in the past half hour. He looks pretty drunk and is now bumping into everyone around him when there's obviously enough space for him to dance like a normal person.

My patience is wearing thin and I feel like I'm about to make a scene during one of my favorite The Weeknd songs. Ines scrunches up her face in disgust and I step back to block the drunk guy's elbow, bumping into someone else in the process.

"Sorry." I say, nodding towards them.

"No problem."

My head whips around, acknowledging him at the same time as he does.

He looks better than I've ever seen him in a short-sleeved black t-shirt, his arm tattoos on display.

The right side of his lips turns up into a half smirk. "Hi."

I smile because he caught me staring and I don't mind that like I used to. "What are you doing here?"

His head motions towards Ines, but I catch his eyes flickering to my mouth for a second before they move onto her. "Same as you."

My confusion must be clear on my face because he turns and points to the bar. "Marco's twentieth birthday."

I follow his gaze and spot Marco and Eddie at the bar, already looking at us. They wave at me just as Aurora, Pia, and Pia's boyfriend appear in my line of vision, just a few meters away from where we are. There are so many people in the club that I never noticed them up until now.

"Who are you here with?" he asks me, still not moving from where he's standing, right up in my face, so close that I can smell the remnants of the cigarette he smoked mixed in with his cologne.

Pia doesn't look impressed as Aurora comes over to hug me.

"Some work friends." I answer as I let his sister pull me into her.

Aurora looks over my shoulder, to where Ines and Aiden are now standing, looking starstruck. The music is too loud to make introductions and I don't really want to do it anyway, so I smile and think of suggesting a round of shots for everyone, on me.

"Shots!?"

Matteo nods and gestures for me to lead the way. He places his other hand on my lower back, and the feeling of his palm against my bare skin is honestly the most action I've gotten in months. The most action I've gotten since the last time we were together, and then the time before that, and the time before that.

Marco and Eddie are fully turned around to face us now, watching us as we approach with knowing smirks on their faces.

"Shots." I explain and Marco gives me a thumbs up before he turns around and orders a round of twenty Tequila shots. We are definitely less than twenty but I don't protest.

"On me." I specify, leaning in closer so he can understand me over the music.

He waves it off, but I already have my card, ready to bump it against the reader before Marco can. He laughs and looks at Matteo, who I am very aware is still standing right behind me. He's so close I can still smell him, and the soft fabric of his shirt against my skin makes me want to kiss him.

The bartender pushes the tray of shots across the bar and Eddie helps with distributing them to everyone closeby. There's more shots than people, but the boys drink the remaining ones without having to be told twice.

Matteo leans in for the second one, unnecessarily brushing half of his body against mine in the process.

Ines and Aiden have also joined us now, which feels like two of my worlds colliding once again, only this time for real. I already know that Ines is attracted to Matteo and would go home with him right now if she could - the hungry way she's staring at him is even more indication that the list she told me about three months ago is still in full effect.

She's trying to chat up Marco, but her eyes are trained on the back of Matteo's head. I make eye contact with her over his shoulder, and it's the first time that she ever gives me a fake smile.

Guilt washes over me even though I haven't done anything. I can't help that I know these people, and she knew I knew them anyway. Plus, there's nothing going on.

She's walking towards us now, squeezing in between Vinnie and Isabella, who have been talking nonstop since I've spotted them. I don't think either of them even knows I'm here.

I look away from them, ready to ask Matteo what's going on with them, and he already knows what I'm about to ask, having followed my line of vision.

"Don't ask." Is all he says, and I know now that a lot has happened since I last saw everyone on New Year's.

I am going to ask, however. Just not right now.

"Let's go dancing." Ines says as she comes to a halt next to Matteo, facing me.

"Sure."

She looks at him then. "Hi."

His eyes move over to me in amusement. "Hi."

"I'm Valentina's friend, Ines."

"Alright."

"Let's go dancing!" she exclaims and looks at me with more excitement than she has all night. If Matteo being in the vicinity makes her more fun, fine.

"Let's go." He agrees and asks her to show the way.

I expect him to follow her, but he comes up behind me to guide me by the hips instead.

We follow her into the crowd, closer to the speakers where the DJ is playing.

He's close behind me and I can feel his breath on the back of my neck, even with all the buzz around us.

Two girls bump into us as they cut in between Ines and I. They apologise with their eyes as they squeeze their way towards the left.

Matteo presses up against me to make room for them to pass, and he's too close for me to be able to focus on anything else.

I can tell he's impatient (for what or why, I have no clue) like he's never had to wait for anything in his life.

The two girls pass us by, and I watch them look at Matteo, eyes going round the way everyone's do when they fall on him. I never noticed how many strangers, women, mostly, stare at him. I've never thought about him being well known in the city.

He looks down at me and smiles in a way that doesn't reach his eyes.

The rest of group joins us eventually and I look for Isabella even though I can't find her.

"Where's Isabella? I ask and he leans down so I can repeat myself.

He shrugs. "I don't know." He looks around. "I'm going to the bathroom."

"She argued with Vinnie and then she left." Marco butts in as Matteo shoulders his way into the crowd.

"They argued?!" I exclaim, ears pumping from the music.

He waves his hand around like it's an usual thing, but I won't have it.

"She left?!" I push again but he's already halfway turned around towards Eddie, moving his chin with the beat.

I pull out my phone to text Isabella.

Valentina: where are u?? are u ok? Im in the club

The first beats of a Rihanna song help me take my mind off Matteo being here, Ines watching me like a hawk, my bodyguard too, and Isabella's life updates.

Matteo comes back from the bathroom after a while.

I brush my thumb to wipe white powder away from his nose. He shoots me a guilty smile, which changes to incredulity when I rub it into my gums. It makes the area go numb, because of course it does. He always has the best kind.

He makes a cigarette gesture with his fingers and nods over to the door leading to the smoking area. I nod, maybe a bit too eager, then grab his upper arm as he leads the way between the sea of people.

I get looks from Aurora (surprised and supportive) and Vinnie (surprised and worried), , which I blatantly ignore.

I'm so mesmerized by the lights dancing against his tattooed arms that I don't realized he's heading towards the roped-off VIP area until we're actually there.

"She doesn't have a bracelet." The short, fat man says to him, arm stretched out to block our way.

"She's with me."

"And who are you supposed to be?" the guy patronizes him and then makes a show of placing his hands on his hips so he can reveal his gun.

Matteo lets out a small laugh. "Nice, man. I'm shaking."

My mouth falls open.

"Who the f-" the guy starts.

"Matteo Giudice. I have a table and she's my guest."

The man's face contorts in slight panic.

Matteo shakes his head. "You must be new."

I'm still not sure what's going on as he pulls me up the carpeted winder stairs. He grabs a hold of my hand and walks through the VIP section until he gets to a door in the back.

I hadn't noticed his golden bracelet until the bodyguard pointed it out.

He pushes the door open and a wave of fresh, cold air hits me in the face.

The realization that I'm about to be alone with him for the first time in four months comes with it. 

---

I hope to get the next chapter published in a week!

For visual content follow @ gwpuniverse on tiktok :D