Chapter 3 I Met A god

(Anna pov)

I stood in front of the full-length mirror in Mara’s tiny dressing room behind the club, already regretting every life choice that led me here, my cheeks were burning as Mara dug through a rack of outfits that looked illegal in at least three countries, I was so glad when Mara announced there was a vacant position in the Elite club she works at, at least I can now make money to send back home.

“Girl, stop sulking, time to upgrade, tonight we’re dressing you to catch a billionaire,” Mara announced, holding up a scrap of fabric that might have been a dress in a previous life.

“Mara, no. I’m only here to work. Serve drinks. That’s it,” I argued, clutching my oversized hoodie like a shield. “I’m not trying to seduce anybody. I just need the money to send back home to my mum and Lily and to get my own apartment.

Mara spun around with a wicked grin, completely ignoring me. “Serve drinks? Please. With that body? You’re gonna serve looks, ass and future alimony, strip, Anna. We’re turning you into a walking ‘yes please’ for rich men.”

I groaned but reluctantly peeled off my hoodie and jeans, standing there in my boring beige underwear. “I’m serious! I signed up to carry trays, not my tits on a platter. What if someone complains? Or I spill drinks because I’m dressed like a high-end hooker?”

“High-end hooker is the vibe we’re going for, babe,” she cackled, tossing me a lacy black thong that disappeared faster than my dignity. “Put this on. That ass is about to eat it alive. And stop with the ‘just serving drinks’ bullshit. Every girl who says that ends up leaving with a new handbag and a sugar daddy’s number.”

I wiggled into the thong, face flaming. “This is basically a wedgie with ambition. Mara, I’m not you. I can’t flirt for tips. I’m here to work, pay bills, and maybe cry in the bathroom on break”

“Cry on a billionaire’s dick instead, it’s more therapeutic,” she shot back, shoving me into a slinky red dress with a neckline that dove straight to hell and a hem that barely covered my cheeks, she zipped it up tight, hands on my hips. “Look at these tits! They’re screaming ‘William who?’ while your ass is yelling ‘new management available.’”

I tugged uselessly at the fabric. “Mara! One wrong move and I’m serving drinks with my nipples out, I’m supposed to be a waitress, not the main course!”

She slapped my hands away and laughed. “Exactly. You’ll be the best-dressed drink server in the club. Billionaires don’t tip minimum wage for plain Jane. They tip for this” She slapped my ass hard. “Now spin, baby.”

I turned, wobbling, the dress riding up so high I felt a breeze on parts that had never seen club air before. “This is ridiculous. I’m going to trip, flash everyone, and get fired on my first night. All because you want me to ‘attract billionaires.’ I’m just here to serve drinks!”

Mara wolf-whistled, spritzing me with perfume that smelled like expensive regret. “And while you’re serving those drinks, you’re gonna ‘accidentally’ bend over in front of the right table. Let them see what William fumbled. That shy, freshly-cheated-on energy mixed with this dress? Pussy on the market, premium pricing.”

I stared at the stranger in the mirror, cleavage for days, legs for miles, looking expensive and easy all at once. “I hate you,” I muttered, even as a tiny thrill ran through me.

“You love me. Now practice your ‘I’m just serving drinks but my body’s for sale for the right price smile.” She shoved sky-high heels at me. “Head up, tits out, and remember, you’re not chasing them, you’re the limited-edition drink special they’ll want to take home.”

I slipped on the heels and sighed. “Fine. But if I get fired for looking too slutty while ‘serving drinks,’ I’m stuck with you.”

“Deal. Now let’s go make William’s replacement regret ever walking in the club.” Mara grinned, smacking my ass again. “Billionaire hunting season is open, baby.”

I shook my head, laughing nervously. Shy, heartbroken Anna was still in there… but damn, she was starting to look dangerous.

The music was loud and the lights were low, and everything about the club screamed money, I gripped the tray in my hands, trying not to look overwhelmed as I followed Mara through the crowded floor.

“Relax,” she said over her shoulder, moving like she owned the place. “You look like you’re about to faint.”

“I’ve never worked somewhere like this,” I admitted, dodging a passing customer.

“Exactly,” she said with a grin. “That’s why you need me. Stick with me and you’ll survive.”

“Survive?” I raised an eyebrow.

She winked. “Maybe even thrive.”

I shook my head, but a small smile crept onto my lips.

The place was nothing like the coffee shop back home, everything here was faster, louder and sharper, the customers were dressed in expensive clothes, their voices filled with confidence and power, I adjusted my

dress slightly, reminding myself why I was here, mum and Lily, this was for them.

“Table six,” Mara called out, handing me a tray of drinks. “VIP section. Don’t spill anything or they’ll charge you more than your rent.”

“Very comforting,” I muttered.

She laughed. “You’ll be fine. Go.”

I took a deep breath and started moving through the crowd carefully, balancing the tray as best as I could, focus, Anna, just deliver the drinks, nothing else, I turned a corner and walked straight into someone, the tray tilted dangerously, strong hands caught me before I could fall.

“Careful.”

The voice was deep, smooth and close, my breath caught, I looked up and forgot everything, he was beautiful, not just attractive or handsome. No, this man looked like something carved out of perfection, tall, broad-shouldered, his presence commanding without effort. His face was sharp, defined, almost unreal under the dim lights and his eyes, they held me completely, I couldn’t look away.

I didn’t even realize his hands were still around my waist until warmth spread through me, grounding me in a way that made my heart race, for a moment, the noise of the club faded, everything faded, It was just him and me.

“Are you alright?”

His voice broke through the haze, I blinked, suddenly aware of myself again, of where I was and what I was doing.

“I—I’m so sorry,” I stammered quickly, stepping back, my face heating. “I didn’t see you.”

His hands slowly dropped from my waist, but the warmth lingered.

“It’s fine,” he said, his gaze still fixed on me, intense and unreadable.

I swallowed, gripping the tray tighter. “I should… I have to—”

I didn’t finish, I turned and hurried away before I embarrassed myself further, but even as I reached the table and carefully set down the drinks, my hands weren’t as steady as they should have been because I could still feel him, still see him, still remember the way he looked at me.

“You bumped into him?”

Mara’s voice was full of disbelief and excitement as she leaned against the counter.

“I didn’t ‘bump’ into him,” I muttered. “It was an accident.”

She stared at me like I had just told her I met royalty. “Do you even know who that is?”

“No,” I said quickly. “And I don’t need to.”

“Anna,” she grabbed my arm dramatically. “That man is Cassian Sinclair, the richest man in the city, he always looks like he walked straight out of a billionaire magazine and into this club, that suit alone probably costs more than this entire bar.”

I rolled my eyes, trying to focus on arranging glasses. “You’re exaggerating.”

“I’m not!” she insisted. “And the way you’re blushing? You like him, don’t even try to deny it.”

“I’m not blushing.”

“You are,” she grinned. “You just came in contact with a literal god.”

I scoffed lightly. “He’s just a man.”

“Sure,” she said slowly, clearly not convinced. “A man who almost made you forget how to breathe.”

I opened my mouth to argue then stopped, vecause she wasn’t entirely wrong, I shook my head, pushing the thought away.

“I have work to do.”

“Mm-hmm,” she hummed knowingly.

But no matter how much I tried to focus, I couldn’t get him out of my mind, and it only got worse, because every time I looked up he was there sitting in the VIP section, watching, like he was studying me.

I felt it even when I wasn’t looking, that pull and awareness, It made my heart beat faster in a way I didn’t understand, I had never felt this before, not even with William who I thought was the love of my life

This was different, stronger and dangerous, I l glanced up again and caught his eyes on me directly, my breath hitched, he didn’t look away, didn’t even pretend, he just held my gaze like it meant something, like I meant something, heat rushed through me, unfamiliar and unsettling, I quickly looked down, pretending to busy myself with the counter but my hands betrayed me, moving slightly out of rhythm.

“What is it?” Mara whispered beside me.

“Nothing,” I said too quickly.

She followed my earlier line of sight, then grinned.

“Oh,” she dragged out the word. “He’s still watching you.”

I groaned softly. “Mara, please.”

“What? I’m just saying,” she teased. “That’s not normal interest. That’s… ‘I’ve discovered something rare interest.”

I shook my head, trying to ignore her, but deep down I knew she was right, because no matter how much I tried to focus on work, I could still feel his eyes on me and for reasons I couldn’t explain, I didn’t want him to stop.

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Chapters

1. Chapter 1 Betrayal

2. Chapter 2 Stepping Into The Unknown

3. Chapter 3 I Met A god

4. Chapter 4 Hungry Eyes and Filthy Promises

5. Chapter 5 Eyes That Burned Gold

6. Chapter 6 The moment I stepped back behind the bar, Mara’s eyes widened dramatically. “Well?” she demanded instantly. “Why do you look like you just witnessed the gates of hell open?” I grabbed the counter for support, still trying to steady my breathing. “I…” My voice came out weak. “I think there’s something seriously wrong with Cassian Sinclair.” Lila raised an eyebrow while arranging bottles. “Sweetheart, everyone already knows that.” “No,” I whispered, shaking my head slowly. “You don’t understand.” Because how exactly was I supposed to explain what had just happened in that restroom hallway, how could I tell them his eyes had glowed like molten gold in the dark, that heat had wrapped around my body every time he stepped closer, that he had looked at me like something inside him wanted to consume me whole? My stomach tightened violently at the memory, Mara frowned now, immediately noticing the fear on my face. “Anna,” she said softer this time. “What happened?” Before I could answer, my eyes instinctively lifted toward the private VIP floor upstairs, toward the dark balcony where Cassian had been sitting earlier, it was empty, my heartbeat stumbled strangely, gone, I wasn’t sure why disappointment hit me so quickly after everything that had happened downstairs, maybe because some reckless part of me still wanted to see him again tonight despite how terrified he had made me feel, Lila noticed immediately and smirked knowingly. “You just missed them.” I blinked. “What?” “Sinclair and his people left like a minute ago,” she explained while wiping the counter. “Apparently the woman with them got drunk and started causing chaos upstairs.” Mara snorted loudly. “Not chaos.” “Oh, absolutely chaos,” Lila laughed. “Screaming at security, throwing a champagne glass, threatening somebody in Italian, honestly it was impressive.” I frowned slightly, I had forgotten about the woman, something uncomfortable twisted unexpectedly inside my chest. “That woman was with Cassian?” I asked before I could stop myself. Mara immediately gasped dramatically. “Oh my God,” she whispered loudly. “Was that jealousy I just heard?” “It was not jealousy.” Lila gave me a look that said she absolutely did not believe me, the strange tightness in my chest worsened, which was ridiculous, Cassian Sinclair was nothing to me just a mysterious billionaire with glowing eyes and a possible mental illness involving dragons, that should have been enough to erase any attraction immediately, Instead, my stupid brain kept replaying the way he had looked at me in the hallway. My dragon wants you, God, even remembering the words made heat creep across my skin again. “You’re pale,” Mara said suddenly. “I’m fine.” “You look like you’re about to pass out.” Before I could answer, Lila suddenly reached beneath the counter and dropped something thick in front of me, my eyes widened instantly, Cash, stacks of it, I stared at the money in complete shock. “What is this?” Mara burst out laughing immediately. “Oh my God.” Lila leaned casually against the bar. “Your billionaire left it.” I looked at her sharply. “Don’t call him that.” “Why? Is mysterious hot billionaire with glowing eyes too long?” My heart nearly stopped. “You saw his eyes?” “What?” Lila frowned. Relief hit me instantly. “No— nothing.” God, I needed sleep or therapy or both. Lila pushed the money closer toward me. “Sinclair told us it was for you.” I stared at the thick stacks nervously. “There’s no way I can take this.” “Anna,” Mara deadpanned, “that pile probably costs less than one of that man’s watches.” “That’s not the point.” “Then what is the point?” Lila asked. “Because if some hot billionaire wanted to throw money at me, I’d already be halfway to the bank.” I ignored her, still staring uneasily at the cash, it was too much, far too much and somehow that scared me, because nothing about Cassian Sinclair felt simple, not his attention, not his words not even the way he looked at me like he already knew something I didn’t. “You should keep it,” Mara said gently this time. I looked at her. “You told me your mom's landlord’s have been threatening your mom again.” Pain twisted quietly in my chest, right, home, the tiny house back in Maplewood, the overdue rent notices, My mother pretending everything was okay even when I caught her crying at night, Lily trying to smile through everything despite being only thirteen, guilt hit me immediately, because while I had been here obsessing over a dangerous man, my family was still struggling back home, I slowly looked back down at the money, this amount could help them breathe again at least temporarily. “We don’t even know why he gave me this,” I whispered uneasily. Mara folded her arms. “Trust me, rich men don’t drop stacks of cash unless they’re interested.” “That’s supposed to make me feel better?” “Honestly? No.” Lila laughed loudly, I exhaled shakily before carefully picking up the money, my hands trembled slightly not from excitement but from fear, because accepting this somehow felt bigger than money, it was like stepping unknowingly into something dangerous, something that would change my life whether I wanted it to or not, and deep down I already knew it had started the moment Cassian Sinclair looked at me. “You should send some home tomorrow,” Mara said quietly now. I nodded immediately. “Yes.” Emotion tightened my throat unexpectedly. “My mom’s been struggling to pay for Lily’s school supplies,” I admitted softly. “And rent is already late.” Mara’s expression softened. “Then stop feeling guilty.” I swallowed hard, blinking away sudden emotion, for the first time in weeks, maybe I could actually help them, maybe my mother wouldn’t have to pretend everything was fine anymore, maybe Lily could finally have something good happen after losing Dad, the thought alone made my chest ache painfully. “I’ll transfer most of it in the morning,” I whispered. Lila whistled softly while eyeing the cash again. “Sweetheart, with the amount he left, you might accidentally buy your entire hometown.” I almost laughed but something still unsettled me deeply, because men like Cassian Sinclair did not do things without reason and somehow… I had the terrifying feeling this wasn’t generosity. It was the beginning of something. Something dark. Something consuming. Something I was already falling too deeply into to escape. Far upstairs in the empty shadows of Inferno Club, I could still feel his presence lingering around me like invisible fire. And no matter how hard I tried pretending otherwise… A part of me was already waiting for him to come back.

7. Chapter 7 The Woman Who Wanted a King

8. Chapter 8 Monsters at the Door

9. Chapter 9 The Dragon King’s Wrath