You have got to be fucking kidding me.

  The thought hit me so hard I almost stopped walking.

  Airis had guided me deeper into the room, past the loud laughter and low music, toward a darker section in the back where the lights were dimmer and the couches looked softer. Fewer people stood here, but the ones who did seemed far more comfortable than the chaos near the entrance.

  Too comfortable.

  His hand rested lightly at the small of my back as we walked, steering me around a low table scattered with glasses and a half-empty bottle.

  Then I saw him.

  Cazaro.

  Even across the room, he was impossible to miss.

  He sat back in a wide chair like he owned the entire building, one arm resting along the back while a woman straddled his lap. She was laughing loudly, her dark hair falling over one shoulder, her shirt completely gone like it had been discarded somewhere along the way.

  He looked relaxed.

  Completely at ease.

  Like the leader I had interviewed in his polished office earlier that week didn't exist here.

  Panic shot through me.

  Before my brain even caught up, I turned my head sharply away, dropping my gaze toward the floor as we moved past. My heart slammed against my ribs as I angled my body slightly so my face stayed hidden behind the curtain of my hair.

  There was no way he could see me.

  Not like this.

  Not here.

  Airis didn't seem to notice anything strange as he led me to a couch tucked into the corner of the room. The leather creaked softly as I sat down beside him, trying to keep my breathing steady.

  My mind raced.

  If Cazaro recognized me, the entire plan would fall apart before it even started.

  I kept my head down.

  Airis sat close, relaxed like the rest of the room didn't exist. After a moment his hand lifted, fingers brushing lightly along the side of my neck.

  The moment he touched me, something shifted.

  That strange fog from earlier crept back into my mind, soft and warm, dulling the sharp edges of my thoughts.

  My shoulders loosened.

  The panic that had been clawing up my chest slowly faded.

  Airis's fingers traced slowly along my neck, gentle, almost absent-minded.

  And without realizing it... I smiled.

  The expression came so naturally it took a moment for me to notice it.

  What the hell is going on?

  The thought flickered through my mind, brief and confused.

  But before it could fully take shape... it slipped away again, dissolving into the same soft haze spreading through my head.

  Suddenly, it didn't seem that important anymore.

  Airis leaned closer.

  I barely had time to register the movement before his lips met mine.

  For a second I froze, surprised by how sudden it was. Then the warmth of his mouth and the faint taste of wine pulled me into the moment. The music in the room hummed softly around us, and the strange haze clouding my thoughts wrapped tighter around my mind.

  I kissed him back.

  His hand slid gently up the side of my neck, his thumb brushing just below my ear. My heart fluttered in my chest, though somewhere deep inside something tugged at me—some small voice trying to push through the fog.

  This wasn't why I came here.

  The thought tried to form, but it slipped away as quickly as it appeared.

  Airis shifted closer, his lips leaving mine and trailing slowly down the side of my neck. My breath caught as his teeth grazed lightly against my skin, the faint scrape sending a shiver down my spine.

  For a moment the entire room seemed distant, muted, like I was underwater.

  Then suddenly—

  The noise rushed back.

  The laughter. The music. The clink of glasses.

  And a voice.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  "Sir."

  Airis pulled back immediately, straightening slightly.

  I blinked, the fog in my head thinning just enough for the world to snap back into focus.

  Cazaro stood a few feet away.

  Gone was the relaxed posture he had worn earlier. The amusement in his eyes had been replaced with something colder, sharper. His gaze moved between us with quiet authority that instantly changed the air around the couch.

  Airis stood without hesitation.

  "Is something wrong?" he asked.

  Cazaro didn't answer right away.

  His eyes settled on me.

  Even from across the small space I felt the weight of that stare. It was the same look he had given me in his office, the one that made it feel like he could see through every layer I tried to hide behind.

  Finally he spoke.

  "Leave."

  The word was calm, but it carried no room for argument.

  Airis frowned slightly. "Sir—"

  "I said leave."

  A quiet tension filled the space between them.

  Then Cazaro added, his voice lower now.

  "I claimed her first."

  The words settled over the room like a quiet command.

  Airis didn't hesitate.

  He nodded once.

  "Of course."

  Without another word, he stepped back and moved away, disappearing into the crowd like the moment had never happened.

  And just like that, I was alone with Cazaro.

  He didn't rush toward me. He simply watched for a moment, standing there with that same quiet authority that had silenced an entire newsroom when he walked through the door earlier that week.

  Then he moved.

  He crossed the short distance between us and sat down on the couch where Airis had been moments ago. The leather shifted softly under his weight.

  Up close, his presence felt heavier than the music and voices filling the room.

  "What the hell are you doing here?"

  The words weren't loud.

  But the sharpness in them cut straight through the haze still lingering in my head.

  My stomach tightened.

  I forced my shoulders to slump slightly, letting my gaze drop like I had practiced in my mind earlier. Sad. Alone. Broken.

  Desperate.

  "I lost my job," I said quietly.

  The lie felt close enough to the truth that it slid out naturally.

  His expression didn't change right away.

  "Lost your job," he repeated.

  I nodded slowly, keeping my voice soft.

  "After the article."

  For a second he just stared at me.

  Then something shifted in his eyes.

  The anger that had flared there dimmed, replaced by something else.

  Not sympathy exactly.

  But something closer to it.

  Pity.

  "You were fired for that?" he asked.

  I let out a small breath, letting my shoulders sink further.

  "People didn't like it," I said.

  That part at least wasn't a lie.

  Cazaro leaned back slightly, studying me in silence. The red glow from the lights above caught along the edge of his jawline, sharpening the shadows across his face.

  "I warned you," he said after a moment.

  I glanced up at him.

  "About what?"

  "That curiosity has consequences."

  I swallowed.

  "Yeah," I murmured. "I'm starting to notice."

  His gaze drifted briefly over the room around us. The laughing girls. The drinks scattered across tables. The careless chaos of the place.

  Then his eyes returned to me.

  "And this," he said quietly, "was your solution?"

  I hesitated.

  "It pays," I answered.

  The words felt bitter in my mouth.

  Cazaro's expression hardened slightly.

  For a long moment he didn't say anything.

  He simply looked at me.

  And the longer he watched, the more uncomfortable the silence became.

  Finally he leaned forward slightly, his voice lower now.

  "You don't belong here."

  The certainty in his tone made my chest tighten.

  "I don't have a lot of options right now," I replied.

  His eyes flickered again, the anger returning for just a second before fading once more.

  But this time it didn't leave pity behind.

  It left something harder.

  Something calculating.

  And suddenly I had the uncomfortable feeling that Cazaro wasn't just looking at me.

  He was figuring something out.

  Cazaro leaned back slightly on the couch, his gaze never leaving my face. The noise of the room continued around us—laughter, music, the clink of glasses—but the small space between us felt strangely quiet.

  "Is this what you want?" he asked.

  I frowned faintly.

  His voice hardened just a little as he continued.

  "To be some blood whore in a place like this," he said bluntly, his eyes flicking briefly toward the chaos around the room. "Or part of a harem somewhere."

  The words stung.

  Not because they were wrong about the place... but because of how they sounded coming from him.

  For a moment I hesitated.

  Then I nodded.

  It wasn't a lie.

  I needed this for the story. I needed access, proximity, a way inside the world people whispered about but never actually saw.

  Still... the answer tasted bitter in my mouth.

  "Yes."

  Cazaro watched me carefully after that, like he was measuring something behind my eyes.

  Finally he spoke again.

  "I will invite you into my home."

  The words caught me off guard.

  I blinked.

  "You must have enough girls already," I said quietly.

  His brow lowered slightly.

  "None that I keep."

  That made me pause.

  "I don't have a harem," he added.

  The room felt suddenly a little colder.

  I tilted my head slightly. "You told me I was more beautiful than the girls in your home."

  A faint smile touched his mouth.

  "You are."

  He leaned forward slightly now, resting his arms on his knees as he studied me.

  "I have had women in my home," he admitted. "But none that stayed."

  The honesty in his tone surprised me.

  For a moment neither of us spoke.

  Then Cazaro straightened again, the faint edge of amusement returning to his expression.

  "Come," he said.

  His voice softened slightly.

  "Enjoy my company."

  The red light caught in his dark eyes as he looked at me.

  "I pay well."

  The offer hung in the air between us.

  And suddenly I realized something that made my heart beat faster.

  If I accepted...

  I wouldn't just be inside the Blood Bank anymore.

  I'd be inside Cazaro's world.

  I hesitated only a moment before nodding.

  "Okay."

  The word left my mouth before I could overthink it. Part of me knew this was exactly what my editor wanted—access, proximity, a way into the private world behind closed doors. The other part of me knew just how dangerous it might be.

  But I had already stepped into the story.

  Cazaro extended his hand toward me.

  His palm was open, waiting.

  After a brief pause, I placed my hand in his.

  His fingers closed around mine, cool and steady, and he pulled me gently to my feet. Without another word he turned, guiding me through the room.

  The noise of the Blood Bank continued around us, but people moved aside when they saw him coming. Some lowered their eyes. Others watched with open curiosity as he led me across the floor.

  No one tried to stop him.

  At the back of the room was a narrow hallway I hadn't noticed before, partially hidden behind a heavy curtain. Cazaro pushed it aside and led me through.

  The music and laughter faded almost immediately once we stepped into the corridor. The lights here were dimmer, softer, casting long shadows along the walls.

  At the end of the hallway he opened a door.

  Inside was a smaller room, quiet and private compared to the chaos outside. A single lamp cast a warm glow over the space. There was a low couch against one wall, a small table with glasses and a bottle already waiting, and thick curtains drawn across the only window.

  Cazaro stepped inside and closed the door behind us.

  "This is my private room," he said.

  I looked around slowly, taking in the details. Compared to the crowded room outside, this place felt almost peaceful.

  "We'll stay here tonight," he continued, his voice calm. "And go to my home in the morning."

  My heart gave a small, uneasy beat at the words.

  His home.

  I nodded slowly, trying to keep my expression neutral as I moved further into the room.

  "Okay."

  The quiet space suddenly felt much smaller with him standing there.