Chapter 19

Laura's POV

This was definitely not what I had in mind when he said party.

I had envisioned something elegant, maybe a high-end gathering with well-dressed socialites sipping champagne, and killing each other with their tongues all the while having a plastic smile plastered on their faces.

Instead, I was standing in the middle of a mimic of hell, surrounded by smoke, sweat, and the deafening pulse of bass-heavy music. Of course the devil was right there, staring at the Brazilian butts that lifted and wiggled in his face with was filled with the highest amount of disinterestedness.

I should have been flattered.

The double takes, the appreciative glances, the whistles that followed me as I moved through the suffocating crowd. I knew what they saw. I was dressed in a sleek body hugging red dress that showed off my figure. Their eyes drilled holes into me. But I felt nothing.

There was no rush of satisfaction or thrill of attention.

Because the only pair of eyes that truly burned into me, the only gaze that mattered, belonged to the devil himself.

Kelvin.

His stare wasn’t just appreciative. It was intense and heavy as he drove his eyes up and down my barely covered body.

Like he was trying to peel back the layers of my skin with nothing but his gaze.

And that, not the music, not the suffocating smoke, not the heat of the bodies pressing too close, that was what unsettled me.

I swallowed, forcing my spine to remain straight, my expression as blank as possible. I wasn’t going to let him see that he was affecting me.

But by God, he was.

His posture was as lazy as ever, lounging in his seat, a glass of whiskey in one hand. His fingers drummed absently against the rim, but his focus never wavered.

Never strayed from me. It was infuriating.

I had been here for nearly half an hour, and not a single man had dared to approach me.

Oh, they hovered.

Like flies circling a feast, they loitered around me, their eyes crawling over every inch of my body, their gazes heavy with unsaid words. Some smirked, some licked their lips, and a few looked ready to make a move, but none did.

Because they felt it. The silent claim. The invisible noose wrapped around my throat, warning them that I was already taken. It felt like if he had his way, he would get an actual noose to tie around my neck

Kelvin hadn’t so much as moved from his seat, hadn’t lifted a single finger to ward them off, yet his presence alone had been enough to keep them all at bay.

Except one idiot.

One man, either too drunk or too stupid to read the room, decided to try his luck.

He came toward me like a peacock, prancing as he ran a hand through his slicked-back hair filled with gel. His wrists glittered with gold and diamonds, and the thick chain around his neck swung with every step, as if he thought his accessories were enough to make up for everything he lacked.

I barely even heard what he said. Something about buying me a drink, about how a woman as “fine as me” shouldn’t be standing alone.

It didn’t matter.

Because the moment I glanced at Kelvin, I knew.

That man was dead meat.

Kelvin was still in his seat, still as relaxed as ever, but his expression had shifted.

His eyes were closed.

And he was smiling. Like a predator toying with its food before the kill.

I sighed, already feeling sorry for the fool.

He had no idea what kind of danger he had just waltzed into, flashing his tacky jewelry and misplaced confidence.

I could feel Kelvin’s amusement from across the room, like a blade hovering over the man’s neck, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

I had to do something.

"I'm not interested," I snapped, cutting off whatever nonsense he was still spewing. I grabbed a drink from a passing server, my fingers tightening around the cold glass. "Go find someone else to waste your money on."

He grinned, undeterred. "Aw, come on, sweetheart. No need to play hard to get."

I rolled my eyes. Idiot.

Without another word, I tipped the glass forward, letting the liquor spill all over his expensive shirt.

Gasps echoed around us, but I kept my face blank, daring him to take the hint.

“Oops.” My voice dripped with mock innocence. “I guess you’ll have to leave now.”

The right move would have been to back off. To walk away while he still had his life intact and his pretty head on his shoulders.

But no. This one had a death wish.

His expression darkened with embarrassment and anger. “You think you’re too good for me?” He reached for my arm, fingers tightening around my wrist. “You need to learn some damn manners bitch.”

My body tensed.

Before I could yank myself free, before I could even make sense of what was happening, a loud, sharp crack split through the air.

It was a gunshot.

The music cut off instantly. Screams erupted. Bodies scrambled, trying to flee.

The idiot's grip on me went slack as his body stiffened in shock.

I didn’t have to turn around to know who had fired the shot.

Slowly, I looked up.

He was still seated there, still lounging as if nothing had happened.

Except now, the gun in his hand was pointed lazily at the ceiling, smoke curling from the barrel.

His smile had vanished.

And when he spoke, his voice was death itself.

“Touch her again,” he murmured, too softly, too calmly, “and the next one goes through your skull.”

A sharp gasp escaped my lips, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Horror struck first. For a split second, I thought Kelvin had actually killed him.

But then, as the dust settled, I noticed the man still standing, trembling like a leaf in a storm. His face was drained of all color and his confidence was completely shattered.

A small but steady stream of blood trickled down from his shoulder, staining his overpriced shirt. He let out a strangled whimper, clutching at the wound as if trying to hold himself together.

The relief hit me just as fast as the horror had.

Kelvin hadn’t killed him.

But he had come terrifyingly close.

The man stumbled back, his entire body shaking. Now he was just another fool who had played with fire and barely escaped the burn.

He didn’t bother with goodbyes or empty threats. He didn’t even spare me a look.

He just turned and ran, pushing past the panicked crowd, leaving behind a trail of blood. I exhaled sharply, trying to steady my own nerves.

The club was in chaos now, whispers, frightened glances, and people scrambling for the exit.

But I didn’t care about any of that.

My gaze was locked on Kelvin who now had