Austin Silva finally snapped out of his daze, though the disbelief on his face remained firmly in place.

For several seconds, he simply stared at Luca.

Then he let out a long breath.

"Bro... that was honestly terrifying."

The others immediately nodded.

A few moments ago, they had only been curious about Luca.

Now they were reassessing everything. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Austin had already known Luca was influential. Seeing powerful people treat him with unusual respect had made that obvious.

But influence and wealth weren’t always the same thing.

The Koenigsegg One:1 sitting outside had erased that distinction completely.

That wasn’t the sort of car someone bought because they had a good year.

It wasn’t even the sort of car most wealthy people could acquire if they wanted to.

The car represented a level of access that money alone couldn’t guarantee.

Seeing Luca step out of it as casually as someone stepping out of a family sedan had been more shocking than the vehicle itself.

Austin silently buried the last traces of curiosity he’d ever had about investigating Luca’s background.

Some people were worth looking into.

Others were better left alone.

Luca clearly belonged in the second category.

Austin recovered first.

He cleared his throat and gestured toward his friends.

"Bro Luca, let me introduce everyone."

Luca raised a hand.

"Before that, can we drop the formalities? We’re around the same age. Just talk normally."

The group exchanged surprised glances.

Most second-generation heirs they knew became unbearable after buying a sports car worth a few hundred thousand dollars.

Luca owned one of the rarest hypercars on the planet and somehow seemed less arrogant than most people they’d met.

Their impression of him improved instantly.

Austin grinned.

"Fair enough."

He pointed toward a blond young man with neatly styled hair.

"This is Gavin Ross. His family owns one of the biggest luxury fashion groups in the state."

Gavin offered a polite nod.

"Nice to meet you."

Luca nodded back.

Austin shifted to the next person.

"The guy trying way too hard to look cool is Dominic Jose. His family owns The Grand Sterling Bistro chain."

Dominic scoffed immediately.

"Trying? I’m naturally cool."

"That’s exactly what someone trying too hard would say," Gavin replied.

Laughter broke out around the group.

Dominic looked offended.

"I’m being attacked for no reason."

"You’re being attacked for many reasons," Austin corrected.

More laughter followed.

The atmosphere relaxed considerably.

Austin pointed toward a slim young man wearing glasses.

"And this is Ayden Young. His family runs a high-end furniture business."

Ayden sighed before Austin could continue.

"And yes, before he says it, they call me Glasses."

"We’ve been calling him that since middle school," Dominic said proudly.

"I’m still trying to understand why."

"Because you wear glasses."

Ayden pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I walked directly into that one."

Even Luca chuckled.

The introductions continued for another minute before Austin clapped his hands together.

"Alright. Let’s head inside."

The group entered Crimson Velvet Lounge together.

The moment they stepped through the doors, the atmosphere changed.

The bass-heavy music became stronger, vibrating through the floor beneath their feet.

Colored lights swept across polished surfaces and expensive furnishings. Conversations blended together with laughter and music, creating the familiar rhythm of an upscale nightlife venue.

A chubby man in a tailored suit immediately hurried toward them.

His smile was bright and professional.

"Young Master Silva."

Manager Wesley Snipes greeted Austin before acknowledging the rest of the group.

Then his gaze landed on Luca.

Austin casually draped an arm over Wesley’s shoulder.

"Wesley, this is Luca Hale."

The manager’s expression immediately became more attentive.

Anyone personally introduced by Austin Silva was someone worth remembering.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hale."

Luca gave a polite nod.

"No need to be nervous."

Relief visibly flashed across Wesley’s face.

"Of course, sir."

He quickly led the group deeper into the establishment.

Several security checkpoints and private sections later, they arrived at the largest VIP booth in the entire lounge.

The atmosphere here was noticeably different from the main floor.

The music was softer.

Conversations were easier.

Tinted glass separated the area from the rest of the venue while decorative partitions created a sense of privacy.

Large leather couches surrounded polished mahogany tables already stocked with premium champagne, imported whiskey, crystal glasses, and carefully arranged platters of food.

Austin dropped into a seat.

"The usual?"

Before anyone answered, he looked toward Luca.

"Any preferences?"

Luca glanced at the bottles.

"I don’t know enough about this stuff to have one."

Austin laughed.

"Fair."

He waved toward Wesley.

"The usual."

"Right away."

Within minutes, servers began bringing additional drinks.

Not long afterward, several hostesses joined the booth.

Three immediately gravitated toward Austin’s group, clearly familiar with them from previous visits.

The fourth hesitated for a moment before taking the empty seat beside Luca.

Unlike the others, she looked nervous.

Luca picked up his champagne flute.

"What’s your name?"

The girl blinked.

"Lucy Smith."

She looked to be around university age.

Pretty.

A little shy.

Definitely uncomfortable.

Luca smiled faintly.

"You look more nervous than I am, and I’m the one talking to the beauty."

Lucy froze for half a second before laughing.

The tension immediately eased.

"The manager spent five minutes warning me not to mess anything up."

"Then he wasted five minutes."

Her shoulders visibly relaxed.

The conversation flowed more naturally after that.

Lucy turned out to be a university student working part-time to cover living expenses and tuition costs.

She had an unexpectedly good sense of humor and wasn’t afraid to poke fun at herself.

Before long, she was sharing stories about disastrous group projects, professors with impossible standards, and classmates who somehow survived entire semesters without attending lectures.

Luca listened with mild amusement.

Across the table, the rest of the group had fully embraced the nightlife atmosphere.

Dominic, in particular, was operating at peak efficiency.

The man had somehow started separate conversations with three different women at the same time.

And judging by the results, he was succeeding.

Luca watched for several seconds.

Then he slowly shook his head.

’A true professional.’

Nearly an hour passed.

A few glasses of champagne later, Luca stood.

"I’m heading to the restroom."

Nobody paid much attention.

Dominic was too busy being Dominic.

Austin was arguing with Gavin about something involving luxury watches.

Ayden was attempting to convince everyone that furniture design was a legitimate topic of conversation in a nightclub.

Luca left the booth and walked into the quieter corridor beyond.

The music became distant.

The noise faded.

Polished marble floors reflected soft lighting from the walls.

For the first time since arriving, the environment felt calm.

He stepped into the restroom and washed his hands.

Cold water ran across his skin.

For a brief moment, everything was peaceful.

Then movement flashed across the mirror.

Fast.

Erratic.

Luca’s eyes narrowed.

A young woman suddenly sprinted past the hallway intersection outside.

She looked terrified.

A heavily tattooed man came charging after her only seconds later.

The man’s face was twisted with anger.

His hand shot forward.

Reaching for her hair.

Something cold settled into Luca’s expression.

Without hesitation, he moved.

BANG!

His kick landed squarely in the man’s stomach.

The impact echoed through the corridor.

The tattooed man folded instantly.

Air exploded from his lungs as he crashed onto the polished floor and slid several feet.

The chase ended immediately.

Ignoring the man entirely, Luca stepped toward the fleeing girl.

She stumbled.

He caught her wrist before she could fall.

The young woman froze.

Breathing hard.

Trembling.

Then she looked up.

Luca’s eyes narrowed.

"Lisa?"

The single word carried unmistakable surprise.

Then his expression darkened.

Immediately.

"What are you doing here?"

The girl staring back at him was none other than his cousin.

Lisa Hale.

A medical student at San Fierro Medical University.

Responsible.

Disciplined.

The type of person who planned her schedule weeks in advance.

The absolute last person he expected to find running through a nightclub corridor while being chased by a thug.

Fear was written all over her face.

She wasn’t embarrassed or in panic.

She was genuinely shaken with fear.

The moment Luca saw that expression, the temperature in his gaze seemed to drop several degrees.

Behind them, the tattooed man groaned from the floor.

Luca didn’t even look back.

His attention remained entirely on Lisa.

Questions flashed through his mind.

Why was she here?

Who brought her?

What exactly had happened?

Most importantly...

How close had things come to going wrong?

A dangerous thought surfaced.

’What if I hadn’t been here tonight?’

The possibility alone was enough to make his eyes turn icy.

Because judging from the terror on Lisa’s face...

Whatever had happened, it wasn’t something he was going to ignore.