King of Sin (Price of Regret #2)

Chapter 1 I Told You So

"Juliet, wait!"

Amara Hawk, hissed under her breath as her best friend, Juliet Gray, tried to sneak toward a dark corner beside the entrance of the luxurious Blue Orchid Club.

The club's golden lights spilled across the marble driveway, illuminating the expensive cars pulling up one after another. Elegant guests moved in and out of the building, dressed in designer gowns and tailored suits, their laughter mixing with the distant music drifting from inside.

Before Juliet could take another step, Amara reached out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her back.

Juliet stumbled slightly before turning around. Her soft curls fell across her face as she shot Amara an annoyed look.

"What?" she whispered impatiently. "This is our chance. Let's go."

She pointed toward the entrance.

The security guards who had been standing outside only moments ago were nowhere to be seen. The doorway stood completely unattended.

For the first time since they had arrived an hour ago, there wasn't a single person watching who entered or left.

It was the perfect opportunity to slip inside unnoticed.

Amara immediately rubbed her temple.

"If we get caught," she said, lowering her voice, "you do realize these people won't play around, right?"

Juliet blinked.

"They'll throw us out."

Juliet shrugged.

"They might even call the police."

Juliet shrugged again.

Amara stared at her.

"They could throw us in jail."

That finally earned a reaction.

Juliet frowned. "You're exaggerating."

"I'm not." Amara pointed at the massive building behind her. "Look at this place. People who come here have more money than entire towns. They absolutely have the power to make our lives miserable."

Then she sighed dramatically.

"Look, I'm totally willing to go to jail for you someday."

Juliet's lips twitched.

"But wouldn't it be better if I didn't go to jail for something this stupid?"

"It's not stupid."

Juliet frowned immediately.

"I just want to surprise my fiancée."

"Then call him and tell him to come get us."

Amara folded her arms across her chest.

"He's already inside and has a private room booked with his friends, right? He can come downstairs, pick us up, and take us inside."

Juliet stared at her for a moment before slowly shaking her head.

"See?" she said. "This is exactly why you're hopeless sometimes."

Amara narrowed her eyes.

"The whole point of surprising someone is showing up unexpectedly."

Juliet gestured toward the entrance as if explaining something painfully obvious to a child.

"You don't call them and tell them you're about to surprise them."

Amara looked genuinely offended.

"Wow. Thanks."

Juliet grinned unapologetically.

Unfortunately, Juliet's logic made an annoying amount of sense.

That still didn't change the fact that sneaking into one of the most exclusive clubs in the city sounded like a terrible idea.

Amara stared at her for a few seconds before finally letting out a long sigh of defeat. There was no point arguing when Juliet had already made up her mind.

"Fine," she muttered. "We're breaking into a private club. But if I end up in jail, I'm blaming everything on you."

"Deal."

Juliet answered so quickly that it was obvious she hadn't considered the possibility for even a second.

Shaking her head, Amara watched as Juliet immediately turned toward the entrance again. She had barely taken a step when Amara reached out and grabbed her arm once more.

This time, however, there was no amusement in her expression.

"Juliet."

Something in her voice made Juliet stop.

The excitement on her face faded slightly as she turned back. "What?"

Amara studied her for a moment. The golden lights from the club entrance reflected in Juliet's eyes, making them seem brighter than usual.

"Do you really love Vincent?"

The question caught Juliet completely off guard.

Her brows lifted in surprise.

"What kind of question is that?"

"An honest one."

Amara's expression softened.

"I know you've been friends with him since you were in school, but do you really want to marry him?" she asked quietly. "I've known you for years, Juliet. I don't think I've ever heard you say you were in love with anyone. Then suddenly you're engaged, and now you're getting married."

She hesitated before adding gently, "Don't you think it's a little strange to marry someone you don't love?"

For a moment, Juliet said nothing.

The sounds of arriving guests and distant music filled the silence between them.

Then she released a small breath and looked away.

"It's not about love, Amara."

A faint smile touched her lips, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Not everyone gets a love story like you and your husband."

Amara's chest tightened slightly.

Juliet glanced toward the brightly lit entrance of the club before continuing.

"I like Vincent. We've been friends for years. He's independent, reliable, and I know he'll take care of me."

Her voice was calm, as though she had already thought about this countless times.

"As for romantic feelings..." She gave a small shrug. "I think those things can come later. Once we're married and living together, maybe everything will fall into place naturally."

A hopeful smile appeared on her face.

"I'm not looking for some grand love story anyway. I've never experienced anything like that before."

The smile lingered for only a moment before slowly fading.

When she spoke again, her voice was softer.

"I'm already twenty-five, Amara."

Amara felt something twist painfully inside her chest.

Juliet looked down briefly before lifting her gaze again.

"I want someone to build a life with. I want someone waiting for me when I go home."

The vulnerability in her voice made Amara's heart ache.

Juliet smiled, but this time there was unmistakable sadness behind it.

"My parents died when I was still in school," she said quietly. "Ever since then, I've hated coming home to an empty house. No one waits for me. No one asks how my day was. No one notices if I'm late."

For a second, she looked so lonely that Amara almost forgot about the club, the surprise, and everything else.

Then Juliet straightened and forced a brighter smile onto her face.

"So trust me," she said softly. "I know what I'm doing."

Her eyes drifted toward the entrance where Vincent was waiting somewhere inside.

"I do want to marry him."

Amara stared at her friend for several seconds.

She had always known Juliet was lonely. She knew about the empty house waiting for her every night, the holidays spent alone, and the way she always lingered a little longer whenever Amara invited her over for dinner. But hearing Juliet say it out loud made it feel different.

"You know you still have time, right?" Amara said gently. "You're young. You could wait a few more years."

Juliet shook her head without hesitation.

"I don't want to wait anymore. I've waited long enough."

Amara looked at her for a moment longer before finally letting out a sigh.

Maybe love wasn't what everyone was searching for.

Maybe some people were simply looking for a place to belong.

"Okay."

Juliet's face immediately brightened.

"Okay?"

"Okay."

A smile spread across Amara's face.

The heavy atmosphere that had settled between them disappeared almost instantly.

Juliet threw her arms around her. "Thank you."

Amara laughed and pushed her away.

"Don't thank me yet. I'm still not convinced this isn't a terrible idea."

"It'll be fine."

"Those are famous last words."

Juliet ignored her.

Amara shook her head before straightening her shoulders and glancing toward the entrance of the Blue Orchid Club. The golden lights spilling from the doorway reflected in her eyes as a mischievous grin slowly appeared on her face.

"Well then," she said, rolling her shoulders back. "Let's go crash a party."

Juliet laughed.

The two women hurried toward the entrance and slipped through the unattended doors.

The moment they stepped inside, they were greeted by a breathtaking lobby. Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, casting warm light across polished marble floors. Elegant flower arrangements decorated every corner, and expensive artwork lined the walls.

Unfortunately, they barely had time to appreciate any of it.

They had taken only two steps when a voice suddenly echoed behind them.

"Miss? Miss?!"

Both women froze.

Their heads whipped around simultaneously.

A security guard was rushing up the staircase from the lower floor.

For one long second, everyone stared at each other.

Then the guard pointed directly at them.

"Stop right there!"

Juliet's eyes widened.

She immediately grabbed Amara's arm.

"Run."

Neither of them waited for a second warning.

They spun around and bolted deeper into the club.

The sharp clicking of their heels echoed through the luxurious hallway as they sprinted across the marble floor. Behind them, the security guard shouted something, but neither woman bothered listening.

If anything, the shouting only made them run faster.

Unfortunately, neither of them had accounted for one very important detail.

Running in designer heels was significantly harder than it looked in movies.

Juliet nearly twisted her ankle making a turn.

Amara was too busy trying not to fall on her face to maintain any dignity.

They had barely made it around the corner when a hand suddenly grabbed the back of Amara's dress.

Another caught Juliet's sleeve.

Both women yelped.

The force jerked them backward so abruptly that Juliet nearly lost her balance.

Amara stumbled to a stop and immediately dropped her head.

"Well," she muttered, already sounding defeated, "there goes my law-abiding citizen status."

Juliet groaned.

Within moments, more security guards appeared.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed throughout the lobby as several men approached from different directions. One emerged from a side hallway. Another stepped off an elevator. Two more arrived from the main entrance.

Before Juliet and Amara could even consider running again, they found themselves completely surrounded.

Every possible escape route had vanished.

Juliet came to an abrupt stop. Amara nearly walked straight into her back.