Chapter 8 Take Me With You
Music pulsed through the darkness, its deep rhythm vibrating faintly beneath their feet.
Dim, warm lighting illuminated the corridors, casting a soft glow over the luxurious surroundings and guiding them toward the private rooms. The atmosphere was intimate and discreet, designed to ensure that the guests could enjoy themselves without unwanted interruptions.
Stella checked the address that had been sent to her phone and followed it toward the designated room. When she reached the door, she opened it and stepped inside.
Lucius was sprawled across one of the luxurious leather couches, his head resting against the cushions.
His suit jacket had been discarded, leaving him in a crisp white shirt with the top buttons undone.
His sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, revealing the strong lines of his wrists, while his expensive watch glinted beneath the subdued lighting.
Even drunk, he retained an imposing presence. His broad shoulders filled the couch, and his long legs stretched out before him. Yet the control he usually carried in every movement had disappeared, replaced by a careless looseness Stella had rarely, if ever, seen in him.
The moment he noticed her, he lifted his head.
His heavy-lidded eyes settled on her, and something shifted across his face. Despite the alcohol clouding his judgment, his attention sharpened, as though the rest of the room had suddenly ceased to exist.
Stella’s gaze moved past him, and she realized that he wasn’t alone.
Two handsome men and a gorgeous woman occupied the room. The men were dressed in expensive suits and tailored shirts, their relaxed postures and discreet accessories reflecting the same privileged world Lucius belonged to.
The woman, however, looked vaguely familiar.
Before Stella could place her, the woman’s expression suddenly changed.
A moment earlier, she had been standing with one hand on her waist, glaring at Lucius with an unmistakably irritated look on her face. But the moment her gaze landed on Stella, her entire expression transformed. Her irritation vanished, replaced by a bright, delighted smile.
“Oh my God! Is that you?”
She rushed toward Stella and didn’t stop until she was standing directly in front of her.
Triston moved to Stella’s side without saying a word, his attention shifting between her and the unfamiliar woman.
Up close, the woman was even more beautiful, yet there was something strangely familiar about her. Her long blonde hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, framing a delicate face and bright eyes. She smiled warmly at Stella as though they had known each other for years.
“Did you forget me?” the woman asked with a playful smile. “I’m Juliet.”
Stella continued to stare at her, searching her memory.
Juliet quickly filled in the missing pieces. “We met a while ago, when I fell down the stairs. You helped me get inside this club because I was trying to get to that asshole ex-boyfriend of mine. I fell down the stairs, and you even helped me get to the hospital. Do you remember?”
Recognition suddenly flashed across Stella’s face.
“Yes!” she exclaimed, her expression brightening. “I’m so happy to see you. How have you been? Don’t tell me you’re still with that guy?”
“Hell, no.” Juliet laughed. “I dumped him ages ago and married the best man in the whole entire world.”
She wrapped her arms around Stella and pulled her into a warm hug.
When she finally pulled away, she glanced over Stella’s shoulder at Lucius before turning back to her with a knowing smile.
“You’re the woman Cassian called, aren’t you?” she asked, pointing across the room. “That’s my husband, by the way.”
She gestured toward a man standing across the room. Stella's eyes briefly settled on him. Cassian was tall and broad-shouldered, with ruggedly handsome features, thick black hair, and deep black eyes that immediately stood out against his strong features.
Juliet then pointed toward the man beside him.
“And that’s Xavier,” she added. “He’s also one of our friends.”
Stella looked toward him. Xavier was tall, with long black hair brushing his shoulders, high cheekbones, sharp features, and dark arched brows. A thin scar cut through his right eyebrow, giving his otherwise handsome face a distinctive edge.
“Nice to meet you. And thank you for calling me,” Stella said, looking between the men.
Before either of them could respond, Stella turned her attention back to Lucius. She walked toward him and stopped beside the couch.
“Lucius?”
She placed a hand on his shoulder and shook it lightly.
Lucius had been lying back against the couch with his head tilted against the cushions, but the moment he heard her voice, his eyes opened. He turned his head toward her, his heavy-lidded gaze immediately settling on her face.
Behind Stella, Juliet moved closer to her husband, who had shifted to the side to make room for her. She came to stand beside Triston, leaving the four of them watching Stella and Lucius with undisguised interest.
It was as though they had suddenly been handed the most entertaining drama of the evening.
All of them stood with their arms folded, except for Juliet, who had already pulled out her phone. She began texting her friends in their group chat, updating them on what was happening at the club.
She excitedly began sending a series of rapid messages about the history between Stella and Lucius, which Lucius had revealed after getting drunk. She even secretly snapped several photographs of them and shared them in the group chat.
The others were instantly thrilled to discover that there was a woman in Lucius’s life.
Stella stepped forward to help Lucius sit up when another sudden commotion erupted in the room.
The door slammed open.
Every head turned toward the entrance, and Catherine stormed inside.
“What the hell are you doing? Stop touching him!” she shouted as she marched toward Lucius.
She came around to the other side of the couch and glared at Stella, her eyes widening with confusion when she saw Lucius leaning against her.
Before Catherine could reach him, she tried to touch his arm. Lucius immediately grabbed her and shoved her away.
Catherine stumbled backward and collided with one of the couches, barely managing to keep herself from falling to the floor.
The room fell silent.
Catherine’s face flushed with embarrassment, but Lucius had already turned his attention back to Stella. He reached for the hand resting on his shoulder, then slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.
Resting his head against her stomach, he let out a weary sigh.
“I’m so tired, Stella,” he mumbled in a long, drawn-out voice.
Stella stared down at him in confusion, unsure what to make of his behavior.
Meanwhile, Catherine quickly regained her composure and stepped toward them.
“Lucius, I’m here. Let’s go. I’ll take care of you,” she said, deliberately softening her voice as she reached for him again. “You can come with me.”
The moment her hand moved toward him, Lucius recoiled.
“Stop touching me!” he snapped, shooting her a disgusted look without even sparing her a proper glance.
Then he lowered his head against Stella’s stomach again.
“Stella, my stomach hurts,” he mumbled, his voice muffled against Stella as he pressed his face more firmly into her.
Catherine’s expression tightened, her embarrassment deepening as she stood rigidly beside them.
Behind her, Juliet, Cassian and Xavier moved closer to each other, watching the scene unfold with growing interest. Triston leaned his head forward to hear what they were saying, allowing them to include him in their whispered conversation.
“Who invited this white worm here?” Juliet asked quietly, pointing toward Catherine.
Catherine was dressed entirely in white, and her complexion was so pale that it nearly matched her outfit. Her makeup was equally light, while the excessive highlighter on her cheeks made her look as though she might glow in the dark.
“If someone switched on a light, her cheeks would turn into two fucking tube lights,” Juliet muttered.
Xavier glanced between Catherine and the other men before turning his attention to Triston.
Triston looked at each of them in turn, then shrugged at once.
“I don’t know her,” he said.
Before Juliet could say anything, a sound from the doorway drew everyone’s attention.
They turned to find one of the club’s waiters standing there, looking unusually pleased with himself. He glanced at Catherine with an expression that suggested he had just delivered some very interesting news.
Triston studied him for a moment before murmuring, “I guess white worm has planted an informer at the club.”
Juliet clicked her tongue in frustration before turning toward Triston.
“Goddammit, I don’t want this woman anywhere near Lucius from now on. Stella is the only woman I’ll accept as Lucius’s wife. Anyone else he marries is my enemy. I will never, ever let her live in peace.”
Triston raised his eyebrows at her, his expression filled with disbelief.
“You don’t get to decide who Stella marries,” he pointed out.
Juliet immediately shot him an angry look.
“I can if I want to. Are you going to object?” she challenged, raising both eyebrows as she waited for his answer.
Triston gave her an unimpressed look.
“Of course I am. I won’t let Stella get involved with him.”
Juliet’s face twisted with irritation.
Meanwhile, Stella’s temper continued to rise as Catherine insisted on taking care of Lucius.
“I’m going to take care of him. You don’t need to interfere. Get away from him,” Catherine snapped, her voice sharp and her expression openly hostile as she tried to push Stella aside.
By then, Lucius had already reached for another drink from the table. He was about to take a sip when Stella quickly leaned over, took the glass from his hand, and slammed it down on the table.
She turned toward Catherine, her eyes narrowing.
“Can’t you see that he’s sick? He needs to take some medicine. He’s clearly drunk, and he can’t even sit up properly,” Stella said.