ABSOLUTE INSANITY: A forbidden bond

Chapter 293

KATYA POV

Chiara slowed the car as we turned the final corner, the engine humming softly beneath us before she eased her foot onto the brake.

"Okay," she murmured, leaning slightly forward over the steering wheel as the building came into view.

My stomach tightened immediately. The club stood at the end of the street like it had been dropped there deliberately to draw attention. Even from inside the car, it was impossible to miss.

Soft gold lights traced the edges of the building, outlining the dark structure in a way that made it glow against the night.

A large black sign stretched above the entrance, the name of the club written in sleek letters that caught the light every time a car passed.

The place wasn’t loud from the outside like I had imagined. The bass from the music inside pulsed faintly through the walls.

Chiara slowly backed the car into an open parking spot across the street. "There," she said with satisfaction as she straightened the wheel while I watched the entrance carefully.

It wasn’t crowded.

Which honestly surprised me. A few people stood near the door, laughing quietly as they talked.

A couple stepped out of a sleek black car just ahead of us, the woman adjusting the strap of her dress while the man closed the door behind her.

Two tall men stood by the entrance — security, obviously — their dark suits sharp under the lights as they watched everyone who approached.

There were no long lines. No chaotic crowd pushing toward the doors. Just small groups arriving here and there.

"As Michael said... it’s the opening night," Chiara reminded me casually, like she could read my thoughts. "Private guest list and we are definitely on it thanks to you!"

My fingers twisted slightly in the fabric of my dress.

Right.

Chiara pulled out her seatbelt and I did the same. We stepped out of the car, the night air immediately wrapping around us.

The music from the club became a little louder now that we were outside, the bass vibrating faintly through the pavement beneath my heels.

I adjusted my purse nervously as Chiara locked the car with a quick click.

"Come on," she said brightly, already starting toward the building.

The streetlights reflected softly off the pavement as we crossed the road, our heels tapping lightly against the ground.

I tried not to look like I was walking into a completely unfamiliar world. Chiara, of course, looked perfectly comfortable. Halfway across the street she suddenly stopped.

"Oh wait." Before I could even ask what she was doing, she pulled out her phone and flipped the camera toward herself.

I sighed immediately. "Chiara..." She ignored me.

"Okay guys," she said dramatically to the screen, lifting the phone slightly higher so the glowing club sign behind us was visible. "We are officially at the grand opening tonight and—"

She suddenly swung the phone toward me.

"—this is the reason we’re even here." I groaned.

"Chiara."

Too late. She had already dragged me into the frame. "Say hi," she whispered loudly. I rolled my eyes but glanced briefly at the camera anyway.

"Hi," I muttered dryly. Chiara grinned at the screen.

"Look at her pretending she doesn’t look like she owns the place."

"I do not."

"She absolutely does." She kept recording as we continued walking toward the entrance, the music growing louder with every step.

The security guards were watching the people approaching calmly, their expressions neutral and professional.

Chiara lowered the phone slightly as we reached the short staircase leading to the glass doors.

For a brief second I wondered if they were going to stop us.

Ask for IDs. Or a name. Or something. But they didn’t. The moment we stepped closer, one of the bouncers straightened slightly and reached for the door handle.

The other gave a polite nod. The door swung open smoothly. "Welcome, Miss Katya." I stopped walking.

Completely. My brain took a second to catch up.

"...Huh?" The guard stepped aside respectfully, holding the door open.

Chiara blinked once. Then slowly turned her head toward me. And then her face broke into a wide grin.

"Damn." I looked between the two security guards in confusion.

"Wait—what?" Chiara leaned closer to me, lowering her voice dramatically.

"Michael seemed to have already described you to his security."

I stared at her. "What?" She laughed softly.

"He didn’t even want them stressing you out with guest lists or questions." My eyebrows lifted in disbelief.

"Are you serious?" Chiara nudged my shoulder playfully.

"Aww," she teased. "Look at that." I frowned slightly.

"What?" She clasped her hands under her chin dramatically.

"Michael made sure you get VIP treatment before you even stepped inside."

"That’s not—"

"Oh it absolutely is," she interrupted with a grin.

Then she gestured toward the open door.

"Come on, Miss Important Guest." I hesitated for just a second before stepping inside.

The moment we crossed the doorway, the music surged around us. The bass was louder now, vibrating through the air as colored lights moved across the walls and floor. Laughter and conversation filled the space, blending with the rhythm of the music.

Chiara leaned closer to my ear. "See?" she said with a satisfied smile, looking around the club slowly.

And I followed, taking it in. The inside of the club was bigger than it had looked from outside.

The ceiling stretched high above us, dark but lit with moving beams of soft purple and gold light that swept slowly across the room.

A wide dance floor occupied the center, glowing faintly beneath the shifting lights. People were already moving there, some dancing casually while others simply swayed with their drinks in hand.

The music wasn’t deafening like I expected. To the left was a long bar counter made of polished black marble, its surface reflecting the overhead lights.

Bottles lined the glass shelves behind it in neat rows, their colored liquids glowing softly under the warm lighting.

Bartenders moved quickly behind the counter, mixing drinks with easy, practiced movements while small groups leaned against the bar laughing and talking.

Further in, there were lounge sections — low velvet couches arranged around sleek tables where people sat in relaxed clusters.

The entire place had a quiet sense of luxury. Nothing about it looked cheap. Nothing looked rushed. Even the staff moved with calm efficiency, like they knew exactly what they were doing.

Chiara’s eyes were practically glowing as she turned slowly in a circle, taking everything in. "Oh my God," she breathed. "I love this place already."

I nodded slowly, still absorbing everything. It didn’t feel overwhelming like I thought it would.

Just... new. My gaze moved across the room again, watching people talk and laugh under the moving lights.

Then I noticed someone moving toward us through the crowd.

Tall. Dressed in a white dress shirt and dark slacks that fit him like they had been tailored specifically for him.

It took me a second to recognize him. Michael. He was weaving easily through the people, one hand casually adjusting the sleeve of his shirt as he approached.

Chiara noticed him at the exact same moment I did. Her eyes widened slightly until she leaned toward me with a grin that could only mean trouble.

"Ohhh," she whispered dramatically. I glanced at her. "What?" She nodded toward the approaching figure.

"Oh damn," she said under her breath. "Michael hot-hot is coming." I tried not to react but my heart did a small, inconvenient flip anyway.

Chiara’s grin widened as she folded her arms. "Yeah," she murmured, clearly enjoying this far too much.

"Tonight is going to be very interesting."

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