Chapter 115: If it’s just for one night only
Raina’s POV
By the time the sun slipped beneath the rooftops, I had almost convinced myself not to go
The black dress Anna had laid across my bed hours earlier was still untouched as I stood in front of the mirror, wondering whether I really wanted to leave the house. Every time I decided to stay, I remembered what she’d said that morning
You’re surviving here. There’s a difference
I hated how right she was
When I finally made my way downstairs, Malik was already waiting outside
Yuki looked up from the tablet in her hands as I stepped into the foyer. Her eyes lingered on me for a moment before the faintest smile touched her lips
"You look lovely.
Coming from Yuki, that was practically a standing ovation
"Thank you.
She walked over and straightened the sleeve of my jacket with the same quiet familiarity she had shown ever since I was a child
"Try to enjoy yourself.
"I’ll do my best.
From somewhere behind me, Anna laughed
"That’s the most optimistic thing she’s said all week.
Yuki ignored her completely
"And don’t let Miss Wallis convince you to drink too much.
Anna placed a hand over her heart in mock offense
"I have an excellent influence.
Yuki gave her a single look
Neither of us believed that
I found myself smiling anyway
For a brief moment, everything felt almost normal
The drive into the city took a little under forty minutes
Anna filled most of it with stories from work, jumping from one disaster to another without waiting for transitions. She complained about filming in Iceland, a director who insisted on dozens of takes because he disliked the way the wind caught her hair, and a stunt coordinator who somehow managed to set his own trousers on fire
Most of the stories were ridiculous
That was probably the point
Whenever my thoughts drifted back toward Ethan, she’d casually start another one, never drawing attention to it, simply refusing to let me disappear into my own head
By the time Malik pulled over, the city was glowing beneath the evening lights
The building in front of us looked nothing like the nightclubs I’d imagined
There were no flashing signs or crowds gathered outside. Dark stone walls, warm lighting and polished brass details gave it the appearance of an exclusive hotel rather than somewhere people came to dance
If you didn’t already know it was there, you’d probably walk straight past
One of the security guards recognised Anna immediately
"Miss Wallis. Welcome back.
"It’s been a while.
His attention shifted to me
"Good evening, Miss Takahashi.
I blinked
"You know who I am?
He smiled politely
"It’s difficult not to.
Right
Lumi♡Live
Even without the makeup and pastel wigs, some people still recognised me
Inside, a hostess welcomed us before placing two velvet trays on the counter
"Your phones, please.
Anna handed hers over without hesitation
"They’ll be waiting for you when you leave," the hostess explained as she sealed both devices inside secure pouches. "Photography and recording aren’t permitted anywhere inside.
Anna leaned against the counter
"Unless the owner says otherwise.
The hostess laughed softly before disappearing into a nearby office. When she returned, she handed each of us a small black envelope
Inside were our phones
Unsealed
"The owner sends his regards.
Anna gave me a knowing smile
"I told you we’d be fine.
The hostess fastened burgundy ribbons around our wrists
"Please keep these visible at all times.
As we walked farther inside, I noticed nearly every guest wore one
Different colours
Different levels of access, apparently
Anna noticed me looking
"This place survives because people know they can relax here. Actors, musicians, politicians... nobody wants to spend an evening worrying about ending up on someone’s social media.
It made perfect sense
The biggest surprise wasn’t the music
It was how calm everything felt
People danced, but nobody seemed interested in performing for strangers. Conversations drifted easily across elegant booths while waiters moved quietly between tables. A famous actor chatted with a footballer near the bar, while two singers shared dessert in a corner booth without attracting a second glance
No one asked for photographs
No one interrupted them
For the first time in a long while, fame didn’t seem to matter
"I like this," I admitted
"I thought you might.
We settled into one of the raised booths overlooking the dance floor
Before we’d even opened the menu, several servers appeared
Anna smiled at them
"The usual.
Within minutes the table was covered with wine, cocktails, fruit and enough food to feed a small family
I stared at everything
"There are only two of us.
She followed my gaze before shrugging
"I got carried away.
"You always do.
She laughed
"Fair.
I picked up my glass and looked around the room once more
"This isn’t what I expected.
"In a good way?
I nodded
"I thought it would be louder.
"It usually is. This place is different.
She leaned back comfortably
"It’s where people come when they want to stop being whoever everyone else expects them to be.
I understood exactly what she meant
For a while, neither of us said much.
We watched the room settle into its own rhythm. Waiters moved effortlessly between tables, conversations drifted through the air beneath the music, and somewhere across the lounge a well-known actor was losing spectacularly at billiards while his friends laughed loud enough for half the room to hear.
It was peaceful.
Not because it was quiet, but because nobody seemed interested in pretending to be anyone else.
Anna glanced at me over the rim of her wine glass.
"I haven’t seen you smile like this in days."
I looked down at my drink, surprised to realize she was right.
"I suppose it’s easier here."
"It usually is."
She leaned back with a satisfied smile.
"People come here to disappear for a few hours."
A server approached our table.
"Miss Wallis."
"I’d like to request something."
He nodded as she quietly whispered a song title before disappearing toward the DJ booth.
I frowned.
"What are you planning?"
"You’ll find out."
A moment later the music faded, replaced by the opening notes of a familiar piano melody. It was a song titled ’ I still can’t get over you ’ by three times FUMA award winner Axion .
I stared at Anna.
"No way."
She grinned.
"Oh, yes."
The singer’s voice filled the room, and memories rushed back before the first verse had even finished.
I laughed.
"I haven’t heard this in years."
"You used to play it on repeat."
"So did you."
"We practically drove everyone around us insane."
She wasn’t wrong.
The song instantly carried me back to a summer festival we’d skipped class to attend, squeezing through a crowd just to catch a glimpse of the stage. We’d spent the journey home inventing dance moves we’d never quite mastered, only to be greeted by an extremely unimpressed dad who somehow already knew exactly where we’d been.
Looking back, it was worth every minute.
Anna stood and held out a hand.
"Come on."
I laughed.
"I think I’ll embarrass myself."
"Then you’ll embarrass yourself with me."
There wasn’t much room left to argue.
She pulled me toward the dance floor.
At first I moved awkwardly, painfully aware of myself, but it didn’t take long before I noticed something strange.
Nobody was watching.
People carried on with their own conversations. Couples danced. Others remained at their tables, completely absorbed in their own evenings.
For once, I wasn’t the center of anyone’s attention.
Anna caught my hesitation and smiled.
"See?"
She didn’t need to say anything else.
The tension I’d carried for days eased little by little. We fell back into an old routine neither of us had performed in years, laughing whenever one of us missed a step or forgot what came next.
For the first time since the warehouse, my laughter didn’t feel forced.
It simply came.
Anna noticed.
She smiled without saying a word.
For a few precious minutes, nothing else existed.
Just music.
Just two old friends sharing something that had survived everything life had thrown at them.
By the time the song ended, we returned to our booth slightly out of breath and still laughing.
"I’m definitely out of practice," I admitted.
Anna took a sip of her drink.
"I’ll accept that excuse."
I reached for my glass.
Before I could take a sip, my handbag vibrated against the seat.
I frowned.
Calls at this hour were unusual.
For a second I assumed it was Grandpa checking where I was.
I reached into my bag and looked at the screen.
Everything around me seemed to stop.
Ethan Calling.
My pulse stumbled.
to be continued in next Chapter....
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