Chapter 11: Miss Shaw, we meet again.
Adelynn's anger flared. She leaned over to Esme and murmured in her ear, "Look who's here. Julian and Ruby are enjoying themselves quite nicely, aren't they?"
Her gaze bore into the couple, a fiery rage simmering within. She yearned to confront him for hurting her best friend.
Esme followed Adelynn's gaze, her eyes locking onto the couple. A pang struck her heart at the sight of Ruby nestled close to Julian, her arm wrapped around his. Tears welled in Esme's eyes, prompting her to look away. Her fingers trembled slightly as she lifted her glass to her lips.
In an attempt to expose Ruby, Esme sent a message to Julian, but he seemed oblivious to the truth. He might have thought that she was trying to manipulate him by sending a fake message, failing to see through Ruby's ruse. Resentment and anguish swirled within Esme as her heart burned with pain.
Adelynn reached out and placed a gentle hand on Esme's shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Hey, don't pay attention to him. Just ignore him," she said softly with concern.
Despite her efforts to reassure her friend, Adelynn couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for bringing Esme to this place. If she had known that Julian would be here, she would have never suggested coming to The Lucky Club.
Esme forced a smile, feigning unaffected composure in the face of Julian's presence. "I am fine. Let's dance."
"Are you sure?" Adelynn asked skeptically.
"Yes, I am sure." Esme walked up to the dance floor.
Adelynn couldn't help but steal a glance at Julian as she followed her friend. He was sitting there, sipping a drink, and looking right at Esme. Adelynn's anger flared up again, and she turned away, focusing instead on her friend.
On the dance floor, Esme let loose, moving to the rhythm of the music with abandon. Adelynn joined her, trying to lose herself in the beat and the lights, but her mind kept wandering back to Julian and Ruby. She couldn't believe that he could be so callous and insensitive to Esme's feelings. A part of her wanted to confront him, to tell him exactly what she thought of him, but she restrained herself, knowing Esme would teach him a lesson.
Adelynn turned her attention back to Esme, watching her dance with a newfound sense of liberation. Maybe this was exactly what Esme needed—a night out, surrounded by music, lights, and people—to forget about Julian and his betrayal. She grinned and swayed her body with her.
Julian found it impossible to tear his gaze away from Esme. He had never seen her in such a provocative dress before, and he knew it had to be Adelynn's. He was furious that Esme had come to a club wearing such an outfit. At the same time, he was pulled to her curvaceous body, which she kept hidden beneath her jeans and tops.
Watching Esme sway and move her hips on the dance floor only fueled Julian's fury. He was baffled by the inexplicable urge to beat every man near her. But why?
He held no affection for her, right? Their relationship had been a mere appeasement to his father, and he had always desired to end it. So why this sudden, peculiar surge of jealousy now that he had finally severed ties with her?
Julian couldn't understand what was happening to him. He tried to shake off the feeling, telling himself that he had no claim to Esme anymore. But as he continued to watch her dance, he couldn't help but feel possessive toward her. He wanted to protect her from the lecherous gazes of the other men in the club, even though he had no right to do so.
Ruby grew increasingly agitated as she sensed Julian's lingering gaze on Esme. She wanted to confront Esme, scratch her face, and kick her out of the bar. How dare she flaunt her figure in front of Julian?
Ruby thought it was Esme's blatant attempt to win Julian back. She glanced at Julian and found him still staring at Esme. Furious, she fidgeted with her fingers. She couldn't stand the thought of him being attracted to Esme, and she wanted to do something to get his attention back.
"Julian." Ruby tugged at his arm. "Let's dance," she proposed and smiled at him, pushing her frustration away.
"I don't want to dance," Julian grumbled, withdrawing his hand to take a swig of his drink.
"Please, Julian. I want to dance," Ruby insisted, her tone pleading.
"Then go ahead and dance. Don't trouble me."
Ruby pouted, reclining back on the sofa and crossing her arms across her chest. She couldn't understand why Julian was acting this way, especially after separating from Esme. As she sulked, she noticed Adelynn and Esme dancing together, laughing, and having a good time. Ruby's envy grew stronger, and she couldn't wait to get her revenge.
Esme and Adelynn finally made their way off the dance floor, collapsing onto a nearby sofa, their breaths shallow and rapid from their energetic dancing.
"Oh my god, I haven't danced like this for ages," Esme exclaimed, a wide grin on her face. "I enjoyed it a lot. Thanks, Adel, for bringing me here."
"Anything for you, sweetheart," Adelynn responded, raising her hand to signal a passing waitress. She swiftly ordered drinks for both of them.
As they waited for their drinks to arrive, Adelynn posed a question to Esme. "So, what's your plan now? Are you going to stay here or head back to your hometown?"
"I'll find a job here," Esme replied. "I want to make Julian regret it and teach Ruby a lesson that I can't do if I go back home."
"That's awesome!" Adelynn exclaimed with enthusiasm. "I'll help you find a job."
"Thanks, Adel." Esme smiled gratefully at her friend, appreciating the support.
The waitress returned with their drinks, and the two friends clinked their glasses together in a toast. They sipped their drinks, chatted, and laughed, relishing each other's company.
Ring-Ring-Ring…
Adelynn's phone rang, interrupting their conversation. She glanced at the screen, recognizing her chief editor's number. Sitting up abruptly, she answered the call.
"Hello."
"Where are you, Adel? Why is it so noisy?" The editor grumbled through the phone.
"I came to a club to have fun with my friend," Adelynn replied honestly.
"Get out of there right away and go to the Moon's bar," the editor commanded urgently. "We just got intel that Silas Sullivan was spotted there with his new girlfriend. I want this news covered before it reaches the others. The cameraman is waiting for you there. Go, hurry up."
"Okay."
Beep…
Adelynn looked at Esme apologetically. She didn't want to leave her alone, but she wouldn't pass up the chance to capture Silas with his new love interest.
"Work call. I have to go," she explained.
"Okay, no problem," Esme responded with a smile.
"I am so sorry, Esme. I..."
"It's okay." Esme gave her a reassuring nod, clasping her hands. "I can take care of myself. Go."
"Thanks, Esme. Don't stay here for a long time. Go home and wait for me."
"I will."
Adelynn hurriedly rose from her seat, bidding Esme farewell before dashing out of the club.
Silas sported a sly smile as he watched Esme from a private room on the second floor. The moment he spotted her, he instructed Caleb to send Adelynn away, craving some privacy with Esme.
"Miss Shaw, we meet again," he murmured with a mischievous grin.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone