The sound of footsteps blended with the hustle and bustle of music and the voices of people partying in the nightclub. His presence wasn't immediately noticed until a woman called his name, instantly drawing the attention of those around them.
"Oh, Sienna! You've arrived?" A woman in a blue dress with a slightly revealing cut turned, slightly surprised to realize that her friend had been behind her for who knows how long. The woman who was the center of attention tonight, Sienna Monroe, had just called her.
Sienna smiled thinly and took the wad of money her friend offered. With a satisfied expression, she kissed the money before putting it into her branded bag. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. But it's a good thing you just arrived after that Old Man left. Otherwise, I don't know how long you would have had to entertain him," said the woman in the blue dress, sighing in relief.
Sienna only chuckled lightly. "It's not a problem. As long as I can get a lot of money from him, I don't care. The most important thing is, I'm not caught up in his marital drama if his wife finds out that her faithful husband often has fun with women at the club."
"You're right." Her friend shuddered. "I can't imagine what it would be like if that happened."
"Come on, don't think about it." Sienna waved her hand casually. "We better have fun tonight and collect more money from the dirty old men here." She winked playfully, then gracefully began to pose, waiting for prey to approach her.
As expected, men began to come one by one, trying to seduce her in various ways. Some offered money, jewelry, and even luxury goods to get her attention. Meanwhile, her friend had disappeared somewhere, leaving Sienna in the middle of a group of men fighting for her affection. False affection, of course.
All this was just for money.
However, in the middle of the crowd, Sienna's gaze suddenly fell on a group of men sitting on a red sofa, accompanied by several glasses of alcohol on the table. They looked like people who had just experienced the freedom of the nightlife. Among them, there was one figure that caught her attention, a bespectacled man wearing an oversized blue sweater with a white shirt underneath. He looked so awkward compared to the glamorous club atmosphere.
Why is a nerdy guy like that here? Doesn't he know the risks he'll face?
"Sienna, you look really beautiful tonight," a man's voice suddenly diverted her attention.
Sienna turned and saw a man kneeling while holding her hand tightly. "Why are you so beautiful today? You're really turning my world upside down."
Sienna smiled thinly, then pretended to put on a sad expression. "So you mean, I haven't been beautiful all this time? I can't turn your world upside down?"
"N-no, that's not it!" The man stammered, panicked. "I mean... you look more stunning today..."
The man's gaze slowly swept over Sienna's body from head to toe. She had seen this kind of gaze too often from men like this. She just sighed inwardly. It's all the same. All men like this always end up with that kind of gaze.
"Come on, you can't please Sienna. You better leave! Look, you're making her sad!" said another man, pushing the first man roughly.
"Sienna, don't be sad!" The next man tried to get her attention. "Whether it's yesterday, today, or even tomorrow, you're always beautiful in my eyes. You're my gem."
Without warning, the man took out a ruby from his pocket and held it out to Sienna, making the people around them fall silent, stunned, including Sienna herself. However, before she could respond, another man quickly interrupted, again trying to steal her attention.
"Sienna! I brought something for you too!" The man took out a luxurious new gold necklace.
"Me too!"
Several men began to take out various luxury gifts, from jewelry, expensive watches, and even checks with staggering nominal amounts. Sienna could only be silent, watching how they competed with each other, insulted each other, and some even started proposing to her outright.
She sighed in confusion. "Come on, don't be like that. I feel guilty. I don't want you to fight like this, and sorry, I can't accept anyone's proposal among you."
"You don't have to feel guilty, Honey," one man said confidently. "I'm giving this sincerely. So take it."
"Me too!" chimed in another, followed by nods from the other men.
Sienna looked at all the gifts hesitantly. Slowly, she began to take them one by one and put them on the table. "I'm confused... how should I repay you."
"You don't have to repay anything," replied a man with a passionate gaze. "Just being here with us is enough."
Sienna smiled faintly. Yes, all this was for money. Not for love. Not for true happiness.
However, for some reason, her mind drifted back to the bespectacled man who was still sitting on the sofa with five other men. Their appearance wasn't much different from his.
Not wanting to deal with the men in front of her any longer, Sienna smiled and stood up gracefully, like a gentle woman. It seemed she should try auditioning for an actress casting because her acting skills were quite extraordinary.
Sienna stood up with graceful movements, a sweet smile still etched on her face. "You're really kind," she said, putting on a soft expression while spreading her arms slightly, giving a signal as if accepting their attention and giving a little chance or pleasure for giving her gifts. Of course, the dirty old men who wanted to touch her took advantage of that signal.
However, before one of them could pull Sienna into his arms, she quickly raised one hand, stopping the man's movement.
"Please," she said in a relaxed but firm tone. "Can your hands not move to touch me? I don't want to play with anyone today."
Even though she was often called a beautiful night woman who liked to play around by the people around her, she still didn't want her body to be touched carelessly without her permission. She still kept her precious treasure until whenever, but for sure, she intended to give it to someone she really liked someday.
The man was silent for a moment, his face flushed with embarrassment. "Ah... sorry. I didn't know," he said awkwardly, immediately pulling his hand back.
Sienna only smiled thinly. "It's okay," she said. "You better have fun. I'll sit here and wait for my friend."
"Of course, enjoying the gifts you brought me too," she thought. She glanced at the table where various luxury gifts were piled up.
The man who almost hugged her hurriedly nodded. "Okay, then. If you need anything, just say so. I'll give it to you."
"And if someone bothers you or forces you to do something you don't want to do," another man chimed in protectively, "just scream. I'll come help you right away."
Sienna chuckled softly, amused by their obedience. She then stepped closer to each man, giving them a small kiss on the cheek one by one.
The men's eyes immediately lit up, their faces filled with happiness, as if the brief kiss was a more valuable gift than anything they had given her.
"It's simple. Just consider it a thank you for their luxury gifts," thought Sienna, before finally sitting back down elegantly. Occasionally, she glanced at the corner of the room, her eyes fixed on the bespectacled man who had been catching her attention.
Realizing that the situation was back under control and the men who had been fighting for her attention had dispersed elsewhere, Sienna slowly reached for her bag. She stepped confidently towards a corner of the room, the place that had been attracting her attention.
Her eyes were still fixed on the bespectacled man in oversized clothes who seemed out of place in this nightclub atmosphere. The man's aura was different from the others. Instead of enjoying the glitter of the party, he looked awkward and a little uneasy, as if he were in the wrong place.
Why did that nerdy guy come here? Sienna thought. Doesn't he know places like this are full of wolves in sheep's clothing? Or maybe... he's deliberately looking for something?
Curiosity took over her. With a forced smile to keep looking friendly, she approached the table where the man was sitting, then casually pulled up a chair in front of him before saying, "I don't think I've seen you here before."
The man seemed surprised by Sienna's arrival. Their eyes met, and in a split second, Sienna realized something. This man's gaze was different. There was no burning passion or seductive intent like the other men who often surrounded her. Instead, there was something deeper behind his eyes, something that was hard to guess.
"So, what brings you to this place?" Sienna continued, propping her chin on her hand, trying to delve deeper into the mysterious man in front of her.
Azka, the mysterious man who had been catching her attention, finally looked up. The man's eyes looked languid, as if his mind was somewhere else.
"What do you mean? I don't understand," he said flatly.