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Su Meilin sat frozen, her hands still gripping the steering wheel even though the engine was already off.
The words Obsidian Fangs still echoed in her mind like a dreadful curse.
Her breath hitched, and her vision blurred for a second.
She remembered now— William had told her on the phone one day—even the president was afraid of them.
Su Meilin felt her heart stop. A chill crawled down her spine like a centipede with icy feet. What kind of hell had she stepped into?
What mess had she put herself into... What exactly had gone wrong?
Didn't it all start with one of her normal nights?
Weren't they just foreigners—friends of Shen Zhao, Zhen Shao, and Chen Shao?
Laughter. Drinks.
A night of distraction.
And now this?
How had it spiraled into something this terrifying?
How had it led her straight into the claws of monsters?
Laetania's voice on the phone was still chilling. Cold. Angry. Cutting.
"You should take care of yourself." That was the last thing she'd said before hanging up.
Su Meilin dropped the phone, her fingers numb.
Her gaze remained fixed on the road ahead.
Obsidian what?
Obsidian Fangs.
Most feared... Ruthless... Vicious... A name that dripped with blood and death.
What was she supposed to do now?
She inhaled deeply, gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles whitened.
Su Meilin let out a shaky breath, her eyes fixed ahead as she drove into the exclusive Emperor Crown Pavilion.
—
The Emperor Crown Pavilion loomed ahead like a castle from a dark fairytale—glass and gold stretching to the clouds, guarded by doormen who didn't blink.
The valet bowed, but Su Meilin didn't notice.
She was pulling out her phone, ready to call William.
She couldn't just walk in. She knew she wouldn't be allowed to.
But before she could dial, a tall black man in a dark suit approached her, eyes unreadable.
"Miss Su Meilin?" he asked, his voice deep and smooth.
She nodded.
"You're being expected inside."
Her throat went dry, but she nodded again.
She got out and followed him into the marble and obsidian lobby of the Emperor Crown Pavilion.
—
The Emperor Crown Pavilion's lobby was luxury personified—marble floors so clean they reflected the golden chandelier lights above, walls adorned with gilded edges and imported art.
Staff in pristine uniforms bowed respectfully as they passed.
The man led her to an elevator hidden behind a mirrored corridor.
As it ascended, her thoughts raced.
Her reflection stared back—too pale.
Her heart hammered in her chest.
The elevator stopped with a soft chime.
—
When the doors slid open, bass-heavy music spilled out.
She blinked.
A bar.
Loud music pounded in her ears.
The beat of electronic house music throbbed with the pulse of the club.
Neon lights danced across the room, highlighting the crowd of exotic, beautiful people dancing like they had no care in the world.
Men in sharp suits and women in dazzling dresses clinked glasses of expensive wine.
The lighting was low, red and purple strobes flashing.
It smelled of perfume and alcohol.
She followed the man through the crowd, past the DJ booth, to a room in the corner.
Blackened glass walls.
—
The man knocked once, then opened the door.
Darkness.
He turned to her, expression calm. "The Masters are inside."
The door closed behind her with a soft click.
Su Meilin's breath caught in her throat.
She couldn't see anything.
Not a flicker of light.
The silence inside was unsettling after the deafening music outside.
Her instincts screamed at her to run.
Then—
A presence.
She turned sharply.
A figure emerged from the shadows.
The light from the hallway had disappeared, but her eyes began adjusting to the darkness.
She saw a glint of white teeth—
Eric.
His smirk was cold. Devilish.
Su Meilin screamed, stumbling backward. Her heels twisted and she fell.
William's voice came from the far corner, low and amused. "Don't scare the princess, Eric."
Eric gave a one-shouldered shrug and walked over to the far end to the bar.
He flicked on the light.
The room lit up, casting shadows over polished black tiles.
A modern bar stood in the corner, glass bottles gleaming.
A leather sofa sat in the middle like a throne.
A table with half-empty whiskey bottles and silver trays. It reeked of luxury and threat.
William lounged on the couch, legs crossed, an arm draped over the backrest.
He looked like a king in his lair, but the crown was made of fangs.
Eric walked and sat beside him, stretching lazily.
Su Meilin scrambled to her feet, trembling. Her maroon suit was wrinkled now but she didn't care.
She looked at them—really looked.
Why had she never noticed before?
Eric's eyes held no warmth. Just ice. And William... his smile was the kind that followed you into nightmares.
Why... why had she never noticed how cruel they looked before?
William glanced at Eric. "She seems afraid."
Eric studied her, then slowly nodded.
He stood, steps slow and deliberate as he walked toward her.
Su Meilin tried not to flinch.
He stopped before her, tilted her chin up with his finger.
His eyes were glacial. His voice colder. "What's wrong?"
"Didn't you send someone to deal with us?"
She shook her head, tears brimming. "No—I didn't—I didn't know—"
Eric's mouth twisted in disgust. He shoved her. She fell hard against the sofa edge.
She hit the edge, falling to her knees.
Pain flared through her wrist, but she didn't dare cry out.
Then, the slap—sharp—echoed in the room.
SLAP!?
"Why are you crying?" Eric snarled. "I thought you were bold?"
William chuckled cruelly, resting back against the couch. "Maybe the stupid lady from Crimson Circle told her."
Su Meilin blinked through tears, confused.
Crimson Circle?
Eric crouched down beside her again, face inches from hers.
"Do you know who we are?" he whispered.
She shook her head rapidly. "I don't... I don't know anything..."
Eric stood up and walked back to the bar. "Stand up," he said lazily.
She obeyed slowly, brushing dust off her trembling legs.
Her voice was barely audible. "What... what do you want from me?"
There was silence.
William smirked, crossing one leg over the other. "She's asking the real questions now."
She clenched her fists.
She wasn't the brightest star. But she wasn't stupid either.
The seduction, the attention. The club. Their first meeting. Then the recording.
She wasn't naive enough to believe anything with them had been a coincidence.
Why had they approached her? What were they planning?
Eric's jaw clenched, and something terrifying flickered in his gaze.
But William held a hand up lazily. "Calm down. Don't break the doll. Not yet."
He turned to Su Meilin with a smirk that made her stomach twist. "You don't need to know much. Just one thing."
He leaned forward. "You belong to us now."
Su Meilin felt her knees nearly buckle.
Belong? Belong... to them?
"I have... I have a fiancée," she said, voice small, shaking.
William barked a laugh. "Do we look like we care?"
No. They didn't. Not one bit.
Regret slammed into her like a wave.
Why had she gone out that night Shen Zhao called her? Why hadn't she just stayed home?
If only she hadn't gone to the club that night. If only she'd stayed home that night.
What had she gotten herself into?
If only... If only...
But there was no medicine for regret.
Now...
Now it was too late.
She could feel it. The shift. The invisible chain tightening around her.
Nothing would ever be the same again.
Because of her own stupidity.
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