Border Town, Dark Alleyway.
"Chase her! Don't let her get away!"
The alleyway, a den of debauchery, pulsed with dazzling neon lights even at midnight.
At that moment, a dozen men in black were pursuing a young woman.
"Damn it, asking for death." Seeing them doggedly pursue her, the girl stopped, gripping an iron rod over a meter long.
"Hand it over." In an instant, the dozen ferocious men in black surrounded the girl.
"Want it? Come and take it!" The girl wore the hood of a black sweatshirt, hiding her face, but her voice sent chills down their spines.
Blood streamed down her wrist; she had taken a slash to the arm. She needed to end this fast.
"You, go search her." The leader, a big man with a beard, ordered a yellow-haired man beside him.
The yellow-haired man hesitated. This woman was terrifyingly brutal. She fought like her life depended on it.
"Hurry up!"
Yellow-hair had no choice but to approach. However, before he could get close, the girl swung her iron rod straight at the back of his head.
"Get her together!" The leader panicked.
The girl's eyes burned with madness, her strikes merciless.
But these men had chased her for over three hours. Her stamina was fading.
After knocking down a man over six feet tall with a swing of the rod, she followed up with a kick squarely between the legs of another man nearing six and a half feet.
The man instantly crumpled, clutching himself and howling in agony.
Seeing an opening, the girl didn't linger. She spun around and darted into another alley.
She was losing too much blood, barely holding on. The item absolutely could not fall into these men's hands.
Before her pursuers caught up, she dropped the rod, shrugged off her black sweatshirt, and stood revealed in a black tank top that outlined her perfect figure.
She swiftly pulled off her hair tie, shaking her head as a cascade of beautiful long hair tumbled down.
The next moment, the girl slipped into the most infamous nightclub in the dark alley: "Temptation".
The men in black reached the entrance of "Temptation" but hesitated to enter.
"Temptation" was more than just a club; the big shot behind it was someone they couldn't afford to cross.
Rumors said the mastermind behind "Temptation" was incredibly powerful, someone even the leaders of S-country had to tread carefully around.
"What do we do?"
"You few, stay outside. You few, come with me inside. Even 'Temptation' has to give Mr. Evans some face."
Deep into the night, the revelry inside "Temptation" continued unabated. No one noticed the girl slip in.
Soon, the bearded leader and a few others entered.
The girl quickly pushed open the door to a private booth and slipped inside.
The booth was dark. Janelle leaned against the door. The three-hour battle had left her utterly exhausted.
Yet, in the next instant, her instincts screamed danger. She dodged swiftly, but a tall man still seized her, pinning her wrists above her head with one powerful hand.
"Let go!" Janelle was furious.
"Who sent you?" Though exhausted, the girl sensed this was an extremely dangerous man.
"Sir, apologies. I thought this booth was empty. I disturbed you; I'll leave now." This wasn't the time for a fight. She softened her voice.
However, the man's grip on her wrists remained ironclad.
"Sir, I truly didn't know you were in here. You're hurting me." Janelle's panting breaths ignited the fire the man had barely managed to suppress.
"Get out."
In the darkness, his expression was unreadable, but his voice betrayed something wrong to Janelle.
This man... was he drugged?
Well, this was "Temptation". Anything could happen here.
Janelle just wanted to escape this dangerous man. She reached for the door handle to leave but spotted the scar-faced leader outside through the crack. She quickly shut the door again.
"Not gone yet?" He'd given her a chance. If she stayed, whatever happened next wasn't his fault.
"Boss, there's noise inside!"
Hearing the voices outside, seeing them about to force the door open...
Janelle shoved the man hard against the wall. In the next heartbeat, she pressed her lips fiercely against his.
"Mmph..." The man was utterly unprepared for this woman's audacity to kiss him like this.
Janelle leaned into the man's chest, whispering urgently in his ear, "Help me. They're after me."
"Why should I?" The man's voice was devoid of emotion.
The cold point of a dagger pressed against his chest.
The man's lips curved into a smirk. This woman had guts, daring to threaten him?
Just then, the door was violently kicked open. The girl clung to the man, her dagger never wavering from its target.
The bearded leader and his men entered, greeted by a sizzling scene.
Though only her back was visible, the elegant curve of her shoulder blades beneath the spill of raven hair against pale skin was enough to make any man's blood boil.
"Get out!"
The man wrapped an arm around the girl's slender waist. This little hellion struck with lethal force, yet her body was astonishingly soft, inviting thoughts of ruin.
Hearing the commotion, the manager of "Temptation" rushed over.
"Mr. Lorenz! My deepest apologies! I'll have them removed immediately!" Sweat beaded on the manager's forehead. Mr. Lorenz famously despised women getting close. Yet this one dared to cling to him!
The manager gestured for the club's bouncers to pull the girl away. Before they could lay a hand on her, a single icy glare from Mr. Lorenz froze them in place.
"Throw these men out." The man's command was cold.
"Yes, Mr. Lorenz!" The bouncers immediately moved forward.
"Mr. Lorenz! We work for Mr. Evans!" The bearded leader hastily invoked his backer's name.
"Mr. Evans?"
"What kind of nobody is that? Throw them out. Now."
The bearded leader tried to resist, but the "Temptation" bouncers were no ordinary security. They drew weapons, training them on the intruders.
They were all forcibly ejected.
Seeing them gone, the manager quietly closed the booth door.
Relief washed over Janelle. She was truly at her limit.
"Thanks." Regardless, the man had helped her.
But in the next instant, the dagger was wrenched from her grasp by the man's bare hand.
"I helped you. Shouldn't you help me too?" His teeth grazed her earlobe.
"How... how do you want me to help?"
"You forced a kiss on me. For fairness' sake, shouldn't I kiss you back?"
"..."
"Mr. Lorenz, you can have any woman you want. I'll go out and call one for you right now."
Janelle tried to push the man away and escape the dangerous booth, but he was immovable.
"Mr. Lorenz, you—"
"I only want you." The man savored the memory of her kiss. Her lips were soft, her body pliant.