Maddox Armstrong was exactly what Elena expected—and worse.
He didn't bother standing when Harper dragged her into the VIP room.
He leaned back against the leather couch, one arm draped over the backrest, cigarette burning lazily between his fingers. Music thumped through the walls, muted but heavy. The room smelled like alcohol, smoke, and money.
Then Harper squealed.
"Maddox!"
She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him. He laughed softly, crushing the cigarette into an ashtray and pulling her into a loose hug.
"Missed you too, trouble," he said.
But his eyes weren't on Harper.
They were fixed on Elena.
That sharp, deliberate attention. Not the kind that admired from afar—the kind that claimed without touching.
"Bloody hell," Maddox murmured, eyes roaming her face without apology. "And who is this beauty?"
Harper opened her mouth to answer, clearly enjoying the moment.
But Elena didn't wait. She stepped forward and held out her hand with a smile that was both charming and a little too perfect. Her voice, sweet and seductive. "Elena Charles. Pleasure to meet you."
Maddox's brow lifted slightly. He took her hand, his grip warm and unhurried, then bent and pressed a slow kiss against her knuckles.
"The pleasure's all mine," he said, smirking as he looked up at her.
Their eyes locked.
His were dark, sharp, dangerous.
Hers were calm. Ember-bright. Unafraid.
Harper, clearly unimpressed with the display, rolls her eyes. "Hands off, Romeo. She's off-limits." She looped her arm through Elena's and pulled her back. "She's my new top model, and I don't want her corrupted."
Maddox just smirks, unfazed, and shrugs. "Corruption's just a matter of perspective, darling." He throws a glance at Elena, who's still holding his gaze, unbothered. "But for today, I'll behave."
Harper shoots him a look, though it's more teasing than serious. She leads Elena away to the center of the room where they sit around a polished table.
Maddox snapped his fingers, and a server appeared almost instantly.
"What will you ladies have?"
"Tequila," Harper said. "The good one."
Elena nodded. "Same."
Glasses arrived quickly. Then another round. And another.
Harper pulled out her phone, shoving it in Maddox's face. "Look at this. Millions of views. Overnight."
He whistled. "Impressive."
"She's magic," Harper said proudly, squeezing Elena's arm. "My brand is saved."
Maddox lifted his glass toward Elena. "Looks like you're already a star."
Elena smiled politely. "Beginner's luck."
He laughed. "I doubt that." he leans back in his chair, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Well, I've got a little surprise for you Harper. Two surprises, actually."
Harper's eyes lit up. "I love surprises."
Maddox's lips curl into a smirk, his eyes glinting with something dangerous. He nodded toward the server, who returned holding a small black case. "The first surprise," he announces, "is a little something special."
He opens the case, revealing a small vial filled with a clear, glowing liquid. The server takes it out carefully and sets it on the table. Maddox's eyes are fixed on it with a dark fascination.
Harper's smile widens. "What is it?" she asks, leaning in closer.
"A new drug. Starlace. It'll make you feel out of this world.… everything becomes sharper, clearer. It's perfect for when you need to forget about reality for a bit."
Harper's grin grows wider, and without hesitation, she grabs the vial, popping the cap. "Well, you know I can't resist a good time."
She takes a small sip and immediately her eyes widen in shock, followed by a burst of laughter. "Oh, this is good! Maddox, you outdid yourself!" She laughs uncontrollably, spinning around as if the world itself has become her personal dance floor.
She grabs Elena's hand and drags her to the center of the room. "Come on! Dance with me!" she demands, still giggling.
Elena hesitates, but Harper's grip is firm, and before long, Elena finds herself caught up in the rhythm, moving along to the music, though her eyes never leave Maddox. There's something about his presence that's magnetic, like an invisible pull that makes it hard to look away.
After a few more rounds of shots and dancing, Harper finally collapsed back onto the couch, breathless and grinning.
"What's the second surprise?" she asked.
Maddox's smile fades into something darker, something more sinister. He turns on the TV, and the room falls quiet as the image of a news anchor fills the screen.
BREAKING NEWS.
A reporter stood outside a luxury apartment building.
"Young model Annabel Winston was found dead in her apartment earlier this evening. Authorities believe it to be an apparent suicide following her termination from Harper Beauty."
The room went quiet as Elena and Harper stared at the screen, shocked into silence. The news report continues to flash images of Annabel, once a shining star, now a tragedy.
Harper blinks, then bursts into hysterical laughter, her eyes wide with a crazed, almost manic glee. "You fucking didn't," she gasps between fits of laughter, half in disbelief, half in exhilaration.
Maddox watches her with a satisfied grin. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. But no one messes with my little sister and gets away with it."
Harper laughs even harder, running over to Maddox to throw her arms around him in a tight hug. "I love you so so much."
They turned together.
Their attention landing on Elena, who was still frozen in shock, her wide eyes flicking between the screen and Maddox.
Harper's smile sharpened. "Poor thing. Such a waste."she murmured, her voice low and cold, almost like she was savoring the moment. "She just didn't know her place."
Maddox nods, his smile curling into something sinister. "The world's a dangerous place, Elena. You don't want to make the same mistakes she did."
Elena looked at the screen once more.
She understood perfectly what they were doing.
They were trying to scare her.
She takes a deep breath, her lips curling into a slow, almost bored smile.
"Too bad," she said. "But am I evil for thinking she deserved it?"
They both froze.
Elena met their eyes calmly.
"She had everything," Elena continued. "Fame. Money. Your brand. And she chose to be ungrateful. Disrespectful."
She shrugged slightly. "Actions have consequences."
Harper blinked, then laughed again. "I really like you."
Maddox didn't laugh.
He smiled.
Slowly.
Darkly.
"That," he said, eyes locked on Elena, "was the right answer."
Elena smiled back, sweet and measured.
Inside, she was already counting her moves.
Maddox Armstrong wasn't just a rebel.
He was dangerous and she had to be extra careful around him.