Tara stared at the screen in disbelief.
For a moment she wondered if the bar's system was malfunctioning. The information she was seeing simply didn't make sense. Her brows furrowed slightly as she questioned the credibility of the entire system.
Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from one of the booth seats.
"Tara? What are you doing in this booth?"
The man sitting there wore casual clothes, leaning back comfortably as he looked at her with curiosity.
Tara lifted her gaze and met his eyes.
"I should be asking you that question, Kahan," she replied in a calm monotone.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Kahan asked, confused.
Before Tara could answer, another voice chimed in playfully.
"Oh my… we meet again, Miss Logan."
Tara turned toward the speaker. Jade sat nearby with an amused smile on his face. Beside him was Cain, who had been silently observing her since the moment she stepped into the room.
His gaze never left her.
Tara briefly checked the time on her phone and realized she was already late for her meeting. Ignoring Jade's greeting, she looked back at Kahan.
"Kahan, can you tell me which booth your sister is in?" Tara asked dryly. "Because right now I feel like I'm about to be eaten alive."
Just as Kahan opened his mouth to respond, Tara's phone suddenly rang.
She glanced at the caller ID and sighed pitifully before answering.
"Hi—"
"Don't 'hi' me. Where are you?" Tiana's sharp voice came through the phone.
"I'm already at the bar," Tara replied calmly. "But I accidentally went into the wrong booth."
"Which booth?" Tiana asked, sounding puzzled.
"Seventh floor. Booth number 046," Tara said. "And apparently your brother is here too, so I was asking him for directions."
There was a short pause.
"Don't bother. I'll come get you myself," Tiana said before abruptly hanging up.
Kahan raised an eyebrow.
"What did she say?"
"She's coming to get me," Tara answered with resignation.
Kahan suddenly burst out laughing.
"Guess you're in trouble again."
"You don't have to say it out loud," Tara muttered with faint annoyance.
A few minutes later, the booth door opened.
A girl with blonde hair and expressive dark-brown eyes stepped inside.
"I finally found you—"
Before Tiana could finish speaking, she scanned the entire room and noticed all the men present.
"Wow. There are a lot of hot guys here," she said dramatically. "And somehow you're the one who gets lost here, Tara. You're really something."
She walked over toward her friend with a teasing smile.
"Is your brother on that list?" Tara asked casually.
Tiana froze.
All the enthusiasm immediately vanished from her face, replaced by a deep scowl.
Tara burst out laughing.
The sight made several people chuckle.
Cain, who had briefly looked away earlier, turned his head again when he heard Tara laugh.
"Wow… I never knew the Ice Queen could laugh," Jade whispered to him.
Cain didn't reply.
His eyes remained fixed on Tara as she chatted with Tiana and Kahan, her laughter light and genuine.
After a few minutes, Tara stood up and removed her coat, hanging it neatly on the coat rack while waiting for Tian's other friends to arrive.
They didn't take long.
The moment the girls entered the booth, they greeted Tara enthusiastically. The room soon filled with cheerful voices as everyone settled into their seats.
Inside Booth Room #046, the night was still young.
Conversations flowed easily.
People chatted, laughed, and introduced themselves. Some made new connections, others found unexpected friendships, and a few even seemed to discover someone who caught their interest.
Games were played.
Drinks were poured.
The room buzzed with energy and laughter.
"Tara, careful. You've had too much," Kahan said as he gently caught her when she stumbled slightly.
"Wooow!" several people cheered teasingly.
"What?" Tara asked innocently.
Her face was slightly flushed from the alcohol. Her dark eyes looked glossy and unfocused, giving her an almost childlike innocence. Her soft voice sounded weak yet gentle, and despite her drunken state, her charm was impossible to ignore.
"Oh my… Kahan, is this when you finally make your move?" Tiana teased drunkenly.
"Whose move?" Tara asked, blinking in confusion.
"No one, Tara. You don't need to think about that," Kahan said gently.
"Oh… okay," Tara murmured.
She slowly slipped away from his hold and wandered toward the nearby seat where Cain was sitting.
Without warning, she leaned sideways.
And then—
She collapsed softly against him.
Her head rested on his shoulder as she fell completely unconscious.
The room quieted for a moment in surprise.
Cain remained perfectly still.
Throughout the entire night he had mostly observed everyone quietly, as he was drinking only in measured amounts. Even now, as Tara slept on his shoulder, he didn't move her away.
He simply sat there.
Silent.
Watching.
What Tara didn't realize was that while she was enjoying the night with her friends…
A dangerous conspiracy was already being woven around her.
Far away from the lively bar, a man sat alone in a dark room.
A glass of wine rested in his hand.
His expression was hidden in the shadows.
He picked up his phone and dialed a number that had no name saved.
After a few rings, the call connected.
"Hello," a cold voice answered from the other side.
"I need you to kidnap Tara Logan," the man said calmly while swirling the wine in his glass. "She's at the Booth Bar right now. Once you have her, call me for further instructions."
"Understood," the dark voice replied.
The call ended.
The man slowly lowered his phone and looked at the wine glass in his hand.
"Oh, my dear Tara…" he murmured softly.
"You have no idea what I have planned for you."
His fingers tightened.
The delicate glass shattered in his grip.
"You will either become the ladder I climb to reach the top of society…"
His voice turned cold.
"…or another name on the list of people I've erased."